Following the name of the champion(s): Indicates the number of times the competitor has held that title at that point.
[...]
Indicates a gap in the listing where title changes are not known.
<
Title was held or changed hands no later than this. In these cases, it is known that a competitor held the title at a certain time but not when he/she won it.
@
Order uncertain. Different titleholders may be known for the same year, for example, but it is not known who held the title before whom.
#
Unofficial or disputable claims. These are usually matches that certainly took place, but where there is doubt that the competitor shown should be recognized as a true title holder. These listings are also italicized.
Stripped in 98-01 upon leaving UFC due to a contract dispute.
Bas Rutten
1999-05-07
Birmingham, AL
Defeats Kevin Randleman; vacant in 99-06 when Rutten retires due to training injuries.
Kevin Randleman
1999-11-19
Tōkyō, JPN
Defeats Pete Williams.
Randy Couture [2]
2000-11-17
Atlantic City, NJ
Josh Barnett
2002-03-22
Las Vegas, NV
Stripped on 02-07-26 after testing positive for anabolic steroids in a post-fight drug test.
Ricco Rodriguez
2002-09-27
Uncasville, CT
Defeats Randy Couture.
Tim Sylvia
2003-02-28
Atlantic City, NJ
Vacates in 03-09 after testing positive for anabolic steroids in a post-fight drug test.
Frank Mir
2004-06-19
Las Vegas, NV
Defeats Tim Sylvia; injured in a motorcycle accident on 04-09-17; Andrei Arlovski defeats Tim Sylvia on 05-02-05 in Las Vegas, NV for interim title; Mir is stripped in 05-08 after being unable to defend due to an injury.
Andrei Arlovski
2005-08-12
Promoted to undisputed champion.
Tim Sylvia [2]
2006-04-15
Anaheim, CA
Randy Couture [3]
2007-03-03
Columbus, OH
On 07-10-11, Couture announces his departure from UFC but continues to be recognized as the champion; Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira defeats Tim Sylvia on 08-02-02 in Las Vegas, NV for an interim title; Frank Mir defeats Nogueira on 08-12-27 in Las Vegas, NV for interim title.
Brock Lesnar
2008-11-15
Las Vegas, NV
Defeats Courture (for an "interim" title according to the UFC Official Site as of 10-07-28; however, listed as a regular title on the DVD packages of UFC91 and UFC100); also defeats Frank Mir on 09-07-11 in Las Vegas, NV to become the undisputed champion; suffers mononucleosis later in the year; Shane Carwin defeats Frank Mir on 10-03-27 in Newark, NJ for an interim title; Lesnar defeats Carwin on 10-07-03 in Las Vegas, NV to become the undisputed champion.
Cain Velasquez
2010-10-23
Anaheim, CA
Junior dos Santos
2011-11-12
Anaheim, CA
Cain Velasquez [2]
2012-12-29
Las Vegas, NV
Fabrício Werdum defeats Mark Hunt on 14-11-15 in Mexico City, DF, MEX for an interim title.
Fabrício Werdum
2015-06-13
Mexico City, DF, MEX
Defeats Velasquez to become the undisputed champion.
Stipe Miocic
2016-05-14
Curitiba, BRA
Daniel Cormier
2018-07-07
Las Vegas, NV
Stipe Miocic [2]
2019-08-17
Anaheim, CA
Francis Ngannou
2021-03-27
Enterprise, NV
Also defeats interim champion Ciryl Gane on 22-01-22 in Anaheim, CA; stripped of the title on 23-01-14 due to a contractual dispute (CBS Sports, 23-01-15).
