List of Strikeforce champions

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.

World champions

Men's championships

Heavyweight Championship

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

No.	Name	Event	Date	Reign	Defenses
1	Alistair Overeem def. Paul Buentello	Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives San Jose, CA, USA	November 16, 2007	1,351 days	1. 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.	Name	Event	Date	Reign	Defenses
1	Bobby Southworth def. Vernon White	Strikeforce: Triple Threat San Jose, CA, USA	December 8, 2006	714 days	1. def. Anthony Ruiz at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson on Jun 27, 2008
2	Renato Sobral	Strikeforce: Destruction San Jose, CA, USA	November 21, 2008	267 days
3	Gegard Mousasi	Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg San Jose, CA, USA	August 15, 2009	245 days
4	Muhammed Lawal	Strikeforce: Nashville Nashville, TN, USA	April 17, 2010	126 days
5	Rafael Cavalcante	Strikeforce: Houston Houston, TX, USA days	August 21, 2010	196 days
6	Dan Henderson	Strikeforce: Feijão vs. Henderson Columbus, OH, USA	March 5, 2011	198 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.	Name	Event	Date	Reign	Defenses
1	Frank Shamrock def. Phil Baroni	Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni San Jose, CA, USA	June 22, 2007	281 days
2	Cung Le	Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le San Jose, CA, USA	March 29, 2008	588 days
Le vacated the title on September 17, 2009 due to filming obligations.^[3]
3	Jake Shields def. Jason Miller	Strikeforce: Fedor vs Rogers Hoffman Estates, IL, USA	November 7, 2009	287 days	1. 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	Ronaldo Souza def. Tim Kennedy	Strikeforce: Houston Houston, TX, USA	August 21, 2010	385 days	1. def. Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg on Jan 29, 2011
5	Luke Rockhold	Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov Cincinnati, OH, USA	September 10, 2011	490 days	1. 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.	Name	Event	Date	Reign	Defenses
1	Nick Diaz def. Marius Žaromskis	Strikeforce: Miami Sunrise, FL, USA	January 30, 2010	495 days	1. 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	Nate Marquardt def. Tyron Woodley	Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy Portland, OR, USA	July 14, 2012	182 days
3	Tarec Saffiedine	Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA	January 12, 2013	0 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.	Name	Event	Date	Reign	Defenses
1	Clay Guida def. Josh Thomson	Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie San Jose, CA, USA	March 10, 2006	91 days
2	Gilbert Melendez	Strikeforce: Revenge San Jose, CA, USA	June 9, 2006	749 days	1. def. Gabe Lemley at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le on March 29, 2008
3	Josh Thomson	Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson San Jose, CA, USA	June 27, 2008	540 days
—	Gilbert Melendez def. Rodrigo Damm for interim title	Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz San Jose, CA, USA	April 11, 2009	—	1. def. Mitsuhiro Ishida at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on Aug 15, 2009
4	Gilbert Melendez (2)	Strikeforce: Evolution San Jose, CA, USA	December 19, 2009	1,218 days	1. 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.	Name	Event	Date	Reign	Defenses
1	Cris Cyborg def. Gina Carano	Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg San Jose, CA, USA	August 15, 2009	874 days	1. 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.	Name	Event	Date	Reign	Defenses
1	Sarah Kaufman def. Takayo Hashi	Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs. Hashi San Jose, CA, USA	February 26, 2010	225 days	1. def. Roxanne Modafferi at Strikeforce Challengers: del Rosario vs. Mahe on Jul 23, 2010
2	Marloes Coenen	Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II San Jose, CA, USA	October 9, 2010	294 days	1. def. Liz Carmouche at Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson on Mar 5th, 2011
3	Miesha Tate	Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson Hoffman Estates, IL, USA	July 30, 2011	217 days
4	Ronda Rousey	Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey Columbus, OH, USA	March 3, 2012	278 days	1. 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.	Name	Event	Date	Reign	Defenses
1	Eugene Jackson def. Ronald Jhun	Strikeforce: Triple Threat San Jose, CA, USA	December 8, 2006	2,227 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.	Name	Event	Date	Reign	Defenses
1	Josh Thomson def. Nam Phan	Strikeforce: Triple Threat San Jose, CA, USA	December 8, 2006	2,227 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

Event	Division	Winner	Runner-up	Date
Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives	Middleweight	Jorge Santiago	Trevor Prangley	November 17, 2007
Strikeforce Challengers: Riggs vs. Taylor	Women's Bantamweight	Miesha Tate	Hitomi Akano	August 13, 2010
Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier	Heavyweight	Daniel Cormier	Josh Barnett	May 19, 2012

Records

Most wins in title bouts

Title wins	Champion	Division	V	NC	L
9	Gilbert Melendez	Lightweight	9	0	1
4	Nick Diaz	Welterweight	4	0	1
3	Cristiane Justino	Women's Featherweight	3	1	0
3	Luke Rockhold	Middleweight	3	0	0
2	Bobby Southworth	Light Heavyweight	2	0	1
	Sarah Kaufman	Women's Bantamweight	2	0	1
	Ronaldo Souza	Middleweight	2	0	1
	Marloes Coenen	Women's Bantamweight	2	0	1
	Jake Shields	Middleweight	2	0	0
	Alistair Overeem	Heavyweight	2	0	0
	Ronda Rousey	Women's Bantamweight	2	0	0

Most consecutive title defenses

Defenses	Champion	Division	Period
4	Gilbert Melendez	Lightweight	April 19, 2009 – January 12, 2013
3	Nick Diaz	Welterweight	January 30, 2010 – June 9, 2011
2	Cristiane Justino	Women's Featherweight	August 15, 2009 – January 6, 2012
2	Luke Rockhold	Middleweight	September 10, 2011 – January 12, 2013
1	Bobby Southworth	Light Heavyweight	December 8, 2006 – November 21, 2008
	Jake Shields	Middleweight	November 7, 2009 – July 1, 2010
	Alistair Overeem	Heavyweight	November 16, 2007 – July 29, 2011
	Sarah Kaufman	Women's Bantamweight	February 26, 2010 – October 9, 2010
	Ronaldo Souza	Middleweight	August 21, 2010 – September 10, 2011
	Marloes Coenen	Women's Bantamweight	October 9, 2010 – July 30, 2011
	Ronda Rousey	Women's Bantamweight	March 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.

Country	Division champions	Tournaments champions	Total
United States	14	2	16
Brazil	4	1	5
Netherlands	3	—	3
Belgium	1	—	1
Canada	1	—	1
Vietnam	1	—	1

References

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

[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)

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