Middleweight

Weight class in combat sports

Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.

Boxing

Professional

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).

Current world champions

Main article: List of world middleweight boxing champions

More information Sanctioning Body, Reign Began ...

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBA	March 9, 2023	Erislandy Lara	29–3–3 (17 KO)	0
WBC	June 26, 2019	Jermall Charlo	32–0 (22 KO)	4
IBF	October 14, 2023	Janibek Alimkhanuly	15–0 (10 KO)	0
WBO	August 26, 2022	Janibek Alimkhanuly^[1]	15–0 (10 KO)	1

Current world rankings

The Ring

As of October 14, 2023.^[2]

Keys:

C Current The Ring world champion

More information Rank, Name ...

Rank	Name	Record	Title(s)
C	vacant
1	Janibek Alimkhanuly	15–0 (10 KO)	WBO, IBF
2	Carlos Adames	23–1 (18 KO)
3	Erislandy Lara	29–3–3 (17 KO)	WBA
4	Sergiy Derevyanchenko	14–5 (10 KO)
5	Chris Eubank Jr.	33–3 (24 KO)
6	Meiirim Nursultanov	19–0 (11 KO)
7	Elijah Garcia	16–0 (13 KO)
8	Felix Cash	16–0 (10 KO)
9	Liam Smith	33–4–1 (20 KO)
10	Hamzah Sheeraz	18–0 (14 KO)

BoxRec

As of April 15, 2024.^[3]

More information Rank, Name ...

Rank	Name	Record	Points	Title(s)
1	Gennady Golovkin	42–2–1 (37 KO)	687.5
2	Jermall Charlo	32–0 (22 KO)	109.1	WBC
3	Erislandy Lara	28–3–3 (16 KO)	95.18	WBA
4	Chris Eubank Jr.	32–2 (23 KO)	95.07
5	Jaime Munguía	38–0 (30 KO)	91.67
6	Michael Zerafa	30–4 (19 KO)	54.77
7	Carlos Adames	21–1 (16 KO)	44.18
8	Sergiy Derevyanchenko	13–4 (10 KO)	43.24
9	Janibek Alimkhanuly	14–0 (9 KO)	30.81	WBO IBF
10	Ryōta Murata	16–3 (13 KO)	28.35

Longest reigning world 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) is not counted.

More information Rank, Name ...

Rank	Name	Title Reign	Title Recognition	Successful Defenses	Beaten opponents	Fights
1.	Bernard Hopkins	10 years, 2 months, 18 days	IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO	20	17	^[4]
2.	Tommy Ryan	8 years, 7 months, 4 days	World	6	6	^[5]^[6]
3.	Gennady Golovkin	8 years, 1 months, 1 day	WBA (Super), IBF, WBC	22	19	^[7]
4.	Tony Zale	6 years, 11 months, 24 days	NBA (current WBA)	4	4	^[8]
5.	Carlos Monzón	6 years, 9 months, 9 days	WBA, WBC	14	11	^[9]^[10]
6.	Marvelous Marvin Hagler	6 years, 7 months, 10 days	WBC, WBA, IBF	12	10	^[11]
7.	Nonpareil Jack Dempsey	6 years, 6 months, 15 days	World	2	2	^[12]
8.	Felix Sturm	5 years, 4 months, 4 days	WBA	12	10
9.	Jermall Charlo	4 years, 9 months, 2 weeks and 3 days	WBC	4	4	^[13]
10.	Demetrius Andrade	3 years, 10 month, 12 days	WBO	5	5	^[14]
11.	Bob Fitzsimmons	3 years, 8 months, 12 days	World	1	1	^[15]^[16]
12.	Arthur Abraham	3 years, 7 months, 2 days	IBF	10	10	^[17]

