In this article we will discuss the weight categories in the UFC, talk about the people who have been noted in this area. This championship attracts the attention of many martial arts fans, but not everyone knows the details of the formation or organization of fights. We will introduce you to the information on what male and female weight categories in the UFC currently exist. We also pay special attention to the heroes of this championship.
What is UFC?
Let's start from the very beginning and recall that when the UFC organization appeared in 1993, it did not have such weight divisions that exist today. It was a simple sports organization that hosted championships for fighters. The rules of the match were mixed, but 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 several years, the division into subgroups has changed, and the average weight has already appeared. At the same time, the weight categories in the UFC did not stop changing. There was also a super light subgroup, and by 2001 the weight categories of the fighters were already divided into five different types:
- heavy;
- light heavy;
- average;
- welterweight;
- easy.
The weight categories in the UFC experienced all these changes, first of all, in order to be able to optimally distribute the participants and achieve maximum performance in the battles. After all, it is much more interesting to watch a duel of approximately equal rivals, and not to see how a heavyweight is fighting a miniature and light athlete. Many years passed before the subgroups were again revised and lighter ones were added, and the weight categories in the UFC for women were separately identified.
Weight categories
So, starting in 2012, the organization has been fighting in ten categories, with two of them being female. Participants are allocated according to the following weight groups:
- heavy;
- light heavy;
- average;
- welterweight;
- easy;
- featherweight;
- the lightest;
- the lightest
- the easiest for women;
- the lightest for women.
Heavyweights
Speaking about this subgroup, it is worth noting that these weight categories in the UFC are divided into two types:
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 assigned to the light heavy category. The English name is light heavy weight.
Average weight
This group includes:
- middle category;
- UFC welterweight category.
The first subgroup, whose English name is middle weight, includes participants with a weight of seventy-seven to eighty-four kilograms. Fighters are easier to belong to the welter weight category and should weigh at least seventy kilograms, and a maximum of seventy seven.
A light weight
This group of participants is formed for participants whose weight is from 53 to 70 kilograms. Divided into categories:
- light weight category UFC;
- featherweight;
- the lightest;
- the lightest.
The light category includes athletes with a weight of sixty six to seventy kilograms. In the world it is known as light weight. The UFC featherweight category brings together 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 name of the category is known as bantam weight. And the last division of this weight group is the easiest 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 allocation 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:
- the lightest;
- the lightest.
The lightest category called women's bantam weight unites women with a mass of 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.
Actual champions
UFC champions in all weight categories won their titles at different times and defended their right to wear this title a different number of times. We provide you with a list of the most relevant leaders, which are at the moment.
- The heavyweight champion is Fabrice Werdum from Brazil. He won the title in the summer of 2015 and has never defended it.
- Light Heavyweight Champion - Daniel Cormeet from USA. He became him in the spring of 2015 and has already managed to defend once the right to be the first in this category.
- Middleweight Champion - Luke Rockhold from USA. He won the title in the winter of 2015 and has not had time to confirm it yet.
- Welterweight Champion - Robi Lawlir from USA. In the winter of 2014 he received this title and has already twice justified the title of best fighter in this category.
- Lightweight Champion - Rafael DosAnjus from Brazil. In the spring of 2015, he became the best in his weight category and once defended the right to be so called.
- Featherweight Champion - Irish Connor Mack Gregor. He became him in the winter of 2015, while he had never defended his title in battle.
- Bantamweight champion - Dominic Cruz from the USA. The last of the won titles in the winter of 2016, so I have never fought to defend the title.
- The flyweight champion is Dimitrius Johnson from the USA. This fighter managed to fight seven times for this title 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, the American champion Holly Hill in the fall of 2015 became the champion in the bantamweight. She had never fought to confirm the title.
- Jogana Angeczyk from Poland became the champion in the flyweight category among women. This happened in the spring of 2015, and she already managed to fight twice for the right to be the best.
It is worth noting that the champion in any category becomes a fighter who wins in the "title" battle. This battle lasts five rounds, each of which lasts five minutes. To defend his title, the champion fights with another challenger. If the current champion loses, then the title passes to the winner. In the opposite case, the title remains with the previous favorite. There is also the concept of a temporary champion. It is given to a fighter if the current champion for a long time can not fight to defend the title (for example, due to health reasons).
Outstanding fighters
There are people who are not among the list of champions at the moment, but they left a bright mark in the history of UFC. We want to recall some of them.
- Rhonda Gene Rosie. The first champion among women in lightweight. It is considered the highest paid athlete in the world with an income of more than six and a half million dollars a year.
- John Jones was a light heavyweight champion. Eight times he confirmed the right to be a champion. Unfortunately, problems with the legislation did not allow the athlete to fully realize himself.
- Andersen Silva is rightfully considered the king of middle weight. He completed ten fights to defend the title.
- George Senpierre conducted slightly fewer fights to defend the welterweight title. Many experts consider this fighter the best in the world.
- Famous names such as Chuck Lidel, Dan Henderson, BJ Pan, Tito Artis, Randy Couture, Met Hughes and others left an indelible mark on UFC history. And this is not the whole list of significant people in this area.
In the end, I would like to add that the championships organized by the UFC are distinguished by excellent organization, are considered prestigious and all fighters strive to get to this championship at least once in their life. Watching the competition on TV, even at 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 the names of champions are known to everyone who is interested in martial arts.