Welterweight (MMA)
The welterweight division in mixed martial arts contains different weight classes:
- The UFC's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb (71 to 77 kg)
- The ONE Championship's welterweight division, with upper limit at 83.9 kg (185.0 lb)
Ambiguity and clarification[edit]
Many other sports that use the welterweight class, such as boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai, define it as below about 147 lb (67 kg). The MMA welterweight class is therefore significantly heavier than the welterweight class of these other sports. For the sake of uniformity, many American mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 156 and 170 lb (71 and 77 kg) as welterweights. This encompasses the Shooto middleweight division (167 lb / 76 kg).
The welterweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission[1] and the Association of Boxing Commissions[2] is 170 lb (77kg).
Professional Champions[edit]
Current champions[edit]
This table is not always up to date. Last updated March 19, 2023.
| Organization | Reign began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UFC | August 20, 2022 |  Leon Edwards
|
22–3 (7KO 3SUB) | 2 |
| Bellator MMA | November 17, 2023 |  Jason Jackson
|
18–4 (6KO 3SUB) | 0 |
| ONE Championship | November 19, 2022 |  Christian Lee
|
17–4 (12KO 4SUB) | 0 |
| Fight Nights Global | April 6, 2019 |  Dmitry Bikrev
|
12–3 (8KO 1SUB) | 2 |
| KSW | April 22, 2023 |  Adrian Bartosiński
|
14–0 (11KO 1SUB) | 0 |
| Titan FC | March 15, 2019 | Michael Graves
|
9–1 (4KO 2SUB) | 1 |
| ACA | February 26, 2021 | Abubakar Vagaev
|
20–3 (4KO 1SUB) | 0 |
| Legacy Fighting Alliance | TBA | vacant | TBA | 0 |
| Cage Warriors | TBA | vacant | TBA | 0 |
Most wins in Welterweight title bouts[edit]
- Note: the list includes wins in bouts for welterweight titles of major promotions (UFC, Strikeforce, WEC, Bellator)
- Note: the list includes both undisputed and interim champions
- Active title reign
| Name | Promotion | Title bout wins | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Georges St-Pierre |
UFC | 12 |
| 2. | Matt Hughes |
UFC | 9 |
| 3. | Pat Miletich |
UFC | 5 |
| Ben Askren |
Bellator | 5 | |
| Nick Diaz |
WEC, Strikeforce | 5 (1 WEC, 4 Strikeforce) | |
| Carlos Condit |
WEC, UFC | 5 (4 WEC, 1 UFC) | |
 Kamaru Usman
|
UFC | 5 | |
| 4. | Tyron Woodley |
UFC | 4(+1a) |
| 5. |  Douglas Lima |
Bellator | 3 |
| Robbie Lawler |
UFC |
See also[edit]
- List of current MMA Welterweight champions
- List of UFC Welterweight Champions
- List of Strikeforce Welterweight Champions
- List of Pancrase Welterweight Champions
Notes[edit]
- a.^ Fight was recorded as a "Majority Decision Draw". Woodley retained his title.
References[edit]
- ^ "Nevada Revised Statutes: Chapter 467 - Unarmed Combat". www.leg.state.nv.us. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
- ^ "Unified Rules of MMA". Association of Boxing Commissions. Archived from the original on 2012-07-05. Retrieved 2012-07-15.