The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:

• UFC's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb (78 to 84 kg)
• PRIDE FC's middleweight division, which limited competitors to 205 lb (93 kg)
• K-1 HERO's middleweight division, which limits competitors to 155 lb (70 kg)
• DREAM's middleweight division, which limits competitors to 185 lb (84 kg)
• Shooto's middleweight class, which refers to competitors between 155 and 167 lb (70 and 76 kg)

Ambiguity and clarification

For the sake of uniformity, many mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 181 and 187 lb as middleweights. This encompasses the Pancrase middleweight division (181 lb / 82 kg); the PRIDE Welterweight division (183 lb / 83 kg), and Shooto's light heavyweight division of the same weight limit; the UFC Middleweight division (185 lb / 84 kg); and the K-1 HERO's light heavyweight division (187 lb / 85 kg). The Middleweight division in the UFC used to be between 186 and 205 lb (84 and 93 kg) now known as their Light Heavyweight division.

The middleweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, is 185 lb (84 kg).

Notable middleweights in MMA

The listed fighters below are subjected to weight limits between 181 and 187 lb (82 and 85 kg):

• Paulo Filho, WEC champion and PRIDE 183-pound contender
• Anderson Silva, UFC middleweight champion, Cage Rage World Middleweight Champion, Former Shooto Middleweight Champion
• Rousimar Palhares, UFC Middleweight Contender
• Dan Henderson, last PRIDE welterweight (183-pound) champion, first PRIDE 183-pound Grand Prix champion (2005)
• Kazuo Misaki, PRIDE 183-pound Grand Prix champion
• Rich Franklin, former UFC middleweight champion
• Yushin Okami, UFC middleweight contender
• Nate Marquardt, seventh King of Pancrase, UFC middleweight contender
• Robbie Lawler, ICON Sport Middleweight champion, Elite XC middleweight Champion, PRIDE veteran, UFC veteran
• Yoshihiro Akiyama, K-1 HERO's 187-pound champion
• Shikou Yamashita, Shooto 183-pound champion
• Joey Villasenor, former KOTC middleweight champion, Elite XC middleweight contender
• Ryo Chonan, DEEP middleweight champion
• Kazushi Sakuraba, PRIDE legend, K-1 veteran
• Matt Lindland, UFC, IFL, and WFA veteran
• Michael Bisping winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3's Light Heavyweight contract, former Cage Rage lightheavyweight champion, former Cage Warriors lightheavyweight champion, FX3 lightheavyweight champion,.
• Kendall Grove, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3
• Travis Lutter, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 4
• Evan Tanner, former UFC middleweight champion
• Murilo Bustamante, former UFC middleweight champion, PRIDE 2005 183-pound Grand Prix finalist
• Yuki Kondo, Pancrase and PRIDE veteran, former King Of Pancrase
• Denis Kang, PRIDE 2006 183-pound Grand Prix finalist, current Spirit MC heavyweight champion
• Patrick Côté, TKO Middleweight Champion, MFC Middleweight Champion, KOTC Champion, former TKO Light-Heavyweight Champion, UFC middleweight top contender.
• Jason Day, Former TKO Middleweight Champion, Ufc Middleweight contender.
• Murilo Rua, former Elite XC middleweight champion, PRIDE veteran
• Jason "Mayhem" Miller, former ICON Sport Middleweight champion, UFC and WFA veteran, former ICON Sport Welterweight champion
• Frank Trigg, DREAM MMA competitor, former WFA welterweight champion

Footnotes and references