Light heavyweight

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Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.

Boxing

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Professional

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In professional boxing, the division is above 168 pounds (76 kg) and up to 175 pounds (79 kg), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight.

The light heavyweight class has produced some of boxing's greatest champions: Bernard Hopkins (who, upon becoming champion, broke the record for oldest man to win a world title), Tommy Loughran, Billy Conn, Joey Maxim, Archie Moore, Michael Moorer, Bob Foster, Ann Wolfe, Michael Spinks, Dariusz Michalczewski, Roy Jones Jr., Joe Calzaghe, Sergey Kovalev, Zsolt Erdei, Dmitry Bivol, & Artur Beterbiev.

Many light heavyweight champions unsuccessfully challenged for the heavyweight crown until Michael Spinks became the first reigning light heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight championship. Bob Fitzsimmons captured the light heavyweight championship after losing his heavyweight championship. Two all-time great heavyweight champions, Ezzard Charles and Floyd Patterson, started out as light heavyweights. Charles defeated Archie Moore and Joey Maxim several times in non-title bouts before becoming heavyweight champion and Patterson lost an eight-round decision to Joey Maxim before becoming heavyweight champion himself. Evander Holyfield successfully moved up from the light heavyweight division to the cruiserweight division and eventually the heavyweight division and became undisputed champion of the latter two.

Current world champions

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Main article: List of world light-heavyweight boxing champions
Sanctioning body Reign began Champion Record Defenses
WBA February 22, 2025 Dmitry Bivol 24–1 (12 KO) 0
WBC April 7, 2025 David Benavidez 30–0 (24 KO) 0
IBF February 22, 2025 Dmitry Bivol 24–1 (12 KO) 0
WBO February 22, 2025 Dmitry Bivol 24–1 (12 KO) 0

Current world rankings

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The Ring
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As of August 11, 2025.[1]

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion
Rank Name Record (W–L–D) Title(s)
C Dmitry Bivol 24–1 (12 KO) IBF, WBO, WBA
1 Artur Beterbiev 21–1 (20 KO)
2 David Benavidez 30–0 (24 KO) WBC
3 Callum Smith 31–2 (21 KO)
4 Anthony Yarde 27–3 (24 KO)
5 Joshua Buatsi 19–1 (13 KO)
6 Albert Ramírez 22–0 (19 KO)
7 David Morrell 12–1 (9 KO)
8 Imam Khataev 10–1 (9 KO)
9 Oleksandr Gvozdyk 21–2 (17 KO)
10 Willy Hutchinson 18–2 (13 KO)
BoxRec
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As of 24 May 2022[2]

Rank Name Record (W–L–D) Points Title(s)
1 Artur Beterbiev 21–0 (20 KO) IBF, WBC, WBO, WBA
2 Dmitry Bivol 23–1 (12 KO)
3 Callum Smith 29–2 (20 KO) 188.5
4 Gilberto Ramirez 46–1 (30 KO) 144.2
5 Joe Smith Jr. 28–3 (22 KO) 127.2
6 Maxim Vlasov 46–4 (26 KO) 70.65
7 Jean Pascal 36–6–1 (20 KO) 63.58
8 Marcus Browne 24–2 (16 KO) 58.90
9 Joshua Buatsi 15–0 (13 KO) 38.34
10 Sullivan Barrera 22–4 (14 KO) 29.16

Longest reigning world light heavyweight champions

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Below is a list of longest reigning light heavyweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

Name Title reign Title recognition Successful defenses Beaten opponents Fights
1. Archie Moore 9 years, 4 months, 24 days NYSAC, NBA 9 7 [3][4]
2. Dariusz Michalczewski 9 years, 1 months, 8 days IBF, WBA, WBO 23 20 [5]
3. Artur Beterbiev 7 years, 3 months, 1 week and 5 days IBF, WBC, WBO, WBA 9 9 [6]
4. Gus Lesnevich 7 years, 2 months, 2 days NYSAC, NBA 5 3 [7]
5. Dmitry Bivol 7 years, 3 weeks and 3 days IBF, WBC, WBO, WBA 12 12 [8]
6. Bob Foster 6 years, 0 months, 23 days WBC, WBA 14 13 [9]
7. Zsolt Erdei 5 years, 9 months, 27 days WBO 11 10 [10]
8. Adonis Stevenson 5 years, 5 months, 24 days WBC 9 9 [11]
9. Charles Williams 5 years, 4 months, 21 days IBF 8 8 [12]
10. Roy Jones Jr. 5 years, 2 months, 25 days WBC, IBF, WBA (Super) 11 11 [13]
11. Virgil Hill 4 years, 9 months, 15 days WBA 10 10 [14]
12. Maxie Rosenbloom 4 years, 4 months, 22 days NYSAC, NBA 7 6 [15]
13. Michael Spinks 4 years, 2 months, 3 days IBF, WBA, WBC 10 10 [16]
14. Battling Levinsky 3 years, 11 months, 19 days World 1 1 [17][18]
15. Victor Galindez 3 years, 9 months, 8 days WBA 10 7 [19][20]
  Active title reign
  Reign has ended

[21][22][23]

Amateur

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In amateur boxing, light heavyweight is a weight division above 165 pounds (75 kg) and up to 178 pounds (81 kg), falling between middleweight and heavyweight.

Olympic champions

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Kickboxing

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  • In kickboxing, a light heavyweight fighter generally weighs between 77 kg (171 lb) and 95 kg (210 lb).
  • In International Kickboxing Federation (IKF), a light heavyweight division is 172.1 – 179 lb (78.3 – 81.4 kg).
  • In Glory promotion, a light heavyweight division is up to 95 kg (209 lb).[24]
  • In Bellator Kickboxing promotion, a light heavyweight division is up to 95 kg (209 lb).
  • In ONE Championship, the light heavyweight division is up to 102.1 kg (225 lb).

Bare-knuckle boxing

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The limit of light heavyweight generally differs among promotions in bare-knuckle boxing:

  • In Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, the light heavyweight division has an upper limit of 185 lb (84 kg).
  • In BKB™, the light heavyweight division has an upper limit of 95 kg (209 lb).

Mixed martial arts

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Main article: Light heavyweight (MMA)

In MMA, the light heavyweight division is from 186 lb (84 kg) to 205 lb (93 kg).

References

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  21. ^ BoxRec Light Heavyweight Ratings Retrieved on 27 December 2012.
  22. ^ BoxRec WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Retrieved on 27 December 2012.
  23. ^ BoxRec Light Heavyweight Division Retrieved on 27 December 2012.
  24. ^ Official Glory Ranking Archived 2014-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
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