List of Strikeforce champions

Last updated

Strikeforce Men's World Championship belt Strikeforce World Title Belt.jpg
Strikeforce Men's World Championship belt
Strikeforce Women's World Championship belt Strikeforce Women's belt.jpg
Strikeforce Women's World Championship belt

Strikeforce was an American mixed martial arts organization. It crowned male champions in the lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, and female champions in featherweight and bantamweight.

Contents

World champions

Men's championships

Heavyweight Championship

206 pounds (93 kg) to 265 pounds (120 kg)

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Alistair Overeem
def. Paul Buentello
Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives
San Jose, CA, USA
November 16, 20071,351 days1. def. Brett Rogers at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery on May 15, 2010
Overeem vacated the title on July 29, 2011 when his contract was absorbed by the UFC. [1]

Light Heavyweight Championship

186 pounds (84 kg) to 205 pounds (93 kg)

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Southworth
def. Vernon White
Strikeforce: Triple Threat
San Jose, CA, USA
December 8, 2006714 days1. def. Anthony Ruiz at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson on Jun 27, 2008
2 Flag of Brazil.svg Renato Sobral Strikeforce: Destruction
San Jose, CA, USA
November 21, 2008267 days
3 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gegard Mousasi Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg
San Jose, CA, USA
August 15, 2009245 days
4 Flag of the United States.svg Muhammed Lawal Strikeforce: Nashville
Nashville, TN, USA
April 17, 2010126 days
5 Flag of Brazil.svg Rafael Cavalcante Strikeforce: Houston
Houston, TX, USA days
August 21, 2010196 days
6 Flag of the United States.svg Dan Henderson Strikeforce: Feijão vs. Henderson
Columbus, OH, USA
March 5, 2011198 days
Henderson vacated the title on September 19, 2011 when his contract was absorbed by the UFC. [2]

Middleweight Championship

171 pounds (78 kg) to 185 pounds (84 kg)

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Flag of the United States.svg Frank Shamrock
def. Phil Baroni
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni
San Jose, CA, USA
June 22, 2007281 days
2 Flag of the United States.svg Cung Le Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le
San Jose, CA, USA
March 29, 2008588 days
Le vacated the title on September 17, 2009 due to filming obligations. [3]
3 Flag of the United States.svg Jake Shields
def. Jason Miller
Strikeforce: Fedor vs Rogers
Hoffman Estates, IL, USA
November 7, 2009287 days1. def. Dan Henderson at Strikeforce: Nashville on Apr 17, 2010
Shields vacated the title on July 1, 2010 when signed with the UFC. [4]
4 Flag of Brazil.svg Ronaldo Souza
def. Tim Kennedy
Strikeforce: Houston
Houston, TX, USA
August 21, 2010385 days1. def. Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg on Jan 29, 2011
5 Flag of the United States.svg Luke Rockhold Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov
Cincinnati, OH, USA
September 10, 2011490 days1. def. Keith Jardine at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine on Jan 7, 2012
2. def. Tim Kennedy at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy on Jul 14, 2012
The Strikeforce Middleweight title was vacated after the Strikeforce banner was dissolved into the UFC on January 12, 2013.

Welterweight Championship

156 pounds (71 kg) to 170 pounds (77 kg)

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Flag of the United States.svg Nick Diaz
def. Marius Žaromskis
Strikeforce: Miami
Sunrise, FL, USA
January 30, 2010495 days1. def. K. J. Noons at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II on Oct 9, 2010
2. def. Evangelista Santos at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg on Jan 29, 2011
3. def. Paul Daley at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley on Apr 9, 2011
Diaz vacated the title on June 9, 2011 when his contract was absorbed by the UFC. [5]
2 Flag of the United States.svg Nate Marquardt
def. Tyron Woodley
Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy
Portland, OR, USA
July 14, 2012182 days
3 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Tarec Saffiedine Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
January 12, 20130 days
The Strikeforce Welterweight title was vacated after the Strikeforce banner was dissolved into the UFC on January 12, 2013.

Lightweight Championship

146 pounds (66 kg) to 155 pounds (70 kg)

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Flag of the United States.svg Clay Guida
def. Josh Thomson
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie
San Jose, CA, USA
March 10, 200691 days
2 Flag of the United States.svg Gilbert Melendez Strikeforce: Revenge
San Jose, CA, USA
June 9, 2006749 days1. def. Gabe Lemley at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le on March 29, 2008
3 Flag of the United States.svg Josh Thomson Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson
San Jose, CA, USA
June 27, 2008540 days
Flag of the United States.svg Gilbert Melendez
def. Rodrigo Damm for interim title
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz
San Jose, CA, USA
April 11, 20091. def. Mitsuhiro Ishida at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on Aug 15, 2009
4 Flag of the United States.svg Gilbert Melendez (2) Strikeforce: Evolution
San Jose, CA, USA
December 19, 20091,218 days1. def. Shinya Aoki at Strikeforce: Nashville on Apr 17, 2010
2. def. Tatsuya Kawajiri at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley on Apr 9, 2011
3. def. Jorge Masvidal at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal on Dec 17, 2011
4. def. Josh Thomson at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier on May 19, 2012
The Strikeforce Lightweight Title was unified with the UFC Lightweight Title on April 20, 2013, when Benson Henderson defeated Melendez at UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez .

