Middleweight

Template:Short description Template:Pp-pc1

Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.

BoxingEdit

ProfessionalEdit

In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above Template:Convert and up to Template:Convert.

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 championsEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBA	March 9, 2023	Erislandy Lara	31–3–3 (19 KO)	2
WBC	May 7, 2024	Carlos Adames	23–1–1 (18 KO)	2
IBF	October 14, 2023	Janibek Alimkhanuly	16–0 (11 KO)	1
WBO	August 26, 2022	Janibek Alimkhanuly<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	16–0 (11 KO)	3

Current world rankingsEdit

The RingEdit

As of April 29, 2025.<ref name=ring-mw-ratings>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Keys:

Template:Color box Current The Ring world champion

Rank	Name	Record	Title(s)
C	Template:Font color
1	Janibek Alimkhanuly	17–0 (12 KO)	WBO, IBF
2	Carlos Adames	24–1–1 (18 KO)	WBC
3	Hamzah Sheeraz	21–0–1 (17 KO)
4	Erislandy Lara	31–3–3 (19 KO)	WBA
5	Chris Eubank Jr	35–3 (25 KO)
6	Etinosa Oliha	21–0 (9 KO)
7	Kyrone Davis	19–3–1 (6 KO)
8	Troy Isley	14–0 (5 KO)
9	Shane Mosley Jr.	22–4 (12 KO)
10	Aaron McKenna	20-0 (10 KO)

BoxRecEdit

As of August 3, 2025.<ref name=boxrec-mw-ratings>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 championsEdit

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.

Rank	Name	Title Reign	Title Recognition	Successful Defenses	Beaten opponents	Fights
1.	Bernard Hopkins	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 10 years, 2 months, 18 days	IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO	20	17	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2.	Tommy Ryan	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 8 years, 7 months, 4 days	World	6	6	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=ibhof-book>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
3.	Gennady Golovkin	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 8 years, 1 months, 1 day	WBA (Super), IBF, WBC	18	14	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
4.	Tony Zale	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 6 years, 11 months, 24 days	NBA (current WBA)	4	4	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
5.	Carlos Monzón	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 6 years, 9 months, 9 days	WBA, WBC	14	11	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=ibhof-book3>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
6.	Marvelous Marvin Hagler	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 6 years, 7 months, 10 days	WBC, WBA, IBF	12	10	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
7.	Nonpareil Jack Dempsey	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 6 years, 6 months, 15 days	World	2	2	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
8.	Felix Sturm	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 5 years, 4 months, 4 days	WBA	12	10
9.	Jermall Charlo	data-sort-value="data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| Template:Age in years, months, weeks and days	WBC	4	4	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
10.	Demetrius Andrade	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 3 years, 10 month, 12 days	WBO	5	5	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
11.	Bob Fitzsimmons	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 3 years, 8 months, 12 days	World	1	1	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=ibhof-book4>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
12.	Arthur Abraham	data-sort-value="Template:Age in days" \| 3 years, 7 months, 2 days	IBF	10	10	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Template:Color box Active Title Reign

Template:Color box Reign has ended

AmateurEdit

Olympic championsEdit

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

KickboxingEdit

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).<ref>OFFICIAL GLORY RANKING Template:Webarchive</ref>
In Bellator Kickboxing promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85 kg (187 lb).
In ONE Championship, the middleweight division limit is Template:Convert.

Bare-knuckle boxingEdit

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 Template:Convert.
In BYB Extreme Fighting Series, the middleweight division has an upper limit of Template:Convert.
In BKB™, the middleweight division has an upper limit of Template:Convert.

LethweiEdit

The World Lethwei Championship recognizes the middleweight division with an upper limit of Template:Convert. In World Lethwei Championship, Naimjon Tuhtaboyev is the Middleweight Champion.

Mixed Martial ArtsEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

TaekwondoEdit

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

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

Template:Boxing weight classes