The champions are listed in reverse chronological order.
All-time champions by division:
Heavyweight | Light heavyweight
Middleweight | Welterweight
Lightweight | Men's featherweight
Men's bantamweight | Men's flyweight
Women's featherweight
Women's bantamweight
Women's flyweight
Strawweight
Current champion
Islam Makhachev
• Won title: Oct. 22, 2022
• Outcome: Sub2 over Charles Oliveira (UFC 280)
• Defenses: 1
Past champions
Charles Oliveira
• Won title: May 15, 2021
• Outcome: TKO2 over Michael Chandler (UFC 262)
• Defenses: 1
* -- Stripped of the title on May 7, 2022, for missing weight for a UFC 274 title defense
Khabib Nurmagomedov
• Won title: April 7, 2018
• Outcome: UD over Al Iaquinta (UFC 223)
• Defenses: 3
Conor McGregor
• Won title: Nov. 12, 2016
• Outcome: KO2 over Eddie Alvarez (UFC 205)
• Defenses: 0*
* -- Stripped of the title on April 7, 2018, for inactivity
Eddie Alvarez
• Won title: July 7, 2016
• Outcome: TKO1 over Rafael dos Anjos (UFC Fight Night)
• Defenses: 0
Rafael dos Anjos
• Won title: March 14, 2015
• Outcome: UD5 over Anthony Pettis (UFC 185)
• Defenses: 1
Anthony Pettis
• Won title: Aug. 31, 2013
• Outcome: SUB1 over Benson Henderson (UFC 164)
• Defenses: 1
Benson Henderson
• Won title: Feb. 26, 2012
• Outcome: UD5 over Frankie Edgar (UFC 144)
• Defenses: 3
Frankie Edgar
• Won title: April 10, 2010
• Outcome: UD5 over BJ Penn (UFC 112)
• Defenses: 3
BJ Penn
• Won title: Jan. 19, 2008
• Outcome: SUB2 over Joe Stevenson (UFC 80)
• Defenses: 3
Sean Sherk*
• Won title: Oct. 14, 2006
• Outcome: UD5 over Kenny Florian (UFC 64)
• Defenses: 1
* -- Stripped of title after testing positive for an anabolic steroid
Jens Pulver
• Won title: Feb. 23, 2001
• Outcome: UD5 over Caol Uno (UFC 30)
• Defenses: 2