Sherdog is arguably the most authoritative website in the MMA universe, the UFC is the largest MMA promotion in the world - and their ratings for MMA fighters. The main hopes of Russian MMA fans, the best of the best, according to experts and fans of mixed martial arts.
Pound-4-pound Sherdog rankings
One of the most respected compilers of MMA fighter ratings for years has been Sherdog, an American mixed martial arts website. Sherdog is a regular "provider" of content for ESPN. The most recent world ranking of MMA fighters regardless of weight category was offered by Sherdog on January 9, 2018. It was led by Demetrius Johnson, who won the 2017 Submission of the Year for his fight against Ray Borg. Johnson managed to finish the fight ahead of schedule with spectacular painful hold on left hand rival.
- Max Holloway.
- Daniel Cormier.
- Connor McGregor.
- Tyrone Woodley.
- Stipe Miocic.
- Tony Ferguson.
- Raphael Dosantos.
- T. Jay Dillashaw.
- Robert Whittaker.
Sherdog has not spared the beautiful half of the mixed martial arts universe. The first line in the overall ranking of MMA fighters among women at the end of 2017 was taken by Amanda Nunez, who took the belt from Ronda Rousey, crushing her opponent within the first 48 seconds of the fight. Amanda managed to defend the title in a duel with Valentina Shevchenko. By the way, an athlete from Kyrgyzstan also managed to get into sherdog rating, unlike the lady of the heart Nunez Nina Ansaroff.
- Amanda Nunez.
- Christian Giustino.
- Rose Namajunas.
- Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
- Jessica Andrade.
- Claudia Gadella.
- Valentina Shevchenko.
- Jennifer Maya.
- Ayaka Hamasaki.
- Julia Budd.
UFC fighter rankings (men)
The UFC organization - the trendsetter in the world of mixed martial arts - makes ratings of MMA fighters by weight categories. In total, the organization has 8 male weights. Today, the UFC is home to the largest number of the most famous and professional fighters from around the world.
Flyweight (less than 57 kg):
THE CHAMPION - Demetrius Johnson.
- Joseph Benavides.
- Henry Sejudo.
- Ray Borg.
- Jussier da Silva (Formiga).
- Sergio Pettis.
- Wilson Reis.
- Brandon Moreno.
- Ben Nguyen.
- John Moraga.
- Dustin Ortiz.
The Russian flyweight fighter Magomed (Chaborz) Bibulatov is currently ranked 13th.
Bantamweight (57-61 kg):
THE CHAMPION - T.J.Dillashaw.
- Cody Garbrandt.
- Dominic Cruz.
- Raphael Assuncao.
- Jimmy Rivera.
- Marlon Moraes.
- John Lineker.
- Brian Caraway.
- John Dodson.
- Aljamain Sterling.
- Thomas Almeida.
Featherweight (61-66kg):
THE CHAMPION - Max Holloway.
- Jose Aldo.
- Frankie Edgar.
- Brian Ortega.
- Josh Emmett.
- Cub Swanson.
- Ricardo Lamas.
- Chen Sun Jang.
- Jeremy Stephens.
- Darren Elkins.
- Yair Rodriguez.
Three Russians compete in featherweight: Artem (Russian Hammer) Lobov, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Zubair (Warrior) Tukhugov. At the moment, none of these athletes are included in the TOP 15 ratings.
Light weight (66-70 kg):
THE CHAMPION - Connor McGregor.
- Tony Ferguson.
- Eddie Alvarez.
- Edison Barbosa.
- Justin Gage.
- Dustin Poirier.
- Kevin Lee.
- Nate Diaz.
- Michael Chiesa.
- Al Iaquinta.
The lightweight category is one of the favorites for a Russian fan of mixed martial arts. The reason for this is the rich representation of our compatriots. In addition to Khabib (Eagle) Nurmagomedov, who is in second position in the ranking and has real chances to soon fight for the title of champion with Connor McGregor, Magomed Mustafayev, Mairbek (Beckan) Taisumov, Rustam (Tigr) Khabilov are fighting in the UFC lightweight category (Highlander) Magomedov, Islam Makhachev. These fighters are currently not included in the TOP-15 rating.
Welterweight (70-77 kg):
THE CHAMPION - Tyrone Woodley
- Stephen Thompson.
- Raphael Dom Anjos.
- Colby Covington.
- Robbie Lawler.
- Demin Maya.
- George Masvidal.
- Darren Till.
- Neil Magni.
