Bantamweight (MMA)
The bantamweight division in mixed martial arts refers to a number of different MMA weight classes:
- The UFC's bantamweight division, which groups competitors within 126–135 lb (57.2-61.3 kg)
- The King of the Cage bantamweight class, with upper limit at 145 lb (65.8 kg)[1]
- The Shooto bantamweight division, which suits competitors below 125 lb (56.7 kg)
- The ONE Championship's bantamweight division, with upper limit at 65.8 kg (145.1 lb)
- The Road FC's bantamweight division, with upper limit at 135.6 lb (61.5 kg)
The bantamweight division sits between the lighter flyweight (116–125 lb) division and the heavier featherweight division (136–145 lb).
Ambiguity and clarification
[edit]For the sake of uniformity, many American mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 126 and 135 lb (57 and 61 kg) as bantamweights, as it encompasses both the Shooto Featherweight division (132 lb / 60 kg) and the King of the Cage Flyweight division (135 lb / 61 kg). The Association of Boxing Commissions, which governs MMA in the United States, uses the 126-135 standard for "bantamweight".
Prior to UFC 31, 150-pound (68 kg) fighters were known as bantamweights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, after which the weight limit was raised to 155 lb (70 kg), and the division was reinstated as the lightweight class.
The bantamweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission[2] and the Association of Boxing Commissions[3] is 135 lb (61.36 kg).
Professional champions
[edit]Current champions
[edit]These tables were last updated in August 2023.
Men:
| Organization | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UFC | September 14, 2024 |  Merab Dvalishvili
|
18–4 (3KO 1SUB) | 0 |
| Bellator | November 17, 2023 |  Patchy Mix
|
20–1 (2KO 13SUB) | 1 |
| ONE Championship | February 25, 2023 |  Fabrício Andrade
|
9–2 (5KO 2SUB) | 0 |
| Rizin FF | September 29, 2024 |  Naoki Inoue
|
20–4 (2KO 11SUB) | 0 |
| Fight Nights Global | October 14, 2022 |  Sabit Zhusupov
|
15–3 (6KO 3SUB) | 0 |
| KSW | December 17, 2022 |  Jakub Wikłacz
|
14-3-1 (0KO 9SUB) | 0 |
| Cage Warriors | N/A |  Vacant
|
N/A | N/A |
| ACA | March 26, 2022 |  Oleg Borisov
|
26–6–1 (12KO 1SUB) | 1 |
| Brave CF | N/A | Vacant
|
N/A | N/A |
| Legacy Fighting Alliance | June 16, 2023 | John Sweeney
|
13–3 (4KO 3SUB) | 0 |
Women:
| Organization | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UFC | October 5, 2024 | Julianna Peña
|
12–5 (3KO 5SUB) | 0 |
| Invicta FC | January 18, 2023 | Talita Bernardo
|
10–4 (0KO 6SUB) | 0 |
See also
[edit]- List of current MMA Bantamweight Champions
- List of current MMA Women's Bantamweight Champions
- List of UFC Bantamweight Champions
- List of WEC Bantamweight Champions (defunct)
- List of Pancrase Bantamweight Champions
- List of Road FC Bantamweight Champions
References
[edit]- ^ "Fighters: Rankings ..." KingoftheCage.com. Archived from the original on 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
- ^ "Nevada Revised Statutes: `er 467 - Unarmed Combat". leg.state.nv.us. Archived from the original on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
- ^ "Unified Rules of MMA". ABCBoxing.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-05. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
External links
[edit]Media related to Bantamweight mixed martial artists at Wikimedia Commons
 | This article related to mixed martial arts is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |