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The Evolution of the UFC: A Look at the Current Champions Across 12 Weight Divisions

Since its inception in 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has undergone significant changes, including the introduction of weight classes in 1997. Today, the organization boasts 12 weight divisions, with eight for men and four for women. Here’s a breakdown of the current champions in each division:

**Heavyweight (Up to 265 pounds)**
Champion: Jon Jones
Reign began: March 4, 2023
Winning fight: Submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285
Title defenses: 0
Interim champion: Tom Aspinall (UFC 295)

**Light Heavyweight (205)**
Champion: Alex Pereira
Reign began: November 11, 2023
Winning fight: TKO victory over Jirí Procházka at UFC 295
Title defenses: 2

**Middleweight (185)**
Champion: Dricus Du Plessis
Reign began: January 20, 2024
Winning fight: Split decision victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 297
Title defenses: 1

**Welterweight (170)**
Champion: Belal Muhammad
Reign began: July 27, 2024
Winning fight: Unanimous decision victory over Leon Edwards at UFC 304
Title defenses: 0

**Lightweight (155)**
Champion: Islam Makhachev
Reign began: October 22, 2022
Winning fight: Submission victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280
Title defenses: 3

**Men’s Featherweight (145)**
Champion: Ilia Topuria
Reign began: February 17, 2024
Winning fight: Knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298
Title defenses: 0

**Men’s Bantamweight (135)**
Champion: Merab Dvalishvili
Reign began: September 14, 2024
Winning fight: Unanimous decision victory over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306
Title defenses: 0

**Men’s Flyweight (125)**
Champion: Alexandre Pantoja
Reign began: July 8, 2023
Winning fight: Split decision victory over Brandon Moreno at UFC 290
Title defenses: 2

**Women’s Featherweight (145)**
Title currently vacant

**Women’s Bantamweight (135)**
Champion: Julianna Peña
Reign began: October 5, 2024
Winning fight: Unanimous decision victory over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307
Title defenses: 0

**Women’s Flyweight (125)**
Champion: Valentina Shevchenko
Reign began: September 14, 2024
Winning fight: Unanimous decision victory over Alexa Grasso at UFC 306
Title defenses: 0

**Strawweight (115)**
Champion: Zhang Weili
Reign began: November 12, 2022
Winning fight: Submission victory over Carla Esparza at UFC 281
Title defenses: 2