Weight categories in the UFC. Champions of UFC in all weight categories. Women's weight categories in the UFC

In this article we will discuss the weight categories in the UFC, we will talk about people who have noted in this area. This championship draws the attention of many martial arts fans, but not everyone knows the details of the formation or organization of fights. We will introduce you to the information about which male and female weight categories in the UFC exist at the moment. Also pay special attention to the heroes of this championship.

What is UFC?

Let's start from the very beginning and remember that when the UFC appeared in 1993, there were no such weight divisions that exist today. It was a simple sports organization that organized championships for fighters. The rules of the fight were mixed, and they still remain so. But there were only two categories:

• Heavy weight - for fighters, whose weight was more than 91 kg;
• Light weight - for those whose weight was less than 90 kilograms.

After several years, the division into subgroups has changed, and the average weight has already appeared. At the same time, the weight categories in the UFC did not stop changing. There was also a super light subgroup, and by 2001 the weight categories of fighters were already divided into five different types:

• heavy;
• Light heavy;
• average;
• Welterweight;
• easy.

The weight categories in the UFC experienced all these changes, primarily in order to have the opportunity to optimally distribute the participants and achieve maximum effectiveness in combat. It is much more interesting to watch a match of approximately equal rivals, and not see how a heavyweight fights with a miniature and light athlete. Many years passed before the subgroups were again revised and lighter added, and also the weight categories in the UFC in women were singled out separately.

Weight categories

So, starting from 2012, the organization conducts battles in ten categories, with two of them being female. Participants are distributed according to the following weight groups:

• heavy;
• Light heavy;
• average;
• Welterweight;
• easy;
• Featherweight;
• The lightest;
• The easiest,
• The lightest for women;
• Easiest for women.

Heavyweights

Speaking about this subgroup, it is worth noting that these weight categories in the UFC are divided into two types:

• heavy;
• Light heavyweight.

To the heavy category belong fighters weighing from ninety three to one hundred and twenty kilograms. The English name is heavy weight. If the fighter weighs from eighty-four to ninety-three kilograms, then he is already referred to a light heavyweight category. The English name is light heavy weight.

Average weight

This group includes:

• Middle category;
• Welterweight category.

The first subgroup, whose English name is middle weight, includes participants weighing seventy-seven to eighty-four kilograms. The fighters are better in the category of welter weight and should weigh at least seventy kilograms, and a maximum of seventy-seven.

A light weight

This group of participants is formed for participants, whose weight ranges from 53 to 70 kilograms. It is divided into categories:

• Light weight category UFC;
• Featherweight;
• The easiest;
• The easiest.

To an easy category carry sportsmen with weight from sixty six up to seventy kg. In the world, it is known as light weight. The featherweight weight division of the UFC unites fighters who weigh at least sixty-one and a maximum of sixty-six kilograms. The English equivalent of the name is feather weight. Already by name it is clear that the lightest group includes fighters with even less weight, from fifty-seven to sixty-one kilograms. The name of the category is known as bantam weight. And the last division of this weight group is the flyweight category (or fly weight) with a weight of participants from fifty-three to fifty-seven kilograms.

Women in UFC

A great achievement for the beautiful half of the world's population was the selection of two categories that relate specifically to them. It was a kind of recognition of women as real participants and worthy rivals in this sport. Two groups were formed:

• The easiest;
• The easiest.

The lightest category with the name women's bantam weight unites women with a weight of fifty-seven to sixty-one kilograms. A category women's straw weight, or flyweight, refers to athletes who weigh from forty-eight to fifty-two kilograms.

Top Champions

UFC champions in all weight categories won their titles at different times and defended their right to wear this title a different number of times. We provide you with a list of the most relevant leaders that are at the moment.

• Heavyweight champion - Fabrice Virdum from Brazil. He won the title in the summer of 2015 and never defended it.
• The light heavyweight champion is Daniel Corme from the USA. Became them in the spring of 2015 and has already managed to once protect the right to be the first in this category.
• The middleweight champion is Luke Rockhold from the USA. He won the title in the winter of 2015 and had not yet time to confirm it.
• WBC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler of the United States. In the winter of 2014 he received this title and twice already justified the title of the best fighter of this category.
• Champion in lightweight - Rafael Dosanjus from Brazil. In the spring of 2015, he became the best in his weight category and once defended the right to be so called.
• The champion in featherweight is Irishman Connor MacGregor. He became their winter in 2015, while never defending his title in battle.
• The champion in bantamweight - Dominik Cruz from the United States. The last of the won titles in the winter of 2016, so still never fought to defend the title.
• The champion in the flyweight champion - Dimitrius Johnson from the United States. This fighter managed to fight seven times for this title and each time he won, remaining the best in his category. He won the title for the first time in the autumn of 2012.
• As for women's categories, the champion of the bantamweight was the American Holi Holm in the fall of 2015. She has never fought to confirm the title.
• Champion of the flyweight champion among women was Yogana Engzhechik from Poland. It happened in the spring of 2015, and she already had time to fight for the right to be the best.

It is worth noting that the champion in any category is a fighter who wins in the "title" fight. This fight lasts five rounds, each of which lasts five minutes. To defend his title, the champion is fighting with another challenger. If the current champion loses, then the title goes to the winner. In the opposite case, the title remains with the former favorite. There is also the concept of a temporary champion. It is given to the fighter in the event that the acting champion for a long time can not fight to protect the title (for example, for health reasons).

Outstanding fighters

There are people who are not among the champions at the moment, but they left a bright mark in the history of the UFC. We want to recall some of them.

• Ronda Gene Rosie. The first champion among women in lightweight. It is considered the highest paid athlete in the world with income more than six and a half million dollars a year.
• John Jones was the champion among the light heavyweight fighters. Eight times he confirmed the right to be a champion. Unfortunately, problems with the legislation did not allow the athlete to realize himself fully.
• Andersen Silva is considered by right the king of average weight. Ten fights he committed to defend the title.
• A little less fights spent for the title defense in the welterweight category George Seppier. Many experts consider this fighter the best in the world.
• Such well-known names as Chuck Lidel, Dan Henderson, Bijay Pan, Tito Artis, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes and others, left an indelible mark on the history of the UFC. And this is not the whole list of people who are important in this sphere.

In the end, I want to add that the championships organized by the UFC are distinguished by their excellent organization, they are considered prestigious and all fighters aspire to get to this championship for once in their lives. Watching on the TV of the match, even at a distance and through the screen, you can feel the special atmosphere of the events. The victory in such competition is a real achievement, which the fighters have been trying since the childhood, and everyone who is interested in martial arts knows the names of the champions.