Every UFC Belt Change.
Every Champion. Every Finish.
The Complete History.
From Mark Coleman winning the first-ever Heavyweight title at UFC 12 in 1997, to the champions sitting on top of the mountain right now - I went through all 12 divisions, every title fight, every judge's scorecard I could track down. Every KO time. Every submission round. If it went to the judges, the scorecards are in here. This is the only place you need to go.
Before We Get Into the Divisions
The UFC started in 1993 as a spectacle - no weight classes, no time limits, and barely any rules. By 1997 they were handing out formal championship belts. By 2012 they were running 12 active weight classes. Right now it's the most watched combat sports organisation on the planet.
What I've tried to do here is build the most complete single record of every UFC title change that exists in one place. Not just who won and lost - but how. KO or submission? What round? What time? If it went to the judges, what did the scorecards say? A 48-47 split tells a very different story to a 50-44 shutout.
King's Note: A few things up front. First, early UFC history is genuinely messy - tournaments, super fights, and weight classes that shifted definition over the years. I've used the most commonly accepted historical record, but some early designations are debated. Second, this covers undisputed title changes - interim titles are noted in the notes column but aren't given their own rows unless they became the undisputed belt.
All-Time Records Across All 12 Divisions
Johnson defended the Flyweight title 11 consecutive times between 2012 and 2018 - the all-time UFC record. The run ended with a split decision loss to Henry Cejudo. Many neutral observers felt Johnson won that fight. Regardless, 11 defenses in a row is one of the great sustained sporting achievements in combat sports history.
Silva won the Middleweight title at UFC 64 on October 14, 2006 and held it until July 6, 2013 - when Chris Weidman caught him showboating and knocked him out cold. 2,457 days. 10 title defenses. The greatest middleweight in UFC history and it isn't a debate.
December 12, 2015. Aldo had been unbeaten for 10 years. McGregor landed a left hand 13 seconds into the first round. One punch. That's it. The fastest title fight KO in UFC history and possibly the most shocking single moment in the promotion's existence.
Three Heavyweight reigns plus two Light Heavyweight reigns. Couture was fighting for world titles in his mid-40s. No other fighter in UFC history has won belts in two weight classes across five separate reigns. If you're building a Mount Rushmore of the UFC, Couture is on it.
GSP's second welterweight reign ran from UFC 83 in April 2008 to UFC 167 in November 2013. Nine consecutive defenses - he never lost the title, he vacated it and retired. The most complete fighter to ever compete at 170 lbs. Nobody touched him for five years. Not once.
Six Women's Bantamweight defenses across two reigns. Plus a Women's Featherweight title won at UFC 232 when she KO'd Cyborg in 51 seconds. Nunes KO'd Rousey. KO'd Cyborg. Submitted Pena. Outpointed everyone else. The greatest female combat sports athlete in history by any reasonable measure.
Two-Division Champions in UFC History
Nine fighters have held belts in two different UFC weight classes. Conor McGregor was the first to hold them simultaneously. Couture is the only one to do it across five separate title reigns spanning a decade.
| # | Fighter | Division 1 | Division 2 | Two-Belt Moment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Randy Couture | Heavyweight | Light Heavyweight | Multiple reigns 1997-2007 | 3 HW + 2 LHW reigns. Never held both simultaneously. The original comeback king. |
| 2 | BJ Penn | Welterweight | Lightweight | UFC 46 (WW) + UFC 80 (LW) | Won WW at 170, later rebuilt LW division. Did not hold both at once. |
| 3 | Conor McGregor | Featherweight | Lightweight | UFC 205, Nov 2016 | First fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously. KO'd Alvarez while still FW champion. |
| 4 | Daniel Cormier | Light Heavyweight | Heavyweight | UFC 226, Jul 2018 | KO'd Miocic while still LHW champion. Second simultaneous dual champ in UFC history. |
| 5 | Henry Cejudo | Flyweight | Bantamweight | UFC 238, Jun 2019 | Won BW while holding FLW belt. Vacated FLW shortly after. Retired 2020 (then unretired). |
| 6 | Amanda Nunes | Women's BW | Women's FW | UFC 232, Dec 2018 | KO'd Cyborg in 51 seconds to become dual champion. Held both simultaneously. |
| 7 | Alex Pereira | Middleweight | Light Heavyweight | UFC 295, Nov 2023 | Won LHW title then lost MW title to Adesanya. Won 2nd LHW reign at UFC 320. Current two-division achievement spans MW and LHW. |
| 8 | Ilia Topuria | Featherweight | Lightweight | UFC 317, Jun 2025 | KO'd Volkanovski for FW (UFC 298, Feb 2024), then moved up and KO'd Oliveira for vacant LW title. Second Georgian UFC champion to hold two belts. |
| 9 | Islam Makhachev | Lightweight | Welterweight | UFC 322, Nov 2025 | Vacated LW belt after record 4 defenses, won WW title via UD over Della Maddalena at MSG. Tied Anderson Silva's record of 16 consecutive UFC wins. |
Records & Statistics By Division
Total Belt Changes by Division (All Time)
Heavyweight has seen the most chaos. Women's Featherweight the least - it barely exists as a functioning division.
Top 10 Longest Individual Title Reigns (Days)
Anderson Silva's 2,457-day run sits in a class of its own. GSP at WW and DJ at FLW round out the top three.
Most Successful Title Defenses in a Single Reign
The fighters who held on longest and beat everyone put in front of them.
