Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a form of competitive combat sport, akin to boxing, muay thai, or kick boxing. MMA titles, or championship belts, are given to those fighters deemed by a promotional organization to have met a certain standard of athletic accomplishment in a specific weight class (most often by means of a championship fight). Championship belts are fought for at each weight class under a promotion, with only one belt awarded per class. Each belt is usually contested every time the belt holder fights, and passed to the victor of that fight (see the List of UFC champions for a chronology of UFC title belts). A belt may be vacated when a fighter leaves a promotion, or is suspended. At such times an interim champion may be crowned, or the belt may be awarded to the winner of a fight between top contenders.
This list displays all title holders for the major, certified MMA promoting and sanctioning bodies. There is no clear industry definition within the MMA community to determine which organizations are considered major promoting bodies.[1] Due to a lack of clear guidelines, this list is limited to those organizations that are either highly regarded (such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Strikeforce), long standing (such as King of the Cage (KOTC) and Pancrase), or the dominant organizations of a country or region of the world (such as England's Ultimate Challenge MMA (UCMMA) and Canada's Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC)).
Because there is no international unified MMA weight class system in use,[2] the Nevada State Athletic Commission's (NSAC) weight classes have been adopted for this article as they are most common across major promotions. Some organizations have created titles in weight classes outside the NSAC guidelines. Those titles have been and will be recognized as subdivisions under their common weight class.[3]
Though unofficial, Fight Matrix considered the first MMA lineal champions as follows:[4]
- Heavyweight – Ken Shamrock beginning October 14, 1993 at Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 2
- Light heavyweight – Frank Shamrock beginning December 21, 1997 at UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan.
- Middleweight – Kenji Kawaguchi beginning May 18, 1989 at Shooto: Shooto.
- Welterweight – Yasuto Sekishima beginning January 13, 1990 at Shooto: Shooto.
- Lightweight – Yuichi Watanabe beginning January 13, 1990 at Shooto: Shooto.
- Featherweight – Noboru Asahi beginning March 27, 1992 at Shooto: Shooto.
- Bantamweight – Kazuhiro Sakamoto beginning October 19, 1989 at Shooto: Shooto.
- Flyweight – Kenji Ogusu beginning March 27, 1992 at Shooto: Shooto.
Although the inaugural lineal champions are sometimes contested, especially at heavyweight; the consensus view, is that all the lineal titles have been unified with their respective weight class UFC titles.
Organizations are listed by a combination of their size (number of fighters, events per year, etc.) and their history (years in existence, title lineage, etc.). Title holders from other organizations, who are now fighting in the UFC, are not included in this list as the UFC does not cross promote and these belts are often vacated.[5]
Men edit
Heavyweight (265 lb, 120 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 American |
Jon Jones | UFC | March 4, 2023 | 0 |
| American |
Ryan Bader | Bellator | January 26, 2019 | 3 |
 Russian |
Anatoly Malykhin | ONE | June 23, 2023 | 0 |
| Russian |
Evgeniy Goncharov | ACA | March 17, 2023 | 1 |
 English |
Phil De Fries | KSW | April 14, 2018 | 9 |
| N/A | Vacant | CWFC | N/A | N/A |
 German |
Hatef Moeil | Oktagon | November 18, 2023 | 0 |
 Brazilian |
Hugo Cunha | LFA | November 3, 2023 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | FNG | N/A | N/A |
 Guam |
Roque Martinez (Known as Megatonweight / over 205 lb, 93 kg) |
Deep | July 15, 2017 | 3 |
| N/A | Vacant | Jungle Fight | N/A | N/A |
| American |
Bailey Schoenfelder | CFFC | April 12, 2024 | 0 |
 Congolese |
