Tom AspinallCurrent champion
Randy CoutureMost reigns (3)
1997First champion: Mark Coleman
19Different champions
| # | Champion | Date won | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark Coleman | Feb 7, 1997 | UFC 12 |
| 2 | Maurice Smith | Jul 27, 1997 | UFC 14 |
| 3 | Randy Couture | Dec 21, 1997 | UFC Japan |
| 4 | Bas Rutten | May 7, 1999 | UFC 20 |
| 5 | Kevin Randleman | Nov 19, 1999 | UFC 23 |
| 6 | Randy Couture | Nov 17, 2000 | UFC 28 |
| 7 | Josh Barnett | Mar 22, 2002 | UFC 36 |
| 8 | Ricco Rodriguez | Sep 27, 2002 | UFC 39 |
| 9 | Tim Sylvia | Feb 28, 2003 | UFC 41 |
| 10 | Frank Mir | Jun 19, 2004 | UFC 48 |
| 11 | Andrei Arlovski | Aug 12, 2005 | Promoted from interim |
| 12 | Tim Sylvia | Apr 15, 2006 | UFC 59 |
| 13 | Randy Couture | Mar 3, 2007 | UFC 68 |
| 14 | Brock Lesnar | Nov 15, 2008 | UFC 91 |
| 15 | Cain Velasquez | Oct 23, 2010 | UFC 121 |
| 16 | Junior dos Santos | Nov 12, 2011 | UFC on Fox 1 |
| 17 | Cain Velasquez | Dec 29, 2012 | UFC 155 |
| 18 | Fabrício Werdum | Jun 13, 2015 | UFC 188 |
| 19 | Stipe Miocic | May 14, 2016 | UFC 198 |
| 20 | Daniel Cormier | Jul 7, 2018 | UFC 226 |
| 21 | Stipe Miocic | Aug 17, 2019 | UFC 241 |
| 22 | Francis Ngannou | Mar 27, 2021 | UFC 260 |
| 23 | Jon Jones | Mar 4, 2023 | UFC 285 |
| 24 | Tom Aspinall | Jun 21, 2025 | Promoted from interim |
Interim champions are not included. Ciryl Gane won the interim title on June 14, 2026.
Sources: Wikipedia: List of UFC champions. Facts verified Oct 18, 2026.