What Are They in Order KG and Lbs?

UFC, and MMA in general, has distinctive weight classes to establish limits for fighters, but what are the weight classes in the UFC? The company has added several weight classes to their roster over the years, including the unveiling of a women’s division back in 2013. Since then, the promotion has made waves and effectively taken over MMA, breeding some of the UFC’s biggest stars with the weight system combined with rankings allowing for the best fights to be made.

There are strict regulations in place to ensure that fighters are able to get to their optimum weight safely, and the implementation of weight classes in the UFC attempts to ensure that everyone competes on an even playing field. There are currently 12 different weight classes/divisions in the UFC, with four of them being dedicated to women’s MMA and the remaining eight being men’s. And here is everything you need to know about the weight classes and what their limits are in both pounds and kilograms.

Women’s Strawweight

Weight limit:115lb/52.5 kg

The category was introduced by the UFC and has been a thriving category with fighters able to compete between 106lb and the upper limit of 115lb. It is a division which has seen brilliant fights since its inaugural title bout in 2014, with Carla Esparza becoming the first champion of the division by beating Rose Namajaunas. It is a title that has changed hands with regularity but is now held by Chinese champion Zhang Weili who defeated Esparza and has since gone on to make two successful defences of her title.

Her next challenge comes in the form of the undefeated Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in February.

Women’s Flyweight

Weight limit: 125lb/56.7kg

The newest weight division in the UFC was announced in 2017, with the women’s flyweight class ranked with an upper limit of 125lb in parallel with the existing flyweights. The inaugural event was held that year with the winner of the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter series crowned the first-ever champion, and it was Nicco Montano who prevailed. Some great fighters have since graced the division including current champion Valentina Shevchenko who regained the gold by defeating Alexa Grasso at UFC 306 in September.

Men’s Flyweight

Weight limit: 125lb/ 56.7kg

The men’s branch of the newest weight class was introduced five years earlier than the female category beginning in 2012 with a fight night featuring Demetrious Johnson, who would go on to prove his dominance, and Joseph Benavidez in separate fights. ‘DJ’ was one of the most recognised names to grace the division, with the likes of Deiveson Figueredo, Brandon Moreno and current champion Alexandre Pantoja holding down the weight class in the modern era.

At present, though, the division isn’t exactly blessed with viable challengers for Pantoja. To try and remedy that issue, the company awarded a title shot to debutant Kai Asakura, who had previously enjoyed success in Japanese promotion RIZIN. Amid all the hype for the challenger, Pantoja submitted him inside two rounds.

Women’s Bantamweight

Weight limit:135lb/ 61.2kg

A division of effective one-fighter dominance, with the best female MMA fighter in history in the shape of Amanda Nunes taking over the weight class. The Brazilian has now retired, leaving an uncertain future after its birth in 2013 which saw the first-ever female UFC fight featuring Ronda Rousey.

The division has a special place in the story of women’s MMA. Aside from Rousey and Nunes, Holly Holm and Miesha Tate have enjoyed runs as champion – and with two-time Olympic Judo champion Kayla Harrison now calling the division home, there’s every chance that even more history will be made at 135lbs. Harrison may only be two fights into her UFC career, but already has her eyes set on challenging reigning titleholder Juliana Pena, who defeated Raquel Pennington at UFC 307.

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Men’s Bantamweight

Weight limit: 135lb/ 61.2kg

One of the most entertaining weight classes in the UFC since debuting in 2011, the bantamweight division has produced champions such as Dominick Cruz, TJ Dillashaw, Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo. Fights are regularly made at the highest level in the division, which is why a 135lb title bout is usually must-see viewing. Merab Dvalishvili is currently the man to beat in the division having dominated Sean O’Malley over five rounds in the main event of UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Merab’s first defence of the gold will come at UFC 311, where he will take on the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, cousin of the legendary Khabib.

Women’s Featherweight

Weight limit:145lb/ 65.8 kg

Once one of the glamour divisions of female MMA, the UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship is currently vacant after Nunes’ retirement in 2023. ‘The Lioness’ held it from 2018 onwards and claimed it back after briefly losing it, in a rematch with Julianna Pena. Apart from Nunes, there have only been two other champions including inaugural queen Germaine de Randamie and Cris Cyborg.

Men’s Featherweight

Weight limit: 145lb / 65.8kg

The featherweight division is the weight class in which Conor McGregor made his UFC debut – and also where he held his first title in the promotion. The Irish superstar isn’t the only big name to have graced the 145lb ranks, though. Jose Aldo, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski have also played a major role in UFC featherweight history. McGregor’s knockout of Aldo at UFC 194 remains one of the most viewed clips in company history.

However, there’s now a fresh name at the top of the division, with Ilia Topuria currently holding the championship gold. The 27-year-old stunned Volkanovski by stopping him at UFC 298, ending the former titleholder’s four-year reign. The Spanish hero then followed that win up with a devastating knockout of Max Holloway at UFC 308 to cement himself as one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet.

Lightweight

Weight limit:155lb / 70.3kg

A stacked division which has gripped the modern era and produced some of the biggest nights in the promotion’s history, the weight class has been hugely important to the success of the UFC in the modern day. Some of the most dominant champions have graced the Octagon at 155lb including Khabib Nurmagomedov, BJ Penn, Eddie Alvarez and, of course, a certain Mr McGregor.