Matunga Djikasa | EFC | October 6, 2022 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Road FC | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | Titan | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | Eagle FC | N/A | N/A |
 Cape Verdean |
Domingos Barros | CES | May 12, 2023 | 0 |
Cruiserweight (225 lb, 102 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russian |
Anatoly Malykhin (Known as Light Heavyweight) |
One | December 3, 2022 | 0 |
Light Heavyweight (205 lb, 93 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilian |
Alex Pereira | UFC | November 11, 2023 | 1 |
| American |
Corey Anderson | Bellator | March 22, 2024 | 0 |
 Dutch |
Anatoly Malykhin (Known as Middleweight) |
One | March 1, 2024 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | ACA | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | Rizin FF | N/A | N/A |
 Polish |
Rafał Haratyk | KSW | February 24, 2024 | 0 |
| English |
Andy Clamp | CWFC | March 16, 2024 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Brave CF | N/A | N/A |
 Czech |
Karlos Vemola | Oktagon | July 23, 2022 | 1 |
| Brazilian |
Bruno Lopes | LFA | September 30, 2022 | 1 |
| Russian |
Vagab Vagabov | FNG | October 16, 2021 | 1 |
| N/A | Vacant | Pancrase | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | Deep | N/A | N/A |
| American |
Luke Fernandez | CFFC | December 15, 2023 | 0 |
 South African |
JC Lamprecht | EFC | August 10, 2023 | 0 |
 South Korean |
Kim Tae-in | Road FC | December 18, 2022 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Titan FC | N/A | N/A |
 Kazakhstani |
Diyar Nurgozhay | Eagle FC | August 21, 2022 | 0 |
 Syrian |
Tarek Suleiman | UAE Warriors | May 3, 2019 | 0 |
 Algerian |
Mohamed Said Maalem | MMA GP | Sep 16, 2023 | 0 |
Middleweight (185 lb, 84 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South African |
Dricus du Plessis | UFC | January 20, 2024 | 0 |
| American |
Johnny Eblen | Bellator | June 24, 2022 | 2 |
| American |
Christian Lee (Known as Welterweight) |
One | November 19, 2022 | 0 |
| Russian |
Magomedrasul Gasanov | ACA | April 9, 2021 | 4 |
| Polish |
Paweł Pawlak | KSW | June 3, 2023 | 1 |
 Italian |
Dario Bellandi | CWFC | November 25, 2023 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Brave CF | N/A | N/A |
| Czech |
Patrick Kincl | Oktagon | February 26, 2022 | 3 |
| Russian |
Azamat Bekoev | LFA | December 15, 2023 | 0 |
| Russian |
Vladimir Mineev | FNG | September 9, 2020 | 1 |
 Japanese |
Yura Naito | Pancrase | March 21, 2022 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
João Batista Yoshimura | Deep | July 4, 2021 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Shooto | N/A | N/A |
| Brazilian |
Vitor Costa | Jungle Fight | September 30, 2023 | 0 |
| American |
Kyle Daukaus | CFFC | September 2, 2023 | 1 |
| South African |
Luke Michael | EFC | March 5, 2022 | 0 |
| South Korean |
In Su Hwang | Road FC | July 3, 2021 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Bruno Assis | Titan | July 2, 2021 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Eagle FC | N/A | N/A |
| American |
Gary Balletto Jr. | CES | July 29, 2023 | 0 |
 Iranian |
Amir Fazli | UAE Warriors | May 20, 2023 | 0 |
Welterweight (170 lb, 77 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English |
Leon Edwards | UFC | August 20, 2022 | 2 |
 Jamaican |
Jason Jackson | Bellator | November 17, 2023 | 0 |
| American |
Christian Lee (Known as Lightweight) |
One | August 26, 2022 | 2 |
| Russian |
Albert Tumenov | ACA | December 24, 2023 | 0 |
| Polish |
Adrian Bartosiński | KSW | April 22, 2023 | 1 |
 Irish |
James Sheehan | CWFC | April 6, 2024 | 0' |
| Russian |
Kamal Magomedov (175 lb, 79 kg) |
Brave CF | December 5, 2023 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Oktagon | N/A | N/A |
| Brazilian |
Vanilto Antunes | LFA | March 23, 2024 | 0 |
| Russian |
Dmitry Bikrev | FNG | April 6, 2019 | 4 |
| Japanese |
Ryuichiro Sumimura | Pancrase | December 24, 2023 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Shingo Suzuki | Deep | February 11, 2023 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant (Known as Middleweight) | Shooto | N/A | N/A |
