Pereira, Jones, Cormier, and extra

Date: Dec. 21, 1997
Occasion: UFC Japan
Opponent: Kevin Jackson
Complete reign: 703 days
Title defenses: Igor Zinoviev (UFC 16), Jeremy Horn (UFC 17), John Lober (UFC Brazil), Tito Ortiz (UFC 22)
Notes: Battle gentle heavyweight champion in UFC historical past. Vacated when he retired in November 1999.

Tito Ortiz

Date: April 14, 2000
Occasion: UFC 25
Opponent: Wanderlei Silva
Complete reign: 1,260 days
Title defenses: Yuki Kondo (UFC 29), Evan Tanner (UFC 30), Elvis Sinosic (UFC 32), Vladimir Matyushenko (UFC 33), Ken Shamrock (UFC 40)

Randy Couture

Date: June 6, 2003
Occasion: UFC 43
Opponent: Chuck Liddell
Notes: Couture beat Liddell for an interim belt whereas Ortiz was out. It was the primary of three legendary fights between the 2.

Randy Couture

Date: Sept. 26, 2003
Occasion: UFC 44
Opponent: Tito Ortiz
Complete reign: 127 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Couture, then a former heavyweight champion, turned the primary fighter to win UFC titles in two divisions.

Vitor Belfort

Date: Jan. 31, 2004
Occasion: UFC 46
Opponent: Randy Couture
Complete reign: 203 days
Title defenses: None

Randy Couture

Date: Aug. 21, 2004
Occasion: UFC 49
Opponent: Vitor Belfort
Complete reign: 238 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Couture turned a two-time 205-pound champion with a win in a rematch.

Could 7, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Former UFC fighter Chuck Liddell in attendance throughout UFC 274 at Footprint Heart. Obligatory Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports activities

Date: April 16, 2005
Occasion: UFC 52
Opponent: Randy Couture
Complete reign: 770 days
Title defenses: Jeremy Horn (UFC 54), Randy Couture (UFC 57), Renato Sobral (UFC 62), Tito Ortiz (UFC 66)
Notes: Liddell gained the title in his second combat within the famed trilogy with Couture, then beat him a 3rd time to shut out the rivalry.

Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva, UFC 92

Date: Could 26, 2007
Occasion: UFC 71
Opponent: Chuck Liddell
Complete reign: 406 days
Title defenses: Dan Henderson (UFC 75)
Notes: The “Rampage” win over Liddell was a rematch of their 2003 PRIDE title combat. When he beat Henderson, it successfully unified the PRIDE and UFC gentle heavyweight titles.

Forrest Griffin

Date: July 5, 2008
Occasion: UFC 86
Opponent: Quinton Jackson
Complete reign: 175 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Griffin gained a UFC title just a little greater than three years after he was the “TUF 1” winner at gentle heavyweight.

Rashad Evans

Date: Dec. 27, 2008
Occasion: UFC 92
Opponent: Forrest Griffin
Complete reign: 147 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Like Griffin, Evans was an “Final Fighter” winner.”

Lyoto Machida

Date: Could 23, 2009
Occasion: UFC 98
Opponent: Rashad Evans
Complete reign: 350 days
Title defenses: Mauricio Rua (UFC 104)
Notes: Machida was unbeaten heading into the title combat at 14-0.

Mar 11, 2017; Fortazela, Brazil, USA; Mauricio Rua (pink gloves) defeats Gian Villante (blue gloves) throughout UFC Battle Night time at Centro de Formacao Olimpica de Fortaleza. Obligatory Credit score: Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports activities

Date: Could 8, 2010
Occasion: UFC 113
Opponent: Lyoto Machida
Complete reign: 315 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: “Shogun” Rua wanted a second shot at it, however knocked out his fellow Brazilian of their rematch to win the title.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 04: Jon Jones seems to be on in the course of the UFC heavyweight championship combat in opposition to Ciryl Gane of France in the course of the UFC 285 occasion at T-Cell Enviornment on March 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Chris Graythen/Getty Photos)

Date: March 19, 2011
Occasion: UFC 128
Opponent: Mauricio Rua
Complete reign: 1,501 days
Title defenses: Quinton Jackson (UFC 135), Lyoto Machida (UFC 140), Rashad Evans (UFC 145), Vitor Belfort (UFC 152), Chael Sonnen (UFC 159), Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 165), Glover Teixeira (UFC 172), Daniel Cormier (UFC 182)
Notes: Stripped of the title for the primary time in April 2015 after a hit-and-run accident.

