List of UFC champions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of Ultimate Fighting Championship champions at each weight class.[1]
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, the sport of mixed martial arts was unsanctioned in the United States, and as such weight classes did not exist; instead of the traditional championship model, tournaments were held with the winner receiving a permanent appellation.[2] In response to criticism from Senator John McCain which saw the loss of their television deal and the banning of the sport in thirty-six states, the UFC increased its cooperation with state athletic commissions and introduced weight classes in 1997.[3]
The original codification for weight classes introduced only two divisions—heavyweight; which grouped competitors above 200 lb (91 kg), and lightweight; which encompassed all other competitors. The UFC would later rename their lightweight division to middleweight, and add lightweight (170 lb, 77 kg) and bantamweight (155 lb, 70 kg) divisions. In 2000, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board completely took over regulation in its home state, and their rules and weight classes became the de facto rule set for mixed martial arts today.[4] The UFC realigned their weight classes to comply with the new regulations in 2001.[5]
Contents |
[edit] Title histories
[edit] Heavyweight championship (265 lb, 120 kg)
[edit] Light heavyweight championship (205 lb, 93 kg)
- The light heavyweight title was known as the middleweight title prior to UFC 31 (May 4, 2001). Quinton Jackson defeated Dan Henderson at UFC 75 to unify the UFC light heavyweight title with the PRIDE middleweight title.
[edit] Middleweight championship (185 lb, 84 kg)
- Anderson Silva defeated Dan Henderson at UFC 82 to unify the UFC middleweight title with the PRIDE welterweight title.
| Name | Date | Location | Defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dave Menne(def. Gil Castillo) |
September 28, 2001 (UFC 33) |
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | ||
 Murilo Bustamante |
January 11, 2002 (UFC 35) |
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
|
|
| Bustamante was stripped of the title on October 5, 2002 after signing with PRIDE.[1] | ||||
| Evan Tanner (def. David Terrell) |
February 5, 2005 (UFC 51) |
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | ||
| Rich Franklin |
June 4, 2005 (UFC 53) |
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
|
|
| Anderson Silva |
October 14, 2006 (UFC 64) |
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
|
|
[edit] Welterweight championship (170 lb, 77 kg)
- The welterweight title was known as the lightweight title prior to UFC 31 (May 4, 2001)
[edit] Lightweight championship (155 lb, 70 kg)
- The lightweight title was known as the bantamweight title prior to UFC 31 (May 4, 2001).
| Name | Date | Location | Defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jens Pulver (def. Caol Uno) |
February 23, 2001 (UFC 30) |
Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA |
|
|
| Pulver was stripped of the title and left the UFC in March 2002 due to a contract dispute.[1] | ||||
| B.J. Penn drew with Caol Uno on February 28, 2003 in Atlantic City, NJ (UFC 41) in the finals of a lightweight tournament for the vacant lightweight championship.[1] | ||||
| Sean Sherk (def. Kenny Florian) |
October 14, 2006 (UFC 64) |
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
|
|
| Sherk was stripped of the title December 8, 2007 because of a positive steroid test after his bout with Franca.[11] | ||||
| B. J. Penn (def. Joe Stevenson) |
January 19, 2008 (UFC 80) |
Newcastle upon Tyne, England | ||
[edit] Superfight championship
- Open weight fights featuring previous tournament fighters.
| Name | Date | Location | Defenses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Shamrock (def. Dan Severn) |
July 14, 1995 (UFC 6) |
Casper, Wyoming, USA |
|
|
| Dan Severn |
May 17, 1996 (UFC 9) |
Detroit, Michigan, USA | ||
| The Superfight championship was unified with Mark Coleman's heavyweight championship on February 7, 1997 in Dothan, AL (UFC 12) when Coleman defeated Severn.[1] | ||||
[edit] Tournaments
[edit] See also
- List of PRIDE champions
- List of Pancrase champions
- List of UFC events
- Mixed martial arts weight classes
[edit] References
- General
- Title Holders. UFC (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-12.
- Previous Title Holders. UFC (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-12.
- Specific
- ^ a b c d e f g UFC Championship Lineage. The Orange County Register (July 2, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-14.
- ^ Plotz, David (1999-11-07). Fight Clubbed. Slate. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
- ^ Gentry III, Clyde (2003). No Holds Barred: Ultimate Fighting and the Martial Arts Revolution, Paperback Edition, Milo Books, 106, 123. ISBN ISBN 0-903854-90-X.
- ^ Mixed Martial Arts Unified Rules of Conduct. New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (2000). Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ Trembow, Ivan (2000). New Jersey Commission Corrects Mainstream UFC Stories (Reprint). MMA Weekly. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ Rutten, Bas. Bas Rutten Biography. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ Iole, Kevin (August 14, 2004). UFC fighter flunks drug test. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Tom (November 26, 2006). Fighting outside the box. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ UFC Strips Mir of Heavyweight Belt, Arlovski New Champion. Sherdog (August 13, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ B.J. Penn Stripped of Title. MMA Ring Report (May 17, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave. "Sherk stripped of lightweight title", Yahoo! Sports, 2007-12-09. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
