Sean Strickland holds the UFC middleweight title after six changes in eight title fights

Sean Strickland is the UFC middleweight champion as of October 3, 2026. He regained the belt by defeating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026, winning a split decision with scores of 47–48, 48–47 and 48–47. UFC’s current rankings list him as champion, and its UFC 328 results confirm the title-winning result.

That makes Strickland a two-time champion, not a champion with two successful defenses. The distinction matters in a division where the belt changed hands in six of the eight title fights from UFC 281 through UFC 328.

What title does Strickland hold?

The UFC middleweight championship is contested at a maximum weigh-in weight of 185 pounds. Unlike non-title middleweight bouts, which permit 186 pounds, championship fights do not carry the one-pound allowance. UFC’s weight-class guide specifies that competitors must weigh in at or below 185 pounds.

Strickland first captured the championship against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September 2023. He lost it to Dricus Du Plessis in his next fight, then lost a second title opportunity against Du Plessis before beating Chimaev. His official bout history therefore records two middleweight title-fight wins and zero successful defenses through the date above.

A title-winning victory starts a reign. A successful defense requires the reigning champion to retain the contested belt. Our guide to title-fight wins versus title defenses explains why those totals should not be used interchangeably.

Recent UFC middleweight title results

This table covers eight UFC middleweight championship bouts, beginning with Adesanya’s loss to Alex Pereira on November 12, 2022, and ending with Strickland’s victory over Chimaev on May 9, 2026. “Changed hands” means the challenger defeated the reigning champion; “retained” means a successful defense.

Event	Winner over opponent	Recorded method	Belt outcome
UFC 281	Pereira over Adesanya	TKO, round 5	Changed hands
UFC 287	Adesanya over Pereira	KO, round 2	Changed hands
UFC 293	Strickland over Adesanya	Unanimous decision	Changed hands
UFC 297	Du Plessis over Strickland	Split decision	Changed hands
UFC 305	Du Plessis over Adesanya	Submission, round 4	Retained
UFC 312	Du Plessis over Strickland	Unanimous decision	Retained
UFC 319	Chimaev over Du Plessis	Unanimous decision	Changed hands
UFC 328	Strickland over Chimaev	Split decision	Changed hands

Sources: UFC’s official bout histories for Adesanya and Du Plessis, plus its event results for UFC 319 and UFC 328.

Counting those results produces three useful numbers:

• 6 of 8 bouts changed the champion: 75%.
• 2 of 8 were successful defenses: 25%. Both belonged to Du Plessis.
• 3 of 8 ended by KO/TKO or submission: 37.5%. The other five went to decisions.

Frequent title changes did not require frequent stoppages: four of the six changes came through decisions. Nor does 75% establish the probability that the next challenger wins. This is a small, deliberately bounded recent-history sample, not the division’s complete championship record or a prediction model.

For a broader outcome comparison, see UFC title-fight outcomes by weight class.

The defense benchmark: Anderson Silva’s 10

Anderson Silva holds the UFC middleweight record with 10 successful title defenses. UFC’s middleweight championship comparison places him ahead of Israel Adesanya’s five and Chris Weidman’s three. Its Hall of Fame account records Silva’s reign at 2,457 days, from his October 2006 title win to his July 2013 loss to Weidman.

Those numbers measure different achievements: days measure tenure, defenses count successful title retentions, and title-fight wins also include capturing or recapturing a belt. Strickland’s second championship is a recapture. His first successful defense would be a separate milestone.