See a complete list of UFC Champions, including the current men’s and women’s titleholders across all weight divisions. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) features 11 weight divisions, with eight men’s and three women’s championships. The list also includes UFC championship records, notable achievements, and key moments in the organization’s history.

Fast Facts: UFC History and Notable Achievements

• The first UFC event took place on November 12, 1993, in Denver, Colorado. Royce Gracie won the inaugural eight-man tournament, which featured no weight classes. Unlike today’s UFC champions, early tournament winners competed without divisional championships.

• Mark Coleman became the first UFC Heavyweight Champion at UFC 12 on February 7, 1997. His victory over Dan Severn marked the introduction of the UFC’s first divisional world championship.

• The UFC expanded its championship divisions following the 2010 merger with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). José Aldo became the inaugural UFC Featherweight Champion, while Dominick Cruz became the first UFC Bantamweight Champion.

• MMA was legalized in New York on April 12, 2016. The UFC debuted at Madison Square Garden later that year on November 12.

• Ronda Rousey became the first women’s UFC champion in December 2012. She was awarded the inaugural UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship and successfully defended it against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 on February 23, 2013, in the first women’s fight in UFC history.

• The UFC has separate championship histories for each weight division. Explore the UFC champions with the most title defenses to discover the fighters who defended their belts the most times in each division.

Men’s UFC Champions (Current Title Holders)

Women’s UFC Champions (Current Title Holders)

UFC Championship Records