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 occurred 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 Islam Makhachev
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. |
| 1995-04-01 | Luiz Fraga | WIN | Leandro Heck Gembo | Vacant title. Top-contender matchup. |
| 1995-07-05 | Luiz Fraga | WIN | Marcos Vieira | |
| 1995-07-05 | Luiz Fraga | WIN | Marcelo Romano | |
| 1995-07-05 | Wander Braga | WIN | Luiz Fraga | |
| 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. |
| 1999-09-05 | Caol Uno | WIN | Din Thomas | Vacant title. Top-contender matchup. |
| 1999-12-11 | Caol Uno | WIN | Andre Pedeneiras | |
| 2000-04-02 | Caol Uno | WIN | B.J. Penn | |
| 2000-08-27 | Marcio Ramos Barbosa | WIN | Caol Uno | |
| 2000-12-17 | Dokonjonosuke Mishima | WIN | Marcio Ramos Barbosa | |
| 2001-12-16 | Dokonjonosuke Mishima | WIN | Ryan Bow | |
| 2002-02-11 | Dokonjonosuke Mishima | WIN | Ben Thomas | |
| 2002-06-29 | Dokonjonosuke Mishima | WIN | Iran Mascarenhas | |
| 2002-09-07 | Dokonjonosuke Mishima | WIN | Takafumi Ito | |
| 2002-12-14 | Takanori Gomi | WIN | Dokonjonosuke Mishima | |
| 2003-02-23 | Takanori Gomi | WIN | Nick Ertl | |
| 2003-08-10 | Joachim Hansen | WIN | Takanori Gomi | |
| 2003-12-14 | Vitor Ribeiro | WIN | Joachim Hansen | |
| 2004-07-09 | Vitor Ribeiro | WIN | Mitsuhiro Ishida | |
| 2004-12-14 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | WIN | Vitor Ribeiro | |
| 2005-04-23 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | WIN | Jani Lax | |
| 2005-05-22 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | WIN | In Seok Kim | |
| 2005-07-17 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | WIN | Luiz Firmino | |
| 2005-09-25 | Takanori Gomi | WIN | Tatsuya Kawajiri | |
| 2005-09-25 | Takanori Gomi | WIN | Luiz Azeredo | |
| 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 | Satoru Kitaoka | |
| 2012-04-21 | Eddie Alvarez | WIN | Shinya Aoki | |
| 2012-10-12 | Eddie Alvarez | WIN | Patricky Freire | |
| 2013-11-02 | Eddie Alvarez | WIN | Michael Chandler | |
| 2014-09-27 | Donald Cerrone | WIN | Eddie Alvarez | |
| 2015-01-03 | Donald Cerrone | WIN | Myles Jury | |
| 2015-01-18 | Donald Cerrone | WIN | Ben Henderson | |
| 2015-05-23 | Donald Cerrone | WIN | John Makdessi | |
| 2015-12-20 | Rafael dos Anjos | WIN | Donald Cerrone | |
| 2016-07-07 | Eddie Alvarez | WIN | Rafael dos Anjos | Eddie Alvarez’s second reign. |
| 2016-11-12 | Conor McGregor | WIN | Eddie Alvarez | |
| 2018-10-06 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | WIN | Conor McGregor | |
| 2019-09-07 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | WIN | Dustin Poirier | |
| 2020-10-25 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | WIN | Justin Gaethje | Khabib Nurmagomedov retires |
| 2021-12-11 | Charles Oliveira | WIN | Dustin Poirier | Vacant title, top contenders |
| 2022-05-07 | Charles Oliveira | WIN | Justin Gaethje | |
| 2022-10-22 | Islam Makhachev | WIN | Charles Oliveira | |
| 2023-12-02 | Islam Makhachev | WIN | Alexander Volkanovski |
36 Comments
Well, I’d argue that Ludqig should’ve retained his lineal position because he returned to LW not too long after the Gomi Kawajiri fight. He next lost to Tyson Grifffin, who lost to Edgar, who lost to Maynard in their first fight. Edgar would win it back in the third fight with Maynard. From there on, the lineal title follows the UFC, making Pettis the rightful lineal champion.
Just to clear things up, Uno-Barbosa was at 154 lbs (Shooto Welterweight), but it was a non-title bout. The proper lineage is is Uno-Barbosa —> Barbosa —> Mishima.
