First, a run-down of the particulars:
- Inception of the championship occured on 10/14/1993, the first match-up between 1-0 fighters that took place within this division.
- Vacancies after inactivity periods were fulfilled by the next “top contender” match. Absence of such, was not a problem at Heavyweight.
Your current lineal Heavyweight champion is Francis Ngannou
The full history is below. Note, the colored backgrounds indicate a title change.
MMA Heavyweight Lineal Championship History
| Date | Champion | Outcome | Challenger | Notes |
| 1993-10-14 | Ken Shamrock | WIN | Kazuo Takahashi | |
| 1993-11-08 | Ken Shamrock | WIN | Takaku Fuke | |
| 1993-11-12 | Ken Shamrock | WIN | Patrick Smith | |
| 1993-11-12 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Ken Shamrock | |
| 1993-11-12 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Gerard Gordeau | |
| 1994-03-11 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Minoki Ichihara | |
| 1994-03-11 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Jason DeLucia | |
| 1994-03-11 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Remco Pardoel | |
| 1994-03-11 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Patrick Smith | |
| 1994-09-09 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Kimo Leopoldo | |
| 1994-12-16 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Ron van Clief | |
| 1994-12-16 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Keith Hackney | |
| 1994-12-16 | Royce Gracie | WIN | Dan Severn | |
| 1995-04-07 | Royce Gracie | DRAW | Ken Shamrock | Gracie went inactive |
| 1996-05-16 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Frank Shamrock | Vacant title. Top contenders. |
| 1996-06-25 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Jason DeLucia | |
| 1996-09-07 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Masakatsu Funaki | |
| 1996-10-08 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Manabu Yamada | |
| 1997-03-22 | Bas Rutten | DRAW | Osami Shibuya | |
| 1997-04-27 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Kiuma Kunioku | |
| 1997-06-30 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Takaku Fuke | |
| 1997-09-06 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Osami Shibuya | |
| 1997-12-20 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Keiichiro Yamamiya | |
| 1998-09-14 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Kengo Watanabe | |
| 1999-01-08 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Tsuyoshi Kosaka | |
| 1999-05-07 | Bas Rutten | WIN | Kevin Randleman | Rutten went inactive |
| 2001-09-24 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | WIN | Mark Coleman | Vacant title. Top contenders. |
| 2001-11-03 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | WIN | Heath Herring | |
| 2002-02-24 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | WIN | Enson Inoue | |
| 2002-08-08 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | WIN | Sanae Kikuta | |
| 2002-08-28 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | WIN | Bob Sapp | |
| 2002-11-24 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | WIN | Semmy Schilt | |
| 2002-12-23 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | WIN | Dan Henderson | |
| 2003-03-16 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | |
| 2003-04-05 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Egidijus Valavicius | |
| 2003-06-08 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Kazuyuki Fujita | |
| 2003-08-10 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Gary Goodridge | |
| 2003-12-31 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Yugi Nagata | |
| 2004-04-25 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Mark Coleman | |
| 2004-06-20 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Kevin Randleman | |
| 2004-08-15 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Naoya Ogawa | |
| 2004-08-15 | Fedor Emelianenko | NC | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | |
| 2004-12-31 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | |
| 2005-04-03 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Tsuyoshi Kosaka | |
| 2005-08-28 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Mirko Filipovic | |
| 2005-12-31 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Zuluzinho | |
| 2006-10-21 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Mark Coleman | |
| 2006-12-31 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Mark Hunt | |
| 2007-04-14 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Matt Lindland | |
| 2007-12-31 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Hong Man Choi | |
| 2008-07-19 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Tim Sylvia | |
| 2009-01-24 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Andrei Arlovski | |
| 2009-11-07 | Fedor Emelianenko | WIN | Brett Rogers | 18th defense |
| 2010-06-26 | Fabricio Werdum | WIN | Fedor Emelianenko | |
| 2011-06-18 | Alistair Overeem | WIN | Fabricio Werdum | |
| 2011-12-30 | Alistair Overeem | WIN | Brock Lesnar | |
| 2013-02-02 | Antonio Silva | WIN | Alistair Overeem | |
| 2013-05-25 | Cain Velasquez | WIN | Antonio Silva | |
| 2013-10-19 | Cain Velasquez | WIN | Junior dos Santos | |
| 2015-06-13 | Fabricio Werdum | WIN | Cain Velasquez | |
| 2016-05-14 | Stipe Miocic | WIN | Fabricio Werdum | |
| 2016-09-10 | Stipe Miocic | WIN | Alistair Overeem | |
| 2017-05-14 | Stipe Miocic | WIN | Junior dos Santos | |
| 2018-01-20 | Stipe Miocic | WIN | Francis Ngannou | |
| 2018-07-07 | Daniel Cormier | WIN | Stipe Miocic | |
| 2018-11-03 | Daniel Cormier | WIN | Derrick Lewis | |
| 2019-08-17 | Stipe Miocic | WIN | Daniel Cormier | |
| 2020-08-15 | Stipe Miocic | WIN | Daniel Cormier | |
| 2021-03-27 | Francis Ngannou | WIN | Stipe Miocic | |
| 2022-01-22 | Francis Ngannou | WIN | Cyril Gane |