Quick Definition
A UFC double champion is a fighter who has held UFC titles in two different weight classes. When a fighter holds both belts at the same time, they are known as a “champ-champ.”
What is a UFC double champion?
Winning one UFC title is hard enough. Only a little over 100 fighters have held a belt in any UFC weight class since 1993, according to ESPN. A double champion clears an even higher bar by taking gold in two separate divisions.
The label covers two different achievements, and that is where the confusion usually starts. The broader meaning is a two-division champion: a fighter who won a title in one weight class, then won another title in a different weight class at some other point. The narrower and more prized meaning is a simultaneous double champion, the “champ-champ,” who holds both belts at once.
The gap between those two is large. Eleven fighters have won UFC titles in two weight classes. Only four ever held both belts on the same night, so the answer to “how many double champions are there” depends entirely on which version of the term someone means.
Champ-champ vs two-division champion
The two phrases get swapped around constantly, yet they point to different accomplishments.
A two-division champion won a belt in one class and, separately, a belt in another. The reigns did not need to overlap. Randy Couture was the first to pull it off, winning the heavyweight title and later, after losing it, taking the light heavyweight title in 2003. He never wore both at the same time.
A champ-champ holds both belts at once. Conor McGregor coined the idea at UFC 205 in November 2016, knocking out Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title while he was still the featherweight champion. He climbed onto the cage with a belt over each shoulder, and the nickname stuck.
| Two-division champion | Champ-champ | |
|---|---|---|
| Belts held at once | One | Both |
| Number in UFC history | 11 | 4 |
| First to achieve it | Randy Couture (2003) | Conor McGregor (2016) |
| Example | Georges St-Pierre | Amanda Nunes |
Every champ-champ is also a two-division champion. The reverse does not hold, which is why counts of UFC “double champions” published online swing anywhere from four to eleven.
Every UFC double champion
Eleven fighters have won UFC gold in two weight classes. The table lists them in the order they reached two-division status and flags the four who held both belts simultaneously.
| Fighter | Divisions | Second title | Both at once |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Couture | Heavyweight, light heavyweight | 2003 | No |
| BJ Penn | Welterweight, lightweight | 2008 | No |
| Conor McGregor | Featherweight, lightweight | 2016 | Yes |
| Georges St-Pierre | Welterweight, middleweight | 2017 | No |
| Daniel Cormier | Light heavyweight, heavyweight | 2018 | Yes |
| Amanda Nunes | Bantamweight, featherweight | 2018 | Yes |
| Henry Cejudo | Flyweight, bantamweight | 2019 | Yes |
| Jon Jones | Light heavyweight, heavyweight | 2023 | No |
| Alex Pereira | Middleweight, light heavyweight | 2023 | No |
| Ilia Topuria | Featherweight, lightweight | 2025 | No |
| Islam Makhachev | Lightweight, welterweight | 2025 | No |
Amanda Nunes stands apart in one respect. Her knockout of Cris Cyborg at UFC 232 in December 2018 made her the first woman to hold two UFC titles at the same time, per CBS Sports. Islam Makhachev is the newest name on the list, beating Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title at UFC 322 in November 2025, though he had vacated his lightweight belt months earlier.
Why simultaneous double champions are rare now
No fighter has held two UFC belts at once since Henry Cejudo in 2019. The reason is mostly about how the promotion books its fights. During the McGregor years, a champion could win a second title and simply keep the first, even without defending it. McGregor never defended either belt, and Cejudo defended neither of his as a pair.
That approach clogged divisions. A champion sitting on two belts leaves two sets of contenders waiting, and the UFC needs a steady supply of title fights to headline its cards. So the promotion started asking fighters to give up one title before chasing another. Ilia Topuria vacated featherweight before winning at lightweight, and Islam Makhachev vacated lightweight before moving to welterweight, according to CBS Sports.
The newer crop of double champions never wore two belts together. They won gold in two divisions, just in sequence rather than side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first UFC double champion?
It depends on the definition. Randy Couture was the first to win titles in two weight classes, back in 2003. Conor McGregor was the first to hold two belts at the same time, at UFC 205 in 2016.
How many UFC double champions are there?
Eleven fighters have won titles in two divisions. Only four held both belts simultaneously: Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo.
Who is the only female UFC double champion?
Amanda Nunes. She held the bantamweight and featherweight titles together after stopping Cris Cyborg at UFC 232 in 2018, and remains the only woman to win UFC gold in two divisions.
Has there ever been a UFC triple champion?
No. Nobody has held three UFC belts at once. Henry Cejudo’s “Triple C” nickname refers to his Olympic wrestling gold plus two UFC titles, not three UFC championships.
What is the difference between a champ-champ and a double champion?
“Double champion” is the loose term for any fighter with titles in two weight classes. “Champ-champ” is stricter, reserved for holding both belts at once. Every champ-champ counts as a double champion, but the reverse often fails, because most two-division champions won their belts years apart.
Sources
- UFC. “The History of ‘Champ Champs.’” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.ufc.com/news/history-of-champ-champs-ufc-284-makhachev-volkanovski-couture-penn-st-pierre-gsp-conor-mcgregor-daniel-cormier-amanda-nunes-henry-cejudo-read - UFC. “A History of Two-Division Champions, Part 1.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.ufc.com/news/history-two-division-champions-part-1-ufc-freedom-250 - UFC. “A History of Two-Division Champs, Part 2.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.ufc.com/news/history-two-division-champs-part-2-ufc-freedom-250 - ESPN. “The Double Champ Checklist.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/40018074/double-champ-checklist-how-ufc-two-division-champion-mcgregor-nunes-cormier-cejudo - CBS Sports. “Past UFC Champs Who Earned a Second Title.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.cbssports.com/ufc/news/ufc-champions-two-divisions-history-best-fighters-title-fights-wins-ufc-322/ - GiveMeSport. “Every UFC Double Champion, Ranked.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.givemesport.com/every-ufc-double-champion/ - BetMGM. “UFC Fighters Who Became Simultaneous Two-Division Champions.” Accessed August 2026.
https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/ufc/ufc-fighter-who-became-simultaneous-two-division-champions-bm05/ - MMA Weekly. “Islam Makhachev Details Changes to Training Camp for UFC 322.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.mmaweekly.com/news/islam-makhachev-details-changes-to-training-camp-for-ufc-322
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