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USA Today
06-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC bantamweight title history: Dominick Cruz, Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili, more
UFC bantamweight title history: Dominick Cruz, Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili, more (This story was updated to add new information.) The bantamweight title is on the line in the UFC 316 main event when champion Merab Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) takes on ex-champ Sean O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a rematch. Take a look at a chronological history of the UFC's 135-pound title, which migrated over from the WEC in 2010 when the promotions merged. Dominick Cruz Date: Dec. 16, 2010 Dec. 16, 2010 Event: WEC 53 WEC 53 Opponent: Scott Jorgensen Scott Jorgensen Total reign: 1,117 days 1,117 days Title defenses: Urijah Faber, Demetrious Johnson Renan Barao (interim) Date: July 21, 2012 July 21, 2012 Event: UFC 149 UFC 149 Opponent: Urijah Faber Urijah Faber Total reign: 534 days as interim champ; 138 days after being promoted to champion (Jan. 6, 2014) 534 days as interim champ; 138 days after being promoted to champion (Jan. 6, 2014) Title defenses: Michael McDonald, Eddie Wineland, Urijah Faber T.J. Dillashaw Date: May 24, 2014 May 24, 2014 Event: UFC 173 UFC 173 Opponent: Renan Barao Renan Barao Total reign: 603 days 603 days Title defenses: Joe Soto, Renan Barao Dominick Cruz Date: Jan. 17, 2016 Jan. 17, 2016 Event: UFC Fight Night 81 UFC Fight Night 81 Opponent: T.J. Dillashaw T.J. Dillashaw Total reign: 348 days 348 days Title defenses: Urijah Faber Cody Garbrandt Date: Dec. 30, 2016 Dec. 30, 2016 Event: UFC 207 UFC 207 Opponent: Dominick Cruz Dominick Cruz Total reign: 309 days 309 days Title defenses: None T.J. Dillashaw Date: Nov. 4, 2017 Nov. 4, 2017 Event: UFC 217 UFC 217 Opponent: Cody Garbrandt Cody Garbrandt Total reign: 501 days 501 days Title defenses: Cody Garbrandt Henry Cejudo Date: June 8, 2019 June 8, 2019 Event: UFC 238 UFC 238 Opponent: Marlon Moraes Marlon Moraes Total reign: 352 days 352 days Title defenses: Dominick Cruz Petr Yan Date: July 12, 2020 July 12, 2020 Event: UFC 251 UFC 251 Opponent: Jose Aldo Jose Aldo Total reign: 237 days 237 days Title defenses: None Aljamain Sterling Date: March 6, 2021 March 6, 2021 Event: UFC 259 UFC 259 Opponent: Petr Yan Petr Yan Total reign: 896 days 896 days Title defenses: Petr Yan, T.J. Dillashaw, Henry Cejudo Petr Yan (interim) Date: Oct. 30, 2021 Oct. 30, 2021 Event: UFC 267 UFC 267 Opponent: Cory Sandhagen Cory Sandhagen Title defenses: None Sean O'Malley Date: Aug. 19, 2023 Aug. 19, 2023 Event: UFC 292 UFC 292 Opponent: Aljamain Sterling Aljamain Sterling Total reign: 393 days 393 days Title defenses: Marlon Vera Merab Dvalishvili
USA Today
27-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Renan Barao vs. Urijah Faber, Anthony Pettis vs. Benson Henderson trilogies land atop GFL's L.A. cards
MMA fans still have to wait a couple months before judging the first Global Fight League events. But if they're combat sports autograph hounds, they might have reason to be excited about the fledgling promotion's events in Los Angeles. The GFL will set up shop at Shrine Auditorium in L.A. on May 24-25. Each night currently has 15 fights planned, according to Tapology. The promotion has not yet made a formal announcement of the cards, but they're heavy with former UFC and Bellator champions and title challengers. A pair of trilogies are at the top of the bill May 24. Multi-time UFC title challenger and former WEC champ Urijah Faber will fight former UFC interim bantamweight champ Renan Barao for a third time. Faber lost an interim title fight to Barao at UFC 149 in 2012. Four wins later, he had another shot at him, but was knocked out in the first round. Faber retired in 2019. Barao has lost six straight fights and eight of his past nine. He returned in 2023 after nearly four years away and lost a split decision to a regional fighter at an event in Kuwait. In the GFL's team system, Faber was drafted by Team Los Angeles. Barao is a member of Team Sao Paulo. L.A.'s other bantamweight is former UFC title challenger Ray Borg; Sao Paulo's other 135er is ex-UFC standout Raphael Assuncao. Also on that bill is a trilogy fight between former UFC and WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and ex-UFC and WEC 155-pound titleholder Benson Henderson. Pettis beat Henderson in the final fight in WEC history to win the lightweight title in 2010. Less than three years later, he pulled off MMA's consensus Submission of the Year to take a belt from Henderson again – that time in the UFC. Pettis signed with the PFL in 2021, but lost four of his five fights there and was a high-profile signee who didn't pan out. Henderson left the UFC for Bellator in 2016 and had a lengthy tenure there, but lost three title shots at welterweight and lightweight, including to Usman Nurmagomedov in what was Bellator's final card before it was purchased and shelved by the PFL. Pettis was drafted by Team Miami. Henderson fights for Team London. In the PFL's team system, fighters score points each bout. A finish win is worth 4, a decision win is 3, a draw is 2, a decision loss is 1 – and if you're stopped, yourself, your team gets 0 points. There is no shortage of high-impact names throughout the rest of the card who have made major MMA accomplishments, as well as some unique matchups. The current lineups include: GFL Los Angeles, May 24 Urijah Faber (LA) vs. Renan Barao (SP) Anthony Pettis (MIA) vs. Benson Henderson (LON) Holly Holm (NY) vs. Julia Budd (LON) Chad Mendes (LA) vs. Maike Linhares (SP) Derek Brunson (DUB) vs. Omari Akhmedov (DUB) Sage Northcutt (LA) vs. Lucas Martins (SP) Marlon Moraes (MIA) vs. Ray Borg (LA) Aspen Ladd (LA) vs. Alejandra Lara (SP) Robelis Despaigne (MIA) vs. Todd Duffee (DUB) Cat Zingano (MIA) vs. Alexa Conners (DUB) Neiman Gracie (NY) vs. Danny Roberts (LON) Jessica Penne (LA) vs. Joice Mara (SP) Charles Rosa (MIA) vs. Khumoyun Tukhtamuradov (DUB) Marisa Messer-Belenchia (NY) vs. Kelly Staddon (LON) Gleison Tibau (MIA) vs. Alex Oliveira (SP) GFL Los Angeles, May 25
