First, a run-down of the particulars:
- Due to potential metric conversion issues and weight class changes, a limit of 137 pounds is observed for this list.
- Inception of the championship occured on 7/29/1989, the fifth known professional fight taking place at or below 137 pounds, which included the first two winners of Bantamweight bouts in a previous event (the other two bouts were draws).
- Periodic inactivity was a sporadic issue in the Bantamweight division. In early history, ranked fights were so sporadic, that the winners of these “best available” matches were used to fill gaps. Idea is to not allow title vacancy for more than 2 years. In later Bantamweight history, only fights between established 1/2, 1/3 or 2/3 were used.
Your current lineal Bantamweight champion is Sean O’Malley.
The full history is below. Note, the colored backgrounds indicate a title change.
MMA Bantamweight Lineal Championship History
| Date | Champion | Outcome | Challenger | Notes |
| 1989-10-19 | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | W | Kenichi Tanaka | |
| 1990-07-07 | Kenichi Tanaka | W | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | |
| 1990-09-08 | Kenichi Tanaka | W | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | |
| 1991-03-29 | Hiroyuki Kanno | W | Kenichi Tanaka | |
| 1991-08-25 | Hiroyuki Kanno | W | Makoto Mizoguchi | |
| 1991-10-17 | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | W | Hiroyuki Kanno | Sakamoto’s 2nd reign. |
| 1992-03-27 | Noboru Asahi | W | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | |
| 1992-07-23 | Noboru Asahi | D | Kenichi Tanaka | |
| 1992-09-25 | Noboru Asahi | W | Yiroyuki Kanno | |
| 1993-02-26 | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | W | Suguru Shigeno | Asahi vacates, moves to Feather. Sakamoto’s 3rd reign. |
| 1993-04-26 | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | W | Mamoru Okochi | |
| 1995-01-21 | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | W | Imre Hagendoom | |
| 1995-05-12 | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | W | Rene Stigter | |
| 1995-09-26 | Kazuhiro Sakamoto | W | Leonid Zaslavsky | |
| 1999-09-05 | Mamoru Yamaguchi | W | Jin Akimoto | Vacant title. Top contenders match. |
| 1999-11-04 | Mamoru Yamaguchi | W | Ryan Diaz | |
| 1999-12-07 | Mamoru Yamaguchi | W | Baret Yoshida | |
| 2000-03-17 | Mamoru Yamaguchi | D | Masaru Gokita | |
| 2000-08-27 | Mamoru Yamaguchi | W | Yoshinobu Ota | |
| 2000-12-17 | Mamoru Yamaguchi | W | Jin Akimoto | |
| 2001-11-25 | Masahiro Oishi | W | Mamoru Yamaguchi | |
| 2002-09-16 | Masahiro Oishi | D | Hisao Ikeda | |
| 2003-08-10 | Ryota Matsune | W | Masahiro Oishi | |
| 2004-06-27 | Ryota Matsune | W | Daniel Lima | |
| 2004-11-12 | Ryota Matsune | W | Kentaro Imaizumi | Matsune goes on prolonged inactivity. No legitimate successors. |
| 2006-07-21 | Ryota Matsune | D | Takeya Mizugaki | Returns with quality defense, but goes inactive again. |
| 2008-02-13 | Miguel Torres | W | Chase Beebe | Vacant title. “Top Contender” match-up. |
| 2008-06-01 | Miguel Torres | W | Yoshiro Maeda | |
| 2008-12-03 | Miguel Torres | W | Manny Tapia | |
| 2009-04-05 | Miguel Torres | W | Takeya Mizugaki | |
| 2009-08-09 | Brian Bowles | W | Miguel Torres | |
| 2010-03-06 | Dominick Cruz | W | Brian Bowles | |
| 2010-08-18 | Dominick Cruz | W | Joseph Benavidez | |
| 2010-12-16 | Dominick Cruz | W | Scott Jorgensen | |
| 2011-07-02 | Dominick Cruz | W | Urijah Faber | |
| 2011-10-01 | Dominick Cruz | W | Demetrious Johnson | Dominic Cruz stripped of UFC title for inactivity. |
| 2014-02-01 | Renan Barao | W | Urijah Faber | Vacant title. |
| 2014-05-24 | TJ Dillashaw | W | Renan Barao | |
| 2014-08-30 | TJ Dillashaw | W | Joe Soto | |
| 2015-07-25 | TJ Dillashaw | W | Renan Barao | |
| 2016-01-18 | Dominick Cruz | W | TJ Dillashaw | |
| 2016-06-04 | Dominick Cruz | W | Urijah Faber | |