The biggest, most feared weight class in MMA. From Mark Coleman's ground-and-pound in 1997 through Brock Lesnar's WWE crossover moment to Francis Ngannou's nuclear fists - nobody has had a drama-free reign at 265. Jon Jones waited years for this belt, got it, defended once, then retired rather than face mandatory challenger Tom Aspinall. Aspinall was elevated and immediately found himself in a chaos fight ending in a No Contest. This division never lets you breathe.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 7, 1997 | UFC 12 | Mark Coleman | Tournament / Vacant | TOURN | - | - | - | 0 | First official UFC Heavyweight Champion. Won via TKO over Dan Severn in the tournament final. The ground-and-pound era begins. |
| 2 | Jul 27, 1997 | UFC 14 | Maurice Smith | Mark Coleman | UD | 3 | 5:00 | 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 | 0 | Kickboxer Smith outpointed Coleman with striking. Held title only 82 days before Couture. |
| 3 | Dec 21, 1997 | UFC 15.5 (Ultimate Japan) | Randy Couture | Maurice Smith | MD | 1 | 21:00 | - | 1 | First of Couture's three HW reigns. One-round majority decision over the champion. Vacated due to contract dispute in 1999. |
| 4 | Nov 19, 1999 | UFC 23 | Kevin Randleman | Vacant (Pete Williams) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 50-45, 49-46 | 0 | Won vacant title. Couture had vacated. |
| 5 | Nov 17, 2000 | UFC 28 | Randy Couture | Kevin Randleman | TKO | 3 | 4:14 | - | 1 | Couture's second HW reign. Dominated with clinch work and ground-and-pound. 1 defense before losing to Barnett. |
| 6 | Mar 22, 2002 | UFC 36 | Josh Barnett | Randy Couture | TKO | 2 | 2:37 | - | 0 | Barnett won but was stripped after failing a steroid test (nandrolone). Title declared vacant. |
| 7 | Jun 22, 2002 | UFC 37.5 | Ricco Rodriguez | Vacant (Jeff Monson) | TKO | 4 | 3:26 | - | 0 | Won vacant title after Barnett stripped. No successful defenses. |
| 8 | Apr 25, 2003 | UFC 41 | Tim Sylvia | Ricco Rodriguez | TKO | 1 | 2:40 | - | 0 | Sylvia imposed his size advantage. First of two HW reigns. 0 defenses before Mir. |
| 9 | Jun 19, 2004 | UFC 48 | Frank Mir | Tim Sylvia | SUB | 1 | 0:50 | - | 0 | Mir broke Sylvia's arm with an armbar 50 seconds in. Title vacated after Mir's motorcycle accident. |
| 10 | Aug 20, 2005 | UFC 54 | Andrei Arlovski | Vacant (Paul Buentello) | TKO | 1 | 0:47 | - | 1 | Won vacant title (previously held interim belt). 1 defense before rematch losses to Sylvia. |
| 11 | Apr 1, 2006 | UFC 59 | Tim Sylvia | Andrei Arlovski | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 0 | Sylvia outjabbed Arlovski at range. Second HW reign. No successful defenses before Couture. |
| 12 | Mar 3, 2007 | UFC 68 | Randy Couture | Tim Sylvia | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 | 1 | Couture aged 43 - complete, dominant shutout. Vacated late 2007 over contract dispute. 1 defense (vs. Gonzaga). |
| 13 | Feb 2, 2008 | UFC 81 | A.R. Nogueira | Vacant (Tim Sylvia) | UD | 3 | 5:00 | 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 | 0 | Won interim/vacant title. Couture had vacated. |
| 14 | Nov 15, 2008 | UFC 91 | Brock Lesnar | Randy Couture | TKO | 2 | 3:07 | - | 1 | Couture had returned from dispute. Lesnar's ground-and-pound finished him. WWE crossover moment. 1 defense vs. Frank Mir. |
| 15 | Jul 11, 2009 | UFC 100 | Brock Lesnar | Frank Mir (Unification) | TKO | 2 | 3:56 | - | 1 | Unified undisputed belt. Lesnar dominated Mir comprehensively. Largest UFC PPV at that point. 1 defense (vs. Shane Carwin). |
| 16 | Oct 23, 2010 | UFC 121 | Cain Velasquez | Brock Lesnar | TKO | 1 | 4:12 | - | 0 | Velasquez swarmed Lesnar with relentless pressure. Lesnar never fought for a title again. |
| 17 | Nov 12, 2011 | UFC on Fox 1 | Junior dos Santos | Cain Velasquez | KO | 1 | 1:04 | - | 0 | JDS landed a right hand on the Fox debut broadcast. One minute and it was over. 0 defenses. |
| 18 | Dec 29, 2012 | UFC 155 | Cain Velasquez | Junior dos Santos | TKO | 5 | 4:02 | - | 2 | Cain delivered relentless punishment across 5 brutal rounds to reclaim. Went on to defend twice. |
| 19 | Jun 13, 2015 | UFC 188 | Fabricio Werdum | Cain Velasquez | SUB | 3 | 2:06 | - | 0 | Mexico City altitude destroyed Velasquez. Werdum choked him out in R3. Revenge for 2009 loss in PRIDE. |
| 20 | May 14, 2016 | UFC 198 | Stipe Miocic | Fabricio Werdum | KO | 1 | 2:47 | - | 3 | Miocic took an early knockdown then came back and stopped Werdum. Record 3 consecutive defenses. The great HW era begins. |
| 21 | Jul 7, 2018 | UFC 226 | Daniel Cormier | Stipe Miocic | KO | 1 | 4:33 | - | 0 | DC KO'd Miocic with a right-left combo into clinch knees. Already LHW champion - became first simultaneous dual champion. 0 HW defenses. |
| 22 | Aug 17, 2019 | UFC 241 | Stipe Miocic | Daniel Cormier | TKO | 4 | 4:09 | - | 1 | Miocic adjusted to body shots in R4 and dropped DC. Rematch win. Defended once more at UFC 252 (UD over DC). |
| 23 | Mar 27, 2021 | UFC 260 | Francis Ngannou | Stipe Miocic | KO | 2 | 0:52 | - | 1 | Most powerful recorded punching in sports science. Ngannou found his chin in R2. Left UFC for PFL in 2023, vacated title. 1 defense (Gane). |
| 24 | Mar 4, 2023 | UFC 285 | Jon Jones | Vacant (Ciryl Gane) | SUB | 1 | 2:04 | - | 1 | Jones moved up and won vacant HW title via guillotine choke. 1 defense: UFC 309 vs. Stipe Miocic (TKO R3). Retired June 2025 - refused to fight Aspinall - and vacated the belt. |
| 25 | Jun 22, 2025 | Title Vacated | - | Jon Jones (retired) | VAC | - | - | - | - | Jones announced retirement June 22, 2025 rather than face mandatory challenger Tom Aspinall. Dana White confirmed the retirement. Belt vacated. |
