Welterweight

Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term welterweight was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the opponents. If used, welterweight is typically between lightweight and middleweight.

Etymology

The first known instance of the term is from 1831, meaning 'heavyweight horseman', later 'boxer or wrestler of a certain weight' by 1896. This sense comes from earlier welter, 'heavyweight horseman or boxer' from 1804, possibly from c. 15th century welt, meaning 'to beat severely'.^[1]

Boxing

Professional boxing

A professional welterweight boxer's weight is greater than 140 pounds, and no more than 147 pounds (about 63.5–66.7 kg).^[2]

Current world champions

Main article: List of world welterweight boxing champions

Current champions

Sanctioning body	Reign began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBA	August 1, 2025	Rolando Romero	17–2 (13 KO)	0
WBC	June 18, 2024	Mario Barrios	29–2–2 (18 KO)	2
IBF		Vacant
WBO	August 12, 2024	Brian Norman Jr.	28–0–0–2 (22 KO)	2

Current world rankings

The Ring

As of August 11, 2025.^[3]

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion

Rank	Name	Record	Title(s)
C	vacant
1	Brian Norman Jr.	28–0–0–2 (22 KO)	WBO
2	Eimantas Stanionis	15–1–0–1 (9 KO)
3	Giovani Santillan	34–1 (18 KO)
4	Rohan Polanco	17–0 (10 KO)
5	Shakhram Giyasov	17–0 (10 KO)
6	Alexis Rocha	25–2–1 (16 KO)
7	Raúl Curiel	16–0–1 (14 KO)
8	Mario Barrios	29–2–2 (18 KO)	WBC
9	Manny Pacquiao	62–8–3 (39 KO)
10	Ekow Essuman	22–1 (8 KO)

BoxRec

As of 29 July 2023^[update].^[4]

Rank	Name	Record	Points	Title(s)
1	Terence Crawford	40–0 (31 KO)	513.6
2	Errol Spence Jr.	28–1 (22 KO)	442.3
3	Keith Thurman	30–1 (22 KO)	155.7
4	Yordenis Ugas	27–5 (12 KO)	139.4
5	Kell Brook	40–3 (28 KO)	100.4
6	Mikey Garcia	40–2 (30 KO)	82.77
7	Vergil Ortiz Jr.	19–0 (19 KO)	79.61
8	Cody Crowley	21–0 (9 KO)	71.90
9	David Avanesyan	29–4–1 (17 KO)	70.84
10	Jaron Ennis	30–0–0–1 (27 KO)	46.31	IBF

Longest-reigning world welterweight champions

Below is a list of longest-reigning welterweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career-total time as champion (for multiple-time champions) does not apply.

	Name	Title reign	Title recognition	Successful defenses	Beaten opponents	Fights
1.	Terence Crawford	7 years, 2 months and 3 days	WBO	7	7	[5]
2.	Félix Trinidad	6 years, 8 months, 14 days	IBF	15	15	[6]
3.	Errol Spence Jr.	6 years, 2 months and 3 days	IBF, WBC	6	5	[7]
4.	Antonio Margarito	5 years, 3 months, 28 days	WBO	7	7	[8]
5.	Ike Quartey	4 years, 7 months, 30 days	WBA	7	7	[9]
6.	Freddie Cochrane	4 years, 7 months, 03 days	NYSAC, NBA	0	0	[10]
7.	José Nápoles	4 years, 6 months, 2 days	WBA, WBC	10	8	[11]
8.	Sugar Ray Robinson	4 years, 1 month, 26 days	NYSAC, NBA	5	5	[12]
9.	Floyd Mayweather Jr.	4 years, 1 month, 18 days	WBC	5	4	[13]
10.	Pernell Whitaker	4 years, 1 month, 6 days	WBC	8	7	[14]
11.	Pipino Cuevas	4 years and 16 days	WBA	11	10	[15]

Top 10 most title defenses

Below is a list of most title defenses by welterweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's reign with the most title defenses. Career-total title defenses as champion (for multiple-time champions) does not apply.

