The middleweight division in
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
refers to different weight classes:
*The
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185
lb (77.5 to 84
kg)
*The
Shooto
Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...
's middleweight class, which refers to competitors between 155 and 170 lb (70.3 and 77.1 kg)
*The
ONE Championship
ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed ...
's middleweight division follows the
Pride FC
PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts eve ...
model, with an upper limit of
*The
Road FC
Road Fighting Championship (Road FC; ) is a South Korean-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which was officially launched in 2010. Prior to December 2016, Road FC had held 52 events in three countries - South Korea, Japan, and China.
Abou ...
's middleweight division, with an upper limit of 185
lb (84
kg)
Ambiguity and clarification
For the sake of uniformity, many mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 171 and 185 lb (77.5 and 84 kg) as middleweights. This encompasses Shooto's light heavyweight division of the same weight limit.
The middleweight limit, as defined by the
Nevada State Athletic Commission
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers ...
and the
Association of Boxing Commissions
The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) is a North American not-for-profit professional boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) organization that organizes contests and record-keeping. It is governed by delegates of state, provincial, and tribal at ...
is 185 lb (84 kg).
Professional champions
Current champions
Table accurate as of July 2022.
: Active title reign
See also
*
List of current MMA Middleweight champions
*
List of UFC Middleweight Champions
*
List of Strikeforce Middleweight Champions
*
List of Pancrase Middleweight Champions
*
List of Road FC Middleweight Champions
Footnotes and references
{{MMA weight classes
Mixed martial arts weight classes
*