| 2016-12-30 | Cody Garbrandt | W | Dominick Cruz | |
| 2017-11-04 | TJ Dillashaw | W | Cody Garbrandt | Dillashaw’s second reign |
| 2018-08-04 | TJ Dillashaw | W | Cody Garbrandt | Dillashaw vacates due to long suspension. |
| 2019-06-08 | Henry Cejudo | W | Marlon Moraes | Top contender match |
| 2020-05-09 | Henry Cejudo | W | Dominick Cruz | Cejudo retires |
| 2021-03-06 | Aljamain Sterling | W | Petr Yan | Top contender match |
| 2022-04-09 | Aljamain Sterling | W | Petr Yan | |
| 2022-10-22 | Aljamain Sterling | W | TJ Dillashaw | |
| 2023-05-06 | Aljamain Sterling | W | Henry Cejudo | |
| 2023-08-19 | Sean O’Malley | W | Aljamain Sterling |
16 Comments
Looking for info on the Asahi/Sakamoto fight in 1992. Initially thought this was a 65kg match but may actually have been a 62kg, which would have resulted in a diff lineage… though it possibly could’ve went back to Sakamoto.. as Asahi jumped to 143.
This’d actually affect Bantam and Feather lineal histories..
Looking for info on the Asahi/Sakamoto fight in 1992. Initially thought this was a 65kg match but may actually have been a 62kg, which would have resulted in a diff lineage… though it possibly could’ve went back to Sakamoto.. as Asahi jumped to 143.
This’d actually affect Bantam and Feather lineal histories..
Cody No Love is champ now!!
Cody No Love is champ now!!
Let’s see if Barao/Cruz is the next fight for Barao..
Let’s see if Barao/Cruz is the next fight for Barao..
So is it time to award the linear to Barao yet?
So is it time to award the linear to Barao yet?
How would Galvao have had it?
Does that mean Dantas would now have it, if that was the case?
How would Galvao have had it?
Does that mean Dantas would now have it, if that was the case?
Your comment does bring up an interesting point.. in that this is the only division where the title was given away so quickly due to simple inactivity (not retirement). Sakamoto returned to the div within two years and even though his opposition after this was pathetic — I do see your point.
Had the site been alive during this time, it probably wouldn’t have went down this way. Then again, given the fact his last four fighters had records of 0-0 (@ Feather), 0-0, 0-0, 0-1, it was as if he just came back from inactivity to earn a few bucks.. not to necessarily rule a division. I may need to re-evaluate this one.
Your comment does bring up an interesting point.. in that this is the only division where the title was given away so quickly due to simple inactivity (not retirement). Sakamoto returned to the div within two years and even though his opposition after this was pathetic — I do see your point.
Had the site been alive during this time, it probably wouldn’t have went down this way. Then again, given the fact his last four fighters had records of 0-0 (@ Feather), 0-0, 0-0, 0-1, it was as if he just came back from inactivity to earn a few bucks.. not to necessarily rule a division. I may need to re-evaluate this one.
I’m still a fan of the idea that Marcos Galvao currently has it. Though, Sakamoto did go inactive for a RIDICULOUS amount of time, He did eventually fight in the weight class and the “TITLE” however fictitious did move on. Hopefully, the two thought threads will merge into one definitive and true Lineal Bantamweight Champion.
I’m still a fan of the idea that Marcos Galvao currently has it. Though, Sakamoto did go inactive for a RIDICULOUS amount of time, He did eventually fight in the weight class and the “TITLE” however fictitious did move on. Hopefully, the two thought threads will merge into one definitive and true Lineal Bantamweight Champion.
Lineal Championship History… but it would be even better if there were the name of the event where the fight took place.
Lineal Championship History… but it would be even better if there were the name of the event where the fight took place.