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UFC Weight Classes in Order, With Limits in Pounds and Kilograms

The UFC's weight classes in order, from lightest to heaviest, are strawweight (115 lb), flyweight (125 lb), bantamweight (135 lb), featherweight (145 lb), lightweight (155 lb), welterweight (170 lb), middleweight (185 lb), light heavyweight (205 lb) and heavyweight (265 lb). As of September 2026, the UFC rankings list eight men's divisions, flyweight through heavyweight, and three women's divisions: strawweight, flyweight and bantamweight. Each number is the upper limit a fighter must hit at the official weigh-in for a title fight.

UFC weight classes in order: the full chart

The pound limits below come from UFC.com's weight class guide. The kilogram figures are converted from pounds (1 lb = 0.4536 kg) and rounded to one decimal, because US commissions weigh fighters in pounds.

# Division Limit (lb) Limit (kg) Non-title max (lb) Men Women
1 Strawweight 115 52.2 116 No Yes
2 Flyweight 125 56.7 126 Yes Yes
3 Bantamweight 135 61.2 136 Yes Yes
4 Featherweight 145 65.8 146 Yes Inactive since 2023
5 Lightweight 155 70.3 156 Yes No
6 Welterweight 170 77.1 171 Yes No
7 Middleweight 185 83.9 186 Yes No
8 Light heavyweight 205 93.0 206 Yes No
9 Heavyweight 265 120.2 266 Yes No

Heavyweight is the only division with a floor: under the Unified Rules weight classes, a heavyweight must weigh over 205 lb and no more than 265 lb.

The gaps between UFC divisions are not even. From flyweight to lightweight each step is 10 lb. Lightweight to welterweight and welterweight to middleweight are 15 lb steps. Middleweight to light heavyweight is 20 lb, and heavyweight covers a 60 lb window on its own.

How many weight classes does the UFC have?

The UFC's own weight class guide says the promotion "currently features 12 weight classes." The live rankings page, checked in September 2026, lists 11 ranked divisions: 8 for men and 3 for women.

The one UFC division missing from the rankings is women's featherweight (145 lb). The UFC introduced that division in late 2016, and its first title fight took place at UFC 208 in February 2017, according to the list of UFC champions. Amanda Nunes held the belt when she retired at UFC 289 in June 2023 and vacated both of her titles. Asked whether the division would end with her, Dana White said "The answer is probably yes". Women's featherweight has no ranking on UFC.com today.

UFC men's weight classes in order

The eight men's divisions, lightest to heaviest:

  1. Flyweight: 125 lb (56.7 kg)
  2. Bantamweight: 135 lb (61.2 kg)
  3. Featherweight: 145 lb (65.8 kg)
  4. Lightweight: 155 lb (70.3 kg)
  5. Welterweight: 170 lb (77.1 kg)
  6. Middleweight: 185 lb (83.9 kg)
  7. Light heavyweight: 205 lb (93.0 kg)
  8. Heavyweight: 206 to 265 lb (93.4 to 120.2 kg)

The UFC has no men's strawweight. ESPN's weight class list points this out, along with the fact that MMA as a whole has nine men's divisions.

UFC women's weight classes in order

The three active women's divisions, lightest to heaviest:

  1. Strawweight: 115 lb (52.2 kg)
  2. Flyweight: 125 lb (56.7 kg)
  3. Bantamweight: 135 lb (61.2 kg)

Women's strawweight is the lightest division in the UFC for anyone. Some other promotions run lighter women's classes such as atomweight, which the UFC does not use, per ESPN.

How UFC weigh-ins work, including the 1 pound allowance

UFC weigh-ins follow a set routine, per UFC.com:

  • Timing: official weigh-ins take place the day before fight night, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. local time. Depending on the athletic commission, a fighter who misses on the first try may get up to one extra hour.
  • Non-title fights: fighters get a 1 pound allowance, so a lightweight can weigh in at 156 lb.
  • Title fights: no allowance. A lightweight title fight means 155 lb or less.

