The UFC moves fast. If you stepped away for just six months, you’d probably barely recognize the title landscape right now. Belts change hands in the blink of an eye, and legends get dethroned when we least expect it.
Honestly, keeping track of current ufc champions by weight class is a bit like trying to catch a fly with chopsticks. One minute someone is a dominant king, and the next, they’re just another name on a stacked rankings list.
Take Islam Makhachev, for instance. Most people still think of him as the lightweight boogeyman. But he recently decided he was done with 155 pounds after essentially cleaning out the division. He moved up to 170 and thrashed Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to become the new welterweight champion. It was a masterclass.
The Heavy Hitters: 205 and Up
At the very top of the food chain, we’ve got Tom Aspinall. He’s finally the undisputed heavyweight king. After that messy interim title period, he cemented his spot by finishing Ciryl Gane. People kept saying he hadn't been tested, but he just keeps ending fights before they even really start.
Then there's "Poatan." Alex Pereira is still holding onto that light heavyweight strap. It’s wild how he’s become the most active champion the company has. He recently turned back Magomed Ankalaev in a fight that many thought would be his kryptonite. Turns out, the left hook still works on everyone.
Chaos in the Middle
The middleweight division is terrifying right now because Khamzat Chimaev is finally at the top. He took the belt from Dricus Du Plessis in late 2025. Chimaev doesn’t fight often—maybe once a year if we’re lucky—but when he does, it’s usually a mauling.
Below him, the 155-pound division is in a weird spot. Since Makhachev moved up, Ilia Topuria jumped up from featherweight and claimed the vacant lightweight title by knocking out Charles Oliveira. Topuria is now a two-division champ, but he’s taking a bit of a break. That’s why we’re seeing an interim title fight between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje at UFC 324.
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The Lower Weight Classes
Alexander Volkanovski actually got his featherweight belt back. He beat Diego Lopes in a classic to reclaim his throne after Topuria left it behind. Most experts thought "Volk" was over the hill, but he looked as sharp as ever.
The bantamweight belt just moved again. Petr Yan is back on top. He wrestled the title away from Merab Dvalishvili at the end of 2025. It was a gritty, five-round war that reminded everyone why they call him "No Mercy."
Down at flyweight, Joshua Van is the name you need to know. He’s the new champion after defeating Alexandre Pantoja. It’s a huge upset that people are still talking about in MMA forums.
The Women’s Divisions
The biggest story in the women's divisions is Kayla Harrison. She finally grabbed the bantamweight title by beating Julianna Peña. She was supposed to fight Amanda Nunes this month, but Harrison had to pull out for neck surgery. That’s a huge blow to the fans who wanted to see if Nunes still had it.
Valentina Shevchenko is still the flyweight queen. She’s defended that belt a couple of times since winning it back, most recently against Zhang Weili in a cross-divisional super-fight.
Speaking of Zhang Weili, she actually lost her strawweight title to Mackenzie Dern in October 2025. Dern’s grappling has finally caught up to her elite athleticism, and she managed to find a submission in the third round.
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Current Champion List at a Glance:
- Heavyweight: Tom Aspinall
- Light Heavyweight: Alex Pereira
- Middleweight: Khamzat Chimaev
- Welterweight: Islam Makhachev
- Lightweight: Ilia Topuria
- Featherweight: Alexander Volkanovski
- Bantamweight: Petr Yan
- Flyweight: Joshua Van
- Women's Bantamweight: Kayla Harrison
- Women's Flyweight: Valentina Shevchenko
- Women's Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern
What’s Next for the Belts?
If you're looking to stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on UFC 324. The interim lightweight title is a big deal because Topuria's future is a bit "murky" due to some personal stuff. Whether it's Gaethje or Pimblett, that winner is going to have a massive target on their back.
Also, the bantamweight division is a shark tank. With Petr Yan back as champ, guys like Umar Nurmagomedov and Sean O'Malley are already circling.
To stay truly updated, you should check the official UFC rankings every Tuesday morning. They update after every event, and in 2026, the movement is more frequent than ever. If you're a betting person, watch the "odds to be champion by end of year" markets—they often tell a different story than the current rankings. Focus on the surging contenders in the Top 5, as that's where the next champion is almost always hiding.