| Brazilian |
Anderson Nascimento | Jungle Fight | March 16, 2024 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | CFFC | N/A | N/A |
| South African |
Mark Hulme | EFC | April 13, 2023 | 1 |
| American |
Will Brooks | Titan | June 2, 2023 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant (175 lb, 79 kg) |
Eagle FC | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | CES | N/A | N/A |
 Australian |
Josh Togo | UAE Warriors | September 17, 2022 | 0 |
 Kyrgyz |
Darkhanbek Ergeshev | Matrix Fight Night | March 31, 2023 | 1 |
Super Lightweight (165 lb, 75 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bahraini |
Eldar Eldarov | Brave CF | April 19, 2019 | 1 |
Lightweight (155 lb, 70 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russian |
Islam Makhachev | UFC | October 22, 2022 | 2 |
| Russian |
Usman Nurmagomedov | Bellator | November 18, 2022 | 2 |
 Chinese |
Tang Kai (Known as Featherweight) |
One | August 26, 2022 | 1 |
| Russian |
Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov | ACA | September 19, 2020 | 2 |
| Brazilian |
Roberto Satoshi Souza | Rizin FF | June 13, 2021 | 2 |
 French |
Salahdine Parnasse | KSW | June 3, 2023 | 1 |
| English |
George Hardwick | CWFC | July 22, 2022 | 2 |
| Kyrgyzstani |
Abdisalam Kubanychbek | Brave CF | February 18, 2023 | 1 |
 Slovak |
Ronald Paradeiser | Oktagon | December 9, 2023 | 0 |
| American |
Kegan Gennrich | LFA | January 12, 2024 | 0 |
| Russian |
Alexander Sarnavskiy | FNG | February 23, 2024 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Tatsuya Saika | Pancrase | March 31, 2024 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Kimihiro Eto | Deep | March 9, 2024 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant (Known as Welterweight) | Shooto | N/A | N/A |
| Brazilian |
Arcangelo Oliveira | Jungle Fight | August 26, 2023 | 1 |
| American |
Robert Watley | CFFC | July 20, 2023 | 1 |
| N/A | Vacant | EFC | N/A | N/A |
| Korean |
Park Si-won | Road FC | July 23, 2022 | 1 |
| N/A | Vacant | Combate Global | N/A | N/A |
| American |
Richie Lewis | Titan | July 21, 2023 | 0 |
 Azerbaijani |
Ramin Sultanov | Eagle FC | November 11, 2023 | 0' |
| American |
Nathan Ghareeb | CES | November 17, 2021 | 0 |
| Russian |
Amru Magomedov | UAE Warriors | October 17, 2023 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Keweney Lopes | MMA GP | Jan 27, 2024 | 0 |
Featherweight (145 lb, 66 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Georgian |
Ilia Topuria | UFC | February 17, 2024 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Patrício Pitbull | Bellator | April 15, 2022 | 2 |
| Brazilian |
Fabrício Andrade (Known as Bantamweight) |
ONE | February 25, 2023 | 0 |
| Russian |
Islam Omarov | ACA | July 21, 2023 | 1 |
| Japanese |
Chihiro Suzuki | Rizin FF | November 4, 2023 | 1 |
| French |
Salahdine Parnasse | KSW | December 18, 2021 | 2 |
| Irish |
Paul Hughes | CWFC | November 4, 2022 | 0 |
| Kyrgyzstani |
Nemat Abdrashitov | Brave CF | June 23, 2023 | 0 |
 Belgian |
Losene Keita | Oktagon | December 9, 2023 | 0 |
| American |
Elijah Johns | LFA | February 9, 2024 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | FNG | N/A | N/A |
| Japanese |
Suguru Nii | Pancrase | September 24, 2023 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Jin Aoi | Deep | March 9, 2024 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Keisuke Sasu (Known as Lightweight) |
Shooto | July 25, 2021 | 1 |
| Brazilian |
Willian Souza | Jungle Fight | July 29, 2023 | 1 |
| American |
Jose Perez | CFFC | August 26, 2022 | 1 |
| Congolese |
Igeu Kabesa | EFC | November 3, 2022 | 3 |
 Jordanian |
Ali AlQaisi | Titan | August 6, 2021 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Combate Global | N/A | N/A |
| South Korean |
Hae Jin Park | Road FC | December 18, 2022 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Eagle FC | N/A | N/A |
| American |
Dan Dubuque | CES | September 9, 2022 | 0 |
| Jordanian |
Ali AlQaisi | UAE Warriors | September 17, 2022 | 1 |
