What is an interim champion in the UFC?

An interim champion in the UFC is crowned when the reigning champion of a division is unable to maintain regular activity inside the octagon.

There are a multitude of reasons behind why a champion may be inactive, ranging from injuries to personal issues.

An interim champion thus performs the duty of an "acting champion" until the original title-holder of the specific division returns to active competition.

Once the original title holder does return, he clashes with the interim champion in a title unification bout to determine who will ultimately regin over the division in question as the undisputed champion.

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Some notable fighters to have held the title of interim champion in the UFC

There have been various interim champions in the UFC. The very nature and expanse of the sport often forces fighters towards some time away from the octagon.

Here is a list of some notable interim champions of the UFC:

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Israel Adesanya - UFC middleweight

Fill in the blank: @Stylebender becomes first interim champ to unify the belts since _______ did it at UFC ________? pic.twitter.com/DhmlgO7kVe

— UFC (@ufc) October 7, 2019

Israel Adesanya clashed with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 for the interim middleweight title.

In a fight that went down in the history of the promotion as one of the greatest ever, Adesanya and Gastelum put on an absolute dog-fight that went the five-round distance.

Adesanya emerged victorious on the judges' scorecards. He went on to unify the middleweight title by beating Robert Whittaker at UFC 243.

Kelvin Gastelum praised the toughness Israel Adesanya showcased in their epic battle 💪 pic.twitter.com/MqJD6K1uIU

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 2, 2020

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Dustin Poirier - UFC lightweight

UFC 236 Holloway v Poirier 2

Dustin Poirier and 'Blessed' Max Holloway locked horns inside the octagon in the main event of UFC 236 (Yes, the same event as Israel Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum).

Again, Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier put on an absolute slug-fest that went the 25-minute distance.

'The Diamond' was awarded victory on the judges' scorecards. UFC 236 was undoubtedly a great event for a fight fan to witness.

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Conor McGregor - UFC featherweight

Conor McGregor was scheduled to fight Jose Aldo for the undisputed featherweight title at UFC 189. Unfortunately, the Brazilian legend was forced to pull out of the event due to a rib injury.

'The Notorious' instead faced Chad Mendes at the event for the interim UFC featherweight title. He knocked out Mendes in the closing moments of the second round of their bout to win the interim title.

An iconic performance on an iconic card 🙌Five years ago today, just three months after tearing his ACL, @TheNotoriousMMA knocked out Chad Mendes to become the UFC interim champion 🏆🇮🇪 #UFC189 pic.twitter.com/4s6rtopgMH

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) July 11, 2020

McGregor went on to become the undisputed UFC featherweight champion by recording the fastest KO in a title fight in UFC history against Aldo at UFC 194.