UFC Welterweight Title Lineage

Go Through All Of The Welterweight Title Winners In UFC History

By Thomas Gerbasi, on Twitter: @TGerbasi • Mar. 22, 2023

This 170 lb pound weight class has given us some of the most memorable bouts we have ever seen and includes five UFC Hall of Famers.

With Kamaru Usman at the top for 1,267 days, he was eventually stripped of his title by Leon Edwards at UFC 278. Let's take a look at the title lineage of the welterweight division.

defeats Mikey Burnett at UFC Brazil (10/16/98) to win the UFC Welterweight title, which was then called the lightweight title.

Pat Miletich (1998-2001) Defeats Mikey Burnett at UFC Brazil (10/16/98) to win the UFC Welterweight title, which was then called the lightweight title. Miletich defends the title against Jorge Patino, Andre Pederneiras, John Alessio, and Kenichi Yamamoto. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Carlos Newton (2001) Defeats Pat Miletich by submission at UFC 31 (5/4/2001) to securing the UFC welterweight title. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

(Matt Hughes celebrates his victory over Carlos Newton at UFC 34 on 11/2/2001)

Matt Hughes (2001-2004) Defeats Carlos Newton by knockout at UFC 34 on (11/2/2001) to win the UFC welterweight title. Hughes would go on to successfully defend his title against Hayato Sakurai, Carlos Newton, Gil Castillo, Sean Sherk, and Frank Trigg. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

BJ Penn (2004) Defeats Hughes at UFC 46 (1/31/2004). Penn was stripped of the title on (5/17/2004) when he left the UFC for K-1.

Matt Hughes is hoisted up on Georges St-Pierre's shoulders after Hughes defeated St-Pierre in their welterweight championship bout at UFC 50 at the Boardwalk Hall on October 22, 2004 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

Matt Hughes (2004-2006) Defeats Georges St-Pierre at UFC 50 on (10/22/2004) to win. Hughes defends the title against Frank Trigg and BJ Penn, and defeats Royce Gracie in a non-title bout. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Georges St-Pierre (2006-2007) Defeats Hughes by TKO on (11/18/2006) to win the UFC welterweight title.

Matt Serra (brown/camo shorts) def. Georges St-Pierre (green shorts) - TKO - 3:25 round 1 during UFC 69 at Toyota Center on April 7, 2007 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

Matt Serra (2007) Defeats St-Pierre in the first round at UFC 69 on (6/7/2007) to win the UFC welterweight championship. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Georges St-Pierre (2007-2013) Defeats Hughes to win interim title at UFC 79 on (12/29/2007). (Watch On UFC Fight Pass) He then regains the undisputed title by stopping Serra in the second round at UFC 83 on (6/19/2008). GSP successfully defended his title against Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck, Jake Shields, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz and Johny Hendricks. Vacated title on (12/13/2013). (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Carlos Condit poses for a photo with his new Harley Davidson motorcycle after his victory over Nick Diaz during the UFC 143 event at Mandalay Bay Events Center on February 4, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

Carlos Condit (2012) Defeats Nick Diaz for the interim welterweight title at UFC 143 (2/12/2012). St-Pierre vacated the title on (12/13/2013) when he decided to take time off. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Johny Hendricks (2014) Defeats Robbie Lawler at UFC 171 (3/15/2014). (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Robbie Lawler reacts to his victory over Johny Hendricks in their UFC welterweight championship bout during the UFC 181 event inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center on December 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Zuffa LLC)

Robbie Lawler (2014-2016) Defeats Hendricks at UFC 181 (12/6/2014) to win the title. He successfully defended the belt against Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Tyron Woodley (2016-2019) Defeats Lawler at UFC 201 on (7/30/2016) to win the title. He successfully defended the title against Stephen Thompson (twice), Demian Maia and Darren Till. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

President Dana White places the interim welterweight championship belt on Colby Covington after defeating Rafael Dos Anjos of Brazil in their interim welterweight title fight during the UFC 225 event at the United Center on June 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illino

Colby Covington (2018) Defeats Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 (6/9/2018) for the interim title. Stripped of the interim belt due to injury in September of 2018. (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Kamaru Usman (2019-2022) Defeats Woodley at UFC 235 on (3/2/2019) to win the title. He successfully defended his title against Colby Covington (twice), Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal (twice). (Watch On UFC Fight Pass)

Leon Edwards of Jamaica reacts after defeating Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in the UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 278 event at Vivint Arena on August 20, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

Leon Edwards (2022-Present) Defeats Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 (8/20/2022) via knockout in round five (Watch On UFC Fight Pass). Defends against Usman at UFC 286 (03/18/23).

Top Knockouts | Welterweight

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