The division also produced the highest-selling pay-per-view fight between Nurmagomedov and McGregor who sent the division into the highest profile of any for several years, with the likes of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje moving up to carry the torch in their absence. Islam Makhachev is now the man with the gold at at lightweight as the reigning champion bids to emulate the accomplishments of his compatriot Khabib.

His next fight comes at UFC 311, where he will meet short-notice replacement Renato Moicano in the main event. Islam had been due to rematch former foe Arman Tsarukyan. However, the challenger was forced to withdraw just hours before the event due to an injury.

Welterweight

Weight limit: 170lb / 77.1kg

Another glamour division, 170lb has provided some equally fascinating moments and competitors including the likes of Georges St Pierre, Kamaru Usman, Tyron Woodley and, once again,McGregor. It has also given the UFC some of its most entertaining fighters including the likes of Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal who became pay-per-view heroes in the modern era.

St Pierre is considered the greatest to ever grace the division, but was being closely followed by Usman until he lost twice to British star Leon Edwards. ‘Rocky’ defended the title successfully twice, before losing the gold on home turf to Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.

Muhammad had been due to make the first defence of his crown against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. However, a gruesome foot injury meant he wasn’t able to fight. That contest is set to be rescheduled for the new year, though, after Rakhmonov overcame Ian Machado Garry to become the official top contender for Belal’s title. Former champion Edwards will be keen to stake his claim for a rematch early in 2025. He returns against Jack Della Maddelena in the main event of UFC London in March.

Middleweight

Weight limit: 185lb / 83.9 kg

A weight class which has seen arguably one of the greatest to ever do it in Anderson Silva, 185lb has continued to thrive for a number of years since being introduced as part of the original four during the UFC’s opening shows. Many champions have come and gone including Michael Bisping, Alex Pereira, Chris Weidman and more, but none more dominant than ‘The Spider’, who cemented his name in the history books with the longest title reign ever.

Now in the modern era, superstars such as Israel Adesanya have taken the division forward. However, ‘The Last Stylebender’ lost the title to Sean Strickland last year and failed to regain it in his battle with Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305.

The South African champion is now unbeaten in eight UFC bouts since debuting with the promotion. The 30-year-old’s next defence will be a rematch with Strickland, who he originally defeated to win the gold. The contest will take place at UFC 312 in February.

Light Heavyweight

Weight limit: 205lb / 102.1 kg

At light heavyweight, we’ve seen a sensational level of competition with fighters both agile and able to produce devastating KO’s. The division has been embodied by Jon Jones who is considered arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all-time. The weight class has regularly been used by fighters at middleweight, who are looking to step up including the likes of Adesanya and current champion Alex Pereira.

It is fair to say the division has brought out some heavy-hitting fight nights in its time, including the likes of Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Quinton Jackson and Daniel Cormier. Some iconic rivalries have been formed including the infamous Cormier v Jones fights which ended in controversy, but ‘Bones’ remains no doubt considered the most dominant in history after his title stint before moving to heavyweight.

With a trio of title defences now to his name – most recently against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 – Alex Pereira is the modern day ruler of the division and he’s quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous finishers in the entire company.

Heavyweight

Weight limit: 265lb / 120.2 kg

What is considered to be the glamour division in combat sports as a whole, the heavyweight division never fails to bring a power-hitting entertainment to the UFC. Despite not carrying the typical pay-per-view power the division does in boxing, the UFC has seen some impressive heavyweights pass through its ranks including Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez and Francis Ngannou.

After a dry patch for the division in recent times, a new breed of heavyweights has gripped the sport which is largely down to Jones’ switch to become champion of the weight class. The division can provide huge intrigue given the size of some of the athletes when the ground game becomes a focal point, and it is one that UFC president White will be hoping continues to develop moving forward.

Jones made his first successful defence of his heavyweight crown by after demolishing Stipe Miocic with a spinning back kick knockout at UFC 309. As far as the American’s next move is concerned, Dana White has declared that a unification fight with interim champion Tom Aspinall “100% has to happen.”

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira appears to be ready to step up and face the winner of that showdown once it has taken place. The 205-pound king is rumoured to be making his heavyweight debut inside the Octagon at UFC 313 in March.

BMF Title

Weight limit: N/A

While every other UFC title is governed by weight classes and contenders determined by rankings, the ‘BMF’ title is a prize established by the promotion to celebrate toughness, fighting spirit and – quite honestly – sheer violence. The promotion credits Nate Diaz for the creation of the title, having taken inspiration from his post-fight interview after defeating Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 in August 2019.

With those few short sentences from Diaz, the BMF title was born. He clashed with Masvidal in the main event of UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden with the BMF crown on the line.

The Stockton native endured a tough night as Masvidal stopped him in brutal fashion to become the inaugural champion. The significance of the moment was underlined when Hollywood megastar The Rock took to the centre of the Octagon to present ‘Gamebred’ with the title belt.

It would be nearly four years until the BMF belt would be contested again. This time, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier went to war over the prize in the main event of UFC 291. Gaethje won with a vicious headkick, but Max Holloway ended his reign at UFC 300 earlier this year with a spectacular last-second knockout.