The light heavyweight title was recently on the line in the UFC 303 main event, and dominant champion Alex Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) put away challenger and former champ Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) with a vicious second-round knockout.
Pereira has had the fastest rise to mega-success in UFC history. He won the middleweight title in just his fourth fight in the UFC, then moved to 205 pounds and won the title there. Now he's talking about a move to heavyweight for an unprecedented third UFC title.
Take a look at a chronological history of the UFC light heavyweight belt.
Alex Pereira, current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Early Years and the First Champion
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, Mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classes. The original codification for weight classes introduced only two divisions: heavyweight, which grouped together all competitors above 200 pounds (91 kg), and lightweight, which encompassed all competitors 199 pounds (90 kg) and under. It would be nearly ten years before the UFC would expand their divisional offerings to include any of the lower weight classes.
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The first additions came in late 2010 when the UFC merged with their sister organization World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). Due to the WEC's focus on lighter weight fighters, this merger necessitated the addition of both the featherweight and bantamweight divisions to the UFC, starting with The Ultimate Fighter season 12 finale. In early 2012 the UFC decided they would delve even further into the lower weight classes when they announced the introduction of the flyweight division to their ranks, beginning with UFC on FX: Alves vs.
In November 2012, as a result of the forthcoming dissolution of their sister organization Strikeforce, the UFC announced they would be adding female fighters to their roster for the first time in the promotion's history. Initially, only the women's bantamweight division was brought over, with the division's premiere bout taking place at UFC 157.
A little over a year later, the UFC announced they would be expanding their weight classes for female fighters with the addition of a women's strawweight division, the first bout took place at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. In late 2016, a featherweight division was introduced for the women with the first bout to be for the inaugural championship at UFC 208 on February 11, 2017.
For years the UFC light heavyweight belt was held by some of the sports biggest names.
Frank Shamrock (Dec. 21, 1997 - Nov. 1999)
Date: Dec. 21, 1997
Event: UFC Japan
Opponent: Kevin Jackson
Total reign: 703 days
Title defenses: Igor Zinoviev (UFC 16), Jeremy Horn (UFC 17), John Lober (UFC Brazil), Tito Ortiz (UFC 22)
Notes: First light heavyweight champion in UFC history. Vacated when he retired in November 1999.
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Frank Shamrock
Shamrock defeats Kevin Jackson at Ultimate Japan (12/21/97) to become the first UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. The title was then called the Middleweight title. Shamrock defends his title against Igor Zinoviev, Jeremy Horn, John Lober, and Tito Ortiz.
Tito Ortiz (April 14, 2000 - Sept. 26, 2003)
Date: April 14, 2000
Event: UFC 25
Opponent: Wanderlei Silva
Total reign: 1,260 days
Title defenses: Yuki Kondo (UFC 29), Evan Tanner (UFC 30), Elvis Sinosic (UFC 32), Vladimir Matyushenko (UFC 33), Ken Shamrock (UFC 40)
Ortiz defeats Wanderlei Silva at UFC 25 (4/14/00) to win the vacant title.
Tito Ortiz
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Randy Couture (Interim: June 6, 2003; Undisputed: Sept. 26, 2003 - Jan. 31, 2004)
Interim Title:
Date: June 6, 2003
Event: UFC 43
Opponent: Chuck Liddell
Notes: Couture beat Liddell for an interim belt while Ortiz was out. It was the first of three legendary fights between the two.
Undisputed Title:
Date: Sept. 26, 2003
Event: UFC 44
Opponent: Tito Ortiz
Total reign: 127 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Couture, then a former heavyweight champion, became the first fighter to win UFC titles in two divisions.
Couture defeats Chuck Liddell at UFC 43 (6/6/03) for the interim title.
Randy Couture
Vitor Belfort (Jan. 31, 2004 - Aug. 21, 2004)
Date: Jan. 31, 2004
Event: UFC 46
Opponent: Randy Couture
Total reign: 203 days
Title defenses: None
Vitor Belfort defeats Randy Couture to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 46 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on January 31, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Randy Couture (Second Reign: Aug. 21, 2004 - April 16, 2005)
Date: Aug. 21, 2004
Event: UFC 49
Opponent: Vitor Belfort
Total reign: 238 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Couture became a two-time 205-pound champion with a win in a rematch.
Chuck Liddell (April 16, 2005 - May 26, 2007)
Date: April 16, 2005
Event: UFC 52
Opponent: Randy Couture
Total reign: 770 days
Title defenses: Jeremy Horn (UFC 54), Randy Couture (UFC 57), Renato Sobral (UFC 62), Tito Ortiz (UFC 66)
Notes: Liddell won the title in his second fight in the famed trilogy with Couture, then beat him a third time to close out the rivalry.
Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell celebrates his victory over Randy Couture at UFC 52 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 16, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Liddell defeats Couture at UFC 52 (4/16/05).
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (May 26, 2007 - July 5, 2008)
Date: May 26, 2007
Event: UFC 71
Opponent: Chuck Liddell
Total reign: 406 days
Title defenses: Dan Henderson (UFC 75)
Notes: The "Rampage" win over Liddell was a rematch of their 2003 PRIDE title fight. When he beat Henderson, it effectively unified the PRIDE and UFC light heavyweight titles.
Jackson defeats Liddell in the first round at UFC 71 (5/26/07).
Forrest Griffin (July 5, 2008 - Dec. 27, 2008)
Date: July 5, 2008
Event: UFC 86
Opponent: Quinton Jackson
Total reign: 175 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Griffin won a UFC title a little more than three years after he was the "TUF 1" winner at light heavyweight.
