Flyweight

Last updated: July 4, 2026

What is flyweight?

Flyweight is one of the UFC’s 12 weight classes, covering fighters between 116 and 125 pounds (53 to 56.7 kilograms). The UFC runs two flyweight divisions: one for men and one for women. For men, it is the smallest division in the promotion. For women, only strawweight (115 pounds and under) sits below it.

The name comes from boxing, where “flyweight” has described the sport’s smallest competitors since 1909. The idea behind the class is the same in MMA as in any combat sport: fighters of similar size meet on even terms, so skill decides the fight rather than a 30-pound weight advantage.

Fans encounter the term constantly in fight commentary and on event cards. When a broadcast mentions “a flyweight bout” or “the 125-pound division,” both phrases refer to this weight class. As of mid-2026, Joshua Van holds the men’s title and Valentina Shevchenko holds the women’s title.

How the flyweight division works

Every UFC fighter must step on a scale the day before their fight. According to the UFC’s official weight class guide, flyweights in non-title bouts can weigh up to 126 pounds, a one-pound allowance above the limit. Title fights are stricter: both fighters must come in at 125 pounds or under, with no allowance.

A fighter’s weight on fight night can be much higher. Most flyweights walk around well above 125 pounds and cut water weight in the final days before the weigh-in, then rehydrate before competing. The number on the scale, not the number in the cage, decides whether a bout counts as a flyweight fight.

Missing weight has real consequences. The fighter typically forfeits a percentage of their purse to their opponent, and in a title fight, only the fighter who made weight can win the belt. That rule shaped flyweight history in 2020, when Deiveson Figueiredo weighed in 2.5 pounds heavy for his title fight against Joseph Benavidez, won the fight anyway, and left the championship vacant.

Flyweight vs. neighboring weight classes

Most confusion around flyweight comes from its neighbors and from the fact that other sports and promotions use the same word for different weights.

Weight class	Upper limit	Who competes
Strawweight	115 lb (52.2 kg)	Women only (UFC)
Flyweight	125 lb (56.7 kg)	Men and women
Bantamweight	135 lb (61.2 kg)	Men and women

Bantamweight sits 10 pounds above flyweight, and many notable fighters have competed in both. Henry Cejudo held the flyweight and bantamweight titles at the same time in 2019.

The bigger trap is cross-sport and cross-promotion confusion. In boxing, flyweight tops out at 112 pounds, a full 13 pounds lighter than the UFC version. ONE Championship goes the other way. Its flyweight division, which weighs fighters differently to discourage extreme weight cutting, extends to 135 pounds, so a “flyweight” in Singapore can outweigh a UFC bantamweight. The promotion matters as much as the label.

History of the division

The UFC added men’s flyweight in 2012, staging a four-man tournament to crown its first champion. Demetrious Johnson won the final against Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 and went on to define the division, defending the belt 11 consecutive times, still a UFC record. Henry Cejudo ended that reign by split decision at UFC 227 in 2018.

The belt then passed through Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno, who fought each other four times between 2020 and 2023, before Alexandre Pantoja won it at UFC 290 in July 2023 and defended it four times. In December 2025, Joshua Van took the title at UFC 323 in one of the strangest finishes in championship history: Pantoja dislocated his shoulder on a takedown 26 seconds into the first round. Van, then 24, became the second-youngest champion the UFC has ever crowned, behind Jon Jones, per CBS Sports. He legitimized the reign in May 2026, stopping Tatsuro Taira in the fifth round at UFC 328, and a Pantoja rematch is expected next.

The women’s division arrived in 2017 through The Ultimate Fighter, with Nicco Montaño crowned inaugural champion. Valentina Shevchenko has ruled it for most of its existence across two reigns, and her win over Zhang Weili at UFC 322 in November 2025 tied Amanda Nunes’s record of 11 UFC title-fight victories, per ESPN.

What a flyweight fight looks like

Flyweight bouts run at the fastest pace in the UFC. With less mass to move, fighters throw more strikes and recover faster between exchanges than their heavier counterparts. Scrambles that would exhaust a heavyweight can repeat round after round at 125 pounds.

The trade-off is finishing power. One-punch knockouts happen less often here than in heavier divisions, so flyweight fights frequently go to the judges or end by submission. World Sports Network notes that only two fights during Demetrious Johnson’s six-year title reign ended by TKO. Volume tells the story instead: when Joshua Van beat Brandon Royval in June 2025, the two combined for 419 significant strikes, the most ever landed in a three-round UFC fight, per ESPN.

For a viewer, the practical takeaway is that flyweight fights tend to go longer and hinge more often on the scorecards. A flyweight main event is less likely to end in a highlight-reel knockout and more likely to deliver five rounds of technique at full speed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the UFC flyweight weight limit?

125 pounds (56.7 kilograms) for title fights. Non-title bouts allow up to 126 pounds.

Who are the current UFC flyweight champions?

As of July 2026, Joshua Van holds the men’s title and Valentina Shevchenko holds the women’s title.

Is flyweight the lightest UFC weight class?

It is the lightest for men. Women also compete at strawweight, which caps at 115 pounds.

Is flyweight the same in boxing and the UFC?

No. Boxing’s flyweight limit is 112 pounds, while the UFC’s is 125 pounds.

Why is it called flyweight?

The name comes from early 20th-century boxing, where it labeled the sport’s smallest class, evoking the lightness and speed of a fly.

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Sources

1. UFC. “Understanding UFC Weight Classes and Weigh-Ins.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
   https://www.ufc.com/news/understanding-ufc-weight-classes-and-weigh-ins
2. ESPN. “Van wins flyweight title after Pantoja injured at UFC 323.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
   https://www.espn.com/mma/story//id/47230871/van-wins-flyweight-title-pantoja-injures-shoulder-ufc-323
3. ESPN. “Shevchenko shuts out Zhang to retain flyweight title at UFC 322.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
   https://www.espn.com/mma/story//id/46983759/shevchenko-shuts-zhang-retain-flyweight-title-ufc-322
4. CBS Sports. “UFC 323 results: Joshua Van earns title after freak injury to Alexandre Pantoja.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
   https://www.cbssports.com/ufc/news/ufc-323-results-highlights-joshua-van-champion-alexandre-pantoja-injury/
5. Bloody Elbow. “Joshua Van explains why he’s unhappy with Alexandre Pantoja after UFC 328 set up their rematch.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
   https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/05/10/joshua-van-explains-why-hes-unhappy-with-alexandre-pantoja-after-ufc-328-set-up-their-rematch/
6. Wikipedia. “Flyweight.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyweight
7. Wikipedia. “Mixed martial arts weight classes.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts_weight_classes
8. World Sports Network. “UFC Weight Classes: Women’s & Men’s Divisions 2026.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
   https://www.wsn.com/ufc/weight-classes/

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