- Usman's camera.
- Santiago Ponzinibbio.
Welterweight are 4 russian fighter: Sultan Aliyev, Adam Khaliev (he hasn’t had a single fight in the UFC yet), Muslim (King of Kung Fu) Salikhov, Alexander (Thunder of the North) Yakovlev. At the moment, athletes are not included in the TOP-15 rating.
Average weight (77-84 kg):
THE CHAMPION - Robert Whittaker.
- Yoel Romero.
- Luke Rockhold.
- Dakare Souza.
- Georges Saint-Pierre.
- Chris Weidman.
- Calvin Gastelum.
- Michael Bisping.
- Derek Brunson.
- David Branch.
- Uriah Hall.
Fighters from Russia Omari (Wolverine) Akhmedov and Ramazan (Highlander) Emeev are currently not included in the TOP-15 rating.
Light Heavyweight (84-93kg):
- Alexander Gustaffson.
- Volkan Ozdemir.
- Clover Teixeira.
- Jimi Manuva.
- Queens St. Prue.
- Mauricio Rua.
- Misha Chirkunov.
- Corey Andreson.
- Ilir Latifi.
- Patrick Cummins.
Russian representation in the floor heavyweight The UFC is limited to four fighters. Gadzhimurad Antigulov is currently ranked 13th in the MMA UFC light heavyweight ranking, Abdul-Kerim Edilov is not in the TOP-15. Magomed Ankalaev and Azamat Murzakanov have not yet had a single fight in the UFC.
Heavy weight (93-120 kg):
THE CHAMPION - Stipe Miocic.
- Francis Ngannou.
- Alistair Overeem.
- Fabricio Werdum.
- Kane Velazquez.
- Michael Hunt.
- Derrick Lewis.
- Alexander Volkov.
- Marcin Tybura.
- Curtis Blades.
- Stefan Struve.
Perhaps the most spectacular view in MMA - heavyweight fights. Moreover, the Russians have someone to root for: two athletes from Russia are in the TOP-15 of the MMA UFC heavyweight rating (Alexander (Drago) Volkov - seventh, Alexey (Udav) Oleinik - eleventh). Shamil (Abrek) Abdurakhimov, Ruslan (Leopard) Magomedov, Dmitry (the Lifeguard) Smolyakov, as well as Andrei (Pit Bull) Orlovsky - a fighter from Belarus who plays in the UFC for Russia - are currently below the 15th line of the rating. Dmitry Sosnovsky has not yet fought a single fight.
UFC fighter rankings (ladies)
Female fighters in the UFC compete in 4 weight categories: minimal, lightest, lightest, featherweight.
Minimum weight (48-52 kg):
THE CHAMPION - Rosa Namajunas.
- Joana Jedrzejczyk.
- Jessica Andrade.
- Claudia Gadella.
- Karolina Kovalkevich.
- Tisha Torres.
- Carla Esparza.
- Michelle Waterson.
- Cynthia Calvillo.
- Felice Herrig.
- Alexa Grasso.
Flyweight (53-57 kg):
THE CHAMPION - Nikko Montano.
- Siyara Eubanks.
- Lauren Murphy.
- Alexis Davis.
- Roxanne Modafferi.
- Barb Honchak.
- Liz Carmouche.
- Jessica-Rose Clark.
- Montana De La Rosa.
- Mara Romero Borello.
- Jessica I.
Bantamweight (57-61 kg):
THE CHAMPION - Amanda Nunis.
- Valentina Shevchenko.
- Holly Holm.
- Juliana Pena.
- Raquel Pennington.
- Germain de Randamy.
- Kathleen Vieira.
- Kat Zingano.
- Sarah McMann.
- Rhonda Rosie.
- Marion Reno.
Russian athlete Yana Kunitskaya, registered in the bantamweight category, has not yet had a single fight in the UFC. However, Russian fans of mixed martial arts are waiting for not only Yana to appear on the card, but also a fighter from Kyrgyzstan Valentina Shevchenko. At the moment, Valentina is on the heels of Amanda Nunis and is the main contender for the title fight.
Featherweight (61-66kg):
There are currently 3 registered fighters in the UFC Women's Featherweight Championship. Christine Giustino is a belt holder; Megan Anderson hasn't had a single fight yet; another featherweight is Tonya Evinger.
