The current UFC champions list changes quickly, so this page is updated against the UFC’s official rankings and recent title-fight results.
As of October 22, 2026, the UFC has 11 active undisputed divisional champions across eight men’s weight classes and three women’s weight classes.
The latest major change came at women’s flyweight, where Natalia Silva won the vacant title at UFC 332 on October 3, 2026.
Heavyweight also changed hands in 2026 after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt while recovering from complications caused by an eye poke, allowing interim champion Ciryl Gane to become undisputed champion.
Current UFC Champions by Division
| Division | Champion | Weight limit |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Flyweight | Joshua Van | 125 lb |
| Men’s Bantamweight | Petr Yan | 135 lb |
| Men’s Featherweight | Alexander Volkanovski | 145 lb |
| Men’s Lightweight | Justin Gaethje | 155 lb |
| Men’s Welterweight | Islam Makhachev | 170 lb |
| Men’s Middleweight | Sean Strickland | 185 lb |
| Men’s Light Heavyweight | Carlos Ulberg | 205 lb |
| Men’s Heavyweight | Ciryl Gane | 265 lb |
| Women’s Strawweight | Mackenzie Dern | 115 lb |
| Women’s Flyweight | Natalia Silva | 125 lb |
| Women’s Bantamweight | Kayla Harrison | 135 lb |
The UFC’s official rankings list each current champion above the ranked contenders in that division. UFC rankings are updated frequently, so they are the best live reference when a title changes hands.
Men’s UFC Champions
Flyweight Champion: Joshua Van
Joshua Van is the current UFC flyweight champion. He won the title at UFC 323 in December 2025 when Alexandre Pantoja suffered an elbow injury early in their championship bout.
Van has since strengthened his claim to the division. He stopped Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round at UFC 328 for his first title defense and then defeated former champion Pantoja again in their September 2026 rematch.
UFC’s coverage of the rematch described Van as the promotion’s premier 125-pounder after the successful defense.
Bantamweight Champion: Petr Yan
Petr Yan is the current UFC bantamweight champion. The former titleholder returned to the top by defeating Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323 in December 2025, ending Dvalishvili’s highly active championship run.
Yan is now in his second reign as UFC bantamweight champion. The division remains one of the deepest in the promotion, with former champions and elite contenders such as Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov still in the title picture.
Featherweight Champion: Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski is the UFC featherweight champion and is currently in his second reign at 145 pounds.
He reclaimed the vacant title at UFC 314 in 2025 after Ilia Topuria left the division to pursue lightweight gold.
Volkanovski then successfully defended the championship against Diego Lopes in Sydney in January 2026. That victory reinforced his place among the greatest featherweights in UFC history.
For more context on the division itself, see our featherweight UFC fighter guide.
Lightweight Champion: Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje is the current undisputed UFC lightweight champion. After winning the interim title against Paddy Pimblett in January 2026, Gaethje challenged Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, 2026.
Gaethje stopped Topuria after the fourth round when the champion declined to continue, finally capturing the undisputed UFC title after years near the top of the lightweight division. UFC’s official UFC Freedom 250 results record Gaethje’s championship victory.
You can also explore our lightweight UFC fighter salaries guide for more divisional context.
Welterweight Champion: Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev is the current UFC welterweight champion. The former lightweight king moved to 170 pounds and defeated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025 to become a two-division UFC champion.
Makhachev successfully defended the welterweight title for the first time at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026, defeating Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision. The win also gave him a UFC-record 17 consecutive victories at the time.
UFC’s official UFC 330 results confirm the successful title defense.
Middleweight Champion: Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland is the current UFC middleweight champion and is in his second reign. He reclaimed the title at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026, defeating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision.
Chimaev had entered the fight as champion after winning the belt in 2025, but Strickland’s victory restored him to the top of the 185-pound division. UFC’s official UFC 328 recap records the split-decision championship result.
Light Heavyweight Champion: Carlos Ulberg
Carlos Ulberg is the current UFC light heavyweight champion. He won the vacant belt at UFC 327 on April 11, 2026, knocking out Jiří Procházka in the first round.
The title became vacant after Alex Pereira moved away from the 205-pound championship picture. UFC’s UFC 327 results and scorecards confirm Ulberg’s championship win.
Heavyweight Champion: Ciryl Gane
Ciryl Gane is the current undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. His path to the belt was unusual.
Tom Aspinall remained champion while recovering from complications related to the eye poke that ended his 2025 fight with Gane, so UFC later created an interim heavyweight title.
Gane defeated Alex Pereira to win that interim championship at UFC Freedom 250. In September 2026, Aspinall chose to vacate the undisputed title rather than hold up the division during his recovery, and Gane was promoted to undisputed champion.
UFC’s UFC 334 announcement confirms Gane’s status as undisputed heavyweight champion and explains Aspinall’s decision to vacate.
