They first said about two years ago that they wanted more of a 'bikini contest' look for figure and that's what is now happening at the national level. For the past several pro qualifiers, the best conditioned athletes have complained about being placed down.
It's not about 'clearing up the judging' for figure - they are telling you that they want a completely different physique type onstage in figure...one that is markedly softer than anything most of us would consider a 'physique' at all.
A significant number of competitors, fans, and judges like the mass, which is why it has almost always been rewarded in pro bodybuilding. So, they're going to let bodybuilding be what it is and then figure will be their bikini contest, while the classic division will be for those who have muscle, yet would not be big enough to compete at the national or pro levels.
I still don't like it. I am not comfortable enough with the consistency associated with the judging standards for either figure or FBB to be able to support the addition of yet another division.
We have weight classes in FBB, at least at the amateur level, so I don't understand what the additional division would acheive. What would be the difference between a Lightweight FBB (under 115 or 118 pounds) and a "classic" lightweight FBB?

I compete at under 115 pounds, hard and shredded.

SO where would I fit in? Would FBB just be for the big girls, and would I be forced to compete in "classic"?
Would there be "classic" at the Pro level too? How about just starting back with weight classes in all of the Pro shows? - maybe even a LW, MW, and HW.