5 longest UFC welterweight title reigns
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