Daniel Cormier

Date: Could 23, 2015
Occasion: UFC 187
Opponent: Anthony Johnson
Complete reign: 1,315 days
Title defenses: Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 192), Anthony Johnson (UFC 210), Volkan Oezdemir (UFC 220)
Notes: Cormier gained the vacant title after Jones was stripped of it.

Apr 23, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Jon Jones (pink gloves) reacts after defeating Ovince Saint Preux (blue gloves) throughout UFC 197 at MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment. Obligatory Credit score: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports activities

Date: April 23, 2016
Occasion: UFC 197
Opponent: Ovince Saint Preux
Notes: Jones gained an interim title, then failed a drug check and was suspended and stripped of the interim belt. He then beat Cormier at UFC 214 to unify the titles and was stripped when he failed one other drug check. Cormier was reinstated as champion, then vacated the belt when he gained the heavyweight title.

Dec 29, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jon Jones (pink gloves) exits the octogon after his victory over Alexander Gustafsson (not pictured) throughout UFC 232 at The Discussion board. Obligatory Credit score: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports activities

Date: Dec. 29, 1018
Occasion: UFC 232
Opponent: Alexander Gustafsson
Complete reign: 2,098 days
Title defenses: Anthony Smith (UFC 235), Thiago Santos (UFC 239), Dominick Reyes (UFC 247)
Notes: Jones began his second reign as champion, then vacated in August 2020 throughout a UFC contract dispute.

Jan Blachowicz vs. Dominick Reyes, UFC 253

Date: Sept. 27, 2020
Occasion: UFC 253
Opponent: Dominick Reyes
Complete reign: 398 days
Title defenses: Israel Adesanya (UFC 259)
Notes: Blachowicz’s win over Reyes was for the vacant belt after Jon Jones introduced his intention to maneuver to heavyweight. His lone title protection got here in opposition to middleweight Adesanya, who moved up in an try and win a second title.

Glover Teixeira

Date: Oct. 30, 2021
Occasion: UFC 267
Opponent: Jan Blachowicz
Complete reign: 225
Title defenses: None
Notes: At 42, Teixeira turned the oldest first-time champion in UFC historical past with the win.

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE – JUNE 12: Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic celebrates with the sunshine heavyweight title belt after submitting Glover Teixeira of Brazil within the fifth spherical throughout UFC 275 at Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 12, 2022 in Singapore. (Picture by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Photos)

Date: June 12, 2022
Occasion: UFC 275
Opponent: Glover Teixeira
Complete reign: 164 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Prochazka vacated the title in November 2022 after he suffered a shoulder damage that he anticipated would maintain him out for a 12 months. After he vacated the title, Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fought at UFC 282 for the vacant belt, however their bout was a draw.

Jan 21, 2023; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Jamahal Hill (blue gloves) reacts after the combat in opposition to Glover Teixeira (pink gloves) throughout UFC 283 at Jeunesse Enviornment. Obligatory Credit score: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports activities

Date: Jan. 21, 2023
Occasion: UFC 283
Opponent: Glover Teixeira
Complete reign: 174 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev first fought at UFC 282 for the vacant belt, however their bout was a draw. Hill and Teixeira have been subsequent to get a crack at it. However Hill vacated the title in July 2023 after he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon enjoying a pickup basketball sport with fighters in Las Vegas.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 11: Alex Pereira of Brazil walks to the octagon to face Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic within the UFC gentle heavyweight championship combat in the course of the UFC 295 occasion at Madison Sq. Backyard on November 11, 2023 in New York Metropolis. (Picture by Sarah Stier/Getty Photos)

Date: Nov. 11, 2023
Occasion: UFC 295
Opponent: Jiri Prochazka
Complete reign: Incumbent
Title defenses: Jamahal Hill (UFC 300), Jiri Prochazka (UFC 303)
Notes: Pereira gained a title in a second division faster than anybody in UFC historical past.