| 26 | Jun 22, 2025 | Title Elevation | Tom Aspinall | Elevated (Jones retired) | ELV | - | - | - | 0 | Interim champion Aspinall elevated to undisputed champion upon Jones retirement. First defense at UFC 321 (Oct 25, 2025) vs. Ciryl Gane ended No Contest (accidental double eye poke, R1). Rematch expected 2026. Current champion. |
Jon Jones owns this division. He won it at 23, defended it for years, got stripped for reasons that had nothing to do with losing a fight, came back, and the belt still had his fingerprints on it even when he wasn't holding it. Before Jones it was equally wild - six different champions in four years from 2007 to 2011. Chuck Liddell, Rampage, Forrest, Rashad, Machida, Shogun - all legends, all dethroned inside 36 months of each other.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 13, 1998 | UFC 16 | Frank Shamrock | Vacant (Kevin Jackson) | SUB | 1 | 0:16 | - | 4 | Won inaugural title (class called Middleweight at the time, 200 lbs limit). 4 defenses. Vacated 1999 - undefeated champion. |
| 2 | Apr 14, 2000 | UFC 25 | Tito Ortiz | Wanderlei Silva | TKO | 3 | 0:59 | - | 5 | Won vacant title. Became the face of the UFC. 5 defenses before Couture. |
| 3 | Sep 26, 2003 | UFC 44 | Randy Couture | Tito Ortiz | TKO | 5 | 2:14 | - | 0 | Couture dominated Tito on the ground for 5 rounds. Vacated to move back to HW. |
| 4 | Apr 16, 2005 | UFC 52 | Chuck Liddell | Randy Couture | KO | 1 | 2:06 | - | 3 | Liddell KO'd Couture cleanly. 3 defenses including rematch with Couture. The Iceman at his peak. |
| 5 | May 26, 2007 | UFC 71 | Quinton "Rampage" Jackson | Chuck Liddell | KO | 1 | 1:53 | - | 0 | Rampage overhand right ended the Liddell era. One of the defining moments in LHW history. 0 defenses. |
| 6 | Jul 5, 2008 | UFC 86 | Forrest Griffin | Quinton Jackson | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 | 0 | TUF Season 1 winner becomes world champion. Griffin outworked Rampage for the full 5 rounds. 0 defenses. |
| 7 | Dec 27, 2008 | UFC 92 | Rashad Evans | Forrest Griffin | KO | 2 | 3:55 | - | 0 | Evans dropped Griffin with a counter right hand. First Black UFC world champion. 0 defenses before Machida. |
| 8 | May 23, 2009 | UFC 98 | Lyoto Machida | Rashad Evans | KO | 2 | 3:57 | - | 1 | The Dragon's karate-based counterstrike was a puzzle. 1 defense vs. Shogun (controversial UD win that many gave Shogun). Then lost rematch. |
| 9 | May 8, 2010 | UFC 113 | Mauricio "Shogun" Rua | Lyoto Machida | TKO | 1 | 4:13 | - | 0 | Shogun stopped Machida violently in round one. Swift end to The Dragon's reign. 0 defenses. |
| 10 | Mar 19, 2011 | UFC 128 | Jon Jones | Mauricio Rua | TKO | 3 | 2:37 | - | 8 | Jones age 23 becomes youngest UFC champion ever. 8 successful defenses before being stripped due to a hit-and-run incident (April 2015). Never lost in the octagon to this point. |
| 11 | May 23, 2015 | UFC 187 | Daniel Cormier | Vacant (Anthony Johnson) | TKO | 3 | 4:43 | - | 2 | Jones stripped. DC won vacant belt. 2 defenses before Jones returned. Note: Jones def. DC at UFC 214 but result overturned to NC for drug test failure. |
| 12 | Dec 29, 2018 | UFC 232 | Jon Jones | Vacant (Alexander Gustafsson) | TKO | 3 | 2:01 | - | 2 | DC had vacated LHW to focus on HW. Jones def. Gustafsson. 2 defenses. Vacated 2020 to move to HW. |
| 13 | Sep 26, 2020 | UFC 253 | Jan Blachowicz | Vacant (Dominick Reyes) | TKO | 2 | 1:19 | - | 1 | Won vacant title after Jones vacated. 1 defense vs. Adesanya (UD win). Lost to Teixeira. |
| 14 | Oct 30, 2021 | UFC 267 | Glover Teixeira | Jan Blachowicz | SUB | 2 | 3:02 | - | 0 | Teixeira won at age 42 - one of the most inspiring champion stories ever. Rear naked choke. 0 defenses. |
| 15 | Jun 11, 2022 | UFC 275 | Jiri Prochazka | Glover Teixeira | SUB | 5 | 4:35 | - | 0 | Prochazka won with a miraculous last-second rear naked choke in R5. One of the great finishes. Vacated Nov 2022 due to shoulder injury. |
| 16 | Jan 21, 2023 | UFC 283 | Jamahal Hill | Vacant (Glover Teixeira) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 0 | Won vacant title. Relinquished shortly after due to torn elbow ligament. Never defended. |
| 17 | Nov 11, 2023 | UFC 295 | Alex Pereira | Vacant (Jiri Prochazka) | TKO | 2 | 4:07 | - | 3 | Pereira won vacant belt after losing MW title to Adesanya. 3 defenses: Jamahal Hill (UFC 300, KO R1), Jiri Prochazka (UFC 303, TKO R2), Khalil Rountree (UFC 307, TKO R2). Lost to Ankalaev at UFC 313 Mar 2025. |
| 18 | Mar 8, 2025 | UFC 313 | Magomed Ankalaev | Alex Pereira | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 0 | Dominant unanimous decision. T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Ended Pereira's first LHW reign. Pereira later claimed he fought at 40% health. 0 defenses before the rematch. |
| 19 | Oct 4, 2025 | UFC 320 | Alex Pereira | Magomed Ankalaev | TKO | 1 | 1:20 | - | 0 | Pereira's 2nd LHW reign. Stopped Ankalaev early in R1 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. 0 defenses. Current champion. |
Anderson Silva. That's the intro. The man held this belt for 2,457 days and 10 consecutive defenses. Everything in this division is pre-Silva or post-Silva. Since Weidman knocked him out in 2013, the title has changed hands multiple times - Bisping winning as a late replacement, GSP coming back for one fight, Adesanya vs. Pereira twice in a year. Now Khamzat Chimaev arrived and dismantled du Plessis with a 50-44 shutout to take the belt into a new era.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 28, 2001 | UFC 33 | Dave Menne | Vacant (Gil Castillo) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 | 0 | First UFC Middleweight (185 lb) champion. No successful defenses. |