MMA fighters ratings of Russia. "Nova Sport"
Here is the rating of the Russian MMA fighters according to "Nova Sport" (the best are determined in each weight category). The first line among Russian heavyweights today is occupied by the UFC fighter Alexander Volkov. He became champion Bellator, M-1. Vitaly Minakov follows immediately after him - former champion Bellator, who has not lost a single fight in his entire career (most of Vitaly's victories were obtained by submission or knockout).
The best light heavyweight fighter is Rashid Yusupov. In second place is Viktor Nemkov, whom Yusupov defeated in 2016 in a title fight for the M-1 champion title.
The leader among Russians in the middle weight category is Alexander Shlemenko. The fighter runs his own school "Storm" (this is the nickname the athlete chose for himself). Alexander became the Bellator champion (defended the title three times), won the M-1 Grand Prix series. UFC fighter Ramazan Emeev is breathing in his back.
Andrey Koreshkov, a student of the "Storm" school, is recognized as the trendsetter in welterweight. Andrey became the Bellator champion, just like his teacher. The second in the ranking of Russian MMA fighters in the welterweight division is Albert Tumenov.
The undoubted leader in lightweight is Khabib Nurmagomedov. Recently, Khabib won a landslide victory at UFC 219 over Edison Barboza and has real chances not only to fight one of the world's top MMA stars, Condor McGregor, but also to defeat the American. Khabib is followed by another UFC fighter - Rustam Khabilov.
The hope of the Russians at featherweight is Magomed Idrisov. He became the M-1 champion, sensationally defeating the Slovakian Ivan Buchinger. Salman Zhamaldaev is preparing to emerge from the shadows.
The first place in the ranking among the bantamweight fighters is occupied by Peter Yan. The athlete managed to defeat Magomed Magomedov in the ACV league and take the champion belt. Jan is interested in strongest league of the UFC world. The second is Bekbulat Magomedov.
The Russian flyweight leader is UFC fighter Magomed Bibulatov. The second line of the rating is behind Askar Askarov.
My rating was " Soviet sport". The online edition conducted a survey among users at the end of 2017. As a result, places from first to fifth, regardless of the weight category, went to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Eduard Vartanyan, Alexander Shlemenko, Sergey Pavlovich and Vitaly Minakov, respectively.
As a rule, depending on the promotions, each weight division has its own championship belt, which fighters strive to get. before each fight, fighters must undergo a weighing procedure. Depending on the promotion, various deviations from the desired weight of the fighter are allowed. If a fighter does not fit into the weight (too light or too heavy), he may be disqualified and not allowed to fight. Here are the main MMA weight categories:
from 120.2 kg Super heavyweight
93 - 120.2 kg Heavyweight
83.9 - 93 kg Light heavyweight P
77.1 - 83.9 kg Middleweight
70.3 - 77.1 kg Welterweight
65.8 - 70.3 kg Lightweight
61.2 - 65.8 kg Featherweight
56.7 - 61.2 kg Bantamweight
up to 56.7 kg Flyweight
Most of the fighters are found in the light weight category and their number decreases with increasing weight. This can be explained both by the smaller number of large people and by the fact that more weight, the more likely you are to be seriously injured in preparation for a fight or during the fight itself. That is why good heavyweights are worth their weight in gold for any promotional organization and many heavyweights continue to perform even after 35 years.
Weight loss procedure in MMA
To get into the right weight category, some fighters have to gain or lose weight. This procedure is called weight lifting and is a complex process involving doctors and nutritionists. Weight loss begins several months before the fight. The difference in weight between competitive and everyday weight can reach 5-20 kg. This is a serious load for the athlete's body, therefore weight-race is no less important event than even preparation for the fight itself.
When cutting weight, various methods and approaches are used, but the main ones are drinking as much water as possible, excluding meat from the diet, and eating plant foods. During the weight race, the fighter excludes heavy loads and does not train actively, focusing only on his weight. In the last stages of the cut, the fighters can go to the sauna or use a thermo-suit.
MMA champions in several weight categories at once
UFC fighters who have won the championship belt in several weight classes: Randy Couture ( Light heavyweight + heavyweight), B.J. Penn ( welterweight + lightweight), Conor McGregor (featherweight + lightweight), Georges St-Pierre (welterweight + middleweight).
We will consider three areas of weight divisions - amateur boxing, professional boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA). Each of these sports has its own weight categories.
In order for the fights to be competitive, and the athletes did not have an advantage due to size, they introduced, if we consider in particular boxing, weight categories. Men must oppose roughly comparable opponents in weight.