The 1 pound allowance is a long running custom. An Association of Boxing Commissions committee recommended keeping it for non-title bouts, "but only if provided for in the written bout contract or by regulation," in its report on the Unified Rules.

What happens when a UFC fighter misses weight

UFC.com lists three possible outcomes: the fighter forfeits a percentage of the purse to the opponent, the bout is renegotiated as a catchweight, or the fight is canceled. Title fights carry extra risk. At UFC 274, lightweight champion Charles Oliveira weighed 155.5 lb, half a pound over, and was stripped of the title. In 2020, Deiveson Figueiredo came in at 127.5 lb for a flyweight title fight, so only his opponent Joseph Benavidez could have won the belt. Figueiredo won the fight, and the title stayed vacant.

Unified Rules weight classes the UFC does not use

The UFC fights under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, and the rules recognize more weight classes than the UFC uses. The original Unified Rules list included super heavyweight, for fighters over 265 lb, per the ABC committee report. In July 2017 the Association of Boxing Commissions added four more classes, reported by IMMAF:

Unified Rules class Limit (lb) Limit (kg)
Super lightweight 165 74.8
Super welterweight 175 79.4
Super middleweight 195 88.5
Cruiserweight 225 102.1

Promoters are not obliged to use the added classes, and none of them appears in the UFC rankings.

Why UFC weight classes are different from boxing weight classes

UFC weight classes look heavier than boxing's because the two sports use the same names for different numbers. Boxing has 17 traditional men's weight classes, according to ESPN, and the WBC's division list adds an 18th, bridgerweight, up to 224 lb. The UFC uses fewer, wider divisions and none of boxing's in-between "super" and "junior" steps.

Division name UFC limit (lb) WBC boxing limit (lb)
Flyweight 125 112
Bantamweight 135 118
Featherweight 145 126
Lightweight 155 135
Welterweight 170 147
Middleweight 185 160
Light heavyweight 205 175
Heavyweight 265 max Over 224

A UFC lightweight at 155 lb would sit between boxing's super welterweight (154 lb) and middleweight (160 lb). The UFC also caps heavyweight at 265 lb, while boxing's heavyweight division has no upper limit.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the lightest weight class in the UFC?

Women's strawweight is the lightest UFC weight class, with a limit of 115 lb (52.2 kg) for title fights and 116 lb for non-title fights. The lightest men's division is flyweight at 125 lb (56.7 kg). The UFC has no men's strawweight and does not run atomweight, a lighter women's class used by some other promotions.

What is the heaviest weight class in the UFC?

Heavyweight is the heaviest UFC division. A heavyweight must weigh more than 205 lb and no more than 265 lb (120.2 kg), with a 266 lb ceiling for non-title fights. The Unified Rules also define a super heavyweight class for fighters over 265 lb, but the UFC has no super heavyweight division.

How many weight classes are in the UFC?

UFC.com's weight class guide says the UFC features 12 weight classes. The official rankings list 11 active divisions: 8 for men (flyweight to heavyweight) and 3 for women (strawweight, flyweight and bantamweight). The division missing from the rankings, women's featherweight at 145 lb, has sat dormant since Amanda Nunes vacated the title in 2023.

Does the UFC still have a women's featherweight division?

Not in practice. Women's featherweight began with a title fight at UFC 208 in February 2017. Amanda Nunes vacated the belt when she retired in June 2023, and Dana White said the division would "probably" end with her. As of September 2026, UFC.com ranks only three women's divisions: strawweight, flyweight and bantamweight.

What happens if a UFC fighter misses weight?

A fighter who misses weight usually forfeits a percentage of the purse to the opponent, and the bout can go ahead at a catchweight or be canceled. In a title fight, a fighter who misses cannot win the belt. Charles Oliveira was stripped of the lightweight title at UFC 274 after weighing 155.5 lb, half a pound over.

What is a catchweight fight in the UFC?

A catchweight fight is a bout set at an agreed weight that does not match a division limit. UFC.com lists it as one way to save a fight when someone misses weight: the two sides agree on a new number, and the bout goes ahead outside the normal division limits.

Sources

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