| 2 | Jan 11, 2002 | UFC 35 | Murilo Bustamante | Dave Menne | TKO | 2 | 3:42 | - | 1 | Brazilian BJJ ace stopped Menne. 1 defense vs. Matt Lindland. Vacated to compete in PRIDE. |
| 3 | Feb 5, 2005 | UFC 51 | Evan Tanner | Vacant (David Terrell) | TKO | 1 | 4:35 | - | 0 | Won vacant title with ground-and-pound finish of Terrell at UFC 51. Division had been dormant since Bustamante left for PRIDE. 0 defenses before Franklin. |
| 4 | Jun 4, 2005 | UFC 53 | Rich Franklin | Evan Tanner | TKO | 4 | - | - | 3 | Franklin won by doctor stoppage (cuts) in R4. Solid reign with 3 defenses before Silva arrived and ended it emphatically. |
| 5 | Oct 14, 2006 | UFC 64 | Anderson Silva | Rich Franklin | TKO | 1 | 2:59 | - | 10 | Silva destroyed Franklin with clinch knees. The greatest MW reign in history begins. 10 defenses. Lasted 2,457 days. |
| 6 | Jul 6, 2013 | UFC 162 | Chris Weidman | Anderson Silva | KO | 2 | 1:18 | - | 2 | Weidman caught a showboating Silva with a left hook. 2,457-day dynasty ends. 2 defenses including the leg-break rematch. |
| 7 | Dec 12, 2015 | UFC 194 | Luke Rockhold | Chris Weidman | SUB | 4 | 3:12 | - | 0 | Rockhold submitted Weidman with a rear naked choke. 0 defenses before Bisping's upset. |
| 8 | Jun 4, 2016 | UFC 199 | Michael Bisping | Luke Rockhold | KO | 1 | 3:00 | - | 1 | Bisping KO'd Rockhold as a late replacement opponent on short notice. First British UFC champion. 1 defense vs. Dan Henderson. |
| 9 | Nov 4, 2017 | UFC 217 | Georges St-Pierre | Michael Bisping | SUB | 3 | 4:09 | - | 0 | GSP returned from 4-year retirement and won a second division. Vacated shortly after citing ulcerative colitis. 0 defenses. |
| 10 | Jun 9, 2018 | UFC 225 | Robert Whittaker | Vacant (Yoel Romero) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 | 1 | Held interim since UFC 213. Became undisputed after GSP vacated. 1 defense (vs. Romero). |
| 11 | Oct 5, 2019 | UFC 243 | Israel Adesanya | Robert Whittaker | KO | 2 | 3:33 | - | 5 | Adesanya stopped Whittaker in front of 57,000 in Melbourne. 5 defenses - a new dynasty before Pereira arrived. |
| 12 | Nov 12, 2022 | UFC 281 | Alex Pereira | Israel Adesanya | TKO | 5 | 2:01 | - | 0 | Pereira stopped Adesanya in R5. Third time he'd KO'd or TKO'd him across combat sports (2x kickboxing, 1x MMA). |
| 13 | Apr 8, 2023 | UFC 287 | Israel Adesanya | Alex Pereira | KO | 2 | 3:21 | - | 0 | Adesanya got his revenge with a KO in R2. Fourth meeting across combat sports between the two. |
| 14 | Sep 9, 2023 | UFC 293 | Sean Strickland | Israel Adesanya | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 0 | Strickland pressure-walked Adesanya for 5 full rounds in a dominant decision. Major upset. |
| 15 | Jan 20, 2024 | UFC 297 | Dricus du Plessis | Sean Strickland | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 | 2 | Close, bruising fight. DDP won split decision. 2 defenses: Adesanya (UFC 305, Sub R5), Strickland rematch (UFC 312, Feb 2025, UD). Lost to Chimaev at UFC 319 Aug 2025. |
| 16 | Aug 16, 2025 | UFC 319 | Khamzat Chimaev | Dricus du Plessis | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-44, 50-44, 50-44 | 0 | Chimaev dominated DDP across all 5 rounds at United Center, Chicago. Record improved to 15-0. 0 defenses. Current champion. |
GSP won nine title defenses without ever losing the belt - he vacated it and retired. Matt Hughes had two great reigns bookending the early 2000s. Then Matt Serra KO'd GSP in the biggest upset in UFC history at the time, GSP came back and dominated for five straight years. Then Usman did the same until Leon Edwards landed the most insane head kick you'll ever see with 56 seconds left in a fight he was losing badly.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 13, 1998 | UFC 16 | Pat Miletich | Vacant (Mikey Burnett) | UD | 4 | 5:00 | - | 4 | Won inaugural title (called Lightweight at 170 lbs, later renamed Welterweight). 4 defenses. |
| 2 | Feb 23, 2001 | UFC 30 | Carlos Newton | Pat Miletich | SUB | 4 | 0:52 | - | 0 | Newton guillotined Miletich in R4. 0 defenses before Hughes. |
| 3 | Nov 2, 2001 | UFC 34 | Matt Hughes | Carlos Newton | TKO | 1 | 4:31 | - | 5 | Hughes bodyslammed Newton (notoriously with the fence). First of two dominant WW reigns. 5 defenses. |
| 4 | Jan 31, 2004 | UFC 46 | BJ Penn | Matt Hughes | SUB | 1 | 4:39 | - | 0 | Penn shocked Hughes with rear naked choke. Left for K-1 and vacated without defending. |
| 5 | Oct 22, 2004 | UFC 50 | Matt Hughes | Vacant (Georges St-Pierre) | TKO | 4 | 3:53 | - | 3 | Hughes won vacant title defeating a young GSP. Second WW reign. 3 defenses before GSP's revenge. |
| 6 | Nov 18, 2006 | UFC 65 | Georges St-Pierre | Matt Hughes | KO | 2 | 1:25 | - | 0 | GSP knocked Hughes out cleanly. First WW title reign - lasted until the Serra shock. 0 defenses. |
| 7 | Apr 7, 2007 | UFC 69 | Matt Serra | Georges St-Pierre | TKO | 1 | 3:25 | - | 0 | The biggest upset in UFC history at that point. TUF Season 4 winner Serra KO'd GSP seemingly out of nowhere. 0 defenses. |
| 8 | Apr 19, 2008 | UFC 83 | Georges St-Pierre | Matt Serra | TKO | 2 | 0:45 | - | 9 | GSP took Serra apart in R2. The GSP dynasty begins in earnest. 9 consecutive defenses. Vacated 2013 after extremely close decision win over Hendricks. |
| 9 | Mar 15, 2014 | UFC 171 | Johny Hendricks | Vacant (Robbie Lawler) | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 47-48, 48-47 | 0 | Won vacant title after GSP vacated. 0 defenses before Lawler's revenge. |
| 10 | Dec 6, 2014 | UFC 181 | Robbie Lawler | Johny Hendricks | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 47-48, 48-47, 48-47 | 2 | Blood-soaked war with Hendricks. 2 defenses - including the epic Rory MacDonald fight (TKO R5). |