Women’s UFC Champions
Women’s Strawweight Champion: Mackenzie Dern
Mackenzie Dern is the current UFC women’s strawweight champion. She won the vacant championship against Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321 in October 2025.
Dern made her first successful defense at UFC 330 in August 2026 against Gillian Robertson. UFC’s official scorecard coverage confirms that Dern retained the strawweight title in Philadelphia.
Women’s Flyweight Champion: Natalia Silva
Natalia Silva is the newest current UFC champion. She defeated Wang Cong by unanimous decision at UFC 332 on October 3, 2026, to win the vacant women’s flyweight championship.
The belt became vacant after Valentina Shevchenko informed UFC that she would be unable to compete for at least a year because of injury. Silva then beat Wang by scores of 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 to become champion.
UFC’s UFC 332 results confirm Silva’s championship victory.
Women’s Bantamweight Champion: Kayla Harrison
Kayla Harrison is the current UFC women’s bantamweight champion. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist won the title by submitting Julianna Peña at UFC 316 on June 7, 2025.
Harrison has remained champion through 2026. Her combination of elite judo, physical control and submission ability has made her one of the central figures in the current women’s title picture.
How Many Current UFC Champions Are There?
There are currently 11 undisputed UFC divisional champions: eight men’s champions and three women’s champions.
The UFC does not currently maintain an active women’s featherweight division, so the women’s championship structure consists of strawweight, flyweight and bantamweight.
Interim championships can temporarily create an additional titleholder when an undisputed champion cannot defend.
Once the belts are unified or the undisputed title is vacated, the interim champion may become undisputed champion, as happened with Ciryl Gane at heavyweight in 2026.
What Is an Interim UFC Champion?
An interim championship is used when the undisputed champion is temporarily unavailable but UFC wants the division to continue moving. The interim champion is not considered a separate permanent divisional champion; the normal goal is to unify the belts in a later fight.
Recent examples include Justin Gaethje at lightweight and Ciryl Gane at heavyweight. Gaethje later defeated undisputed champion Ilia Topuria, while Gane was promoted after Tom Aspinall vacated his title.
Why Is Tom Aspinall No Longer UFC Heavyweight Champion?
Tom Aspinall vacated the UFC heavyweight championship in September 2026 while continuing to recover from complications related to the accidental eye poke he suffered against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.
Aspinall said he did not want to hold up the heavyweight division. Because Gane had already won the interim title, UFC promoted him to undisputed champion.
Why Is Valentina Shevchenko No Longer Women’s Flyweight Champion?
Valentina Shevchenko’s latest women’s flyweight reign ended because she was unable to compete for an extended period. UFC announced that the undisputed title would be vacant after Shevchenko indicated she expected to be out for at least a year.
Natalia Silva and Wang Cong then fought for the vacant belt at UFC 332, with Silva winning by unanimous decision. Shevchenko remains one of the highest-ranked women in UFC and a major figure in the division.
Which Current UFC Champions Have Won Titles in More Than One Division?
Islam Makhachev is the clearest current example of a champion who has held undisputed UFC gold in two divisions. He previously ruled lightweight before moving up and winning the welterweight title.
Alexander Volkanovski and other current champions have had major fights outside their championship divisions, but Makhachev is the current titleholder with established championship reigns in two UFC weight classes.
Current UFC Champions vs. Other MMA Promotions
UFC champions are determined within UFC’s own weight classes and title lineage. Other promotions maintain separate championships, rankings and rules. For a comparison with one of Europe’s major MMA organizations, see our UFC vs. KSW comparison.
FAQs
Who is the current UFC heavyweight champion?
Ciryl Gane is the current undisputed UFC heavyweight champion as of October 22, 2026.
Who is the current UFC lightweight champion?
Justin Gaethje is the current UFC lightweight champion. He defeated Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June 2026.
Who is the current UFC welterweight champion?
Islam Makhachev is the current UFC welterweight champion. He successfully defended the belt against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August 2026.
Who is the current UFC middleweight champion?
Sean Strickland is the current UFC middleweight champion after defeating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May 2026.
Who is the current UFC featherweight champion?
Alexander Volkanovski is the current UFC featherweight champion and is in his second championship reign.
Who is the current UFC bantamweight champion?
Petr Yan is the current UFC bantamweight champion after regaining the belt from Merab Dvalishvili in December 2025.
Who is the current UFC flyweight champion?
Joshua Van is the current UFC men’s flyweight champion.
Who are the current women’s UFC champions?
The current women’s UFC champions are Mackenzie Dern at strawweight, Natalia Silva at flyweight and Kayla Harrison at bantamweight.
How often do UFC champions change?
There is no fixed schedule. A title changes when a champion loses a championship fight, vacates the belt, retires, is stripped, or when UFC promotes an interim champion after the undisputed championship becomes vacant.
Where can I check the latest UFC champions?
The UFC’s official rankings page is the best live source because champions appear above the ranked contenders in each active division.
