Belt turnover has been relentless in 2026. Here is exactly who holds gold across all 12 UFC divisions right now.
## Men’s Champions
– Heavyweight: Tom Aspinall, champion since June 2025
– Light Heavyweight: Carlos Ulberg, won the title with a first-round knockout of Jiřà Procházka at UFC 327
– Middleweight: Sean Strickland, won a split decision over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328
– Welterweight: Islam Makhachev, a two-division champion after beating Jack Della Maddalena, since defended against Ian Machado Garry
– Lightweight: Justin Gaethje, took the belt from Ilia Topuria in June 2026
– Featherweight: Alexander Volkanovski, a two-time champion defending against Movsar Evloev in October
– Bantamweight: Petr Yan, reclaimed the title from Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323
– Flyweight: Joshua Van, won the belt from Alexandre Pantoja and defends in a rematch this September
## Women’s Champions
– Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern, won the vacant title after Zhang Weili moved up in weight
– Flyweight: Valentina Shevchenko, a two-time champion and the UFC’s longest-reigning current titleholder
РBantamweight: Kayla Harrison, champion after defeating Julianna Pe̱a
– Featherweight: Vacant since Amanda Nunes’ 2023 retirement
## Why So Many Belts Are Fresh
Almost every title on this list has changed hands within the past 12 months, a reflection of just how competitive the sport has become at the top. Several champions, including Makhachev and Volkanovski, have already defended once or more, while others are still awaiting their first defense.
For where each of these champions ranks pound-for-pound, see our latest UFC rankings. Curious which titles are on the line next? Check upcoming UFC title fights, and for the divisions themselves, our weight classes explained guide covers every limit in detail.
## Final Word
With this much movement at the top of every division, treat this list as a snapshot: in the current era of the UFC, no title feels safe for long.