The welterweight division in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

contains different

weight classes Weight classes are divisions of competition used to match competitors against others of their own size. Weight classes are used in a variety of sports, especially combat sports (such as boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and wrestling). Altern ...

: *The UFC's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb (71 to 77 kg) *The

ONE Championship ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed ...

's welterweight division, with upper limit at

Ambiguity and clarification

Many other sports that use the

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

class, such as

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

, kickboxing, and Muay Thai, define it as below about 147 lb (67 kg). The MMA welterweight class is therefore significantly heavier than the welterweight class of these other sports. For the sake of uniformity, many American mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 156 and 170 lb (71 and 77 kg) as welterweights. This encompasses the Shooto middleweight division (167 lb / 76 kg). The welterweight limit, as defined by the

Nevada State Athletic Commission The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers ...

and the

Association of Boxing Commissions The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) is a North American not-for-profit professional boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) organization that organizes contests and record-keeping. It is governed by delegates of state, provincial, and tribal at ...

is 170 lb (77kg).

Professional Champions

Current champions

This table is not always up to date. Last updated November 19, 2022.

Most wins in Welterweight title bouts

:''Note: the list includes wins in bouts for welterweight titles of major promotions (UFC, Strikeforce, WEC, Bellator)'' :''Note: the list includes both undisputed and interim champions'' : Active title reign

Notes

:a.Fight was recorded as a "Majority Decision Draw". Woodley retained his title.

References