At UFC 322, Islam Makhachev became the 11th double champion in UFC history after defeating Jack Della Maddalena at Madison Square Garden to capture the welterweight title. But after successfully defending the 170-pound gold against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330, the Dagestani added another rare achievement to his resume.
Along with breaking the record for the most consecutive wins inside the Octagon, Makhachev became just the fifth UFC double champion to successfully defend a title in two different divisions. Only four fighters had accomplished the feat before him. So, let’s take a look at every UFC double champion who has successfully defended gold across two weight classes.
1. Amanda Nunes
- Divisions: Women’s Bantamweight (135 lbs) & Women’s Featherweight (145 lbs)
- Bantamweight Title Defenses: 6 (First Reign) + 1 (Second Reign)
- Featherweight Title Defenses: 2
Amanda Nunes stands as the most dominant double champion in MMA history. After capturing the bantamweight crown at UFC 200 by choking out Miesha Tate, Nunes went on an unprecedented run.
She defended her 135-pound strap five times, dispatching Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Raquel Pennington, and Holly Holm before stepping up to 145 pounds at UFC 232. In just 51 seconds, she knocked out the feared Cris Cyborg to become the UFC’s first female simultaneous two-division champion.
Unlike most double champs, Nunes actively defended both titles while holding them simultaneously. She defended her featherweight belt against Felicia Spencer (UFC 250) and Megan Anderson (UFC 259), while continuing to defend her bantamweight title against Germaine de Randamie and later reclaiming/defending it against Julianna Pena and Irene Aldana.
Nunes holds the record for the most title fight victories in UFC women’s history (11) and is the only fighter to defend two UFC titles simultaneously while holding both belts.
2. Jon Jones
- Divisions: Light Heavyweight (205 lbs) & Heavyweight (265 lbs)
- Light Heavyweight Title Defenses: 11 (Across two reigns: 8 + 3)
- Heavyweight Title Defenses: 1
Widely considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, Jon Jones spent nearly a decade dominating the 205-pound division. Becoming the youngest champion in UFC history at age 23, Jones logged 11 total title defenses across two light heavyweight reigns, defeating hall-of-famers like Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, and Alexander Gustafsson.
After vacating his light heavyweight title in 2020 to undergo a physical transformation, Jones returned to the Octagon after a three-year hiatus at UFC 285. He submitted Ciryl Gane in under three minutes to capture the vacant UFC Heavyweight gold.
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Jones locked in his entry into this elite club by successfully defending his heavyweight crown against former champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 via a third-round TKO.
Moreover, “Bones” holds the record for the most total title fight wins in UFC history (16) and went undefeated in 12 overall title defense bouts across two weight classes.
3. Islam Makhachev
- Divisions: Lightweight (155 lbs) & Welterweight (170 lbs)
- Lightweight Title Defenses: 4
- Welterweight Title Defenses: 1
Islam Makhachev established a dominant reign in the lightweight division before chasing double-champ status. After capturing the 155-pound title by submitting Charles Oliveira at UFC 280, Makhachev defended his strap four times, defeating featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski twice & submitting Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano.
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Seeking a second belt, Makhachev moved up to 170 pounds at UFC 322 and outclassed Jack Della Maddalena via unanimous decision to capture the welterweight gold. He officially cemented his status on this exclusive two-division defending list at UFC 330, earning a unanimous decision victory over Ian Machado Garry to register his first successful 170-pound title defense.
Moreover, Makhachev’s UFC 330 defense was his 17th consecutive UFC victory, breaking Anderson Silva’s long-standing record (16) for the longest winning streak in history.
4. Daniel Cormier
- Divisions: Light Heavyweight (205 lbs) & Heavyweight (265 lbs)
- Light Heavyweight Title Defenses: 3
- Heavyweight Title Defenses: 1
Daniel Cormier first established his championship legacy at 205 pounds. After winning the vacant light heavyweight belt against Anthony Johnson at UFC 187, Cormier successfully defended the title three times, earning key victories over Alexander Gustafsson, Johnson in a rematch, and Volkan Oezdemir.
In July 2018 at UFC 226, Cormier moved back up to heavyweight to challenge long-reigning champion Stipe Miocic. Cormier knocked Miocic out in the first round to claim the heavyweight throne, becoming the second simultaneous double champion in UFC history.
Four months later at UFC 230, Cormier made history by defending his heavyweight belt via a second-round submission over Derrick Lewis, solidifying his status in both divisions. Moreover, Cormier was the first male fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously and defend a belt in his second division while still holding the first.
5. Henry Cejudo
- Divisions: Flyweight (125 lbs) & Bantamweight (135 lbs)
- Flyweight Title Defenses: 1
- Bantamweight Title Defenses: 1
Henry Cejudo pulled off one of the most impressive career turnarounds in combat sports history. He dethroned long-time flyweight king Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson at UFC 227 via split decision.
Cejudo then defended his 125-pound crown in explosive fashion by knocking out reigning bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in just 32 seconds at UFC Fight Night 143. Moving up to 135 pounds at UFC 238, Cejudo weathered an early storm to finish Marlon Moraes via third-round TKO for the vacant bantamweight gold.
He subsequently defended his new bantamweight title at UFC 249, stopping Dominick Cruz in the second round before briefly retiring. Apart from this, Cejudo defended his flyweight belt against an active 135-pound champion (TJ Dillashaw), making his flyweight defense one of the unique champion vs. champion clashes in UFC history.
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Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