Initially, there were only two weight categories in boxing, but subsequently the number of divisions grew. Boxing has evolved and, accordingly, more and more
At the moment, if we count the weight categories in amateur boxing, there are now ten of them. There are nine divisions in mixed martial arts. At the same time, weight categories in professional boxing have divided as many as 17 divisions.
Amateur boxing
Boys under 15 years old have no division into weight categories, but there are certain rules. Often, the organizers try to make sure that the difference in weight between the athletes does not exceed two kilograms.
There are already clear limits for men. What are the weight categories in boxing? Over time, almost every division has changed its weight limit. So, for example, boxers competed in heavy weight at the beginning of the century, and the weight exceeded 71 kilograms. Now it is middleweight, and the amateur heavyweight is a boxer who weighs between 81 and 91 kilograms. And if initially the heavy weight was not limited, then since 1984 a heavy weight has appeared in amateur boxing, in which athletes weighing 91 kilograms or more compete.
Andreas Rentz / Gettyimages.ru
It should be noted, however, that the heavyweight professional boxing no. And it is inappropriate to apply the term "heavyweight" to boxers such as Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Anthony Joshua or Alexander Povetkin... You just need to look into the relevant literature and check: what weight categories in boxing, after which it will become clear that all of the above are heavyweights.
You also need to add that after Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, the competition in the first middle weight (67-71 kg) stopped, and after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the featherweight division was closed, in which the Russian was the champions Alexey Tishchenko and Ukrainian Vasily Lomachenko.
Professional boxing
It should be noted right away that if the metric system and, accordingly, kilograms were initially used for weight categories in amateur boxing, in professional boxing the division of weight divisions is carried out in pounds. This is due to the fact that professional boxing originated in the USA, and all champion organizations (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO) are focused precisely on working with the American market. And this difference in the number of weight categories is explained by the fact that professional boxing is a commercial product. For each championship belt, the organization receives a percentage of the boxer's income. In fact, how many weight categories there are in boxing, so much in proportion and income.
The difference in weight in the junior divisions is negligible, so the Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao managed to become the world champion in eight weight categories, winning the first flyweight title.
How Foo Yeen / Gettyimages.ru
From the first days there were eight divisions, but in different years nine more were created. In 2018, the possibility of creating a heavyweight division was discussed - for boxers weighing more than 250 pounds (113 kg). But it was decided to abandon this idea, since the weight of the reigning champions and other leading heavyweight boxers did not exceed 110 kilograms. As a result, today the heavy weight category in boxing is a kind of maximum.
Mixed martial arts is a professional sport. They do not host any amateur or Olympic competition. But at the moment in MMA weight categories are significantly less than in boxing.
This is primarily due to the fact that the mixed martial arts market is just beginning to grow, and the structure of the fights is significantly different from that in boxing.
The fighters are united into one company (promotion), which organizes fights. The UFC is now leading the world. In Russia in last years The organization ACB, which is the third largest in the world, has risen strongly.
There are a lot of similar companies around the world. And not all of them are active in all nine weight categories. To do this, you need to have contracts with a huge number of fighters, which requires large financial investments. For example, the UFC does not hold heavyweight fights (over 120 kg).
There are also specific promotions like Invicta, which organize only fights between women. Until 2017, there was only one women's division in the UFC - the bantamweight division. But later three more appeared: featherweight, lightest and minimal (up to 52 kg).
Weighing
Before any fight, boxers and fighters undergo an official weigh-in procedure, which usually takes place one day before the fight.
Moreover, in amateur boxing, a fighter must be weighed before the start of the tournament, and subsequently - before each fight. The weigh-in on the first day determines the weight category in which the athlete will compete. If a boxer has exceeded the limit, he can be entered for another weight category, if his team has a quota there. But a boxer has no right to change the weight category during the tournament.
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Weigh-in in professional boxing and MMA takes place one day before the fight. According to the statutes of different organizations, weighing can take place in the morning or afternoon. Morning weigh-in gives odds to fighters who drive a lot of kilograms.
But even if a boxer or fighter does not meet the limit, it is not necessary that the fight will be canceled. At first, the athlete will be given one hour or two, depending on the regulations, to meet the limit on the second attempt.
If it turns out to be unsuccessful, the boxer or fighter forfeits part of the fee and cannot claim the title, as well as promotion in the ratings. Therefore, weight categories can be considered rules that are needed so that rivals of comparable sizes meet among themselves, and the viewer has the opportunity to see a competitive battle.
