The champions are listed in reverse chronological order.
Click here for the list of current UFC champions in each division and here for the champions in each MMA promotion.
All-time UFC champions by division:
Heavyweight | Light heavyweight
Middleweight | Welterweight
Lightweight | Men's featherweight
Men's bantamweight | Men's flyweight
Women's featherweight
Women's bantamweight
Women's flyweight
Strawweight
Current champion
Tom Aspinall
• Won title: June 21, 2025
• Outcome: Elevated from interim champion after the retirement of Jon Jones
• Defenses: 0
Past champions
Jon Jones
• Won title: March 4, 2023
• Outcome: Sub1 over Ciryl Gane (UFC 285)
• Defenses: 1
Francis Ngannou
• Won title: March 27, 2021
• Outcome: KO2 over Stipe Miocic (UFC 260)
• Defenses: 1
Stipe Miocic
• Won title: August 17, 2019
• Outcome: TKO4 over Daniel Cormier (UFC 241)
• Defenses: 1
Daniel Cormier
• Won title: July 7, 2018
• Outcome: TKO1 over Stipe Miocic (UFC 226)
• Defenses: 1
Stipe Miocic
• Won title: May 15, 2016
• Outcome: KO1 over Fabricio Werdum (UFC 198)
• Defenses: 3
Fabricio Werdum
• Won title: June 13, 2015
• Outcome: SUB3 over Cain Velasquez (UFC 188)
• Defenses: 0
Cain Velasquez
• Won title: Dec. 29, 2012
• Outcome: UD over Junior dos Santos (UFC 155)
• Defenses: 2
Junior dos Santos
• Won title: Nov. 12, 2011
• Outcome: KO1 over Cain Velasquez (UFC on Fox)
• Defenses: 1
Cain Velasquez
• Won title: Oct. 23, 2010
• Outcome: KO1 over Brock Lesnar (UFC 121)
• Defenses: 2
Brock Lesnar
• Won title: Nov. 15, 2008
• Outcome: KO2 over Randy Couture (UFC 91)
• Defenses: 2
Randy Couture
• Won title: March 3, 2007
• Outcome: UD over Tim Sylvia (UFC 68)
• Defenses: 2
Tim Sylvia
• Won title: April 15, 2006
• Outcome: KO1 over Andrei Arlovski (UFC 59)
• Defenses: 2
Andrei Arlovski
• Won title: Feb. 5, 2005*
• Outcome: SUB1 over Tim Sylvia (UFC 51)
• Defenses: 2
* -- Beat Sylvia for interim title; on Aug. 12, 2005, was named undisputed champ when Mir was stripped of title for inactivity.
Frank Mir
• Won title: June 19, 2004
• Outcome: SUB1 over Tim Sylvia (UFC 48)
• Defenses: 0
Tim Sylvia
• Won title: Feb. 28, 2003
• Outcome: KO1 over Ricco Rodriguez (UFC 41)
• Defenses: 1
Ricco Rodriguez
• Won title: Sept. 27, 2002
• Outcome: KO5 over Randy Couture (UFC 39)
• Defenses: 0
Josh Barnett
• Won title: March 22, 2002
• Outcome: KO2 over Randy Couture (UFC 36)
• Defenses: 0*
* -- Stripped of title on July 26 after testing positive for banned substances
Randy Couture
• Won title: Nov. 17, 2000
• Outcome: KO3 over Kevin Randleman (UFC 28)
• Defenses: 2
Kevin Randleman
• Won title: Nov. 19, 1999
• Outcome: UD over Pete Williams (UFC 23)
• Defenses: 1
Bas Rutten
• Won title: May 7, 1999
• Outcome: SD3 over Kevin Randleman (UFC 20)
• Defenses: 0*
* -- Vacated title in June 1999 to drop down to light heavyweight
Randy Couture
• Won title: Dec. 21, 1997
• Outcome: MD3 over Maurice Smith (UFC Japan)
• Defenses: 0*
* -- Stripped of title due to a contract dispute
Maurice Smith
• Won title: July 27, 1997
• Outcome: UD3 over Mark Coleman (UFC 14)
• Defenses: 1
Mark Coleman
• Won title: Feb. 7, 1997
• Outcome: SUB1 over Dan Severn (UFC 12)
• Defenses: 0