When the UFC first introduced weight classes back in 1997, there were only two divisions — fighters over 200 lbs and those under 199 lbs.

That meant smaller athletes had no real home. There was still a lack of competitiveness and exposure for fighters below the 200-pound range — a problem that lasted for years.

Then came WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) — the true OG of lighter divisions.
Their weight classes — Flyweight (125 lbs), Bantamweight (135 lbs), and Featherweight (145 lbs) — finally gave smaller fighters a chance to shine and build their own legacies.

In 2010, the UFC officially merged with WEC, and that moment changed MMA forever.
Everything from Featherweight and below that you see in the UFC today was originally born under the WEC banner.

Some of the most iconic names — José Aldo, Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber, Cub Swanson, even our beloved “The Diamond” Dustin Poirier — all came from WEC before stepping into the UFC Octagon.

This post focuses on the UFC bantamweight division (135 lbs) — its history, champions, and how it became one of the most competitive legacies in modern MMA.

We’ll start after the WEC merger — meaning every champion here belongs to the UFC era, not the WEC one.

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💥 Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz (2010–2014)

The first official UFC bantamweight champion. Cruz carried the title over from WEC when the merger happened in 2010.

He successfully defended his belt twice — against

• Urijah Faber (UFC 132), and
• Demetrious Johnson (UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson).

Cruz’s legendary footwork and unpredictable rhythm made him one of the most technically gifted fighters in MMA history — a blueprint that future bantamweights still study today.

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🤺 Renan “The Baron” Barão (2012–2014 Interim, 2014 Undisputed)

Barão became interim champ after defeating Urijah Faber (UFC 149), then defended his interim belt twice — against

Michael McDonald (UFC on FUEL TV: Barao vs McDonald), and
Eddie Wineland (UFC 165).

In 2014, due to Cruz’s long injury layoff, Barão was promoted to undisputed champion and later knocked out Urijah Faber in their rematch (UFC 169).

His reign ended when an unknown underdog shocked the world…

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🐍 TJ Dillashaw (2014–2016)

Dillashaw pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, dismantling Barão at UFC 173.

He then defended the title against Joe Soto (UFC 177) and Barão again (UFC on Fox: Dillashaw vs. Barao II), introducing a fast, switch-hitting striking style that redefined the division’s pace.

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💥 Dominick Cruz Returns (2016)

After years of injuries, Dominick Cruz made a triumphant comeback, defeating Dillashaw in a razor-close fight (UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz) and reclaimed his belt.

He later defended it against his old rival Urijah Faber (UFC 199) — completing a full-circle redemption story.

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💔 Cody “No Love” Garbrandt (2016–2017)

Cody’s undefeated streak and flashy counter-boxing carried him to the top, where he put on a masterclass to dethrone Dominick Cruz (UFC 207).

But the hype was short-lived — he lost the title in his first defense, setting off one of the most heated rivalries in the division’s history.

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🐍 TJ Dillashaw (2017–2019)

When their rivalry on fire, TJ Dillashaw knocked out Cody Garbrandt (UFC 217), claimed back the belt, and then again in their immediate rematch (UFC 227).

He seemed unstoppable — until he tested positive for EPO, leading to his belt being stripped.

A brilliant fighter with a controversial legacy, much like Jon Jones of light heavy divisions.

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🇨🇨🇨 Henry “Triple C” Cejudo (2019–2020)

Already the flyweight champion, Beijng 2008 Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo moved up to 135 lbs and claimed the vacant title by defeating Marlon Moraes (UFC 238).

He then defended it against Dominick Cruz (UFC 249) before abruptly retiring.

Two-division champ, Olympic gold, great rivalry with flyweight GOAT Demetrious Johnson, and a polarizing personality — Cejudo backed up every bit of his “Triple C” nickname.

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🩸 Petr “No Mercy” Yan (2020–2021)

Yan captured the vacant title by defeating José Aldo (UFC 251) and looked unstoppable — until an illegal knee cost him the belt in his first defense against Aljamain Sterling (UFC 259).

A short reign, but his boxing precision and pressure style reshaped the division.

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🎭 Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling (2021–2023)

Sterling’s reign began in controversy — winning the belt by DQ against Yan. Following up with three title defenses seem like controversy:

• Petr Yan (UFC 273) — close decision
• TJ Dillashaw (UFC 280) — dominated an injured arm TJ
• Henry Cejudo (UFC 288) — tactical win over the returning champ

Three title defenses made him one of the most successful champions in bantamweight history, despite of being called “Actor”, “Clown Master” and the constant noise around his legitimacy.

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🩸 Petr “No Mercy” Yan (2021–2022 Interim)

While Sterling was injured, Yan earned the interim title by defeating Cory Sandhagen (UFC 267) — setting up their rematch months later.

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🧁 Sean “Sugar” O’Malley (2023–2024)

The “Sugar Show” exploded at UFC 292, knocking out Sterling with one perfect counter right hand.
O’Malley defended once — a one-sided win over Marlon Vera (UFC 299) — before getting stuck in the f*cking nightmare machine.

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🤖 Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (2024–2025)

Merab Dvalishvili crushed Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 to claim the title.
Since then, he’s defended it three times:

• Umar Nurmagomedov (UFC 311) — yes, Merab literally defeated Khabib Nurmagomedov’s counsin
• Sean O’Malley (UFC 316) — rematch
• Cory Sandhagen (UFC 320)

His non-stop cardio, relentless wrestling, and high-level pressure have earned him the nickname The Machine for a reason.

🩸 Petr “No Mercy” Yan (2025-Present)

Yan came back with a mission: revenge.
After losing the first fight with Merab Dvalishvili, he finally got his rematch — and this time, he made it count.

Yan put on a clinical performance, breaking Merab’s relentless pressure, even take him down to the ground, and proving that at some point, even “The Machine” can be broke.
With this victory, Petr Yan becomes a two-time undisputed bantamweight champion, reclaiming his place at the top of the 135 division.

“No Mercy” is truly back.

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🚪 Closing

From Dominick Cruz’s footwork to Cejudo’s gold medal legacy, from Sterling’s controversy to Merab’s dominance, the bantamweight division has built one of the richest histories in MMA — packed with storylines, rivalries, and technical brilliance.

This is the division where speed meets IQ, and where every champion leaves a fingerprint on the evolution of modern fighting.