<Tr> <Th> 10 </Th> <Td> Robert Whittaker promoted to undisputed champion </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Dec 7, 2017 </Td> <Td> 10 days (incumbent) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> 156 to 170 lb (70 to 77 kg) The Welterweight Title was known as the Lightweight Title prior to UFC 31 (May 4, 2001). </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Event </Th> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Reign (Total) </Th> <Th> Defenses </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Pat Miletich def . Mikey Burnett </Td> <Td> UFC Brazil São Paulo, Brazil </Td> <Td> Oct 16, 1998 </Td> <Td> 931 days </Td> <Td> <P> 1 . def . Jorge Patino at UFC 18 on Jan 8, 1999 2 . def . André Pederneiras at UFC 21 on Jul 16, 1999 3 . def . John Alessio at UFC 26 on Jun 9, 2000 4 . def . Kenichi Yamamoto at UFC 29 on Dec 16, 2000 </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Carlos Newton </Td> <Td> UFC 31 Atlantic City, NJ, USA </Td> <Td> May 4, 2001 </Td> <Td> 183 days </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Matt Hughes </Td> <Td> UFC 34 Las Vegas, NV, USA </Td> <Td> Nov 2, 2001 </Td> <Td> 820 days </Td> <Td> <P> 1 . def . Hayato Sakurai at UFC 36 on Mar 22, 2002 2 . def . Carlos Newton at UFC 38 on Jul 13, 2002 3 . def . Gil Castillo at UFC 40 on Nov 22, 2002 4 . def . Sean Sherk at UFC 42 on Apr 25, 2003 5 . def . Frank Trigg at UFC 45 on Nov 21, 2003 </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> B.J. Penn </Td> <Td> UFC 46 Las Vegas, NV, USA </Td> <Td> Jan 31, 2004 </Td> <Td> 107 days </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> Penn was stripped of the title on May 17, 2004, when he left the UFC for K - 1 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 5 </Th> <Td> Matt Hughes (2) def . Georges St - Pierre </Td> <Td> UFC 50 Atlantic City, NJ, USA </Td> <Td> Oct 22, 2004 </Td> <Td> 757 days (1,577 days) </Td> <Td> <P> 1 . def . Frank Trigg at UFC 52 on Apr 16, 2005 2 . def . B.J. Penn at UFC 63 on Sep 23, 2006 </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 6 </Th> <Td> Georges St - Pierre </Td> <Td> UFC 65 Sacramento, CA, USA </Td> <Td> Nov 18, 2006 </Td> <Td> 140 days </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 7 </Th> <Td> Matt Serra </Td> <Td> UFC 69 Houston, TX, USA </Td> <Td> Apr 7, 2007 </Td> <Td> 378 days </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> - </Th> <Td> Georges St - Pierre def . Matt Hughes for interim title </Td> <Td> UFC 79 Las Vegas, NV, USA </Td> <Td> Dec 29, 2007 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 8 </Th> <Td> Georges St - Pierre (2) </Td> <Td> UFC 83 Montreal, QC, Canada </Td> <Td> Apr 19, 2008 </Td> <Td> 2,064 days (2,204 days) </Td> <Td> <P> 1 . def . Jon Fitch at UFC 87 on Aug 9, 2008 2 . def . B.J. Penn at UFC 94 on Jan 31, 2009 3 . def . Thiago Alves at UFC 100 on Jul 11, 2009 4 . def. Dan Hardy at UFC 111 on Mar 27, 2010 5 . def . Josh Koscheck at UFC 124 on Dec 11, 2010 6 . def . Jake Shields at UFC 129 on Apr 30, 2011 7 . def. interim champion Carlos Condit at UFC 154 on Nov 17, 2012 8 . def . Nick Diaz at UFC 158 on Mar 16, 2013 9 . def . Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 on Nov 16, 2013 </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> - </Th> <Td> Carlos Condit def . Nick Diaz for interim title </Td> <Td> UFC 143 Las Vegas, NV, USA </Td> <Td> Feb 4, 2012 </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> St - Pierre vacated the title on December 13, 2013, when he decided to take time off from the sport . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 9 </Th> <Td> Johny Hendricks def . Robbie Lawler </Td> <Td> UFC 171 Dallas, TX, USA </Td> <Td> Mar 15, 2014 </Td> <Td> 266 days </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 10 </Th> <Td> Robbie Lawler </Td> <Td> UFC 181 Las Vegas, NV, USA </Td> <Td> Dec 6, 2014 </Td> <Td> 602 days </Td> <Td> <P> 1 . def . Rory MacDonald at UFC 189 on Jul 11, 2015 2 . def . Carlos Condit at UFC 195 on Jan 2, 2016 </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 11 </Th> <Td> Tyron Woodley </Td> <Td> UFC 201 Atlanta, GA, USA </Td> <Td> Jul 30, 2016 </Td> <Td> 505 days (incumbent) </Td> <Td> <P> 1 . drew with Stephen Thompson at UFC 205 on Nov 12, 2016 2 . def . Stephen Thompson at UFC 209 on Mar 4, 2017 3 . def . Demian Maia at UFC 214 on Jul 29, 2017 </P> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Event </Th> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Reign (Total) </Th> <Th> Defenses </Th> </Tr>

Who held the ufc heavyweight title the longest