View source for Middleweight

{{short description|Weight class in combat sports}}
{{pp-pc1}}
 
'''Middleweight''' is a [[weight class]] in [[combat sport]]s.

==Boxing==
===Professional===

In [[professional boxing]], the middleweight division is contested above {{convert|154|lb|kg|abbr=on}} and up to {{convert|160|lb|kg|abbr=on}}.

Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the [[Bare-knuckle boxing|bare-knuckle]] era, the first middleweight championship fight was between [[Tom Chandler (boxer)|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====
{{main|List of world middleweight boxing champions}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Sanctioning Body
!Reign Began
!Champion
!Record
!Defenses
|-
|[[World Boxing Association|WBA]]
|March 9, 2023
|[[Erislandy Lara]]
|31–3–3 (19 KO)
|align=center|2
|-
|[[World Boxing Council|WBC]]
|May 7, 2024
|[[Carlos Adames]]
|23–1–1 (18 KO)
|align=center|2
|-
|[[International Boxing Federation|IBF]]
|October 14, 2023
|[[Janibek Alimkhanuly]]
|16–0 (11 KO)
|align=center|1
|-
|[[World Boxing Organization|WBO]]
|August 26, 2022
|[[Janibek Alimkhanuly]]<ref>{{cite web |title=In the Matter of the WBO Middleweight Division |date=27 August 2022 |url=https://wboboxing.com/boxing-news/wbo-championship-committee-resolution-in-the-matter-of-the-wbo-middleweight-division/ |publisher=World Boxing Organization |access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref>
|16–0 (11 KO)
|align=center|3
|}

====Current world rankings====

=====''The Ring''=====

As of April 29, 2025.<ref name=ring-mw-ratings>{{Cite web|url= https://ringmagazine.com/en/ring-ranking |title=The Ring ratings: middleweight|access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref>

Keys:
:{{Color box|gold|C|border=darkgray}} Current ''[[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]]'' world champion