Rashad Evans (Dec. 27, 2008 - May 23, 2009)
Date: Dec. 27, 2008
Event: UFC 92
Opponent: Forrest Griffin
Total reign: 147 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Like Griffin, Evans was an "Ultimate Fighter" winner.
Lyoto Machida (May 23, 2009 - May 8, 2010)
Date: May 23, 2009
Event: UFC 98
Opponent: Rashad Evans
Total reign: 350 days
Title defenses: Mauricio Rua (UFC 104)
Notes: Machida was unbeaten heading into the title fight at 14-0.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (May 8, 2010 - March 19, 2011)
Date: May 8, 2010
Event: UFC 113
Opponent: Lyoto Machida
Total reign: 315 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: "Shogun" Rua needed a second shot at it, but knocked out his fellow Brazilian in their rematch to win the title.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (white shorts) def. Lyoto Machida (black shorts) - KO - 3:35 round 1 during UFC 113 at Bell Centre on May 8, 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jon Jones (March 19, 2011 - April 2015)
Date: March 19, 2011
Event: UFC 128
Opponent: Mauricio Rua
Total reign: 1,501 days
Title defenses: Quinton Jackson (UFC 135), Lyoto Machida (UFC 140), Rashad Evans (UFC 145), Vitor Belfort (UFC 152), Chael Sonnen (UFC 159), Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 165), Glover Teixeira (UFC 172), Daniel Cormier (UFC 182)
Notes: Stripped of the title for the first time in April 2015 after a hit-and-run accident.
Jones defeats Rua a third round TKO at UFC 128 (3/19/11). Defended the title against Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Alexander Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira, Daniel Cormier.
Daniel Cormier (May 23, 2015 - Dec. 29, 2018)
Date: May 23, 2015
Event: UFC 187
Opponent: Anthony Johnson
Total reign: 1,315 days
Title defenses: Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 192), Anthony Johnson (UFC 210), Volkan Oezdemir (UFC 220)
Notes: Cormier won the vacant title after Jones was stripped of it.
Daniel Cormier
Cormier wins the vacant light heavyweight title by defeating Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 (5/23/15). Defended the title against Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson, Volkan Oezdemir.
Jon Jones (Interim: April 23, 2016)
Date: April 23, 2016
Event: UFC 197
Opponent: Ovince Saint Preux
Notes: Jones won an interim title, then failed a drug test and was suspended and stripped of the interim belt. He then beat Cormier at UFC 214 to unify the titles and was stripped when he failed another drug test. Cormier was reinstated as champion, then vacated the belt when he won the heavyweight title.
Jones defeats Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197 (4/23/16) to win the interim light heavyweight title. Stripped of interim belt for failed drug test. Defeated Cormier for the undisputed light heavyweight title at UFC 214 (7/29/17). Jones failed a drug test and was stripped of the title and the fight ruled a no contest.
Jon Jones
Jon Jones (Second Reign: Dec. 29, 2018 - Aug. 2020)
Date: Dec. 29, 1018
Event: UFC 232
Opponent: Alexander Gustafsson
Total reign: 2,098 days
Title defenses: Anthony Smith (UFC 235), Thiago Santos (UFC 239), Dominick Reyes (UFC 247)
Notes: Jones started his second reign as champion, then vacated in August 2020 during a UFC contract dispute.
Jones defeats Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 (12/29/18) to win the vacant UFC light heavyweight title. Defended title against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, Dominick Reyes.
Jan Blachowicz (Sept. 27, 2020 - Oct. 30, 2021)
Date: Sept. 27, 2020
Event: UFC 253
Opponent: Dominick Reyes
Total reign: 398 days
Title defenses: Israel Adesanya (UFC 259)
Notes: Blachowicz's win over Reyes was for the vacant belt after Jon Jones announced his intention to move to heavyweight. His lone title defense came against middleweight Adesanya, who moved up in an attempt to win a second title.
Glover Teixeira (Oct. 30, 2021 - June 12, 2022)
Date: Oct. 30, 2021
Event: UFC 267
Opponent: Jan Blachowicz
Total reign: 225
Title defenses: None
Notes: At 42, Teixeira became the oldest first-time champion in UFC history with the win.
Jiri Prochazka (June 12, 2022 - Nov. 2022)
Date: June 12, 2022
Event: UFC 275
Opponent: Glover Teixeira
Total reign: 164 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Prochazka vacated the title in November 2022 after he suffered a shoulder injury that he expected would keep him out for a year. After he vacated the title, Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fought at UFC 282 for the vacant belt, but their bout was a draw.
Jamahal Hill (Jan. 21, 2023 - July 2023)
Date: Jan. 21, 2023
Event: UFC 283
Opponent: Glover Teixeira
Total reign: 174 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev first fought at UFC 282 for the vacant belt, but their bout was a draw. Hill and Teixeira were next to get a crack at it. But Hill vacated the title in July 2023 after he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon playing a pickup basketball game with fighters in Las Vegas.
Alex Pereira (Nov. 11, 2023 - Present)
Date: Nov. 11, 2023
Event: UFC 295
Opponent: Jiri Prochazka
Total reign: Incumbent
Title defenses: Jamahal Hill (UFC 300), Jiri Prochazka (UFC 303), Khalil Rountree (UFC 307)
Notes: Pereira won a title in a second division quicker than anyone in UFC history. His three 205-pound title defenses in 175 days are a UFC record.
Alex Pereira, current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
The light heavyweight title was on the line in the UFC 303 main event, and dominant champion Alex Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) put away challenger and former champ Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) with a vicious second-round knockout.
Pereira has had the fastest rise to mega-success in UFC history. He won the middleweight title in just his fourth fight in the UFC, then moved to 205 pounds and won the title there. Now he's talking about a move to heavyweight for an unprecedented third UFC title.
tags: #ufc #light #heavyweight #championship #history