Youngest UFC Fighters and Champions Ever (Top 5)

In mixed martial arts, the UFC represents the top of the pyramid. Therefore, young fighters would often have to make their bones at smaller organizations and collect some vital experience before earning an opportunity inside the elusive Octagon.

But as they say, rules are made to be broken. Hence, some fighters showcase enough talent and potential while winning bouts at a tender age, which could grant them a shortcut to Dana White’s company.

So who are the youngest fighters in UFC history? And who is the organization’s youngest champion of all time?

Time to reveal the answers.

Who is the Youngest Fighter in UFC History?

Raul Rosas Jr. is the youngest fighter ever to make his UFC debut. The Mexican stepped into the Octagon for the first time at the age of 18 years, two months and two days.

After impressing in Dana White’s Contender Series, “El Niño Problema” made his promotional debut at UFC 282, earning a first-round submission victory over Jay Perrin. He remains one of the company’s most promising fighters in the bantamweight division.

Youngest UFC Fighters Ever

While Raul Rosas Jr. is the youngest fighter ever in the UFC, let’s find out who are the other combatants who make up the Top 5 list based on their debut date.

#	Fighter	Age	Opponent	Outcome	Weight Class
1	Raul Rosas Jr.	18 years, 2 months	Jay Perrin	Submission win	Bantamweight
2	Dan Lauzon	18 years, 6 months	Spencer Fisher	TKO loss	Lightweight
3	Sage Northcutt	19 years, 7 months	Francisco Treviño	TKO win	Catchweight (160 lbs)
4	Vitor Belfort	19 years, 10 months	Tra Telligman	TKO win	Heavyweight
5	Song Yadong	19 years, 11 months	Felipe Arantes	KO win	Bantamweight

Youngest UFC Champions Ever

Jon Jones is the youngest champion in UFC history, winning his first belt at the age of 23 with a vicious TKO against the legendary Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128. He went on to cement himself as arguably the greatest fighter of all time.

Brazilian legend José Aldo lands second on the list. He became the inaugural UFC featherweight champion at the of age 24 years and two months when the organization absorbed WEC.

Josh Barnett completes the podium thanks to a short reign in 2002. With a TKO win over Randy Couture, the American became a UFC champion at the age of 24 years and five months.

Youngest UFC Champion by Weight Class

In this section, we’ll reveal the youngest UFC champion in each division based on the date of his initial title win.

Fighter	Age	Date	Weight Class
Josh Barnett	24 years, 5 months	March 22, 2002	Heavyweight
Jon Jones	23 years, 8 months	March 19, 2011	Light Heavyweight
Robert Whittaker	26 years, 11 months	December 7, 2017	Middleweight
Carlos Newton	24 years, 9 months	May 4, 2001	Welterweight
Jens Pulver	26 years, 2 months	February 23, 2001	Lightweight
José Aldo	24 years, 2 months	November 20, 2010	Men’s Featherweight
Amanda Nunes	30 years, 6 months	December 29, 2018	Women’s Featherweight
Cody Garbrandt	25 years, 5 months	December 30, 2016	Men’s Bantamweight
Ronda Rousey	25 years, 9 months	December 6, 2012	Women’s Bantamweight
Demetrious Johnson	27 years, 1 month	September 12, 2012	Men’s Flyweight
Alexa Grasso	29 years, 6 months	March 4, 2023	Women’s Flyweight
Rose Namajunas	25 years, 4 months	November 4, 2017	Strawweight