Alvarez vs Chandler II would be Alvarez’ second linear title defense. He seriously needs to go to the UFC so that finally all of the lineal championships can be unified with their respective UFC belt.
yeah this in no way shape or form shows or implies who the top fighter is, lots of ‘goes inactive’ after a few post-championship gimmie fights (here and other classes).. but it’s an interesting water cooler discussion maker
Because Ludwig left for over THREE YEARS, not to mention he lost twice during that span.
Penn came back within two.
Melendez over Aoki is conspicuously absent here.
Just to clear things up, Uno-Barbosa was at 154 lbs (Shooto Welterweight), but it was a non-title bout. The proper lineage is is Uno-Barbosa —> Barbosa —> Mishima.
When Braga went inactive in 1998 the next top contender match up at LW was Rumina Sato vs. Caol Uno in May of 1999.
From there you can choose to ignore Uno’s loss to Marcio Ramos Barbosa (welterweight bout) which would lead to Uno-Pulver —> Pulver-Hallman —> Pulver-Penn
If you count Uno’s loss to Barbosa, the lineal belt never touches the UFC. It goes:
Sato-Uno —> Uno-Barbosa —> Barbosa-Mishima —> Mishima-Gomi —> Gomi-Hansen —> Hansen-Ribeiro —> Ribeiro-Kawajiri —> Kawajiri-Gomi —> and so on..
When Braga went inactive in 1998 the next top contender match up at LW was Rumina Sato vs. Caol Uno in May of 1999.
From there you can choose to ignore Uno’s loss to Marcio Ramos Barbosa (welterweight bout) which would lead to Uno-Pulver —> Pulver-Hallman —> Pulver-Penn
If you count Uno’s loss to Barbosa, the lineal belt never touches the UFC. It goes:
Sato-Uno —> Uno-Barbosa —> Barbosa-Mishima —> Mishima-Gomi —> Gomi-Hansen —> Hansen-Ribeiro —> Ribeiro-Kawajiri —> Kawajiri-Gomi —> and so on..
Well, I’d argue that Ludqig should’ve retained his lineal position because he returned to LW not too long after the Gomi Kawajiri fight. He next lost to Tyson Grifffin, who lost to Edgar, who lost to Maynard in their first fight. Edgar would win it back in the third fight with Maynard. From there on, the lineal title follows the UFC, making Pettis the rightful lineal champion.
Alvarez vs Chandler II would be Alvarez’ second linear title defense. He seriously needs to go to the UFC so that finally all of the lineal championships can be unified with their respective UFC belt.
Shouldn’t Alvarez’s match against Pitbull count as a defense?
Shouldn’t Alvarez’s match against Pitbull count as a defense?
It’s interesting how if Diaz/Gomi isn’t later ruled a no contest, it plays out like Diaz->Noons->Masvidal->Melendez.
It’s interesting how if Diaz/Gomi isn’t later ruled a no contest, it plays out like Diaz->Noons->Masvidal->Melendez.
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
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
Gomi vs Mitsuoka at UFC 144, two former lineal champions will meet.
Aoki defeated Kawajiri to earn the linear title after losing to Melendez.
Gomi vs Mitsuoka at UFC 144, two former lineal champions will meet.
Aoki defeated Kawajiri to earn the linear title after losing to Melendez.
Aoki lost to Melendez before he claimed the title.
Aoki lost to Melendez before he claimed the title.
Yeah, how does he still have the linear title after losing to Melendez? It was a LW fight and Aoki lost.
Yeah, how does he still have the linear title after losing to Melendez? It was a LW fight and Aoki lost.
Thanks for clearing up my question.
Thanks for clearing up my question.
yeah this in no way shape or form shows or implies who the top fighter is, lots of ‘goes inactive’ after a few post-championship gimmie fights (here and other classes).. but it’s an interesting water cooler discussion maker
Oh, I see. That is kind of bizarre and counterintuitive, but I guess the logic holds.
Melendez over Aoki is conspicuously absent here.
Oh, I see. That is kind of bizarre and counterintuitive, but I guess the logic holds.
Aoki defeated Kawajiri to earn the linear title after losing to Melendez.
I’m just curious as to why the Aoki-Melendez fight does not show up on this list, however Aoki-Beerbohm does.
What is the difference between these too fights?
Aoki defeated Kawajiri to earn the linear title after losing to Melendez.
I’m just curious as to why the Aoki-Melendez fight does not show up on this list, however Aoki-Beerbohm does.
What is the difference between these too fights?