A two-time former champion has a chance to do one thing fee later this summer season.

Israel Adesanya will attempt to win the UFC middleweight title for a 3rd time when he meets rival and present champ Dricus Du Plessis in Perth, Australia.

Forward of UFC 305 in August, check out a chronological historical past of the UFC middleweight belt.

Dave Menne

Date: Sept. 28, 2001
Occasion: UFC 33
Opponent: Gil Castillo
Complete reign: 105 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Trivia query as the primary middleweight champion in UFC historical past.

Murilo Bustamante

Murilo Bustamante

Date: Jan. 11, 2002
Occasion: UFC 35
Opponent: Dave Menne
Complete reign: 267 days
Title defenses: Matt Lindland (UFC 37)
Notes: Stripped of the title in October 2002 when he left for PRIDE.

Evan Tanner

Evan Tanner

Date: Feb. 5, 2005
Occasion: UFC 51
Opponent: David Terrell
Complete reign: 119 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Tanner’s win over Terrell was for the belt vacated by Murilo Bustamante. The combat was the primary UFC middleweight title bout in additional than three years.

Wealthy Franklin

Wealthy Franklin

Date: June 4, 2005
Occasion: UFC 53
Opponent: Evan Tanner
Complete reign: 497 days
Title defenses: Nate Quarry (UFC 56), David Loiseau (UFC 58)
Notes: Franklin was the primary fighter with a number of title defenses at 185 kilos, although his document rapidly was surpassed by his successor.

Anderson Silva

Wealthy Franklin and Anderson Silva, UFC 77

Date: Oct. 14, 2006
Occasion: UFC 64
Opponent: Wealthy Franklin
Complete reign: 2,457 days
Title defenses: Nate Marquardt (UFC 73), Wealthy Franklin (UFC 77), Dan Henderson (UFC 82), Patrick Cote (UFC 90), Thales Leites (UFC 97), Demian Maia (UFC 112), Chael Sonnen (UFC 117), Vitor Belfort (UFC 126), Yushin Okami (UFC 134), Chael Sonnen (UFC 148)
Notes: Set a middleweight commonplace that can be arduous to surpass. The UFC Corridor of Famer (as soon as within the Pioneer Wing and once more within the Struggle Wing) nonetheless holds the longest title reign in UFC historical past and lots of different information encompass his run as champion.

Chris Weidman

Jul 6, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Chris Weidman, blue shorts, defeated Anderson Silva (yellow shorts) of their Middleweight Chamionship Bout within the second spherical with a TKO on the MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment. Necessary Credit score: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports activities ORG XMIT: USATSI-131490 ORIG FILE ID: 20130706_lbm_aj4_363.JPG

Date: July 6, 2013
Occasion: UFC 162
Opponent: Anderson Silva
Complete reign: 889 days
Title defenses: Anderson Silva (UFC 168), Lyoto Machida (UFC 175), Vitor Belfort (UFC 187)
Notes: His win over Silva was a monumental upset in UFC historical past, however his win within the rematch was when Silva snapped his leg with one of the vital brutal accidents ever.

Luke Rockhold

December 12, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Luke Rockhold lands punches towards Chris Weidman throughout UFC 194 at MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment. Necessary Credit score: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports activities

Date: Dec. 12, 2015
Occasion: UFC 162
Opponent: Chris Weidman
Complete reign: 175 days
Title defenses: None

Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping

Date: June 4, 2016
Occasion: UFC 199
Opponent: Luke Rockhold
Complete reign: 518 days
Title defenses: Dan Henderson (UFC 204)
Notes: Bisping’s win over Rockhold to seize the title was on brief discover and avenged a previous loss.

Robert Whittaker (interim)

Robert Whittaker

Date: July 8, 2017
Occasion: UFC 213
Opponent: Yoel Romero
Title defenses: None
Notes: Whittaker beat Romero for an interim belt whereas Bisping was sidelined forward of his title combat with Georges St-Pierre. Whittaker ultimately was promoted to undisputed champion.

Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217. (USA TODAY Sports activities)

Date: Nov. 4, 2017
Occasion: UFC 217
Opponent: Michael Bisping
Complete reign: 33 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: St-Pierre completed his purpose of holding titles in two UFC weight courses. Citing well being points, he relinquished the title a couple of month after he received it and interim champion Robert Whittaker was promoted.

Robert Whittaker

Robert Whittaker

Date: Dec. 7, 2017
Complete reign: 660 days
Title defenses: None
Notes: Whittaker was made full champion after St-Pierre vacated.

Israel Adesanya (interim)

UFC 236: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Date: April 13, 2019
Occasion: UFC 236
Opponent: Kelvin Gastelum
Notes: Adesanya received an interim belt whereas Whittaker was sidelined.

Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya

Date: Oct. 6, 2019
Occasion: UFC 243
Opponent: Robert Whittaker
Complete reign: 1,134 days
Title defenses: Yoel Romero (UFC 248), Paulo Costa (UFC 253), Marvin Vettori (UFC 263), Robert Whittaker (UFC 271), Jared Cannonier (UFC 276)
Notes: Adesanya regarded like the following coming of Anderson Silva till an previous kickboxing nemesis derailed him.