| N/A | Vacant | Matrix Fight Night | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | MMA GP | N/A | N/A |
Bantamweight (135 lb, 61 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American |
Sean O'Malley | UFC | August 19, 2023 | 1 |
| American |
Patchy Mix | Bellator | November 17, 2023 | 0 |
| American |
Demetrious Johnson (Known as Flyweight) |
One | August 27, 2022 | 1 |
| Russian |
Pavel Vitruk | ACA | April 19, 2024 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Kai Asakura | Rizin FF | December 31, 2023 | 0 |
| Polish |
Jakub Wikłacz | KSW | December 17, 2022 | 2 |
| English |
Liam Gittins | CWFC | November 25, 2023 | 1 |
| South African |
Nkosi Ndebele | Brave CF | December 15, 2023 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Felipe Lima | Oktagon | July 29, 2023 | 0 |
| American |
John Sweeney | LFA | June 16, 2023 | 0 |
| Kazakhstani |
Sabit Zhusupov | FNG | October 14, 2022 | 1 |
| Japanese |
Tokitaka Nakanishi | Pancrase | December 24, 2023 | 0 |
| South Korean |
Yoo Soo-young | Deep | September 18, 2023 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Tatsuya Ando (Known as Featherweight) |
Shooto | March 21, 2022 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Tiago Pereira | Jungle Fight | June 24, 2023 | 1 |
 Albanian |
Vilson Ndregjoni | CFFC | April 1, 2023 | 1 |
| South African |
Nkazimulo Zulu | EFC | July 13, 2023 | 0 |
 Dominican |
Tommy Garcia | Titan | April 14, 2023 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Road FC | N/A | N/A |
 Mexican |
David Martinez | Combate Global | May 29, 2021 | 2 |
| Russian |
Renat Khavalov | Eagle FC | March 19, 2021 | 3 |
| American |
Ashiek Ajim | CES | June 17, 2022 | 0 |
 Pakistani |
Uloomi Karim | Matrix Fight Night | November 18, 2022 | 0 |
| French |
Alfan Rocher-Labes | MMA GP | Sep 16, 2023 | 0 |
Flyweight (125 lb, 57 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilian |
Alexandre Pantoja | UFC | July 8, 2023 | 1 |
| N/A | Vacant | Bellator | N/A | N/A |
 Filipino |
Joshua Pacio (Known as Strawweight) |
One | March 1, 2024 | 0 |
| Russian |
Kurban Gadzhiev | ACA | February 25, 2023 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Kyoji Horiguchi | Rizin FF | December 31, 2023 | 0 |
 Bangladeshi |
Shajidul Haque | CWFC | December 31, 2022 | 1 |
| English |
Sam Creasey | Oktagon | April 20, 2024 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Eduardo Henrique | LFA | November 17, 2023 | 0 |
| Russian |
Vartan Asatryan | FNG | February 23, 2022 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Makoto Takahashi | Deep | March 1, 2020 | 1 |
| Japanese |
Seiichiro Ito | Pancrase | April 3, 2024 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Jo Arai (Known as Bantamweight) |
Shooto | November 19, 2023 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Wagner Reis | Jungle Fight | November 25, 2023 | 1 |
| American |
Israel Galvan | CFFC | March 8, 2024 | 0 |
| South African |
Nkazimulo Zulu | EFC | March 7, 2024 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Victor Dias | Titan | March 26, 2021 | 1 |
| N/A | Vacant | Road FC | N/A | N/A |
| Russian |
Irgit Oveenchi | Eagle FC | August 10, 2022 | 0 |
| American |
Mitch Raposo | CES | November 17, 2020 | 0 |
 Indian |
Angad Bisht | Matrix Fight Night | November 18, 2022 | 0 |
| French |
Michael Aljarouj | MMA GP | Mar 4, 2023 | 1 |
Strawweight (115 lb, 52 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
Keito Yamakita | Pancrase | July 18, 2022 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Namiki Kawahara | Deep | August 23, 2020 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Jo Arai (Known as Flyweight) |
Shooto | September 19, 2022 | 1 |
Women edit
Women athletes are generally smaller than, and compete at lower weights than their male counterparts.[6]
Featherweight (145 lb, 66 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Vacant | UFC | N/A | N/A |
| Brazilian |
Cris Cyborg | Bellator | January 25, 2020 | 5 |
| N/A | Vacant | Invicta FC | N/A | N/A |
| Japanese |
Yoko Higashi | Deep Jewels | May 8, 2022 | 0 |
