First, a run-down of the particulars:
- Due to potential metric conversion issues and weight class changes, a limit of 187 pounds is observed for this list.
- Inception of the championship occurred on 5/18/1989, the first fight in the division. This is certainly debatable, but Kawaguchi remains the first titleholder with any realistic starting point.
- Sporadic periods of inactivity were observed throughout the first half of the lineage. Clear “top contender” matches took place to determine the next champion.
Your current lineal Middleweight champion is Dricus du Plessis
The full history is below. Note, the colored backgrounds indicate a title change.
MMA Middleweight Lineal Championship History
| Date | Champion | Outcome | Challenger | Notes |
| 1989-05-18 | Kenji Kawaguchi | W | Tadashi Yokoyama | |
| 1989-07-29 | Kenji Kawaguchi | D | Yuji Ito | |
| 1989-10-19 | Kenji Kawaguchi | W | Mitsuo Fujikura | |
| 1990-01-13 | Kenji Kawaguchi | W | Naoki Sakurada | |
| 1991-05-31 | Kenji Kawaguchi | W | Manabu Yamada | |
| 1991-08-25 | Kenji Kawaguchi | D | Kazuhiro Kusayanagi | |
| 1991-10-17 | Kenji Kawaguchi | W | Satoshi Honma | |
| 1992-07-23 | Kenji Kawaguchi | W | Manabu Yamada | |
| 1992-11-27 | Kenji Kawaguchi | D | Satoshi Honma | |
| 1994-07-29 | Jan Lomulder | W | Kenji Kawaguchi | |
| 1995-09-03 | Naoyuki Taira | W | Jan Lomulder | |
| 1995-12-01 | Naoyuki Taira | W | Maurice Travis | Taira goes inactive. |
| 1997-03-16 | Johil de Oliveira | W | Jose Landi Jons | |
| 1997-12-10 | Wallid Ismail | W | Johil de Oliveira | Ismail left division. |
| 2000-09-24 | Nate Marquardt | W | Shonie Carter | Vacant Title. Top contender match. |
| 2000-12-04 | Nate Marquardt | D | Kiuma Kunioku | |
| 2001-03-31 | Nate Marquardt | W | Hikaru Sato | |
| 2001-05-13 | Nate Marquardt | W | Masaya Kojima | |
| 2001-10-30 | Nate Marquardt | W | Yuji Hoshino | |
| 2001-12-01 | Kiuma Kunioku | W | Nate Marquardt | |
| 2002-12-21 | Nate Marquardt | W | Kiuma Kunioku | Marquardt’s 2nd reign. |
| 2003-03-08 | Nate Marquardt | W | Izuru Takeuchi | |
| 2003-09-06 | Nate Marquardt | W | Steve Gomm | |
| 2003-10-04 | Nate Marquardt | W | Yuji Hisamatsu | |
| 2003-11-30 | Ricardo Almeida | W | Nate Marquardt | |
| 2004-05-23 | Ricardo Almeida | W | Ryo Chonan | Almeida goes inactive. |
| 2007-10-20 | Anderson Silva | W | Rich Franklin | Vacant Title. Top contender match. |
| 2008-03-01 | Anderson Silva | W | Dan Henderson | |
| 2008-10-25 | Anderson Silva | W | Patrick Cote | |
| 2009-04-18 | Anderson Silva | W | Thales Leites | |
| 2010-04-10 | Anderson Silva | W | Demian Maia | |
| 2010-08-07 | Anderson Silva | W | Chael Sonnen | |
| 2011-02-05 | Anderson Silva | W | Vitor Belfort | |
| 2011-08-27 | Anderson Silva | W | Yushin Okami | |
| 2012-07-07 | Anderson Silva | W | Chael Sonnen | |
| 2013-07-06 | Chris Weidman | W | Anderson Silva | |
| 2013-12-28 | Chris Weidman | W | Anderson Silva | |
| 2014-07-05 | Chris Weidman | W | Lyoto Machida | |
| 2015-05-23 | Chris Weidman | W | Vitor Belfort | |
| 2015-12-12 | Luke Rockhold | W | Chris Weidman | |
| 2016-06-04 | Michael Bisping | W | Luke Rockhold | |
| 2016-10-08 | Michael Bisping | W | Dan Henderson | |
| 2017-11-04 | Georges St. Pierre | W | Michael Bisping | George St. Pierre goes on hiatus with no plans to return to middleweight division. |
| 2018-06-09 | Robert Whittaker | W | Yoel Romero | Top contender matchup |
| 2019-10-06 | Israel Adesanya | W | Robert Whittaker | |
| 2020-03-07 | Israel Adesanya | W | Yoel Romero | |
| 2020-09-26 | Israel Adesanya | W | Paulo Costa | |
| 2021-06-12 | Israel Adesanya | W | Marvin Vettori | |
| 2022-02-12 | Israel Adesanya | W | Robert Whittaker | |
| 2022-07-03 | Israel Adesanya | W | Jared Cannonier | |
| 2022-11-13 | Alex Pereira | W | Israel Adesanya | |
| 2023-04-08 | Israel Adesanya | W | Alex Pereira | Adesanya’s second reign. |
| 2023-09-10 | Sean Strickland | W | Israel Adesanya | |
| 2024-01-20 | Dricus du Plessis | W | Sean Strickland | |
| 2024-08-18 | Dricus du Plessis | W | Israel Adesanya | |
| 2025-02-08 | Dricus du Plessis | W | Sean Strickland |