| 11 | Jul 30, 2016 | UFC 201 | Tyron Woodley | Robbie Lawler | KO | 1 | 0:59 | - | 4 | Woodley landed one right hand and it was done in 59 seconds. 4 defenses during his reign. |
| 12 | Mar 2, 2019 | UFC 235 | Kamaru Usman | Tyron Woodley | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 | 5 | Complete shutout. Usman dominated Woodley in every area. 5 defenses - the next great WW champion. |
| 13 | Aug 20, 2022 | UFC 278 | Leon Edwards | Kamaru Usman | KO | 5 | 4:04 | - | 1 | Edwards was getting beaten badly then landed a head kick KO with 56 seconds left in R5. One of the great moments in UFC history. 1 defense (vs. Usman at UFC 286, UD). |
| 14 | Jul 27, 2024 | UFC 304 | Belal Muhammad | Leon Edwards | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 0 | Muhammad dominated Edwards with wrestling and output. Edwards lost his belt in front of a home crowd in Manchester. 0 defenses. Lost to Della Maddalena at UFC 315, May 2025. |
| 15 | May 10, 2025 | UFC 315 | Jack Della Maddalena | Belal Muhammad | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 | 0 | JDM became first Australian UFC welterweight champion at Bell Centre, Montreal. 0 defenses before Makhachev arrived. |
| 16 | Nov 15, 2025 | UFC 322 | Islam Makhachev | Jack Della Maddalena | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 | 0 | Makhachev moved up and dominated JDM at Madison Square Garden. Became only the 9th two-division champion in UFC history. Tied Anderson Silva's record of 16 consecutive UFC wins. Current champion. |
The most commercially successful division in UFC history. BJ Penn owned it for years. Khabib retired undefeated and handed the throne to Dagestani wrestling. McGregor made it the most-watched belt in sports. Makhachev defended a record 4 times then vacated to go win welterweight. Then Topuria - already FW champion - moved up and won the vacant belt. The most star-studded division in UFC history.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 23, 2001 | UFC 30 | Jens Pulver | Vacant (Caol Uno) | MD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 47-48, 48-47 | 2 | First UFC Lightweight (155 lb) champion. 2 defenses. Division dormant after Pulver vacated 2002. |
| 2 | Jan 20, 2008 | UFC 80 | BJ Penn | Vacant (Joe Stevenson) | SUB | 2 | 1:54 | - | 0 | Division reactivated. Penn def. Stevenson. Unified with Sean Sherk's interim belt at UFC 84. |
| 3 | Apr 10, 2010 | UFC 112 | Frankie Edgar | BJ Penn | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 49-46, 48-47 | 2 | Major upset in Abu Dhabi. Edgar outboxed Penn - who was a massive favorite. 2 defenses including a dominant rematch win. |
| 4 | Feb 26, 2012 | UFC 144 | Benson Henderson | Frankie Edgar | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 | 4 | Henderson edged Edgar in Japan. Close fight. 4 defenses before Pettis. |
| 5 | Aug 31, 2013 | UFC 164 | Anthony Pettis | Benson Henderson | SUB | 1 | 3:28 | - | 1 | "Showtime" Pettis finished Henderson with a guillotine. 1 defense before RDA arrived. |
| 6 | Mar 14, 2015 | UFC 185 | Rafael dos Anjos | Anthony Pettis | TKO | 1 | 2:22 | - | 2 | RDA completely dismantled Pettis. 2 defenses before losing to Alvarez late replacement. |
| 7 | Jul 7, 2016 | UFC FN 90 | Eddie Alvarez | Rafael dos Anjos | TKO | 2 | 4:55 | - | 0 | Alvarez was a short-notice replacement. 0 defenses - McGregor KO'd him at UFC 205. |
| 8 | Nov 12, 2016 | UFC 205 | Conor McGregor | Eddie Alvarez | TKO | 2 | 1:58 | - | 0 | McGregor dominated Alvarez at MSG. First simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history. Stripped for inactivity April 2018. 0 defenses. |
| 9 | Apr 7, 2018 | UFC 223 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | Vacant (Al Iaquinta) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 2 | Won vacant title. McGregor stripped. Iaquinta was a last-minute replacement after chaos week. 2 defenses including the UFC 229 megafight. |
| 10 | Oct 6, 2018 | UFC 229 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | Conor McGregor | SUB | 4 | 3:03 | - | 0 | Biggest PPV in UFC history. Khabib submitted McGregor with neck crank. Post-fight brawl. [Listed as title defense, not new champion change - Khabib retained] |
| 11 | May 22, 2021 | UFC 262 | Charles Oliveira | Vacant (Michael Chandler) | TKO | 2 | 4:43 | - | 0 | Khabib retired undefeated. Oliveira def. Chandler for vacant belt. Stripped before UFC 274 for missing weight by 0.5 lbs - title fought for on interim basis. |
| 12 | Oct 22, 2022 | UFC 280 | Islam Makhachev | Charles Oliveira | SUB | 2 | 3:16 | - | 4 | Makhachev submitted Oliveira in Abu Dhabi. 4 defenses: Volkanovski (UFC 284, UD), Poirier (UFC 302, Sub R2), Tsarukyan (UFC 311, UD), Moicano (UFC 311, Sub R1). Record LW title defense streak. Vacated May 2025 to pursue WW. |
| 13 | Jun 28, 2025 | UFC 317 | Ilia Topuria | Vacant (Charles Oliveira) | KO | 1 | 2:27 | - | 0 | Topuria became 2nd consecutive two-division champion to win LW belt, moving up from FW. T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Sidelined by domestic abuse allegations 2026 - Justin Gaethje holds interim title (UFC 324, UD over Pimblett). Topuria remains undisputed champion. |
Jose Aldo was so dominant for so long that McGregor spending an entire UFC 194 press tour calling him a coward and then knocking him out in 13 seconds is still one of the most jarring sequences in MMA history. Holloway was brilliant. Volkanovski was better. Then Topuria arrived and stopped the seemingly unstoppable Australian with one of the cleanest right hands you'll ever see. The division has produced three generational talents in a row.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 30, 2011 | UFC 129 | Jose Aldo | WEC Title / Mark Hominick | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 | 7 | Aldo brought the WEC FW belt into the UFC at merger. First UFC FW defense vs. Hominick. 7 UFC defenses in total before McGregor. |
