Introduced in 2012, the flyweight division is both the lightest and youngest of all men's weight classes in the UFC.
Decided by a four-man tournament spread over two events, Demetrious Johnson became the first man to hold UFC gold at 125lbs and went on to remain champion for six years, recording a record 11 title defences during that time.
In the years since no fighter has even come close to equalling Johnson's dominance, but Alexandre Pantoja did manage four defences during a 882-day reign between 2023 and 2025.
Current UFC flyweight champion
The current flyweight champion is Joshua Van, who became the first Burmese fighter ever to hold UFC gold when he defeated Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323.
After racking up three wins in 2025 to take his unbeaten streak to five fights, Van earned a shot at long-reigning king Pantoja at the T-Mobile Arena in December 2025.
Entering the clash as a significant underdog, Van met the champion in the middle of the cage immediately following the opening bell and a wild exchange ensued, with both fighters landing early.
The challenger then pressured Pantoja after catching a high kick, and the Brazilian dislocated his elbow while posting his arm out - causing the fight to be stopped after just 26 seconds and Van to be crowned champion.
Pantoja will likely not return until later in 2026, so Van will look to truly establish himself as champion when he makes the first defence of his belt.
Title Won | Defeated Alexandre Pantoja (TKO) - December 2025 |
Title Defences (current reign) | 0 |
Previous UFC flyweight champions
Demetrious Johnson (September 2012 - August 2018; 11 defences)
Henry Cejudo (August 2018 - February 2020; one defence, vacated)
Deiveson Figueiredo (July 2020 - June 2021; two defences)
Brandon Moreno (June 2021 - January 2022)
Deiveson Figueiredo (January 2022 - January 2023)
Brandon Moreno (July 2023 - January 2023; interim)
Brandon Moreno (January 2023 - July 2023)
Alexandre Pantoja (July 2023 - December 2025; four defences)
