Who holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history?

Anderson Silva holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history.

Silva’s UFC middleweight championship reign lasted 2,457 days, or roughly six years and eight months. He won the vacant title by defeating Rich Franklin at UFC 64 in October 2006 and remained champion until Chris Weidman defeated him at UFC 162 in July 2013.

During that run, Silva defended the middleweight belt successfully 10 times. His reign included memorable wins over Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort, and it established him as one of the most technically creative strikers in mixed martial arts history.

A common mix-up involves Demetrious Johnson. Johnson holds the UFC record for consecutive successful title defenses, with 11, but Silva holds the record for the longest uninterrupted time as champion. Those are different measurements: one counts defenses, while the other counts calendar days holding the belt.

Silva’s reign ended in unusual fashion. Weidman knocked him out in the second round after Silva taunted him and attempted to draw a reaction during the exchange.