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middleweight

{{short description|Weight class in combat sports}}

{{pp-pc1}}

Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.

Boxing

=Professional=

In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above {{convert|154|lb|kg|abbr=on}} and up to {{convert|160|lb|kg|abbr=on}}.

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==

{{main|List of world middleweight boxing champions}}

class="wikitable"

!Sanctioning Body

!Reign Began

!Champion

!Record

!Defenses

WBA

|March 9, 2023

|Erislandy Lara

|31–3–3 (19 KO)

|align=center|2

WBC

|May 7, 2024

|Carlos Adames

|23–1–1 (18 KO)

|align=center|2

IBF

|October 14, 2023

|Janibek Alimkhanuly

|16–0 (11 KO)

|align=center|1

WBO

|August 26, 2022

|Janibek Alimkhanuly{{cite web |title=In the Matter of the WBO Middleweight Division |date=27 August 2022 |url=https://wboboxing.com/boxing-news/wbo-championship-committee-resolution-in-the-matter-of-the-wbo-middleweight-division/ |publisher=World Boxing Organization |access-date=29 August 2022}}

|16–0 (11 KO)

|align=center|3

==Current world rankings==

===''The Ring''===

As of April 29, 2025.{{Cite web|url= https://ringmagazine.com/en/ring-ranking |title=The Ring ratings: middleweight|access-date=21 April 2025}}

Keys:

:{{Color box|gold|C|border=darkgray}} Current The Ring world champion

class="wikitable"

!Rank

!Name

!Record

!Title(s)

bgcolor=gold|C

|{{font color|gray|vacant}}

|

|

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)

|

===BoxRec===

As of {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTDAY}}, {{CURRENTYEAR}}.{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/ratings?r%5Brole%5D=proboxer&r%5Bsex%5D=M&r%5Bdivision%5D=Middleweight&r%5Bcountry%5D=&r%5Bstance%5D=&r%5Bstatus%5D=a&r_go=|title=BoxRec ratings: middleweight, active|access-date=31 December 2020}}

class="wikitable"

!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 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.

