Middleweight

Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.

Boxing

In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above 154 lb (70 kg) and up to 160 lb (73 kg).

Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1867. Chandler won, becoming known as the American middleweight champion.

The first middleweight fight with gloves may have been between George Fulljames and Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey (no relation to the more famous heavyweight Jack Dempsey).

Gennady Golovkin and Bernard Hopkins hold the record for most consecutive title defenses at this division, with 20 defenses.^[1][2]

Professional champions

Main article: List of middleweight boxing champions

Current male champions

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBA (super)	September 15, 2018	Canelo Álvarez[3][4]	50–1–0 (34 KO)	0
WBA	October 22, 2017	Ryōta Murata	14–1–0 (11 KO)	1
WBC	September 15, 2018	Canelo Álvarez[5][6]	50–1–0 (34 KO)	0
IBF		vacant
WBO	December 20, 2015	Billy Joe Saunders	26–0–0 (12 KO)	3

Current interim champions

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBC	April 21, 2018	Jermall Charlo	27–0–0 (21 KO)	0

Current The Ring magazine middleweight rankings Updated 20 September 2018

Rank	Name	Record	Title(s)
C	Canelo Alvarez	50–1–1 (34 KO)	Ring, WBA, WBC
1	Gennady Golovkin	38–1–1 (34 KO)
2	Daniel Jacobs	34–2–0 (29 KO)
3	Billy Joe Saunders	26–0-0 (12 KO)	WBO
4	Serhiy Derevyanchenko	12–0–0 (10 KO)
5	Jermall Charlo	27–0-0 (21 KO)
6	Ryota Murata	14–1–0 (11 KO)	WBA (Regular)
7	David Lemieux	38–4-0 (33 KO)
8	Demetrius Andrade	25–0–0 (16 KO)
9	Hassan N'dam N'jikam	36–3-0 (21 KO)
10	Maciej Sulecki	26–1–0 (10 KO)

Longest reigning middleweight champions

Below is a list of longest reigning middleweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

Rank	Name	Title Reign	Title Recognition	Successful Defenses
1.	Bernard Hopkins	10 years, 2 months, 18 days	IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO	20
2.	Tommy Ryan	8 years, 7 months, 4 days	World	4
3.	Gennady Golovkin	8 years, 1 month, 3 days	WBA (Super), IBF, WBC	20
4.	Tony Zale	6 years, 11 months, 24 days	NBA (current WBA)	4
5.	Carlos Monzon	6 years, 9 months, 9 days	WBA, WBC	14
6.	Marvelous Marvin Hagler	6 years, 7 months, 10 days	WBC, WBA, IBF	12
7.	Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey	6 years, 6 months, 15 days	World	3
8.	Felix Sturm	5 years, 4 months, 4 days	WBA (Super)	12
9.	Bob Fitzsimmons	3 years, 8 months, 12 days	World	1
10.	Arthur Abraham	3 years, 7 months, 2 days	IBF	11

     Active Title Reign

     Reign has ended

Kickboxing

• International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Middleweight (Pro & Amateur) 159.1–165 lb. or 72.4–75 kg
• In Glory promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85 kg (187 lb).^[7]
• In Bellator Kickboxing promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85 kg (187 lb).

Mixed Martial Arts

In MMA, the middleweight division is from 171 lbs (77.5 kg) to 185 lbs (84 kg).

Taekwondo

References

External links