UFC Middleweight Title Lineage

Go Through All Of The Middleweight Title Winners In UFC History

By THOMAS GERBASI, ON TWITTER: @TGERBASI • Feb. 26, 2024

Sean Strickland, in a thrilling showdown at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia, claimed the middleweight championship by securing a Unanimous Decision victory over the reigning champion, Israel Adesanya.

Let's take a look at every UFC middleweight champion that has come before him.

Murilo Bustamante defeats Dave Menne to win the UFC Middleweight Championship at the Mohegan Sun Arena on January 11, 2002 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Susumu Nagao/Zuffa via Getty Images)

Dave Menne (2001) Defeats Gil Castillo at UFC 33 (9/28/01) to win the UFC Middleweight Championship. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Murilo Bustamante (2002) Defeats Menne at UFC 35 (1/11/02) to win the title. Bustamante defends the title against Matt Lindland and then vacates the title as he leaves the organization. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Evan Tanner (2005) Defeats David Terrell at UFC 51 (2/5/05) to win the vacant middleweight title. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Rich Franklin (2005) Defeats Tanner at UFC 53 (6/4/05) to win the title. Franklin defends the title against Nate Quarry and David Loiseau. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Fighter Timeline: Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva (2006-2013) Defeats Franklin at UFC 64 (10/14/06) to win the title. Silva defeats Travis Lutter in what should have been his first title defense, but Lutter came in overweight, rendering the bout a non-title affair. Silva successfully defended the belt against Nate Marquardt, Franklin, Henderson, Patrick Cote, Thales Leites, Demian Maia, Chael Sonnen (twice), Vitor Belfort, and Yushin Okami. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Chris Weidman (2013-2015) Defeats Silva at UFC 162 (7/6/13) to win the title. Successfully defends the title against Silva, Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

View Weidman's Athlete Profile

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 12: Luke Rockhold reacts to his victory over Chris Weidman in their UFC middleweight championship bout during the UFC 194 event inside MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Luke Rockhold (2015) Defeats Weidman at UFC 194 (12/12/15) to win the title. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Michael Bisping (2016) Defeats Rockhold at UFC 199 (6/4/16) to win the title. Defends title against Dan Henderson. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

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Georges St-Pierre (2017) Defeats Bisping at UFC 217 (11/4/17) to win title. Vacates title due to illness on 12/7/17. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

GEORGES ST-PIERRE NAMED TO UFC HALL OF FAME

Robert Whittaker (2017-2019) Defeats Yoel Romero at UFC 213 (6/8/17) to win interim title. Promoted to undisputed champion after St-Pierre vacates title (12/7/17)

Israel Adesanya (2019-2021) Defeats Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 (4/13/19) to win interim title. Defeats Whittaker at UFC 243 (10/6/19) to win undisputed title. Has defended title against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori. Robert Whittaker, and Jared Connonier. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Alex Pereira (2022-2023) Defeats Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 (11/12/2022) via knockout in round five. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Israel Adesanya (2023) Defeats Alex Pereira at UFC 287 (4/8/2023) via knockout in round two. Earned Performance of the Night and regained title after only a short lived 147 days. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Sean Strickland (2023-2024) Defeats Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 (9/9/2023) to win the title by Unanimous Decision. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Sean Strickland reacts at the conclusion of his UFC middleweight championship fight against Israel Adesanya of Nigeria during the UFC 293 event at Qudos Bank Arena on September 10, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Dricus Du Plessis (Present) Defeats Sean Strickland at UFC 297 (01/20/2024) by split decision to win the title. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

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