UFC Title Histories

With the recent rash of title changes and upsets in the UFC, it is important to look back at the title history and see just how rare it is for the title to change hands. And so, I bring you the respective title histories of the UFC. This is really, really interesting stuff:

LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE

• UFC 30, February 23, 2001 Jens Pulver wins vs. Caol Uno in a majority decision for the first lightweight belt.
• UFC 33, September 28, 2001 defends his title against Dennis Hallman.
• UFC 35, January 1, 2002 defends his title against BJ Penn.
• March 2002, Jens Pulver loses the UFC light weight title upon leaving the organization. The lightweight title goes without a champion until
• UFC 64, October 14, 2006 Sean Sherk battled and beat Kenny Florian in a 5 round fight for the reinstatement of the UFC lightweight title.

WELTERWEIGHT TITLE

• UFC BRAZIL, October 16, 1998, Pat Miletich defeats Mikey Burnett to win the first UFC welterweight championship
• UFC 18, January 8, 1999, defended the title against Jorge Patino
• UFC 21, July 16, 1999 defended the title against John Alessio
• UFC 29, December 16, 20000 defended the title against Kenichi Yamamoto
• UFC 31, May 4, 2001 Carlos Newton wins the UFC welterweight title
• UFC 34, November 2, 2001 Matt Hughes wins the UFC welterweight title for the first time with a win over Carlos Newton.
• UFC 36, March 22, 2002 Hughes defends his title against Hayato Sakurai
• UFC 38, July 13, 2002 Hughes defends his title against Carlos Newton
• UFC 40 November 22, 2002 Hughes defends his title against Gil Castillo
• UFC 42 April 25, 2003 Hughes defends his title against Sean Sherk
• UFC 45 November 21, 2003 Hughes defends his title against Frank Trigg
• UFC 46 January 31, 2004 BJ Penn wins the UFC welterweight championship
• February 2004, Penn loses the UFC welterweight title upon leaving the organization.
• UFC 50, October 22, 2004 Matt Hughes re-gains the vacant welterweight title by defeating Georges St. Pierre
• UFC 52, April 16, 2005 Hughes defends his title against Frank Trigg
• UFC 63, September 23, 2006 Hughes defends his title against BJ Penn
• UFC 65, November 18, 2006 Georges St. Pierre defeats Matt Hughes to become the UFC welterweight champion
• UFC 69, April 7, 2007, Matt Serra defeats St. Pierre to become the UFC welterweight champion
  

MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE

• UFC 33, September 28, 2001 Dave Menne defeats Gil Castillo to become the first UFC middleweight champion.
• UFC 35, January 11, 2002 Murilo Bustamante takes the title from Dave Menne
• UFC 37, May 10, 2002 Bustamante defends the title from Matt Lindland
• October, 2002 Murilo Bustamante loses the UFC middleweight title upon leaving the organization.
• UFC 51, February 5, 2005 Evan Tanner defeats David Terrell for the vacant middleweight title.
• UFC 53, June 4, 2005 Rich Franklin defeats Evan Tanner to become UFC middleweight champion.
• UFC 56, November 19, 2005 Franklin defends his title from Nathan Quarry
• UFC 58, March 4, 2006 Franklin defends his title from David Loiseau
• UFC 64, October 14, 2006, Anderson Silva defeats Rich Franklin to become the UFC middleweight champion
• UFC 67, February 3, 2007, Silva defends title from Travis Lutter
  

