5 Longest UFC title reigns of all time

The UFC - Seen some epic title reigns in the past 25 years
The UFC - Seen some epic title reigns in the past 25 years

The UFC has seen some very long and very short title reigns over the course of the organisation's 25-year history.

This list looks at the five men who have held UFC titles for the longest period of time.

Note: For the purposes of this list, no active title reigns have been included in the calculations.

#5 Jon Jones - Light Heavyweight Championship (1501 days)

Jon Jones - Enjoyed an epic reign as Light Heavyweight Champion
Jon Jones - Enjoyed an epic reign as Light Heavyweight Champion

Jon Jones won the UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship at UFC 128 on March 19, 2011 versus Mauricio Rua and from there embarked on an impressive four-year reign with the Championship before he was stripped of the gold after testing positive for steroids.

Jones racked up a record eight successful Light-Heavyweight title defences as he defeated a who's who of challengers including legendary opponents such as Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Vitor Belfort, Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida.

Perhaps most impressively, Jones remains the only man to defeat current Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Cormier.

Jones's future is still unclear with no announcements on a potential return with the prospect of a four-year suspension still on the cards.

The undisputed King of the Light-Heavyweight division could yet return to reclaim his crown.

#4 Jose Aldo - Featherweight Championship (1848 days)

Jose Aldo - The longest reigning Featherweight Champion of all time
Jose Aldo - The longest reigning Featherweight Champion of all time

Jose Aldo is one of the biggest names in MMA and for good reason. He is one if not the most dominant Featherweight competitors in history.

The Brazilian became the inagural UFC Featherweight Champion when his WEC Championship was merged with the brand new UFC version of the belt.

Aldo demonstrated his dominance was not limited to one promotion and set the UFC alight with impressive title defences against the likes of Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar and Ricardo Lamas.

A black belt in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, Aldo holds the record for most wins and knockouts in UFC and WEC Featherweight history.

Aldo's epic five year reign as the finest Featherweight in MMA ended when he was knocked out in just 13 seconds by Conor McGregor.

Aldo has not been the same since but such is his talent, he possess the ability to bounce back and reclaim the UFC Featherweight crown.

#3 George St. Pierre - Welterweight Championship (2064 days)

UFC 217: Bisping v St-Pierre
George St. Pierre dominated the Welterweight division for four years

George St. Pierre and the Welterweight Championship are almost inseparable. Few fighters embody a division like GSP.

After a short first reign as Welterweight Champion, GSP bounced back in style when he defeated the man who had dominated the division for years, Matt Hughes to win the interim title which was upgraded when GSP unified the division with a victory over Matt Serra, the man who had beaten him for his first Welterweight strap.

From that point on, GSP defeated everybody the UFC lined up in front of him. Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Josh Koscheck, Jake Shields, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz and others all fell to the talented Canadian.

GSP's reign did not even lose the Welterweight Championship in the Octagon. He vacated it, citing burnout from fighting and took a lengthy sabbatical before his return in November 2017 as a Middleweight.

The finest Welterweight in MMA history has a lot left in the tank and could well reclaim the title he is synonymous with.

#2 Demetrius Johnson - Flyweight Championship (2142 days)

Demetri
Demetrius Johnson - The man to beat in the Flyweight division

Regarded as one of the finest MMA fighters of all time, Demetrius Johnson lives up to that billing every single time he steps into the Octagon.

The 32-year-old American was the first UFC Flyweight Champion in the company's history when he won a tournament, last defeating Joseph Benavidez in the final.

Johnson then reigned atop his division for over six years as he cut through all the competition that UFC offered up to him, beating the likes of John Dodson (twice), Chris Cariaso and Ray Borg.

In the process, Johnson broke the record for most consecutive title defences in any weight class in UFC with 11 before he finally relinquished the belt to Olympic Gold Medallist, Henry Cejudo via a close, split decision.

Johnson will be back and it would be a brave person to bet against him reclaiming the Featherweight Championship.

#1 Anderson Silva - Middleweight Championship (2457 days)

Anderson Silva - The longest reigning Champion in UFC histor

Anderson Silva is the longest reigning Champion in UFC history.

Silva defeated Rich Franklin way back at UFC 64 with a brutal knockout to win the Middleweight Championship.

His reign encompassed a record 16 fight winning streak in the promotion. Silva defeated huge names including Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Patrick Cote, Forest Griffin, Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort.

Silva's epic six-year reign was finally terminated by Chris Weidman at UFC 162 losing via knockout. Silva failed to regain the belt UFC 168 in a rematch in which he broke his leg, therefore losing the bout by TKO.

Silva underwent surgery to reset his tibia and fibula but has never been the same since. Memories of his record-breaking reign are fading into history. However, should Silva return to the Octagon, who knows what the legend could once again achieve?

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