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 |
48 Comments
Nm, Bigfoot took if from Alistair after the loss to Cormier.
Bigfoot lost to Cormier first. How isn’t he the lineal champ?
Mar/22/1997 Bas Rutten vs Shibuya was a DRAW
2004-12-31 Fedor Emelianenko WIN Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Nice! You had done graphs comparing age with win loss ratio a few months back. Any chance you could put those up in a section that people can view?
And *
Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie were never heavyweight champions. The first recognized MMA heavyweight champ is Mark Coleman when he beat Dan Severn in 1997. This should be revised.
That’s not how this works.
Wheres the rest of this list? Jr dos Santos?
I agree that Nog/Coleman was a high level fight. My point is that there were other high level fights in that two year span that are being ignored. Randleman was ranked #5 as of 10/1/00, and Couture #3 as of 1/1/01. Their fight was 11/17/00 and was for a recognized heavyweight title. I’d call that a pretty relevent fight worthy of filling a lineal champ gap. Don’t get me wrong, I love your site. I’m just calling it like I see it on this one.
Didnt Mark Coleman lose to Maurice Smith before fighting Nogueira??
And during the time period Coleman suffered 4 losses in a roll before fighting Big Nog.
Lineal champions my ass.
Good eye Fedor. Not sure how all those got missed.
Enjoyed reading. I’m wondering why you picked Nog vs Coleman to follow Bas Rutten’s reign. Granted it is a legit title-contender fight, but Couture vs Randleman was also legit and came first (and there was an actual title on the line). I agree some things are subjective, but it sort of looks like legit fights were overlooked to obtain the prefered path (Fedor). Shouldn’t need to go over two years without a lineal champ.
I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree
How many years prior was that?
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Haᴠe you ever ϲonsidered writing an e-book or guest authoring
on othеr blogs? I have a blog based upon on the same subjects you disϲuss and ԝould love to have you sһare
some stories/іnformation. I know my subscribers would value
yoսr work. If you are even remotely interested, feeⅼ free tⲟ
shoot me an e-mail.
What is your blog website?
That’s not how this works.
Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie were never heavyweight champions. The first recognized MMA heavyweight champ is Mark Coleman when he beat Dan Severn in 1997. This should be revised.
And *
Ken Shamrock Fight was Against Yoshiki takahashi ,anf NOT against kazuo takahashi
Ken Shamrock Fight was Against Yoshiki takahashi ,anf NOT against kazuo takahashi
Mar/22/1997 Bas Rutten vs Shibuya was a DRAW
Nm, Bigfoot took if from Alistair after the loss to Cormier.
Bigfoot lost to Cormier first. How isn’t he the lineal champ?
2004-12-31 Fedor Emelianenko WIN Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Overeem is still the linear HW champion.
Overeem is still the linear HW champion.
Wheres the rest of this list? Jr dos Santos?
Good eye Fedor. Not sure how all those got missed.
and where is?:
2002-08-28 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira WIN Bob Sapp
where is?:
2003-12-31 Fedor Emelianenko WIN Yuji 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
and where is?:
2002-08-28 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira WIN Bob Sapp
where is?:
2003-12-31 Fedor Emelianenko WIN Yuji 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
How many years prior was that?
Didnt Mark Coleman lose to Maurice Smith before fighting Nogueira??
And during the time period Coleman suffered 4 losses in a roll before fighting Big Nog.
Lineal champions my ass.
I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree
I agree that Nog/Coleman was a high level fight. My point is that there were other high level fights in that two year span that are being ignored. Randleman was ranked #5 as of 10/1/00, and Couture #3 as of 1/1/01. Their fight was 11/17/00 and was for a recognized heavyweight title. I’d call that a pretty relevent fight worthy of filling a lineal champ gap. Don’t get me wrong, I love your site. I’m just calling it like I see it on this one.
Easy. Our system had both Nog and Coleman in the Top 3 — a qualifying fight. Couture and Randleman weren’t even in the Top 3. There was no preferred path…. We strictly used the legit path.
Enjoyed reading. I’m wondering why you picked Nog vs Coleman to follow Bas Rutten’s reign. Granted it is a legit title-contender fight, but Couture vs Randleman was also legit and came first (and there was an actual title on the line). I agree some things are subjective, but it sort of looks like legit fights were overlooked to obtain the prefered path (Fedor). Shouldn’t need to go over two years without a lineal champ.
Easy. Our system had both Nog and Coleman in the Top 3 — a qualifying fight. Couture and Randleman weren’t even in the Top 3. There was no preferred path…. We strictly used the legit path.
Nice! You had done graphs comparing age with win loss ratio a few months back. Any chance you could put those up in a section that people can view?
It is arguable as to whether these divsional lineages should have been started as early as possible, or in conjunction with a mega fight. In this case though, I think you have to start it with either Royce or Ken.
Interesting. Most linear histories I see start off the heavyweight title after Mark Coleman beats Dan Severn.
It is arguable as to whether these divsional lineages should have been started as early as possible, or in conjunction with a mega fight. In this case though, I think you have to start it with either Royce or Ken.
Interesting. Most linear histories I see start off the heavyweight title after Mark Coleman beats Dan Severn.