| 2 | Dec 12, 2015 | UFC 194 | Conor McGregor | Jose Aldo | KO | 1 | 0:13 | - | 0 | 13 SECONDS. Aldo unbeaten for a decade. One left hand. The fastest title fight KO in UFC history. McGregor vacated to pursue LW title. |
| 3 | Jun 3, 2017 | UFC 212 | Max Holloway | Jose Aldo (Unification) | TKO | 3 | 2:06 | - | 3 | Holloway had won interim title - unified against Aldo. 3 defenses including brutal Aldo rematch at UFC 218. |
| 4 | Dec 14, 2019 | UFC 245 | Alexander Volkanovski | Max Holloway | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 | 3 | Volkanovski won a close but decisive decision. 3 defenses including two rematches with Holloway and a failed LW title bid. |
| 5 | Feb 17, 2024 | UFC 298 | Ilia Topuria | Alexander Volkanovski | KO | 2 | 3:27 | - | 1 | Topuria became first Georgian UFC champion. Stopped Volkanovski with a precise right hand in R2. 1 defense: Max Holloway (UFC 308, 2024). Vacated FW to move to LW in early 2025. |
| 6 | Apr 12, 2025 | UFC 314 | Alexander Volkanovski | Vacant (Diego Lopes) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 | 1 | Volkanovski's 2nd FW reign. Won vacant belt at UFC 314 (UD 48-47, 49-46, 49-46) against Lopes, then immediately granted Lopes a rematch - defeating him again at UFC 325 (Jan 31, 2026, Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, UD 49-46, 49-46, 50-45) for his 1st title defense. Two straight wins over the same opponent ties Aldo's record of 8 FW title fight wins. Current champion. |
Dominick Cruz built the blueprint with unorthodox movement and kept getting injured for years at a time. Renan Barao ran roughshod over everyone until TJ Dillashaw showed up with a completely different style and dismantled him. Then Cruz came back. Then Dillashaw again. Then Cejudo came and reset everything. Then Petr Yan won by title but lost it by illegal knee. Then Sterling got it, then O'Malley, and now Dvalishvili is on top. This division has had more plot twists than any other.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 11, 2011 | UFC 132 | Dominick Cruz | WEC Title (Urijah Faber) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 | 1 | Cruz transitioned as WEC BW champion into the unified UFC bantamweight title. Dominated Faber in the first UFC BW title defense. Then sidelined for years due to injury. |
| 2 | Nov 24, 2012 | UFC on FX 6 | Renan Barao | Vacant (Scott Jorgensen) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 6 | Won interim while Cruz injured - elevated to undisputed. 6 consecutive defenses before Dillashaw shock. |
| 3 | May 24, 2014 | UFC 173 | TJ Dillashaw | Renan Barao | TKO | 5 | 2:29 | - | 1 | Massive upset. Dillashaw destroyed Barao with slick varied offense. 1 defense (vs. Barao rematch) before losing to Cruz. |
| 4 | Jan 17, 2016 | UFC Fight Night 81 | Dominick Cruz | TJ Dillashaw | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 | 0 | Cruz returned from years of injury to reclaim. Brilliant defensive performance. 0 defenses before Garbrandt. |
| 5 | Dec 17, 2016 | UFC 207 | Cody Garbrandt | Dominick Cruz | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 0 | Garbrandt completely outboxed Cruz. Brilliant display of precision striking. 0 defenses before Dillashaw's revenge. |
| 6 | Nov 4, 2017 | UFC 217 | TJ Dillashaw | Cody Garbrandt | KO | 1 | 3:37 | - | 1 | Dillashaw KO'd Garbrandt in R1. 1 defense (KO'd Garbrandt again in R1). Stripped after failed EPO test, vacated to fight at FLW. |
| 7 | Jun 8, 2019 | UFC 238 | Henry Cejudo | Vacant (Marlon Moraes) | TKO | 3 | 2:34 | - | 1 | Won vacant title. Already FLW champion - became dual champion. 1 defense, vacated 2020 (retired). |
| 8 | Jul 11, 2020 | UFC 251 | Petr Yan | Vacant (Jose Aldo) | TKO | 5 | 3:08 | - | 0 | Won vacant title def. Aldo who had moved down to BW. Yan dominant until DQ loss to Sterling. |
| 9 | Mar 6, 2021 | UFC 259 | Aljamain Sterling | Petr Yan | DQ | 4 | 2:19 | - | 2 | First ever UFC title change by disqualification. Yan threw illegal knee to a grounded Sterling. Controversial start to the reign but Sterling won the rematch legitimately. 2 defenses total. |
| 10 | Aug 19, 2023 | UFC 292 | Sean O'Malley | Aljamain Sterling | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 47-48, 48-47, 48-47 | 1 | O'Malley won split decision. 1 defense vs. Marlon Vera before losing to Dvalishvili. |
| 11 | Sep 14, 2024 | UFC 306 | Merab Dvalishvili | Sean O'Malley | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 | 3 | Dvalishvili dominated O'Malley. 3 defenses: Umar Nurmagomedov (UFC 311, UD), Sean O'Malley rematch (UFC 316, Sub R3 guillotine), Cory Sandhagen (UFC 320, UD 49-45x2/49-46). Lost to Yan at UFC 323 Dec 2025. Ended his 14-fight win streak. |
| 12 | Dec 6, 2025 | UFC 323 | Petr Yan | Merab Dvalishvili | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 | 0 | Yan's 2nd BW reign. T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Ended Dvalishvili's remarkable 14-fight win streak. Current champion. |
Demetrious Johnson turned 125 lbs into his personal laboratory for six years. 11 defenses. Flying armbar KOs. He was operating on a different level. Then Henry Cejudo edged him in a split that still gets argued about today. Then Figueiredo vs. Moreno happened four times across two years - the most-rematched title fight in UFC history. The UFC nearly killed this division twice. Somehow it keeps producing great fights.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 22, 2012 | UFC 152 | Demetrious Johnson | Vacant (Joseph Benavidez) | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 | 11 | Won inaugural UFC FLW title. 11 consecutive defenses - the all-time UFC record. Traded to ONE Championship as part of a fighter swap in 2018. |
