In combat sports, bantamweight is a weight class. The weight limit for boxing is above 115 lb (52.2 kg) and up to 118 lb (53.5 kg). A bantamweight combatant in kickboxing typically weighs between 53 and 55 kg (117 and 121 lb). Bantamweight is 126-135 pounds in MMA (57.2–61.2 kg). Boxers who weigh more than 115 pounds (52.2 kg) but less than 118 pounds compete in the bantamweight division (53.5 kg). Chappie Moran and Ray Lewis fought the first title battle using gloves in 1889. At the time, the weight class limit was 110 pounds. However, in 1910, the British decided on a maximum of 118.
A bantamweight fighter in kickboxing typically weighs between 53 kg (116 lb) and 55 kg (120 lb). Some regulatory organizations, however, have slightly different classifications. The International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Bantamweight class (professional and amateur) is, for example, 117.1 lbs.-122 lbs. or 53.22 kg-55.45 kg. The bantamweight category restriction in ONE Championship is 65.8 kg (145 lb).
The bantamweight class in the International Lethwei Federation Japan is up to 60 kg (130 lb). Yuta Hamamoto is the Bantamweight Champion of the International Lethwei Federation Japan.
The bantamweight class, with a weight restriction of 54 kg, is recognized by the World Lethwei Championship (119 lb). Souris Manfredi is the Bantamweight Champion of the World Lethwei Championship.
Boxers who weigh more than 115 pounds but less than 118 pounds compete in the bantamweight division. The weight class is named after the bantam, a particularly tenacious type of chicken native to the Indonesian island of Java.
Apart from Nonito Donaire, Jr., who ruled as the world bantamweight titlist for the second round until losing to Naoya Inoue in the World Boxing Super Series recently in Saitama, Japan, three other Filipinos are still fighting for dominance in the 118-pound weight class.
Then there's Michael Dasmarinas, the former IBO world bantamweight champion and current IBF mandatory challenger who is being touted as a possible next opponent for unified WBA and IBF champion Monster Naoya Inoue will be back in the ring next year.
And then there's Reymart Gaballo, the undefeated former WBA bantamweight interim champion who was the first to defeat American Stephon Young before Donaire knocked him out as a late substitution in the WBSS quarterfinals.
Guillermo Rigondeaux, the regular bantamweight champion, was stripped of his championship on August 14th, 2021, after facing then-WBO champion John Riel Casimero. On July 23rd, the WBA confirmed its unwillingness to sanction the fight due to WBO regulations on Regular titles and claimed Rigondeaux would have to seek to be ranked in order to proceed with the fight, in which case his Regular championship would be declared void. Naoya Inoue was then crowned solitary champion.
Brandon Figueroa was stripped of his Regular championship at super bantamweight on December 2nd, 2021 after facing Stephen Fulton in a WBC and WBO unification on November 27th. This was owing to limits placed by the WBO, who refused to authorize contests involving the Regular title, with the WBA accepting this and announcing Figueroa's suspension on August 17th (prior to the ABC letter). This happened after Figueroa was permitted to unify in his last fight on May 15th against then-WBC champion Luis Nery, as the WBC does not apply the same limits on the Regular title. This left Murodjohn Akhmadaliev as the solitary champion.