{| class="wikitable"
!Rank
!Name
!Record
!Title(s)
|-
|bgcolor=gold|C
|{{font color|gray|vacant}}
|
|
|-
|1
|[[Janibek Alimkhanuly]]
|17–0 (12 KO)
|[[World Boxing Organization|WBO]], [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]]
|-
|2
|[[Carlos Adames]]
|24–1–1 (18 KO)
|[[World Boxing Council|WBC]]
|-
|3
|[[Hamzah Sheeraz]]
|21–0–1 (17 KO)
|
|-
|4
|[[Erislandy Lara]]
|31–3–3 (19 KO)
|[[World Boxing Association|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 {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTDAY}}, {{CURRENTYEAR}}.<ref name=boxrec-mw-ratings>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/ratings?r%5Brole%5D=proboxer&r%5Bsex%5D=M&r%5Bdivision%5D=Middleweight&r%5Bcountry%5D=&r%5Bstance%5D=&r%5Bstatus%5D=a&r_go=|title=BoxRec ratings: middleweight, active|access-date=31 December 2020}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
!Rank
!Name
!Record
!Points
!Title(s)
|-
|1
|[[Gennady Golovkin]]
|42–2–1 (37 KO)
|687.5
|
|-
|2
|[[Jermall Charlo]]
|32–0 (22 KO)
|109.1
|[[World Boxing Council|WBC]]
|-
|3
|[[Erislandy Lara]]
|28–3–3 (16 KO)
|95.18
|[[World Boxing Association|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]]
|21–1 (16 KO)
|44.18
|
|-
|8
|[[Sergiy Derevyanchenko]]
|13–4 (10 KO)
|43.24
|
|-
|9
|[[Janibek Alimkhanuly]]
|14–0 (9 KO)
|30.81
|[[World Boxing Organization|WBO]] [[International Boxing Federation|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.
{|class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Rank
!Name
!Title Reign
!Title Recognition
!Successful Defenses
!Beaten opponents
!Fights
|-
| 1. || [[Bernard Hopkins]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|1995|04|29|2005|07|16}}" | 10 years, 2 months, 18 days || IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO || align="center" | 20 || align="center" | 17 || <ref name=hopkins-record>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/001414|title=Professional boxing record: Bernard Hopkins|access-date=11 April 2020}}</ref>
|-
| 2. ||  [[Tommy Ryan]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|1898|10|24|1907|05|28}}" | 8 years, 7 months, 4 days || World || align="center" |6 || align="center" |6 || <ref name=tommy-ryan-record>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/031487|title=Professional boxing record: Tommy Ryan|access-date=11 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=ibhof-book>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheBoxingRegisterInternationalBoxingHallOfFameOfficialRecordBook|work=The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book |publisher=[[International Boxing Hall Of Fame]] |title=Tommy Ryan, p. 242|format=pdf |access-date=26 May 2019}}</ref>
|-
| 3. ||  [[Gennady Golovkin]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|2010|8|14|2018|9|15}}" | 8 years, 1 months, 1 day || WBA (Super), IBF, WBC  || align="center" | 18 || align="center" | 14 || <ref name=golovkin-record>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/356831|title=Professional boxing record: Gennadiy Golovkin|access-date=11 April 2020}}</ref>
|-
| 4. || [[Tony Zale]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|1940|07|19|1947|07|16}}" | 6 years, 11 months, 24 days || NBA (current WBA) || align="center" | 4 || align="center" | 4 || <ref name=ibhof-book2>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheBoxingRegisterInternationalBoxingHallOfFameOfficialRecordBook|work=The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book |publisher=[[International Boxing Hall Of Fame]] |title=Tony Zale, p. 794|format=pdf |access-date=26 May 2019}}</ref>
|-
| 5. || [[Carlos Monzon|Carlos Monzón]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|1970|11|07|1977|08|29}}" | 6 years, 9 months, 9 days || WBA, WBC || align="center" | 14 || align="center" | 11 || <ref name=monzon-record>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/009036|title=Professional boxing record: Carlos Monzon|access-date=11 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=ibhof-book3>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheBoxingRegisterInternationalBoxingHallOfFameOfficialRecordBook|work=The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book |publisher=[[International Boxing Hall Of Fame]] |title=Carlos Monzon, p. 608|format=pdf |access-date=26 May 2019}}</ref>
|-
| 6. || [[Marvelous Marvin Hagler]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|1980|09|27|1987|04|06}}" | 6 years, 7 months, 10 days || WBC, WBA, IBF || align="center" | 12 || align="center" | 10 || <ref name=hagler-record>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/008684|title=Professional boxing record: Marvin Hagler|access-date=11 April 2020}}</ref>
|-
| 7. || [[Nonpareil Dempsey|Nonpareil Jack Dempsey]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|1884|07|30|1891|01|14}}" | 6 years, 6 months, 15 days || World || align="center" | 2 || align="center" | 2 || <ref name=nonpareil-record>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/017958|title=Professional boxing record: Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey|access-date=11 April 2020}}</ref>
|-
| 8. || [[Felix Sturm]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|2007|04|28|2012|09|01}}" | 5 years, 4 months, 4 days  || WBA ||  align="center" | 12|| align="center" | 10 ||
|-
| 9. || [[Jermall Charlo]] || data-sort-value="data-sort-value="{{Age in days |month1=6 |day1=26 |year1=2019  }}" | {{Age in years, months, weeks and days |month1=6 |day1=29 |year1=2019}} || WBC || style="text-align:center;"| 4 || style="text-align:center;"| 4 || <ref name="charlo-record">{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/471634|title=Professional boxing record: Jermall Charlo |access-date=18 January 2022}}</ref>
|-
|10. || [[Demetrius Andrade]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days |2018|10|18|2022|08|30 }}" | 3 years, 10 month, 12 days || WBO || align="center" | 5 || align="center" | 5 || <ref name=andrade-record>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/468433|title=Professional boxing record:Demetrius Andrade|access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref>
|-
|11. || [[Bob Fitzsimmons]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|1891|01|14|1894|09|26}}" | 3 years, 8 months, 12 days || World || align="center" | 1 || align="center" | 1 || <ref name=fitzsimmons-record>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/10552|title=Professional boxing record: Bob Fitzsimmons|access-date=14 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=ibhof-book4>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheBoxingRegisterInternationalBoxingHallOfFameOfficialRecordBook|work=The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book |publisher=[[International Boxing Hall Of Fame]] |title=Bob Fitzsimmons, p. 128|format=pdf |access-date=26 May 2019}}</ref>
|-
|12. || [[Arthur Abraham]] || data-sort-value="{{age in days|2005|12|10|2009|07|12}}" | 3 years, 7 months, 2 days || IBF || align="center" | 10 || align="center" | 10 || <ref name=abraham-record>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/208432|title=Professional boxing record: Arthur Abraham|access-date=11 April 2020}}</ref>
|}

:{{Color box|#B2FFFF|border=darkgray}} Active Title Reign
:{{Color box|transparent|border=darkgray}} Reign has ended