| 2 | Aug 4, 2018 | UFC 227 | Henry Cejudo | Demetrious Johnson | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 | 0 | Extremely close. Many felt DJ won. Cejudo went on to win BW while holding FLW belt. Vacated FLW 2019 to focus on BW. |
| 3 | Jul 18, 2020 | UFC Fight Night 172 | Deiveson Figueiredo | Vacant (Joseph Benavidez) | KO | 1 | - | - | 0 | Won vacant title on Fight Island rematch vs. Benavidez. First meeting (Feb 2020) was a non-title win as Figueiredo missed weight. 0 defenses before losing to Moreno. |
| 4 | Dec 12, 2020 | UFC 256 | Brandon Moreno | Deiveson Figueiredo | MD | 5 | 5:00 | 47-47, 47-47, 48-46 (draw - Moreno won interim) | 0 | Draw at UFC 256 - Moreno held interim, became undisputed by virtue of draw and subsequent Figueiredo loss. |
| 5 | Jun 12, 2021 | UFC 263 | Deiveson Figueiredo | Brandon Moreno | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 | 0 | Figueiredo wins back the title. Third meeting with Moreno coming. A fourth fight later followed. |
| 6 | Jan 22, 2022 | UFC 270 | Brandon Moreno | Deiveson Figueiredo | SUB | 3 | 1:04 | - | 0 | Third meeting. Moreno submitted Figueiredo definitively. 0 defenses - fourth fight happened and Figueiredo won again. |
| 7 | Jul 30, 2022 | UFC 277 | Deiveson Figueiredo | Brandon Moreno | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 0 | Fourth fight. Figueiredo dominated. Then lost to Pantoja at UFC 283 in Brazil. |
| 8 | Jan 21, 2023 | UFC 283 | Alexandre Pantoja | Deiveson Figueiredo | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 | 4 | Pantoja won in front of home crowd in Brazil. 4 defenses: Moreno (UFC 290, Sub R3), Erceg (UFC 301, UD), Albazi (UFC 306, UD), Kai Kara-France (UFC 317, RNC R3). Lost title at UFC 323 Dec 2025 when he dislocated his arm bracing a fall. |
| 9 | Dec 6, 2025 | UFC 323 | Joshua Van | Alexandre Pantoja | TKO | 1 | 0:26 | - | 0 | Van won when Pantoja dislocated/broke his left arm bracing a fall from a kick - TKO stoppage at 0:26 of R1. Van became 2nd-youngest UFC champion in history (behind Jon Jones). T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Current champion. |
Ronda Rousey didn't just dominate this division - she invented it. Dana White had publicly said women would never fight in the UFC, then Rousey came along and he reversed himself. She was invincible. Then Holly Holm happened. Then Amanda Nunes arrived and became the greatest women's champion in UFC history - she KO'd Rousey in 48 seconds, KO'd Cyborg to become dual champ, and defended relentlessly until Julianna Pena pulled off the shock of 2021.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 23, 2013 | UFC 157 | Ronda Rousey | Vacant (Liz Carmouche) | SUB | 1 | 4:49 | - | 6 | First Women's UFC champion ever. Rousey defended 6 times. Armbar machine. Unbeaten and seemingly unbeatable before Holm. |
| 2 | Nov 14, 2015 | UFC 193 | Holly Holm | Ronda Rousey | KO | 2 | 0:59 | - | 0 | Holm's head kick and punches on the ground ended the Rousey era in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. 0 defenses before Tate. |
| 3 | Mar 5, 2016 | UFC 196 | Miesha Tate | Holly Holm | SUB | 5 | 4:59 | - | 0 | Tate submitted Holm in the final minute of R5. One of the great comeback finishes. 0 defenses before Nunes. |
| 4 | Jul 9, 2016 | UFC 200 | Amanda Nunes | Miesha Tate | SUB | 1 | 3:16 | - | 6 | Nunes choked Tate unconscious in R1. The greatest Women's champion in UFC history begins her reign. 6 defenses including KO of Rousey (48 sec) and KO of Holm. |
| 5 | Dec 11, 2021 | UFC 269 | Julianna Pena | Amanda Nunes | SUB | 2 | 4:56 | - | 0 | One of the great upsets in women's MMA history. Pena submitted Nunes late in R2. 0 defenses. |
| 6 | Jul 30, 2022 | UFC 277 | Amanda Nunes | Julianna Pena | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 | 0 | Nunes completely dominated the rematch. A perfect 50-45 shutout. Retired as champion in October 2023. Title vacated. |
| 7 | Jan 20, 2024 | UFC 297 | Raquel Pennington | Vacant (Mayra Bueno Silva) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 | 0 | Won vacant title after Nunes retired. 0 defenses - lost to Pena in controversial split decision at UFC 307. |
| 8 | Oct 5, 2024 | UFC 307 | Julianna Pena | Raquel Pennington | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 | 0 | Pena's 2nd BW reign. Delta Center, Salt Lake City. Controversial - 25 of 26 media outlets scored it for Pennington. Pena became second two-time W-BW champion in UFC history. 0 defenses. |
| 9 | Jun 7, 2025 | UFC 316 | Kayla Harrison | Julianna Pena | SUB | 2 | 4:55 | - | 0 | Harrison won via kimura. Prudential Center, Newark, NJ. Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist becomes UFC champion. Current champion. Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes superfight was planned but pulled from UFC 324. |
The most volatile of the women's divisions. Joanna Jedrzejczyk was a dominant champion until Rose Namajunas walked in and stopped her. Namajunas gave it back in a controversial decision, got it back again, then lost it to Zhang Weili. Then Weili lost it to Namajunas. Then Weili won it back via one-punch KO. Then Carla Esparza won it and almost had it taken off her for the most boring title fight in UFC history.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 6, 2014 | TUF 20 Finale | Carla Esparza | Vacant (Rose Namajunas) | SUB | 3 | 3:04 | - | 0 | Won inaugural WSW title in TUF 20 tournament final. 0 defenses before Joanna. |