The question of weight classes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today is perhaps already relatively balanced. It wasn't always like this, though. When the UFC was in 1993, the largest organization today mixed martial arts, was founded, the weight categories were simply absent.
Weight classes in the UFC began to appear only in 1997, and not at all in the form in which weight classes exist now. It all started with UFC 12, and then only two weight classes were formed: the heavyweight division, which included all fighters over 200 pounds (91 kg), and the light weight class, which included all fighters under 199 pounds (90 kg).
Later, at UFC 14, the lightweight division was renamed to middleweight, and the lightweight division first appeared in a new form at UFC 16. At that time, all athletes whose weight is 170 pounds (77 kg) and less were considered lightweight fighters. And two years later, a fourth weight category was added to the UFC - the bantamweight, which first appeared at UFC 26. The bantamweight division then included fighters up to 155 pounds (70 kg).
And in 2000, in accordance with the rules of the New Jersey Athletic Commission, the UFC reorganized the previously created weight divisions. By the time of UFC 31 in 2001, there were already five weight classes: lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.
José Aldo, the undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion, was originally a WEC Champion, but on November 20, 2010, at UFC 123, his championship was reformed, making the WEC Champion the GAS Champion.
It has been nearly 10 years since then until the UFC added lighter weight divisions. The first weight update came in 2010 when the UFC added the featherweight and bantamweight. And in 2012, the UFC management decided to expand with an even lighter weight. This is how the flyweight division was added for the first time at UFC on FX 2.
Carla Esparza, Champion in the UFC's freshest weight division, the Women’s Strawweight, added to the organization in 2013 In November 2012, the first women's bantamweight division was added to the promotion. A year later, the women’s strawweight division was added.
Thus, today there are 10 weight classes in the UFC, 2 of which are women.
All weight categories in the UFC:
Heavyweight
206-265 lb (93-120 kg)
Light Heavyweight
186-205 lbs (84-93 kg)
Middleweight
171-185 lb (77-84 kg)
Welterweight
156-170 lbs (70-77 kg)
Lightweight
146-155 lbs (66-70 kg)
Featherweight
136-145 lbs (61-66 kg)
Bantamweight
126-135 lbs (57-61 kg)
Flyweight
116-125 lbs (53-57 kg)
Women's Bantamweight
126-135 lbs (57-61 kg)
Women's Strawweight
106-115 lbs (48-52 kg)
There is no heavyweight division in the UFC at the moment, so giants like Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva have to "push the weight" a lot to meet the 120kg limit. In this article we will discuss the weight classes in the UFC, talk about the people who have noted in this area. This championship attracts the attention of many fans of martial arts, but not everyone knows the details of the formation or organization of fights. We will introduce you to information about which men's and women's weight classes in the UFC currently exist. We also reverse special attention on the heroes of this championship.
Let's start from the very beginning and remember that when the UFC was born in 1993, it did not have the same weight divisions that exist today. It was simple sports organization, which arranged championships for fighters. The rules of the fight were mixed, and they still remain so. But there were only two categories:
- heavy weight - for fighters whose weight was more than 91 kilograms;
- light weight - for those whose weight was less than 90 kilograms.
After a few years, the division into subgroups changed, and the average weight has already appeared. At the same time, the weight categories in the UFC have not stopped changing. A super light subgroup also appeared, and by 2001 the weight categories of fighters were already divided into five different types:
- heavy;
- light heavy;
- average;
- welterweight;
- light.
Weight categories in the UFC have experienced all these changes, primarily in order to be able to optimally distribute participants and achieve maximum performance in fights. After all, it is much more interesting to watch a fight of approximately equal rivals, and not to see how a heavyweight fights a miniature and light athlete. It took many years before the subgroups were again revised and lighter ones were added, and the weight categories in the UFC for women were also separated.
Weight categories
So, since 2012, the organization has been conducting fights in ten categories, two of which are women. Participants are assigned according to the following weight groups:
- heavy;
- light heavy;
- average;
- welterweight;
- light;
- featherweight;
- lightest;
- the lightest,
- lightest for women;
- the lightest for women.
Heavyweights
Speaking of this subgroup, it is worth noting that these weight categories in the UFC are divided into two types:
- heavy;
- light heavy.
The heavy category includes fighters weighing from ninety-three to one hundred and twenty kilograms. The English name is heavy weight. If a fighter weighs from eighty-four to ninety-three kilograms, then he is already classified in the light heavy category. The English name is light heavy weight.
