The first UFC event of 2019 takes place Saturday with bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw moving down a weight class to challenge Henry Cejudo in a riveting flyweight title bout that represents the start of a new chapter for the company as it begins its partnership with ESPN.
To commemorate the occasion, the mixed martial arts promotion unveiled a new “UFC Legacy Championship Belt” Friday that will replace the current title belts worn by champions.
“The belt honours UFC’s past, while recognizing the amazing accomplishments of our current champions,” UFC president Dana White stated in a press release.
There are currently 12 title belts in circulation, one for each weight class the UFC holds fights in (eight men’s and four women’s divisions). The new design is the first major alteration to the belt since 2001 when Zuffa purchased the UFC and introduced a new belt.
The winner of Dillashaw vs. Cejudo will be the first fighter presented with the new belt.
All current belts look identical but that will change going forward as the new belt will be customized to each champion. It’ll display the fighter’s name, country, weight class, number of title defences and “each belt will be assigned its own serial number and will feature UFC president Dana White’s engraved signature for authenticity,” according to the press release.
The UFC posted this diagram of the strap to its social media channels with a detailed description of the UFC Legacy Championship Belt and its features.
In the past, if you became champ or if a reigning UFC champion defended his or her belt they would be presented with a brand new one that represented that specific victory.
Former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, who now competes under the ONE Championship banner, holds the UFC record for title defences.
He accumulated plenty of gold over the years and his accomplishments even inspired this famous photo.
That system is now defunct.
“The belt’s left-side plate will recognize the titleholder’s name and weight class, with their native country showcased with flag iconography. Eight stones border the plate, and for each victory in a championship bout, one of the stones will be replaced with a red ruby,” the press release explained. “The date and location of the win will be engraved adjacent to the stone. If an athlete successfully defends their belt more than eight times, red stones will be added to the right-side plate to continually acknowledge the accomplishment. The belt’s right-side plate is adorned by a gold UFC World Champion logo and bordered by eight stones.”
The belt has been met with mixed reviews online, but the new look seems to have made an impact on the sport’s top star.
Belt designer Brad Flaherty and Jae El Manufacturing collaborated with the UFC to come up with the look.
Also, if you like the belt and want one of your own without having to, you know, become a world-class cagefighter then you’re in luck! Replica belts are available to purchase for a mere $850.
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