Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.

Boxing

Professional

In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above 154 lb and up to 160 lb. 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 champions

Current world rankings

The Ring

As of October 14, 2024. Keys:

BoxRec

As of January 25, 2025.

Longest reigning world middleweight champions

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.

Amateur

Olympic champions

Kickboxing

Bare-knuckle boxing

The limit for middleweight generally differs among promotions in bare-knuckle boxing:

Lethwei

The World Lethwei Championship recognizes the middleweight division with an upper limit of 75 kg. In World Lethwei Championship, Naimjon Tuhtaboyev is the Middleweight Champion.

Mixed Martial Arts

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.

Taekwondo