Who was the first UFC heavyweight champion?

Mark Coleman was the first UFC heavyweight champion, winning the inaugural title at UFC 12 in 1997.

At UFC 12, Coleman defeated Dan Severn by neck-crank submission in the event’s championship bout. The fight unified the UFC Superfight Championship with the tournament championship and established the first official UFC Heavyweight Championship. Coleman entered as a late replacement for Don Frye, who was unable to compete because of injuries.

The event can cause confusion because UFC 12 also featured a heavyweight tournament. Vitor Belfort won that tournament, but Coleman won the separate title fight against Severn. Belfort therefore was not the first UFC heavyweight champion.

Coleman had already won the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournaments, establishing himself as one of the promotion’s dominant early wrestlers. He later defended the heavyweight title at UFC 14, where Maurice Smith defeated him by decision. Coleman’s wrestling-based ground-and-pound style became highly influential in early mixed martial arts.