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Despite taking a few years before being introduced as a weight division in the UFC, the welterweight division has been consistently strong. Throughout the years, many of the sport’s best fighters have competed in that weight class at some point in their careers. As a result, some of the promotion’s biggest fights have come from this division.
The welterweight division also continues to feature somebody in the list for being the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighter. Kamaru Usman has followed the previous champions in earning that status and is having a memorable reign so far.
In addition, the championship has become much more prestigious because of the quality of fighters. There have been a few lengthy reigns that’ve cemented the legacy of the champions. This list will look at the five longest UFC welterweight title reigns.
#5. Matt Hughes – UFC welterweight champion (820 days)
UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes had two reigns as welterweight champion, but his first reign was more memorable than the second. The first reign began when he defeated former champion Carlos Newton a by second-round knockout following a vicious body slam. It began in November 2001 and ended in January 2004 for a total of 820 days.
It was a significant reign as Hughes was considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world during his time. That status brought a lot of attention to his title defenses as some of them included wins over Carlos Newton, Frank Trigg and former lightweight champion Sean Sherk.
Hughes lost the title to BJ Penn in 2004, but regained it later that year. Penn was stripped off the title after leaving the promotion, so a title bout between Hughes and Georges St-Pierre was booked instead. He went on to beat St-Pierre via armbar in the very last seconds of round two.
Check out: Latest UFC Welterweight Rankings
#4. Pat Miletich – UFC welterweight champion (931 days)
Pat Miletich's reign as UFC welterweight champion has been underrated throughout the years. The Hall of Famer won the inaugural welterweight championship after defeating Mikey Burnett by split decision at Ultimate Brazil. His reign lasted a total of 931 days.
Although the division was known as the lightweight division when he won the title, it was later recognized as the welterweight championship in 2001. During his title reign, ‘The Croatian Sensation’ had four successful title defenses that included wins over Jorge Patino and John Alessio.
Miletich’s championship reign came to an end in 2001, after Carlos Newton submitted him with a bulldog choke in round-three. He would only fight four more times over the next seven years after dealing with injuries and retiring in 2008. The promotion recognized him for his accomplishments and inducted him into the Pioneer Wing of their Hall of Fame in 2014.
#3. Tyron Woodley – UFC welterweight champion (945 days)
Tyron Woodley made a statement when he knocked out Robbie Lawler to become the welterweight champion at UFC 201. ‘The Chosen One’ held the title from July 30, 2016 until March 2, 2019 for a total of 945 days.
During his reign, Woodley had four successful title defenses. His reign began with a majority draw against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson that earned both of them a Fight of the Night bonus. After the draw the promotion booked a rematch, which saw Woodley retain the title again by majority decision. He then followed that up with dominant wins over Demian Maia and Darren Till.
Woodley's reign came to an end when he lost to current champion Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision. Unfortunately for Woodley, he wouldn’t get back to title contention as he lost his next three bouts. Following his loss to Vicente Luque, the promotion decided not to renew his contract.
#2. Kamaru Usman – current UFC welterweight champion (1113+ days)
Current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is having a historic UFC title reign that hasn’t been seen in quite some time. He defeated Tyron Woodley in 2016 and has since moved to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. His reign is ongoing, but he is only the second person to hold the welterweight championship past the thousand-day mark.
During his reign, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has defended the title on five occasions. He defeated former training partner Gilbert Burns, and rivals Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington, twice.
His bouts with Burns and Covington were significant as he showcased his resilience. After almost being knocked out by Burns, he regrouped and took over the fight on his way to a third-round TKO win. His bouts with Covington were classics and saw him be truly tested in the octagon. It’ll be interesting to see what Usman accomplishes next as he’s still in the prime of his career.
#1) Georges St-Pierre – UFC welterweight champion (2064 days)
Georges St-Pierre’s second reign as welterweight champion cemented his legacy as the greatest welterweight in UFC history. He defeated Matt Serra by second-round TKO to avenge his loss and regain the welterweight championship. His remarkable reign lasted for 2064 days and saw the Canadian become one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.
‘Rush’ defeated a who’s who of the sport in his second reign as welterweight champion. He defeated then-lightweight champion BJ Penn in the promotion’s first champion vs. champion bout. He also defeated the best fighters from Strikeforce after Zuffa purchased their competitor.
St-Pierre defeated Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields and at the same time ended his impressive 15-fight winning streak. He followed that up by defending it against interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. After defending it against Johny Hendricks, he relinquished the title and took a hiatus from MMA.