| 2 | Mar 14, 2015 | UFC 185 | Joanna Jedrzejczyk | Carla Esparza | TKO | 2 | 3:21 | - | 5 | Joanna completely outclassed Esparza. Became the best P4P women's fighter in the world. 5 consecutive defenses. |
| 3 | Nov 4, 2017 | UFC 217 | Rose Namajunas | Joanna Jedrzejczyk | TKO | 1 | 3:03 | - | 1 | Thug Rose KO'd Joanna with a left hook. One of the most shocking finishes in women's UFC history. 1 defense (UD rematch over Joanna). |
| 4 | Aug 31, 2019 | UFC Fight Night 157 | Zhang Weili | Jessica Andrade | TKO | 1 | 0:42 | - | 1 | Zhang won title from Andrade (who had beaten Namajunas). First Chinese UFC champion. 1 defense before upset loss. |
| 5 | Mar 7, 2020 | UFC 248 | Weili Zhang | Joanna Jedrzejczyk | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 48-47, 47-48 | 0 | Widely considered the greatest women's MMA fight ever. Both fighters had faces destroyed by the end. Weili retained narrowly. Lost to Namajunas next. |
| 6 | Apr 24, 2021 | UFC 261 | Rose Namajunas | Weili Zhang | KO | 1 | 1:18 | - | 1 | Namajunas landed a stunning head kick KO. 1 defense (UD rematch over Weili) before losing to Esparza. |
| 7 | May 7, 2022 | UFC 274 | Carla Esparza | Rose Namajunas | SD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 | 0 | Widely criticized as the most boring UFC title fight ever. Both fighters barely engaged. Esparza won. 0 defenses before Zhang's KO. |
| 8 | Nov 5, 2022 | UFC 281 | Zhang Weili | Carla Esparza | SUB | 2 | 4:19 | - | 0 | Zhang submitted Esparza in R2. Multiple defenses 2022-2025. Vacated Oct 2025 to challenge Shevchenko for the W-FLW title at UFC 322 (lost UD 50-45x3). Belt vacated. |
| 9 | Oct 25, 2025 | UFC 321 | Mackenzie Dern | Vacant (Virna Jandiroba) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | - | 0 | Won vacant W-SW title at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi after Zhang vacated to challenge for FLW belt. Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist claims her division's gold. 0 defenses. Current champion. |
Valentina Shevchenko owned this division so comprehensively for so long that the UFC had trouble finding credible challengers. Her reign of 7 consecutive defenses is the second-longest in women's UFC history. Then Alexa Grasso submitted her in what many called the biggest women's upset since Holm vs Rousey, and the world turned upside down.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 1, 2017 | TUF 26 Finale | Nicco Montano | Vacant (Roxanne Modafferi) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 | 0 | Won inaugural W-FLW title in TUF 26 tournament final. Stripped before first defense due to undisclosed medical reasons. Never defended. |
| 2 | Dec 8, 2018 | UFC 231 | Valentina Shevchenko | Vacant (Joanna Jedrzejczyk) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 7 | Won vacant title. Dominated the division for years. 7 consecutive defenses. The bullet-proof dominance run ends with Grasso. |
| 3 | Mar 25, 2023 | UFC 285 | Alexa Grasso | Valentina Shevchenko | SUB | 4 | 4:08 | - | 0 | Grasso rear-naked-choked Shevchenko in R4. One of the great women's MMA upsets. Rematch ended controversial draw. |
| 4 | Sep 14, 2024 | UFC 306 | Valentina Shevchenko | Alexa Grasso | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 | 2 | Shevchenko won the rematch trilogy fight at Sphere in Las Vegas. 2nd reign. 2 defenses: Manon Fiorot (UFC 315, May 2025, UD 48-47x3), Zhang Weili (UFC 322, Nov 2025, UD 50-45x3). Current champion. |
The shortest-lived functioning division in UFC history. Cris Cyborg had been the best women's fighter at 145 lbs in the world for the better part of a decade across multiple promotions. She joined the UFC, defended once, then Amanda Nunes stopped her in 51 seconds. The division has been functionally dormant since Nunes vacated it to focus on bantamweight and never returned.
| # | Date | Event | New Champion | Defeated | Method | Rd | Time | Scorecards | Defs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 30, 2017 | UFC 219 | Cris Cyborg | Vacant (Holly Holm) | UD | 5 | 5:00 | 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 | 1 | Won inaugural W-FW title. Complete shutout of Holm. 1 defense (vs. Yana Kunitskaya, TKO R1) before the Nunes fight. |
| 2 | Dec 29, 2018 | UFC 232 | Amanda Nunes | Cris Cyborg | TKO | 1 | 0:51 | - | 0 | Nunes stopped the previously unstoppable Cyborg in 51 seconds. Became dual champion with Women's BW belt. Vacated W-FW to focus on BW. Division effectively mothballed. |
Notes & Data Sources
This page documents undisputed UFC title changes across all 12 current and historical weight classes. Interim title fights are referenced in the Notes column but interim titles are not counted as separate championship rows unless they were subsequently elevated to undisputed status. Some early UFC weight class designations are debated - the original Middleweight class (200 lbs) is now universally referred to as the predecessor to Light Heavyweight.
- WEC titles at Bantamweight and Featherweight were recognized as the UFC titles upon the promotional merger in November 2010 - first UFC defenses are listed from that point.
- Early UFC records (1997-2002) use various primary sources and some details are subject to correction.
- Scorecards shown are the official submitted cards - some early cards were not publicly disclosed and are marked as unavailable.
- Historical data (pre-2010 rows) sourced from UFC records and cross-referenced where possible.
- Sources: UFC.com, Sherdog.com, FightMatrix, ESPN MMA, public UFC press records, historical reporting.
