- The UFC interim champion is the placeholder for the division when the champion will be out for an extended period.
- Renan Barao, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Tom Aspinall are the only fighters in UFC history who defended the interim title.
- Tom Aspinall is the latest fighter to win a UFC interim title.
When a champion in the UFC is injured or will be out for an extended period, the promotion hands out an interim belt. This is usually fought by two of the top contenders in the division. Additionally, it gives fans more online sports betting opportunities when looking at the UFC odds.
But what is the main purpose of an interim champion in the UFC? How does one get the opportunity to capture one? What happens to them when the champion returns? And can it be defended by a fighter? Find out below.
What Does an Interim Champion Mean in the UFC?
An interim champion in the UFC is a placeholder for the injured or inactive titleholder in the division. This usually happens when the division doesn’t want to relinquish the championship belt when they suffer an injury or have issues with their contract negotiations with the promotion.
Why Is There an Interim UFC Champion?
The UFC employs an interim champion to keep the division moving forward and busy while waiting for the return of the division’s titleholder. When a champion is expected to be out for the next six to eight months, the promotion will automatically book this.
On rare occasions, the UFC hands out interim belts to determine the next challenger for the champion, much like what happened at UFC 284 when Yair Rodriguez fought Josh Emmett for the interim UFC featherweight title. Eventually, Rodriguez won and challenged Alexander Volkanovksi in a unification bout.
How Do You Get an Interim Belt in the UFC?
The UFC picks two of the top contenders in the division and pits them against each other for the interim belt. Usually, they are the fighters ranked in the top five of the division. Tom Aspinall is the latest UFC interim champion after beating Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 295.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones suffered an injury during training and is expected to be out for months, which is why the UFC booked an interim match between Aspinall and Pavlovich in November.
What Happens to the Interim Champion When the Champion Comes Back?
The interim UFC champion will face the undisputed champion when they return and set the stage for a unification showdown that often headlines a pay-per-view event.
Volkanovski and Rodriguez were the latest version of the unification fight between the undisputed and interim UFC champion, which happened at UFC 290 in July 2023. Volkanovski successfully defended his undisputed crown by beating Rodriguez via third-round TKO.
Has a UFC Interim Belt Ever Been Defended?
The only fighters in UFC history to have defended the interim title were Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the former UFC interim heavyweight champion, Renan Barao, the former UFC interim bantamweight champion, and Tom Aspinall, the UFC interim heavyweight champion.
