Who was the first UFC champion from the United Kingdom?

Michael Bisping was the first UFC champion from the United Kingdom.

Bisping won the UFC middleweight championship by defeating Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 on June 4, 2016. He accepted the bout on short notice after the scheduled challenger, Chris Weidman, withdrew because of injury. Bisping knocked out Rockhold in the first round.

The victory made Bisping the first British fighter to win a UFC championship. He later defended the title against Dan Henderson at UFC 204 in Manchester, England, before losing it to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217.

Bisping had competed in the UFC since 2006 and had previously won the third season of The Ultimate Fighter. His championship victory was one of the most notable late-career title wins in UFC history.