Light heavyweight
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to, falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight.The light heavyweight class has produced some of boxing's greatest champions: Bernard Hopkins, 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
| Sanctioning body | Reign began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
| WBA | February 22, 2025 | Dmitry Bivol | 24–1 | 0 |
| WBC | April 7, 2025 | David Benavidez | 31–0 | 1 |
| IBF | February 22, 2025 | Dmitry Bivol | 24–1 | 0 |
| WBO | February 22, 2025 | Dmitry Bivol | 24–1 | 0 |
Current world rankings
''The Ring''
As of January 11, 2026.Keys:
| Rank | Name | Record | Title |
| C | Dmitry Bivol | 24–1 | IBF, WBO, WBA |
| 1 | Artur Beterbiev | 21–1 | |
| 2 | David Benavidez | 31–0 | WBC, WBA (Regular) |
| 3 | Callum Smith | 31–2 | |
| 4 | Albert Ramirez | 22–0 | |
| 5 | Anthony Yarde | 27–4 | |
| 6 | David Morrell | 12–1 | |
| 7 | Imam Khataev | 11–1 | |
| 8 | Joshua Buatsi | 20–1 | |
| 9 | Oleksandr Gvozdyk | 21–2 | |
| 10 | Willy Hutchinson | 19–2 |
BoxRec
| Rank | Name | Record | Title |
| 1 | David Benavidez | 31–0 | WBC, WBA (Regular) |
| 2 | Dmitry Bivol | 24–1 | WBA, WBO, IBF |
| 3 | Artur Beterbiev | 21–1 | |
| 4 | Callum Smith | 31–2 | |
| 5 | Albert Ramirez | 22–0 | |
| 6 | David Morrell | 12–1 | |
| 7 | Joshua Buatsi | 20–1 | |
| 8 | Oleksandr Gvozdyk | 21–2 | |
| 9 | Imam Khataev | 11–1 | |
| 10 | Najee Lopez | 15–0 |
Longest reigning world light heavyweight champions
Below is a list of longest reigning light heavyweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion 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 | |
| 2. | Dariusz Michalczewski | 9 years, 1 months, 8 days | IBF, WBA, WBO | 23 | 20 | |
| 3. | Artur Beterbiev | 7 years, 3 months, 1 week and 5 days | IBF, WBC, WBO, WBA | 9 | 9 | |
| 4. | Gus Lesnevich | 7 years, 2 months, 2 days | NYSAC, NBA | 5 | 3 | |
| 5. | Dmitry Bivol | 7 years, 3 weeks and 3 days | IBF, WBC, WBO, WBA | 12 | 12 | |
| 6. | Bob Foster | 6 years, 0 months, 23 days | WBC, WBA | 14 | 13 | |
| 7. | Zsolt Erdei | 5 years, 9 months, 27 days | WBO | 11 | 10 | |
| 8. | Adonis Stevenson | 5 years, 5 months, 24 days | WBC | 9 | 9 | |
| 9. | Charles Williams | 5 years, 4 months, 21 days | IBF | 8 | 8 | |
| 10. | Roy Jones Jr. | 5 years, 2 months, 25 days | WBC, IBF, WBA | 11 | 11 | |
| 11. | Virgil Hill | 4 years, 9 months, 15 days | WBA | 10 | 10 | |
| 12. | Maxie Rosenbloom | 4 years, 4 months, 22 days | NYSAC, NBA | 7 | 6 | |
| 13. | Michael Spinks | 4 years, 2 months, 3 days | IBF, WBA, WBC | 10 | 10 | |
| 14. | Battling Levinsky | 3 years, 11 months, 19 days | World | 1 | 1 | |
| 15. | Victor Galindez | 3 years, 9 months, 8 days | WBA | 10 | 7 |
Amateur
In amateur boxing, light heavyweight is a weight division above and up to, falling between middleweight and heavyweight.Olympic champions
- 1920 Summer Olympics|1920] -
- 1924 Summer Olympics|1924] -
- 1928 Summer Olympics|1928] -
- 1932 Summer Olympics|1932] -
- 1936 Summer Olympics|1936] -
- 1948 Summer Olympics|1948] -
- 1952 Summer Olympics|1952] -
- 1956 Summer Olympics|1956] -
- 1960 Summer Olympics|1960] -
- 1964 Summer Olympics|1964] -
- 1968 Summer Olympics|1968] -
- 1972 Summer Olympics|1972] -
- 1976 Summer Olympics|1976] -
- 1980 Summer Olympics|1980] -
- 1984 Summer Olympics|1984] -
- 1988 Summer Olympics|1988] -
- 1992 Summer Olympics|1992] -
- 1996 Summer Olympics|1996] -
- 2000 Summer Olympics|2000] -
- 2004 Summer Olympics|2004] -
- 2008 Summer Olympics|2008] -
- 2012 Summer Olympics|2012] -
- 2016 Summer Olympics|2016] -
- 2020 Summer Olympics|2020] -
Kickboxing
- In kickboxing, a light heavyweight fighter generally weighs between 77 kg and 95 kg.
- In International Kickboxing Federation, a light heavyweight division is 172.1 – 179 lb.
- In Glory promotion, a light heavyweight division is up to 95 kg.
- In Bellator Kickboxing promotion, a light heavyweight division is up to 95 kg.
- In ONE Championship, the light heavyweight division is up to.
Bare-knuckle boxing
- In Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, the light heavyweight division has an upper limit of.
- In BKB™, the light heavyweight division has an upper limit of.
Mixed martial arts