class="sortable wikitable"
Rank

!Name

!Title Reign

!Title Recognition

!Successful Defenses

!Beaten opponents

!Fights

1.Bernard Hopkinsdata-sort-value="{{age in days|1995|04|29|2005|07|16}}" | 10 years, 2 months, 18 daysIBF, WBA, WBC, WBOalign="center" | 20align="center" | 17{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/001414|title=Professional boxing record: Bernard Hopkins|access-date=11 April 2020}}
2.Tommy Ryandata-sort-value="{{age in days|1898|10|24|1907|05|28}}" | 8 years, 7 months, 4 daysWorldalign="center" |6align="center" |6{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/031487|title=Professional boxing record: Tommy Ryan|access-date=11 April 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheBoxingRegisterInternationalBoxingHallOfFameOfficialRecordBook|work=The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book |publisher=International Boxing Hall Of Fame |title=Tommy Ryan, p. 242|format=pdf |access-date=26 May 2019}}
3.Gennady Golovkindata-sort-value="{{age in days|2010|8|14|2018|9|15}}" | 8 years, 1 months, 1 dayWBA (Super), IBF, WBCalign="center" | 18align="center" | 14{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/356831|title=Professional boxing record: Gennadiy Golovkin|access-date=11 April 2020}}
4.Tony Zaledata-sort-value="{{age in days|1940|07|19|1947|07|16}}" | 6 years, 11 months, 24 daysNBA (current WBA)align="center" | 4align="center" | 4{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheBoxingRegisterInternationalBoxingHallOfFameOfficialRecordBook|work=The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book |publisher=International Boxing Hall Of Fame |title=Tony Zale, p. 794|format=pdf |access-date=26 May 2019}}
5.Carlos Monzóndata-sort-value="{{age in days|1970|11|07|1977|08|29}}" | 6 years, 9 months, 9 daysWBA, WBCalign="center" | 14align="center" | 11{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/009036|title=Professional boxing record: Carlos Monzon|access-date=11 April 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheBoxingRegisterInternationalBoxingHallOfFameOfficialRecordBook|work=The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book |publisher=International Boxing Hall Of Fame |title=Carlos Monzon, p. 608|format=pdf |access-date=26 May 2019}}
6.Marvelous Marvin Haglerdata-sort-value="{{age in days|1980|09|27|1987|04|06}}" | 6 years, 7 months, 10 daysWBC, WBA, IBFalign="center" | 12align="center" | 10{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/008684|title=Professional boxing record: Marvin Hagler|access-date=11 April 2020}}
7.Nonpareil Jack Dempseydata-sort-value="{{age in days|1884|07|30|1891|01|14}}" | 6 years, 6 months, 15 daysWorldalign="center" | 2align="center" | 2{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/017958|title=Professional boxing record: Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey|access-date=11 April 2020}}
8.Felix Sturmdata-sort-value="{{age in days|2007|04|28|2012|09|01}}" | 5 years, 4 months, 4 daysWBAalign="center" | 12align="center" | 10
9.Jermall Charlodata-sort-value="data-sort-value="{{Age in days |month1=6 |day1=26 |year1=2019 }}" | {{Age in years, months, weeks and days |month1=6 |day1=29 |year1=2019}}WBCstyle="text-align:center;"| 4style="text-align:center;"| 4{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/471634|title=Professional boxing record: Jermall Charlo |access-date=18 January 2022}}
10.Demetrius Andradedata-sort-value="{{age in days |2018|10|18|2022|08|30 }}" | 3 years, 10 month, 12 daysWBOalign="center" | 5align="center" | 5{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/468433|title=Professional boxing record:Demetrius Andrade|access-date=22 May 2022}}
11.Bob Fitzsimmonsdata-sort-value="{{age in days|1891|01|14|1894|09|26}}" | 3 years, 8 months, 12 daysWorldalign="center" | 1align="center" | 1{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/10552|title=Professional boxing record: Bob Fitzsimmons|access-date=14 March 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/TheBoxingRegisterInternationalBoxingHallOfFameOfficialRecordBook|work=The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book |publisher=International Boxing Hall Of Fame |title=Bob Fitzsimmons, p. 128|format=pdf |access-date=26 May 2019}}
12.Arthur Abrahamdata-sort-value="{{age in days|2005|12|10|2009|07|12}}" | 3 years, 7 months, 2 daysIBFalign="center" | 10align="center" | 10{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/208432|title=Professional boxing record: Arthur Abraham|access-date=11 April 2020}}

:{{Color box|#B2FFFF|border=darkgray}} Active Title Reign

:{{Color box|transparent|border=darkgray}} Reign has ended

=Amateur=

==Olympic champions==

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

{{div col end}}

Kickboxing

  • 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).[http://www.gloryworldseries.com/en/fighters/rankings/mw OFFICIAL GLORY RANKING] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108155358/http://www.gloryworldseries.com/en/fighters/rankings/mw |date=2014-01-08 }}
  • In Bellator Kickboxing promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85 kg (187 lb).
  • In ONE Championship, the middleweight division limit is {{convert|93|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.

Bare-knuckle boxing

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 {{convert|175|lb|kg|abbr=on}}.
  • In BYB Extreme Fighting Series, the middleweight division has an upper limit of {{convert|160|lb|kg|abbr=on}}.
  • In BKB™, the middleweight division has an upper limit of {{convert|89|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}.

Lethwei

The World Lethwei Championship recognizes the middleweight division with an upper limit of {{convert|75|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. In World Lethwei Championship, Naimjon Tuhtaboyev is the Middleweight Champion.

Mixed Martial Arts

{{main|Middleweight (MMA)}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ten-greatest-middleweight-fighters-in-mma-history-anderson-silva-is-the-divisions-clear-goat/|title=Ten greatest middleweight fighters in MMA history: Anderson Silva is the division's clear GOAT|website=CBSSports.com|date=27 May 2020 }}

Taekwondo

class="wikitable"

!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

|

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Boxing weight classes}}

Category:Boxing weight classes

Category:Kickboxing weight classes

Category:Professional wrestling weight classes

Category:Taekwondo weight classes

Category:Wrestling weight classes

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