Middleweight
Template:Short description Template:Pp-pc1
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above Template:Convert and up to Template:Convert.
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1867. Chandler won, becoming known as the American middleweight champion. The first middleweight fight with gloves may have been between George Fulljames and Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey (no relation to the more famous heavyweight Jack Dempsey).
Current world champions
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| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | March 9, 2023 | Erislandy Lara | 31–3–3 (19 KO) | 2 |
| WBC | May 7, 2024 | Carlos Adames | 24–1–1 (18 KO) | 2 |
| IBF | October 14, 2023 | Janibek Alimkhanuly | 17–0 (12 KO) | 1 |
| WBO | August 26, 2022 | Janibek Alimkhanuly[1] | 17–0 (12 KO) | 3 |
Current world rankings
The Ring
As of April 29, 2025.[2]
Keys:
- Template:Color box Current The Ring world champion
| Rank | Name | Record | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | vacant | ||
| 1 | Janibek Alimkhanuly | 17–0 (12 KO) | WBO, IBF |
| 2 | Carlos Adames | 24–1–1 (18 KO) | WBC |
| 3 | Hamzah Sheeraz | 21–0–1 (17 KO) | |
| 4 | Erislandy Lara | 31–3–3 (19 KO) | WBA |
| 5 | Chris Eubank Jr | 35–3 (25 KO) | |
| 6 | Etinosa Oliha | 21–0 (9 KO) | |
| 7 | Kyrone Davis | 19–3–1 (6 KO) | |
| 8 | Troy Isley | 14–0 (5 KO) | |
| 9 | Shane Mosley Jr. | 22–4 (12 KO) | |
| 10 | Aaron McKenna | 20-0 (10 KO) |
BoxRec
As of December 16, 2025.[3]
| Rank | Name | Record | Points | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gennady Golovkin | 42–2–1 (37 KO) | 687.5 | |
| 2 | Jermall Charlo | 34–0 (23 KO) | 109.1 | |
| 3 | Erislandy Lara | 31–3–3 (19 KO) | 95.18 | WBA |
| 4 | Chris Eubank Jr. | 32–2 (23 KO) | 95.07 | |
| 5 | Jaime Munguía | 38–0 (30 KO) | 91.67 | |
| 6 | Michael Zerafa | 30–4 (19 KO) | 54.77 | |
| 7 | Carlos Adames | 24–1 (18 KO) | 44.18 | |
| 8 | Sergiy Derevyanchenko | 13–4 (10 KO) | 43.24 | |
| 9 | Janibek Alimkhanuly | 17–0 (12 KO) | 30.81 | WBO IBF |
| 10 | Ryōta Murata | 16–3 (13 KO) | 28.35 |
Longest reigning world middleweight champions
Below is a list of longest reigning middleweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) is not counted.
| Rank | Name | Title Reign | Title Recognition | Successful Defenses | Beaten opponents | Fights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bernard Hopkins | 10 years, 2 months, 18 days | IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO | 20 | 17 | [4] |
| 2. | Tommy Ryan | 8 years, 7 months, 4 days | World | 6 | 6 | [5][6] |
| 3. | Gennady Golovkin | 8 years, 1 months, 1 day | WBA (Super), IBF, WBC | 18 | 14 | [7] |
| 4. | Tony Zale | 6 years, 11 months, 24 days | NBA (current WBA) | 4 | 4 | [8] |
| 5. | Carlos Monzón | 6 years, 9 months, 9 days | WBA, WBC | 14 | 11 | [9][10] |
| 6. | Marvelous Marvin Hagler | 6 years, 7 months, 10 days | WBC, WBA, IBF | 12 | 10 | [11] |
| 7. | Nonpareil Jack Dempsey | 6 years, 6 months, 15 days | World | 2 | 2 | [12] |
| 8. | Felix Sturm | 5 years, 4 months, 4 days | WBA | 12 | 10 | |
| 9. | Jermall Charlo | Template:Age in years, months, weeks and days | WBC | 4 | 4 | [13] |
| 10. | Demetrius Andrade | 3 years, 10 month, 12 days | WBO | 5 | 5 | [14] |
| 11. | Bob Fitzsimmons | 3 years, 8 months, 12 days | World | 1 | 1 | [15][16] |
| 12. | Arthur Abraham | 3 years, 7 months, 2 days | IBF | 10 | 10 | [17] |
- Template:Color box Active Title Reign
- Template:Color box Reign has ended
Amateur
Olympic champions
- 1904: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1908: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1920: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1924: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1928: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1932: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1936: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1948: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1952: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1956: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1960: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1964: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1968: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1972: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1976: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1980: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1984: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1988: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1992: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 1996: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 2000: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 2004: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 2008: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 2012: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 2016: Template:FlagIOCathlete
- 2020: Template:FlagIOCathlete
Kickboxing
- International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Middleweight (Pro & Amateur) 159.1–165 lb. or 72.4–75 kg
- In Glory promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85 kg (187 lb).[18]
- In Bellator Kickboxing promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85 kg (187 lb).
- In ONE Championship, the middleweight division limit is Template:Convert.
Bare-knuckle boxing
The limit for middleweight generally differs among promotions in bare-knuckle boxing:
- In Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, the middleweight division has an upper limit of Template:Convert.
- In BYB Extreme Fighting Series, the middleweight division has an upper limit of Template:Convert.
- In BKB™, the middleweight division has an upper limit of Template:Convert.
Lethwei
The World Lethwei Championship recognizes the middleweight division with an upper limit of Template:Convert. In World Lethwei Championship, Naimjon Tuhtaboyev is the Middleweight Champion.
Mixed Martial Arts
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". In MMA, the middleweight division is from 171 lb (77.5 kg) to 185 lb (84 kg).
Anderson Silva is considered to be the greatest Middleweight MMA fighter of all time.[19]
Taekwondo
| Category | Men's | Women's | Competitions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleweight | 78–84 kg | 67–72 kg | World Championships, Continental Championships, Asian Games | since 1999 |
| Middleweight | 76–83 kg | 65–70 kg | World Championships, Continental Championships, Asian Games | until 1998 |
| Middleweight | 68–80 kg | 57–67 kg | Olympic Games, Pan Am Games, All-Africa Games |
References
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- ↑ OFFICIAL GLORY RANKING Template:Webarchive
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