Welterweight (MMA)
Encyclopedia
The welterweight division in mixed martial arts
can refer to a number of different weight classes
:
class, such as boxing
, kickboxing
, and Muay Thai
, define it as below about 147 lbs. The MMA welterweight class is therefore significantly heavier than the welterweight class of these other sports.
For the sake of uniformity, many American
mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 156 and 170 lb (71 and 77 kg) as welterweights. This encompasses the Shooto middleweight division (167 lb / 76 kg).
The welterweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, is 170 lb (77 kg).
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
can refer to a number of different weight classes
Weight classes
Weight classes are divisions of competition used to match competitors against others of their own size. This reduces the exclusion of smaller athletes in sports where physical size gives a significant advantage...
:
- The UFCUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
's & StrikeforceStrikeforceStrikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lbPound (mass)The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(71 to 77 kg) - SRC's welterweight division, which formerly limited competitors to 168 lb (76 kg) now revised to 170 lb (77 kg)
- PancrasePancrasePancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the...
's welterweight division, which formerly limited competitors to 165 lb (75 kg) now revised to 170 lb (77 kg) - DreamDREAM (mixed martial arts)Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
's welterweight division, which limits competitors to 168 lb (76 kg) - ShootoShootoShooto is a mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, as an organization and as a particular fighting system derived from shoot wrestling. Practitioners are referred to as shooters,...
's welterweight class, which refers to competitors between 144 and 154 lb (66 and 70 kg) - Pride FC's (defunct) welterweight division, which limits competitors to 183 lb (83 kg)
Ambiguity and clarification
Many other sports that use the welterweightWelterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
class, such as boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
, and Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
, define it as below about 147 lbs. The MMA welterweight class is therefore significantly heavier than the welterweight class of these other sports.
For the sake of uniformity, many American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 156 and 170 lb (71 and 77 kg) as welterweights. This encompasses the Shooto middleweight division (167 lb / 76 kg).
The welterweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, is 170 lb (77 kg).
Current champions
This table is not always up to date. Last updated on October 30, 2011.| Organization | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UFC Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport... |
April 19, 2008 |  Georges St-Pierre |
22-2 (8KO 5SUB) | 6 |
| Bellator FC Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator Fighting Championships is a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. "Bellator", which is Latin for "Warrior", is organized into seasons with each event hosting the rounds of championship knockout tournaments for three-five weight divisions.-History:In its first season,... |
October 21, 2010 |  Ben AskrenBen Askren Ben Askren is an American former amateur wrestler for the University of Missouri and U.S. Olympic team. He is now a mixed martial artist and the current Bellator Welterweight Champion.-Wrestling:... |
9-0 (1KO 3SUB) | 1 |
| Dream DREAM (mixed martial arts) Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC... |
July 20, 2009 | Marius Žaromskis Marius Žaromskis Marius Žaromskis is a Lithuanian welterweight mixed martial artist. After fighting the majority of his career for British promotion Cage Rage, he signed with DREAM in 2009 and then, later that year, with Strikeforce. With DREAM, Žaromskis won their 2009 Welterweight Grand Prix and became their... |
15-6(1) (11KO 1SUB) | 1 |
See also
- List of current MMA Welterweight champions
- List of UFC Welterweight Champions
- List of Strikeforce Welterweight Champions
- List of Pancrase Welterweight Champions