Average weight
This group includes:
- middle category;
The first subgroup, the English name of which is middle weight, includes participants weighing from seventy-seven to eighty-four kilograms. Lighter fighters belong to the welter weight category and must weigh a minimum of seventy kilograms, and a maximum of seventy-seven.
A light weight
This group of participants is formed for participants weighing from 53 to 70 kilograms. Divided into categories:
- featherweight;
- lightest;
- the lightest.
The light category includes athletes weighing from sixty-six to seventy kilograms. It is known in the world as light weight. The UFC featherweight division includes fighters who weigh a minimum of sixty-one and a maximum of sixty-six kilograms. The English equivalent of the name is feather weight. Already by the name it is clear that the lightest group includes fighters with even less weight, from fifty-seven to sixty-one kilograms. The category name is known as bantam weight. And the last division of this weight group is the lightest category (or fly weight) with participants weighing from fifty-three to fifty-seven kilograms.
Women in the UFC
A great achievement for the beautiful half of the world's population was the selection of two categories that relate specifically to them. It was a kind of recognition of women as real participants and worthy rivals in this sport. Two groups were formed:
- lightest;
- the lightest.
The lightest category called women’s bantam weight unites women weighing from fifty-seven to sixty-one kilograms. And the women’s straw weight category, or the lightest, refers to athletes who weigh from forty-eight to fifty-two kilograms.
Current champions
UFC champions in all weight classes have won their titles at different times and have defended their right to wear that title at different times. We provide you with a list of the most relevant leaders that are at the moment.
- Heavyweight Champion - Fabricio Werdum from Brazil. He won the title in the summer of 2015 and has never defended it yet.
- Light Heavyweight Champion - Daniel Cormay from USA. I became one in the spring of 2015 and has already managed to defend the right to be the first in this category once.
- Middleweight Champion - Luke Rockhold from USA. He won the title in the winter of 2015 and has not yet managed to confirm it.
- Welterweight Champion - Robie Lawlier of the USA. In the winter of 2014, he received this title and has already justified the title twice. best fighter this category.
- Lightweight Champion - Rafael DosAndzhus from Brazil. In the spring of 2015, he became the best in his weight category and once defended the right to be called that.
- Featherweight champion - Irishman Connor became them in the winter of 2015, while he has never defended his title in battle.
- Bantamweight Champion - Dominic Cruz from USA. The most recent title won in the winter of 2016, so I have never fought to defend the title.
- Flyweight Champion - Dimitrius Johnson of USA. This fighter managed to fight for this title seven times and each time he won, remaining the best in his category. He won the title for the first time in the fall of 2012.
- As for the women's categories, American Holi Holm became the bantamweight champion in the fall of 2015. She has never fought to confirm the title.
- The female flyweight champion is Johana Engrzeczyk from Poland. It happened in the spring of 2015, and she had already fought twice for the right to be the best.
It is worth noting that the champion in any category is the fighter who wins the title fight. This fight lasts five rounds, each lasting five minutes. To defend his title, the champion fights another challenger. If reigning champion loses, then the title goes to the winner. Otherwise, the title remains with the former favorite. There is also the concept of an interim champion. It is given to a fighter if the reigning champion cannot fight to defend the title for a long time (for example, for health reasons).
Outstanding fighters
There are people who are not on the list of champions at the moment, but they left a bright mark in uFC stories... We would like to remind you of some of them.
- Rhonda Jean Rosie. The first women's lightweight champion. She is considered the highest paid female athlete in the world with an income of more than six and a half million dollars a year.
- was the champion among light heavyweight fighters. Eight times he confirmed the right to be a champion. Unfortunately, problems with legislation did not allow the athlete to fully realize himself.
- Andersen Silva is rightfully considered the king of middleweight. He fought ten fights to defend the title.
- George Senpierre spent a little less fights to defend his welterweight title. Many experts believe this in the world.
- Famous names such as Chuck Lidel, Dan Henderson, Bijay Peng, Tito Artis, Randy Couture, Met Huse and others have left an indelible mark on the history of the UFC. And this is not the whole list of people who are significant in this area.
In the end, I would like to add that the championships organized by the UFC are distinguished by an excellent organization, are considered prestigious and all fighters strive to get to this championship at least once in their lives. Watching the competition on TV, even from a distance and through the screen, you can feel the special atmosphere of the events. Victory in such a competition is a real achievement that fighters have been striving for since childhood, and everyone who is interested in martial arts knows the names of the champions.