===Amateur===
====Olympic champions====
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Boxing at the 1904 Summer Olympics|1904]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Charles Mayer (boxer)|Charles Mayer]]|USA|1904 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1908 Summer Olympics|1908]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Johnny Douglas|John Douglas]]|GBR|1908 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1920 Summer Olympics|1920]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Harry Mallin]]|GBR|1920 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1924 Summer Olympics|1924]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Harry Mallin]]|GBR|1924 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1928 Summer Olympics|1928]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Piero Toscani]]|ITA|1928 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1932 Summer Olympics|1932]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Carmen Barth]]|USA|1932 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Jean Despeaux]]|FRA|1936 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1948 Summer Olympics|1948]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[László Papp]]|HUN|1948 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1952 Summer Olympics|1952]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Floyd Patterson]]|USA|1952 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1956 Summer Olympics|1956]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Gennadiy Shatkov]]|URS|1956 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1960 Summer Olympics|1960]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Eddie Crook, Jr.]]|USA|1960 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1964 Summer Olympics|1964]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Valeriy Popenchenko]]|URS|1964 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1968 Summer Olympics|1968]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Chris Finnegan]]|GBR|1968 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1972 Summer Olympics|1972]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Vyacheslav Lemeshev]]|URS|1972 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1976 Summer Olympics|1976]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Michael Spinks]]|USA|1976 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1980 Summer Olympics|1980]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[José Gómez Mustelier]]|CUB|1980 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1984 Summer Olympics|1984]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Shin Joon-Sup]]|KOR|1984 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics|1988]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Henry Maske]]|GDR|1988 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Ariel Hernández (boxer)|Ariel Hernández]]|CUB|1992 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Ariel Hernández (boxer)|Ariel Hernández]]|CUB|1996 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Jorge Gutiérrez (boxer)|Jorge Gutiérrez]]|CUB|2000 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov]]|RUS|2004 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[James DeGale]]|GBR|2008 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Ryota Murata]]|JPN|2012 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 2016 Summer Olympics|2016]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Arlen López]]|CUB|2016 Summer}}
* [[Boxing at the 2020 Summer Olympics|2020]]: {{FlagIOCathlete|[[Hebert Conceição]]|BRA|2020 Summer}}
{{div col end}}

==Kickboxing==
* [[International Kickboxing Federation]] (IKF) Middleweight (Pro & Amateur) 159.1–165&nbsp;lb. or 72.4–75&nbsp;kg
* In [[Glory (kickboxing)|Glory]] promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85&nbsp;kg (187&nbsp;lb).<ref>[http://www.gloryworldseries.com/en/fighters/rankings/mw OFFICIAL GLORY RANKING] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108155358/http://www.gloryworldseries.com/en/fighters/rankings/mw |date=2014-01-08 }}</ref>
* In [[Bellator Kickboxing]] promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85&nbsp;kg (187&nbsp;lb).
* In [[ONE Championship]], the middleweight division limit is {{convert|93|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.

==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 {{convert|175|lb|kg|abbr=on}}.
*In [[BYB Extreme Fighting Series]], the middleweight division has an upper limit of {{convert|160|lb|kg|abbr=on}}.
*In BKB™, the middleweight division has an upper limit of {{convert|89|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}.

==Lethwei==
The [[World Lethwei Championship]] recognizes the middleweight division with an upper limit of {{convert|75|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. In [[World Lethwei Championship]], [[Naimjon Tuhtaboyev]] is the Middleweight Champion.

==Mixed Martial Arts==
{{main|Middleweight (MMA)}}
In [[Mixed martial arts|MMA]], the middleweight division is from 171&nbsp;lb (77.5&nbsp;kg) to 185&nbsp;lb (84&nbsp;kg).

[[Anderson Silva]] is considered to be the greatest Middleweight [[Mixed martial arts|MMA]] fighter of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ten-greatest-middleweight-fighters-in-mma-history-anderson-silva-is-the-divisions-clear-goat/|title=Ten greatest middleweight fighters in MMA history: Anderson Silva is the division's clear GOAT|website=CBSSports.com|date=27 May 2020 }}</ref>

==Taekwondo==
{| class="wikitable"
!Category
!Men's
!Women's
!Competitions
!Note
|-
|Middleweight
|78–84&nbsp;kg
|67–72&nbsp;kg 
|[[World Taekwondo Championships|World Championships]], Continental Championships, [[Taekwondo at the 2006 Asian Games|Asian Games]] 
|since 1999
|-
|Middleweight
|76–83&nbsp;kg
|65–70&nbsp;kg 
|[[World Taekwondo Championships|World Championships]], Continental Championships, [[Taekwondo at the 2006 Asian Games|Asian Games]] 
|until 1998
|-
|Middleweight
|68–80&nbsp;kg
|57–67&nbsp;kg 
|[[Olympic Games]], [[Pan Am Games]], [[All-Africa Games]]
|
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Boxing weight classes}}

[[Category:Boxing weight classes]]
[[Category:Kickboxing weight classes]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling weight classes]]
[[Category:Taekwondo weight classes]]
[[Category:Wrestling weight classes]]
[[Category:Middleweight boxers| ]]
[[Category:Middleweight kickboxers|*]]