Women's championships

Women's Featherweight Championship

136 pounds (62 kg) to 145 pounds (66 kg)Formerly known as the Women's Lightweight Championship and the Women's Middleweight Championship

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Flag of Brazil.svg Cris Cyborg
def. Gina Carano
Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg
San Jose, CA, USA
August 15, 2009874 days1. def. Marloes Coenen at Strikeforce: Miami on Jan 30, 2010
2. def. Jan Finney at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum on Jun 26, 2010
NC. vs. Hiroko Yamanaka at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal on Dec 17, 2011
Cyborg was stripped of the title on January 6, 2012 after testing positive for anabolic steroids in a post-fight drug test. [6]

Women's Bantamweight Championship

126 pounds (57 kg) to 135 pounds (61 kg)Formerly known as the Women's Welterweight Championship

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sarah Kaufman
def. Takayo Hashi
Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs. Hashi
San Jose, CA, USA
February 26, 2010225 days1. def. Roxanne Modafferi at Strikeforce Challengers: del Rosario vs. Mahe on Jul 23, 2010
2 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marloes Coenen Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II
San Jose, CA, USA
October 9, 2010294 days1. def. Liz Carmouche at Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson on Mar 5th, 2011
3 Flag of the United States.svg Miesha Tate Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson
Hoffman Estates, IL, USA
July 30, 2011217 days
4 Flag of the United States.svg Ronda Rousey Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey
Columbus, OH, USA
March 3, 2012278 days1. def. Sarah Kaufman at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman on Aug 18, 2012
The title was vacated on December 6, 2012 when Rousey became the first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion. [7]

U.S. champions

Middleweight U.S. Championship

170 pounds (77 kg) to 185 pounds (84 kg)

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Flag of the United States.svg Eugene Jackson
def. Ronald Jhun
Strikeforce: Triple Threat
San Jose, CA, USA
December 8, 20062,227 days
The Strikeforce Middleweight U.S. title was vacated after the Strikeforce banner was dissolved into the UFC on January 12, 2013.

Lightweight U.S. Championship

145 pounds (66 kg) to 155 pounds (70 kg)

No.NameEventDateReignDefenses
1 Flag of the United States.svg Josh Thomson
def. Nam Phan
Strikeforce: Triple Threat
San Jose, CA, USA
December 8, 20062,227 days

1. def. Nick Gonzalez at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni on Jun 22, 2007

The Strikeforce Lightweight U.S. title was vacated after the Strikeforce banner was dissolved into the UFC on January 12, 2013.

Tournament winners

EventDivisionWinnerRunner-upDate
Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives Middleweight Flag of Brazil.svg Jorge Santiago Flag of South Africa.svg Trevor Prangley November 17, 2007
Strikeforce Challengers: Riggs vs. Taylor Women's Bantamweight Flag of the United States.svg Miesha Tate Flag of Japan.svg Hitomi Akano August 13, 2010
Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier Heavyweight Flag of the United States.svg Daniel Cormier Flag of the United States.svg Josh Barnett May 19, 2012

Records

Most wins in title bouts

Title winsChampionDivisionVDNCL
9 Flag of the United States.svg Gilbert Melendez Lightweight9001
4 Flag of the United States.svg Nick Diaz Welterweight4001
3 Flag of Brazil.svg Cristiane Justino Women's Featherweight3010
Flag of the United States.svg Luke Rockhold Middleweight3000
2 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Southworth Light Heavyweight2001
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sarah Kaufman Women's Bantamweight2001
Flag of Brazil.svg Ronaldo Souza Middleweight2001
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marloes Coenen Women's Bantamweight2001
Flag of the United States.svg Jake Shields Middleweight2000
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Alistair Overeem Heavyweight2000
Flag of the United States.svg Ronda Rousey Women's Bantamweight2000

Most consecutive title defenses

DefensesChampionDivisionPeriod
4 Flag of the United States.svg Gilbert Melendez LightweightApril 19, 2009 – January 12, 2013
3 Flag of the United States.svg Nick Diaz WelterweightJanuary 30, 2010 – June 9, 2011
2 Flag of Brazil.svg Cristiane Justino Women's FeatherweightAugust 15, 2009 – January 6, 2012
Flag of the United States.svg Luke Rockhold MiddleweightSeptember 10, 2011 – January 12, 2013
1 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Southworth Light HeavyweightDecember 8, 2006 – November 21, 2008
Flag of the United States.svg Jake Shields MiddleweightNovember 7, 2009 – July 1, 2010
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Alistair Overeem HeavyweightNovember 16, 2007 – July 29, 2011
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sarah Kaufman Women's BantamweightFebruary 26, 2010 – October 9, 2010
Flag of Brazil.svg Ronaldo Souza MiddleweightAugust 21, 2010 – September 10, 2011
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Marloes Coenen Women's BantamweightOctober 9, 2010 – July 30, 2011
Flag of the United States.svg Ronda Rousey Women's BantamweightMarch 3, 2012 – December 6, 2012

Champions by nationality

The division champions include only linear and true champions. Interim champions who have never become linear champions will be listed as interim champions. Fighters with multiple title reigns in a specific division will also be counted once. Runners-up are not included in tournaments champions.

CountryDivision
champions
Tournaments
champions
Total
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 14216
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 415
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 33
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 11
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 11
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam 11

See also

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References

  1. "STRIKEFORCE RELEASES ALISTAIR OVEREEM". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
  2. "Shogun Rua Tabbed to Welcome Dan Henderson Back at UFC 139 - MMAWeekly.com". mmaweekly.com. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  3. "LE STEPS DOWN; SHIELDS VS. MILLER FOR 185 BELT". MMAWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 2009-09-22. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  4. "SHIELDS RELEASED BY STRIKEFORCE, UFC DEAL EXPECTED". MMAWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-04. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  5. Martin, Damon (June 9, 2011). "Nick Diaz Vacates Belt to Face GSP at UFC 137" . Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  6. "Cris 'Cyborg' Santos Stripped of Title, End of the 145lb Division? - MMAWeekly.com". mmaweekly.com. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  7. Dana White Media Scrum, Post-UFC 154 (18:30)