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First, a run-down of the particulars:
- Due to potential metric conversion issues and weight class changes, a limit of 161 pounds is observed for this list.
- Inception of the championship occured on 1/13/1990, the first fight between two top fighters that resulted in a clear #1.
- Sporadic periods of inactivity were observed throughout the first half of the lineage. Clear “top contender” matches took place to determine the next champion.
Your current lineal Lightweight champion is Shinya Aoki
The full history is below. Note, the colored backgrounds indicate a title change.
MMA Lightweight Lineal Championship History
| Date | Champion | Outcome | Challenger | Notes |
| 1990-01-13 | Yuichi Watanabe | WIN | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | |
| 1990-05-12 | Yuji Ito | WIN | Yuichi Watanabe | |
| 1992-03-27 | Tomohiro Tanaka | WIN | Yuji Ito | |
| 1992-07-23 | Naoki Sakurada | WIN | Tomohiro Tanaka | Sakurada leaves division. |
| 1994-05-06 | Yuki Nakai | WIN | Kyuhei Ueno | Vacant title. Top-contender matchup. |
| 1994-11-07 | Yuki Nakai | WIN | Kazuhiro Kusayanagi | |
| 1995-01-21 | Yuki Nakai | WIN | Hiroaki Matsutani | Nakai leaves division. |
| 1995-07-05 | Wander Braga | WIN | Luiz Fraga | Vacant title. Top-contender matchup. |
| 1995-09-12 | Wander Braga | WIN | Leandro Heck Gembo | |
| 1996-11-01 | Wander Braga | WIN | Johnny Eduardo | |
| 1996-11-01 | Wander Braga | WIN | Ailton dos Santos | |
| 1998-06-12 | Wander Braga | WIN | Euclide Ourico | |
| 1998-06-12 | Wander Braga | WIN | Marco Antonio | |
| 1998-06-12 | Wander Braga | WIN | Milton de Castro | Braga goes inactive. |
| 2002-01-11 | Jens Pulver | WIN | B.J. Penn | Vacant title. Top-contender matchup. |
| 2002-06-29 | Jens Pulver | WIN | Robert Emerson | |
| 2003-01-25 | Duane Ludwig | WIN | Jens Pulver | |
| 2003-04-25 | Duane Ludwig | WIN | Genki Sudo | Ludwig leaves Lightweight. |
| 2005-09-25 | Takanori Gomi | WIN | Tatsuya Kawajiri | Vacant title. Top-contender matchup. |
| 2005-12-31 | Takanori Gomi | WIN | Hayato Sakurai | |
| 2006-04-02 | Marcus Aurelio | WIN | Takanori Gomi | |
| 2006-06-04 | Mitsuhiro Ishida | WIN | Marcus Aurelio | |
| 2006-08-26 | Mitsuhiro Ishida | WIN | Cristiano Marcello | |
| 2006-11-05 | Mitsuhiro Ishida | WIN | David Bielkheden | |
| 2006-12-31 | Takanori Gomi | WIN | Mitsuhiro Ishida | Gomi’s 2nd reign. |
| 2007-02-24 | Takanori Gomi | NC | Nick Diaz | |
| 2008-03-05 | Takanori Gomi | WIN | Duane Ludwig | |
| 2008-08-24 | Takanori Gomi | WIN | Seung Hwan Bang | |
| 2008-11-01 | Sergey Golyaev | WIN | Takanori Gomi | |
| 2009-01-04 | Eiji Mitsuoka | WIN | Sergey Golyaev | |
| 2009-08-02 | Eiji Mitsuoka | WIN | Clay French | |
| 2009-11-07 | Kazunori Yokota | WIN | Eiji Mitsuoka | |
| 2009-12-31 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | WIN | Kazunori Yokota | |
| 2010-07-10 | Shinya Aoki | WIN | Tatsuya Kawajiri | |
| 2010-09-25 | Shinya Aoki | WIN | Marcus Aurelio | |
| 2010-10-24 | Shinya Aoki | WIN | Yokthai Sithoar | |
| 2011-04-09 | Shinya Aoki | WIN | Lyle Beerbohm | |
| 2011-05-29 | Shinya Aoki | WIN | Rich Clementi | |
| 2011-09-24 | Shinya Aoki | WIN | Rob McCullough | |
| 2011-12-31 | Shinya Aoki | WIN | Kitaoka Satoru |
Because Ludwig left for over THREE YEARS, not to mention he lost twice during that span.
Penn came back within two.
I don’t get how Ludwig moving up to WW then later fighting again at LW ends his reign in this list, but BJ Penn holds on to the linear WW title even after fighting at middleweight and heavyweight. Were you to follow it like that, it would go Ludwig —> Tyson Griffin —> Frankie Edgar —> Gray Maynard —> Frankie Edgar