	Name	Title reign	Title recognition	Successful defenses	Beaten opponents	Fights
1.	Henry Armstrong	2 years, 4 months, 3 days	NYSAC, NBA, Ring	19	15	[16]
2.	Félix Trinidad	6 years, 8 months, 14 days	IBF	15	15	[6]
3.	Pipino Cuevas	4 years and 16 days	WBA	11	10	[15]
4.	José Nápoles	4 years, 6 months, 2 days	WBA, WBC, Ring	10	8	[11]
5.	Jack Britton	3 years, 7 months, 13 days	World	9	8	[17][18]
6.	Pernell Whitaker	4 years, 1 month, 6 days	WBC	8	7	[14]
7.	Simon Brown	3 years, 7 months, 6 days	IBF	8	8	[19]
8.	Kid Gavilán	3 years, 5 months, 2 days	NYSAC, NBA, Ring	7	6	[19]
9.	Donald Curry	3 years, 7 months, 14 days	WBA	7	7	[20]
10.	Ike Quartey	4 years, 7 months, 30 days	WBA	7	7	[9]

Amateur boxing

Olympic champions

Main article: List of Olympic medalists in welterweight boxing

The current Olympic male welterweight division is set at 63.5–71 kg (140–157 lb).^[2]

Kickboxing

The weight division system is different in each organisation, so the kickboxing weight divisions of some international organizations vary:

• International Kickboxing Federation (IKF), welterweight (Pro & Amateur) 142.1–147 lb or 64.5–66.7 kg.^[21]
• International Sport Karate Association (ISKA), welterweight 142.1–147 lb or 64.5–66.7 kg.^[22]
• World Kickboxing Association (WKA), welterweight (Pro) upper limit 147.7 lb or 67.0 kg.^[23]
• In Glory promotion, a welterweight division is up to 170 lb or 77 kg.^[24]
• ONE Championship, welterweight upper limit 83.9 kg (185 lb).

Bare-knuckle boxing

The limit for welterweight generally differs among promotions in bare-knuckle boxing:

• In Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, the welterweight division has an upper limit of 165 lb (75 kg).
• In BKB™, the welterweight division has an upper limit of 83 kg (183 lb).

Wrestling

Olympic wrestling

Prior to 1996, the weight limit for welterweight was 74 kg/163 lb in Olympic wrestling.^[25] Since that time, amateur wrestling has named its weight classes by upper weight limit in kilograms.

Professional wrestling

In the US and Canada, there was a 145 lb limit in the early 20th century at least until the early 1920s.^[25]

In Mexico, the lucha libre commission's definition of the welterweight weight class is between 70 kg (150 lb) and 78 kg (172 lb).

In the United Kingdom, the 1947 Admiral-Lord Mountevans rules set out seven weight divisions with maximum weight limits and called for champions to be crowned of each limit. This included Welterweight 11st 11 lb (165 lb or ~75 kg)^[26][27] An earlier system of weight classes with different levels and more divisions - including Welterweight - existed under the 1930 All-In rules.^[28]

Catch wrestling

From the 1870s to the 1910s, the weight limit was 10st 8 lb (148 lb) for Lancashire catch-as-catch-can wrestling under the rules of Sporting Chronicle (Manchester, England).^[25]

Mixed martial arts

Main article: Welterweight (MMA)

The welterweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission^[29] and the Association of Boxing Commissions^[30] is 155 to 170 lb (70.3 to 77.1 kg).

Current champions

This table is not always up to date. Last updated July 26, 2025.

Organization	Reign began	Champion	Record	Title defenses
UFC	May 10, 2025	Jack Della Maddalena	18–2 (12KO 2SUB)	0
Bellator MMA	June 22, 2024	Ramazan Kuramagomedov	13–0 (2KO 6SUB)	0
ONE Championship	October 25, 2019	Kiamrian Abbasov	23–5 (8KO 4SUB)	1
Fight Nights Global	April 6, 2019	Dmitry Bikrev	13–3 (9KO 1SUB)	3
KSW	April 22, 2023	Adrian Bartosiński	16–1 (11KO 2SUB)	3
Titan FC	March 15, 2019	Michael Graves	9–1 (4KO 2SUB)	1
ACA	April 26, 2019	Albert Tumenov	22–4 (14KO)	1
Legacy Fighting Alliance	August 21, 2020	Jaleel Willis	13–2 (5KO)	0
Cage Warriors	April 26, 2025	Justin Burlinson	10-2 (3KO 7SUB)	0

Other sports

Other sports to include a welterweight division include the following:

• Muay Thai has fixed its weight division similarly to boxing.
  • International Kickboxing Federation (IKF): muay Thai welterweight (pro and amateur) 142.1-147 lb or 64.59-66.8 kg
  • World Muay Thai Council (WMC), welterweight range is from 140 to 147 lb or 63.5 to 66.6 kg
  • World Muay Thai Federation (WMF, the official amateur organization), fixed welterweight from 65.0 to 67.0 kg (143.3 to 147.7 lb) for adult and junior
• The official rules of shoot boxing define welterweights as between 65 and 67 kg (143 and 148 lb).
• In Olympic taekwondo, welterweight falls between 74 and 80 kg (163 and 176 lb). At the weight classes for the Olympic games it is between 68 and 80 kg (150 and 176 lb).