Bantamweight (135 lb, 61 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American |
Raquel Pennington | UFC | January 20, 2024 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Talita Bernardo | Invicta FC | January 18, 2023 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | FNG | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | LFA | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | Deep Jewels | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | Pancrase | N/A | N/A |
| Brazilian |
Kelly Ottoni | Jungle Fight | July 31, 2022 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | CFFC | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | EFC | N/A | N/A |
Flyweight (125 lb, 57 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexican |
Alexa Grasso | UFC | March 4, 2023 | 1 |
| American |
Liz Carmouche | Bellator | April 22, 2022 | 3 |
| Chinese |
Xiong Jing Nan (Known as Strawweight) |
One | January 20, 2018 | 7 |
| N/A | Vacant | Invicta FC | January 18, 2023 | N/A |
 Canadian |
Shannon Clark | LFA | February 23, 2024 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Rin Nakai | Deep Jewels | May 8, 2022 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Honoka Shigeta | Pancrase | March 31, 2024 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Brena Cardozo | Jungle Fight | October 28, 2023 | 0 |
| American |
Fatima Kline | CFFC | November 3, 2023 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | EFC | N/A | N/A |
| Canadian |
Corinne Laframboise | UAE Warriors | March 26, 2022 | 0 |
Strawweight (115 lb, 52 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese |
Zhang Weili | UFC | November 12, 2022 | 2 |
 Thai |
Stamp Fairtex (Known as Atomweight) |
One | September 30, 2023 | 0 |
| Irish |
Danni McCormack | Invicta FC | March 15, 2023 | 1 |
| German |
Katharina Dalisda | Oktagon | September 16, 2023 | 1 |
| Brazilian |
Rose Conceição | LFA | July 7, 2023 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Haruka Hasegawa | Pancrase | April 30, 2023 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Seika Izawa | Deep Jewels | March 15, 2022 | 0 |
| Brazilian |
Faelly Vitória | Jungle Fight | August 26, 2023 | 0 |
| American |
Fatima Kline | CFFC | February 9, 2024 | 0 |
 Romanian |
Alice Ardelean | EFC | March 2, 2023 | 0 |
| N/A | Vacant | Combate Global | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | Vacant | Matrix Fight Night | N/A | N/A |
Super Atomweight (108 lb, 49 kg or 110 lb, 50 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
Seika Izawa |
Rizin FF | April 17, 2022 | 1 |
| Japanese |
Ayaka Watanabe (110 lb, 50 kg) |
Shooto | May 21, 2023 | 0 |
Atomweight (105 lb, 47,5 kg) edit
| Name | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Vacant | Invicta FC | N/A | N/A |
| Japanese |
Seika Izawa | Deep Jewels | March 24, 2024 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Satomi Takano | Pancrase | March 31, 2024 | 0 |
| Japanese |
Chihiro Sawada | Shooto | November 27, 2022 | 1 |
| South Korean |
Shim Yu-ri | Road FC | September 4, 2021 | 0 |
Microweight (95 lb, 43 kg) edit
| riaz | Organization | Date | No. of title defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
Saori Oshima | Deep | September 20, 2020 | 1 |
| Japanese |
Aya Murakami | Deep Jewels | September 10, 2023 | 0 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ The Canadian Press Staff (August 14, 2010). "Ontario to allow mixed martial arts starting in 2011". Bell Media.
- ^ Robert Rousseau. "MMA Doesn't Need 14 Weight Classes". SubmitToMMA.com. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
- ^ Michael David Smith (June 7, 2010). "Frank Mir Moving Down? Maybe MMA Needs Cruiserweight Division". AOL Inc.
- ^ "Fight Matrix - Lineal Championship Histories". fightmatrix.com.
- ^ Sammy Perez (November 8, 2010). ""Slammin' Sammy" on MMA Cross Promotion & Risks!". ringtalk.com.
- ^ Hyde & Gengenbach. "Anatomical and Physiological Considerations when comparing Male and Female Athletes". San Diego Center for Health. Retrieved July 26, 2011.