The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb (84 and 93 kg). It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division.
There are some alternate interpretations of the term. In the former PRIDE, the 205-pound division was known as Middleweight; there was no division named Light Heavyweight in PRIDE. This division also was formerly Middleweight in the UFC. Pancrase's light heavyweight division, which formerly limited competitors to 199 lb (90.5 kg) has been revised to 205 lb (93 kg).
The light heavyweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, is 205 lb (93 kg).
Notable light heavyweights in MMA[]
The listed fighters below fight between 186 and 205 lb (84 and 93 kg):
Lyoto Machida, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Gegard Mousasi, former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight MMA Champion
Randy Couture, 5-time UFC champion, member of the UFC Hall of Fame, former UFC Light heavyweight and Heavyweight champion
Dan Henderson, last PRIDE Middleweight (183-pound) and Light Heavyweight (205-pound) Champion- Rashad Evans, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2
- Forrest Griffin, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, light heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 1
- Chuck Liddell, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, UFC Hall Of Famer
- Wanderlei Silva, PRIDE Middleweight Champion, PRIDE 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix winner, IVC Light Heavyweight Champion
- Vitor Belfort, former UFC Champion & PRIDE veteran
- Yuki Kondo, former Pancrase Light Heavyweight champion
- Enson Inoue, former Shooto Heavyweight champion
- Tito Ortiz, former 5-time defending UFC champion
- Keiichiro Yamamiya, former Pancrase Light Heavyweight champion
- Sanae Kikuta, Pancrase Light heavyweight champion, ADCC 2001 88 kg class winner, All Japan Amateur Shoot boxing Championship Heavyweight Winner
- Quinton Jackson, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion & PRIDE veteran
- Paulo Filho, Last WEC Middlewight Champion, former PRIDE 183-pound contender
- Hidehiko Yoshida, Pride Middleweight veteran and Olympic gold medalist judoka
- Ikuhisa Minowa, PRIDE veteran, winner of DREAM Super Hulk Tournament
- Renato Sobral, former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, IFC tournament champion, UFC veteran
- Anderson Silva, UFC Middleweight Champion, last Cage Rage World Middleweight Champion, former Shooto Middleweight Champion
- Jason Lambert, UFC veteran, former World Extreme Cagefighting Light Heavyweight Champion
- Mauricio Rua, current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, PRIDE 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix Champion
- Mark Coleman, UFC Hall Of Famer, former UFC Heavyweight Champion, PRIDE 2000 Grand Prix Champion
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, PRIDE veteran, 2006 South American Games Boxing Super Heavyweight Champion
- Krzysztof Soszynski, UFC contender, Last TKO Heavyweight Champion
- Thiago Silva, UFC contender, Fury FC 2006 Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion
- Ryan Bader,undefeated light heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 8
- Vladimir Matyushenko, Last IFL Light Heavyweight Champion
See also[]
- List of PRIDE FC Middleweight Champions
- List of UFC Light Heavyweight Champions
- List of Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champions
- List of Pancrase Light Heavyweight Champions
| |||||