Active Title Reign

Reign has ended

Amateur

Olympic champions

1904: Charles Mayer (USA)
1908: John Douglas (GBR)
1920: Harry Mallin (GBR)
1924: Harry Mallin (GBR)
1928: Piero Toscani (ITA)
1932: Carmen Barth (USA)
1936: Jean Despeaux (FRA)
1948: László Papp (HUN)
1952: Floyd Patterson (USA)
1956: Gennadiy Shatkov (URS)
1960: Eddie Crook, Jr. (USA)
1964: Valeriy Popenchenko (URS)
1968: Chris Finnegan (GBR)
1972: Vyacheslav Lemeshev (URS)
1976: Michael Spinks (USA)
1980: José Gómez Mustelier (CUB)
1984: Shin Joon-Sup (KOR)
1988: Henry Maske (GDR)
1992: Ariel Hernández (CUB)
1996: Ariel Hernández (CUB)
2000: Jorge Gutiérrez (CUB)
2004: Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov (RUS)
2008: James DeGale (GBR)
2012: Ryota Murata (JPN)
2016: Arlen López (CUB)
2020: Hebert Conceição (BRA)

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).^[18]
In Bellator Kickboxing promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85 kg (187 lb).
In ONE Championship, the middleweight division limit is 93 kg (205 lb).

Bare-knuckle boxing

The limit for middleweight generally differs among promotions in bare-knuckle boxing:

In Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, the middleweight division has an upper limit of 175 lb (79 kg).
In BYB Extreme Fighting Series, the middleweight division has an upper limit of 160 lb (73 kg).
In BKB™, the middleweight division has an upper limit of 89 kg (196 lb).

Lethwei

The World Lethwei Championship recognizes the middleweight division with an upper limit of 75 kg (165 lb). In World Lethwei Championship, Naimjon Tuhtaboyev is the Middleweight Champion.

Mixed Martial Arts

Main article: Middleweight (MMA)

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

Anderson Silva is considered to be the greatest Middleweight MMA fighter of all time.^[19]

Taekwondo

More information Category, Men's ...

Category	Men's	Women's	Competitions	Note
Middleweight	78–84 kg	67–72 kg	World Championships, Continental Championships, Asian Games	since 1999
Middleweight	76–83 kg	65–70 kg	World Championships, Continental Championships, Asian Games	until 1998
Middleweight	68–80 kg	57–67 kg	Olympic Games, Pan Am Games, All-Africa Games

References

[1]
"In the Matter of the WBO Middleweight Division". World Boxing Organization. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
[2]
"The Ring ratings: middleweight". Retrieved 14 October 2023.
[3]
"BoxRec ratings: middleweight, active". Retrieved 31 December 2020.
[4]
"Professional boxing record: Bernard Hopkins". Retrieved 11 April 2020.
[5]
"Professional boxing record: Tommy Ryan". Retrieved 11 April 2020.
[6]
"Tommy Ryan, p. 242" (pdf). The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book. International Boxing Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
[7]
"Professional boxing record: Gennadiy Golovkin". Retrieved 11 April 2020.
[8]
"Tony Zale, p. 794" (pdf). The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book. International Boxing Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
[9]
"Professional boxing record: Carlos Monzon". Retrieved 11 April 2020.
[10]
"Carlos Monzon, p. 608" (pdf). The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book. International Boxing Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
[11]
"Professional boxing record: Marvin Hagler". Retrieved 11 April 2020.
[12]
"Professional boxing record: Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey". Retrieved 11 April 2020.
[13]
"Professional boxing record: Jermall Charlo". Retrieved 18 January 2022.
[14]
"Professional boxing record:Demetrius Andrade". Retrieved 22 May 2022.
[15]
"Professional boxing record: Bob Fitzsimmons". Retrieved 14 March 2020.
[16]
"Bob Fitzsimmons, p. 128" (pdf). The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book. International Boxing Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
[17]
"Professional boxing record: Arthur Abraham". Retrieved 11 April 2020.
[18]
OFFICIAL GLORY RANKING Archived 2014-01-08 at the Wayback Machine
[19]
"Ten greatest middleweight fighters in MMA history: Anderson Silva is the division's clear GOAT". CBSSports.com.

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