MMA
The 5 Youngest Champions in UFC History
In this article we will analyse and rank the five youngest champions in UFC history.
Roy Nelson and Josh Barnett//Getty Images
It takes a different level of fighter to become a UFC champion. But, to become a UFC champion at a very young age takes something even more special.
Fighters such as Jon Jones and José Aldo have cemented their legacy in MMA because they claimed UFC gold at a young age, and then proceeded to dominate their respective divisions.
In this article, we will rank and analyse the five youngest champions in UFC history using the SportsBoom MetaScale.
Methodology
The rankings are determined using the following measurable criteria:
Age at Title Win (50%): Younger champions are ranked higher.
Title Achievements (30%): Number of title defenses and notable wins.
Career Longevity (10%): Duration of competitive relevance in MMA.
Impact on UFC History (10%): Influence on the sport and legacy.
Sources Used:
Critical Consensus: Ranking the Youngest Champions
The Critical Consensus Table combines data from Bleacher Report and Sportskeeda as well as listing key achievements and the age of their first title win.
Critical Consensus Table
| Rank | Fighter | Age at Title Win | Weight Class | Key Achievement | Bleacher Report Rank | Sportskeeda Rank |
| 1 | Jon Jones | 23 years, 8 months | Light Heavyweight | Youngest UFC Champion ever | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | José Aldo | 24 years, 2 months | Featherweight | UFC Featherweight Champion | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Josh Barnett | 24 years, 4 months | Heavyweight | Defeated Randy Couture | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Carlos Newton | 24 years, 8 months | Welterweight | Won via rare bulldog choke | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Frank Shamrock | 25 years, 0 months | Light Heavyweight | Inaugural UFC Champion | 5 | 5 |
Jon Jones is the youngest champion in UFC history having won the UFC light-heavyweight title at the age of 23 years and 8 months.
The former featherweight king, Jose Aldo comes second, winning the UFC featherweight title at the age of 24 years and 2 months.
Josh Barnett is the third-youngest UFC champion in history, and he still holds the record for being the youngest UFC heavyweight champion of all time.
Carlos Newton is the fourth-youngest fighter in UFC history. To add, he was also the first-ever Canadian champion in the company.
The legendary Frank Shamrock completes this list, becoming the first-ever UFC light-heavyweight champion in history at the age of just 25.
SportsBoom MetaScale: Ranking the Youngest Champions
Age at Title Win (50%): Younger champions are ranked higher.
Title Achievements (30%): Number of title defenses and notable wins.
Career Longevity (10%): Duration of competitive relevance in MMA.
Impact on UFC History (10%): Influence on the sport and legacy.
SportsBoom MetaScale
| Rank | Fighter | Age (50%) | Title Achievements (30%) | Longevity (10%) | Impact (10%) | MetaScale Score |
| 1 | Jon Jones | 50 | 28 | 9 | 10 | 97 |
| 2 | José Aldo | 48 | 26 | 9 | 8 | 91 |
| 3 | Josh Barnett | 46 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 80 |
| 4 | Carlos Newton | 44 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 74 |
| 5 | Frank Shamrock | 42 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 71 |
1. Jon Jones
Jon Jones//Getty Images
Jon Jones became the youngest ever UFC champion when he defeated Mauricio Rua at UFC 128. Since then, “Bones” has cemented himself as the best MMA fighter of all time. Jones went on to defend his light-heavyweight title 11 times, completely annihilating icons like Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Glover Teixeira, Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen.
He also claimed the UFC heavyweight title in 2023 and recently made his first defence by stopping Stipe Miocic with a brutal spinning body kick.
2. José Aldo
Jose Aldo celebrates his victory//Getty Images
José Aldo became the UFC featherweight champion in 2010 after the WEC and the UFC merged. He proceeded to successfully defend his featherweight title seven times in the UFC, after defending his WEC title twice before the merger. Throughout his dominant run, he was defeating legends such as Cub Swanson, Urijah Faber, Frankie Edgar, Kenny Florian and Chad Mendes.
3. Josh Barnett
Josh Barnett defeated Randy Couture at UFC 36 to become the youngest-ever UFC heavyweight champion. Despite being one of the youngest champions of all time, Barnett's UFC career has been forgotten about because of multiple post-fight failed drug tests, including after he beat Couture.
4. Carlos Newton
Carlos Newton won the UFC welterweight division at UFC 31 by defeating Pat Miletitch via submission. The Canadian fighter would later lose the title a few months later.
5. Frank Shamrock
Frank Shamrock became one of the youngest champions in UFC history, at UFC Japan (1997), whilst also becoming the first-ever UFC light-heavyweight champion. Shamrock would successfully defend his title four times before leaving the promotion in 1999.
SportsBoom Suggests
Jon Jones stands as the undisputed youngest champion, having achieved unparalleled dominance at just 23 years old.
José Aldo not only became a champion at a young age but also built an illustrious career with multiple title defenses.
Josh Barnett and Carlos Newton showcased early excellence, but their careers were marred by controversies or limited longevity.
Jake Staniland is a sports writer who excels in covering a wide range of sports: football, combat sports and the NFL - All three subjects are his lifelong passions.
Jake is a boyhood Sheffield United fan, which is often a curse that he thanks his family for. His favourite Blades player ever is Billy Sharp