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

• ULTIMATE ULTIMATE 96, December 7, 1996 Frank Shamrock defeats Kevin Jackson to become the first UFC light heavyweight champion.
• UFC 16, March 13, 1998 Shamrock defends his title from Igor Zinoviev.
• UFC 17, May 15, 1998 Shamrock defends his title from Jeremy Horn
• UFC BRAZIL, October 16, 1998, Shamrock defends his title from John Lober
• UFC 22, September 24, 1999, Shamrock defends his title from Tito Ortiz
• November 1999 Shamrock retires leaving the light heavyweight title vacant.
• UFC 25, April 14, 2000 Tito Ortiz defeats Wanderlei Silva to claim the vacant light heavyweight title.
• UFC 29, December 16, 2000 Ortiz defends his title from Yuki Kondo
• UFC 30, February 23, 2001 Ortiz defends his title from Evan Tanner
• UFC 32, June 29, 2001 Ortiz defends his title from Elvis Sinosic
• UFC 33, September 28, 2001 Ortiz defends his title from Vladimir Matyushenko
• UFC 40, November 22, 2002 Ortiz defends his title from Ken Shamrock
• UFC 43, June 6, 2003 Randy Couture defeats Chuck Liddell for interim light heavyweight title
• UFC 44, September 26, 2003 Randy Couture defends his light heavyweight title against Tito Ortiz
• UFC 46, January 31, 2004 Vitor Belfort defeats Randy Couture for the light heavyweight title
• UFC 49, August 21, 2004 Randy Couture re-gains his light heavyweight title defeating Vitor Belfort in a rubber match.
• UFC 52, April 16, 2005 Chuck Liddell takes over the championship defeating Randy Couture
• UFC 54, August 20, 2005 Liddell defends his title against Jeremy Horn
• UFC 57, February 4, 2006 Liddell defends his title against Randy Couture
• UFC 62, August 26, 2006 Liddell defends his title against Renato Sobral
• UFC 66, December 30, 2006 Liddell defends his title against Tito Ortiz

HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

• UFC 12, February 7, 1997 Mark Coleman defeats Dan Severn to become the first UFC heavyweight champion.
• UFC 14, July 27, 1997 Maurice Smith defeats Mark Coleman to take the title
• UFC 15, October 17, 1997 Smith defends his title against David Abbott
• Ultimate Japan, December 21, 1997, Randy Couture wins the heavyweight title for the first time from Maurice Smith
• January 1998 Randy Couture loses title via a contract dispute
• UFC 20, May 7, 1999 Bas Rutten defeats Kevin Randleman to win the vacant heavyweight title.
• June 1999 Rutten vacates title to compete in lighter weight class.
• UFC 23, November 19, 1999 Kevin Randleman defeats Pete Williams to win the vacant heavyweight title.
• UFC 26, June 9, 2000 Randleman defends his title from Pedro Rizzo
• UFC 28, November 17, 2000 Randy Couture defeats Kevin Randleman to re-claim the heavyweight title
• UFC 31, May 4, 2001 Couture defends his title from Pedro Rizzo
• UFC 34, November 2, 2001 Couture defends his title in a rubber match with Pedro Rizzo
• UFC 36, March 22, 2002 Couture loses the title to Josh Barnett. Barnett disqualified after testing positive for steroids in the post-fight test.
• UFC 39, September 27, 2002 Ricco Rodriguez defeats Randy Couture to claim the heavyweight title
• UFC 41, February 28, 2003 Tim Sylvia defeats Ricco Rodriguez to claim the heavyweight title
• UFC 44, September 26, 2003 Sylvia defeats Gan McGee, then loses his title after testing positive for steroids in the post-fight test.
• UFC 48, June 19, 2004 Frank Mir defeats Tim Sylvia for the vacant heavyweight title
• UFC 51, February 5, 2005 Andrei Arlovski defeats Tim Sylvia for interim title championship. Heavyweight title holder Frank Mir was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and unable to defend his title.
• UFC 53, June 4, 2005 Arlovski defends his title against Justin Eilers
• UFC 55, October 7, 2005 Arlovski defends his title against Paul Buentello
• UFC 59, April 15, 2006 Tim Sylvia defeats Andrei Arlovski to re-claim the heavyweight championship
• UFC 61, July 8, 2006 Sylvia defends his title against Arlovski in a rubber match
• UFC 65, November 18, 2006 Sylvia defends his title against Jeff Monson
• UFC 68, March 3, 2007, Randy Couture defeats Sylvia to become the UFC Heavyweight champion