Lightweight

This article is about the sports concept. For the 2004 French film, see Lightweight (film). For the company, see Bergsala Lightweight. For the general concept, see Weight.

For other uses, see Lightweight (disambiguation).

Lightweight is a weight class in the sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and rowing.

Boxing

Professional boxing

The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxers include Alexis Argüello, Henry Armstrong, Ken Buchanan, Tony Canzoneri, Pedro Carrasco, Joel Casamayor, Al "Bummy" Davis, Oscar De La Hoya, Roberto Durán, Artur Grigorian, Joe Gans, Benny Leonard, Ray Mancini, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez, Sugar Shane Mosley, Miguel Ángel González, Carlos Ortiz, Edwin Valero, Pernell Whitaker, and Ike Williams.

Artur Grigorian holds the record for most consecutive title defenses at this division, with 17 defenses of the WBO title.

Professional Champions

Main article: List of lightweight boxing champions

Current Champions

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBA	November 21, 2015	Anthony Crolla	30-4-3 (12 KO)	0
WBC	December 30, 2014	Jorge Linares	40-3 (27 KO)	2
IBF	December 18, 2015	Rances Barthelemy	24-0 (13 KO)	0
WBO	July 11, 2015	Terry Flanagan	29-0 (12 KO)	1

Longest reigning lightweight champions

Below is a list of "longest reigning lightweight champions" career time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

	Name	Title Reign	Title recognition	Successful defenses
1.	Benny Leonard	7 years, 7 months, 17 days	World	7
2.	Artur Grigorian	7 years, 6 months, 20 days	WBO	17
3.	Jack McAuliffe	6 years, 7 months, 12 days	World	3
4.	Roberto Duran	6 years, 7 months, 5 days	WBA	12
5.	Ike Williams	6 years, 1 month, 7 days	World	5
6.	Joe Gans	6 years, 27 days	World	10
7.	Joe Brown (boxer)	5 years, 7 months, 27 days	World	11
8.	Miguel Vazquez	4 years, 29 days	IBF	6
9.	Sammy Mandel	4 years, 14 days	NBA	2
10.	Paul Spadafora	3 years, 10 months	IBF	7

Amateur boxing

Olympic Champions

• 1904 –  Harry Spanger (USA)
• 1908 –  Frederick Grace (GBR)
• 1920 –  Samuel Mosberg (USA)
• 1924 –  Hans Jacob Nielsen (DEN)
• 1928 –  Carlo Orlandi (ITA)
• 1952 –  Aureliano Bolognesi (ITA)
• 1956 –  Dick McTaggart (GBR)
• 1960 –  Kazimierz Paździor (POL)
• 1964 –  Józef Grudzień (POL)
• 1968 –  Ronnie Harris (USA)
• 1972 –  Jan Szczepański (POL)
• 1976 –  Howard Davis Jr. (USA)
• 1980 –  Ángel Herrera (CUB)
• 1984 –  Pernell Whitaker (USA)
• 1988 –  Andreas Zülow (GDR)
• 1992 –  Oscar De La Hoya (USA)
• 1996 –  Hocine Soltani (ALG)
• 2000 –  Mario César Kindelán Mesa (CUB)
• 2004 –  Mario César Kindelán Mesa (CUB)
• 2008 –  Aleksei Tishchenko (RUS)
• 2012 –  Vasyl Lomachenko (UKR)

Pan American Champions

• 1951 – Oscar Gallardo (ARG)
• 1955 – Miguel Ángel Péndola (ARG)
• 1959 – Abel Laudonio (ARG)
• 1963 – Roberto Caminero (CUB)
• 1967 – Enrique Regueiferos (CUB)
• 1971 – Luis Dávila (PUR)
• 1975 – Chris Clarke (CAN)
• 1979 – Adolfo Horta (CUB)
• 1983 – Pernell Whitaker (USA)
• 1987 – Julio Gonzáles (CUB)
• 1991 – Julio Gonzáles (CUB)
• 1995 – Julio Gonzáles (CUB)
• 1999 – Mario César Kindelán Mesa (CUB)
• 2003 – Mario César Kindelán Mesa (CUB)
• 2007 – Yordenis Ugás (CUB)
• 2011 – Yasniel Toledo (CUB)

Kickboxing

International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Lightweight (Pro & Amateur) 127.1 lb - 132 lb or 57.77 kg - 60 kg. Women's divisions also use this weight class, but usually at a lower weight than the men's divisions. In Glory promotion, a lightweight division is up to 70 kg (154 lb).

Mixed martial arts

Main article: Lightweight (MMA)

In MMA, the lightweight division is from 146 lb (66 kg) to 155 lb (70 kg).

Rowing

Lightweight rowing was a category entered into the Olympic sport, originally due to countries of smaller stature competing with an unfair disadvantage, as rowing favors the taller athlete who has more leverage.

Current Olympic class lightweight events in rowing are a men's lightweight Coxless Four and Double Scull, and a women's lightweight Double Scull.