The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:
- UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb (77.5 to 84 kg)
- DREAM's middleweight division, which limits competitors to 185 lb (84 kg)
- Sengoku's middleweight division, which limits competitors to 183 lb (83 kg)
- Pancrase's middleweight division, which formerly limited competitors to 181 lb (82 kg) now revised to 185 lb (84 kg)
- Shooto's middleweight class, which refers to competitors between 155 and 167 lb (70 and 76 kg)
- PRIDE FC's (defunct) middleweight division, which limited competitors to 205 lb (93 kg)
Ambiguity and clarification[]
For the sake of uniformity, many mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 171 and 185 lb (77.5 and 84 kg) as middleweights. This encompasses the former PRIDE Welterweight division (183 lb / 83 kg) and Shooto's light heavyweight division of the same weight limit.
The Middleweight division in the UFC used to be between 186 and 205 lb (84 and 93 kg) now known as their Light Heavyweight division.
The middleweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, is 185 lb (84 kg).
Notable middleweights in MMA[]
The listed fighters below are subjected to weight limits between 181 and 187 lb (82 and 85 kg):
Anderson Silva, UFC middleweight champion, last Cage Rage world middleweight champion, former Shooto middleweight champion
Jake Shields, Strikeforce middleweight MMA champion, final EXC welterweight champion, Rumble on the Rock welterweight champion, Former Shooto middleweight world champion- Wanderlei Silva, former PRIDE middleweight champion and Pride 2003 Grand Prix Winner
Cung Le, former Strikeforce middleweight MMA champion, undefeated Sanshou veteran- Demian Maia, Super Challenge 1 champion 83 kg, 2007 ADCC SWW champion 77–87 kg, UFC contender
- , Gegard Mousasi, former DREAM middleweight champion, DREAM 2008 middleweight Grand Prix winner
- Rich Franklin, former UFC middleweight champion
- Ronaldo Souza, DREAM contender, 2008 DREAM middleweight Grand Prix runner-up, 2004-5 openweight Mundials champion, 2005 ADCC absolute division runner-up
- Jorge Santiago, SRC middleweight champion, SRC Grand Prix champion, Strikeforce middleweight tournament champion
- Keiichiro Yamamiya, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, former Pancrase light heavyweight champion
- Yoshihiro Akiyama, K-1 HERO's 187-pound champion, UFC contender
- Michael Bisping, light heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 Cage Rage light heavyweight champion, former CWFC light heavyweight champion.
- Murilo Bustamante, former UFC middleweight champion, PRIDE 2005 183-pound Grand Prix finalist
- Ryo Chonan, DEEP middleweight champion
- Patrick Côté, last TKO middleweight champion, former MFC middleweight champion, former KOTC champion, former TKO light heavyweight champion, UFC contender.
- Jason Day, former TKO middleweight champion, UFC veteran.
- Izuru Takeuchi, Pancrase middleweight champion
- Riki Fukuda, current Deep middleweight champion
- Paulo Filho, last WEC middleweight champion and PRIDE 183-pound contender
- Vitor Belfort, Affliction middleweight veteran, last Cage Rage light heavyweight world champion, former UFC light heavyweight champion
- Kendall Grove, middleweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3
- Dan Henderson, last PRIDE welterweight (183-pound) champion, first PRIDE 183-pound Grand Prix champion (2005), UFC veteran
- Frank Shamrock, first and former UFC Middleweight Champion (at what is now LHW), former interim King of Pancrase, former Strikeforce middleweight champion
- Denis Kang, PRIDE 2006 183-pound Grand Prix finalist, current Spirit MC heavyweight champion, UFC contender
- Yuki Kondo, Pancrase and PRIDE veteran, former King Of Pancrase
- Robbie Lawler, ICON Sport middleweight champion, E XC middleweight champion, PRIDE veteran, UFC veteran
- Travis Lutter, middleweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 4
- Nate Marquardt, former King of Pancrase champion, UFC contender
- Jason "Mayhem" Miller, former ICON Sport middleweight champion, UFC and WFA veteran, former ICON Sport welterweight champion
- Kazuo Misaki, PRIDE 183-pound Grand Prix champion
- Rousimar Palhares, Fury FC middleweight champion, UFC contender
- Murilo Rua, former EXC middleweight champion, PRIDE veteran
- Kazushi Sakuraba, PRIDE legend, K-1 HERO's veteran, UFC Japan tournament champion
- Evan Tanner, former UFC middleweight champion
- Frank Trigg, PRIDE veteran, UFC veteran, former WFA welterweight champion, former ICON Sport middleweight championship
- Mamed Khalidov, KSW International Championship, SRC contender
- Joey Villasenor, former KOTC middleweight champion, Strikeforce middleweight contender
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