what is the interim title ufc
In the UFC, an interim title is a temporary championship belt created when the division’s real (undisputed) champion can’t defend their title for a while, usually because of injury, contract issues, or personal problems.
Quick Scoop: What Is the Interim Title in UFC?
Think of the interim title as “champion-in-waiting.” It keeps a division moving instead of putting everything on hold while the real champ is sidelined.
- The UFC creates an interim title when:
- The undisputed champion is injured or medically suspended.
* The champion is dealing with personal issues or other long-term layoff reasons.
* There are business/contract disputes that stop the champ from fighting soon.
- Top contenders then fight for this interim belt, so there is still a “champion” headlining big events and keeping rankings active.
Story-style example:
Imagine the real champ is stuck on the sidelines for months. Rather than
having contenders just wait and fight in aimless matchups, the UFC says,
“Fine, we’ll crown a temporary king.” That temporary king is the interim
champion.
How the Interim Title Actually Works
1. Why the UFC uses it
- To keep pay-per-view/main events marketable with a “title fight” label.
- To reward a top contender who keeps beating elite opponents while the champ is away.
- To avoid logjams in divisions where everyone is waiting on one inactive champion.
Some fans love it because it keeps things moving. Others feel the UFC sometimes uses interim belts too quickly just to boost hype and PPV sales.
2. Interim Champion vs Undisputed Champion
Here’s a simple table to clarify:
| Aspect | Undisputed Champion | Interim Champion |
|---|---|---|
| Official status | Recognized as the main champion of the division. | [6]Temporary champion until situation with the undisputed champ is resolved. | [6]
| Why they exist | Won the full world title in a standard title fight. | [6]Won a special title fight created while the real champ is inactive. | [10][6]
| Next step | Usually must defend against the interim champion in a unification bout. | [10][6]Typically fights the undisputed champion to unify titles. | [10][6]
| If undisputed champ can’t return | May be stripped or vacate the belt. | [6]Often promoted to full undisputed champion status. | [6]
3. What Happens After: Unification or Promotion
Once the undisputed champion is ready to come back, there are two main paths:
- Unification fight
- The interim champion and the undisputed champion fight each other.
- Winner becomes the sole, undisputed champion; the “interim” label disappears.
- Promotion to undisputed champion
- If the original champ can’t or won’t return in a reasonable time, the UFC can strip or accept a vacated belt.
- The interim champion may then be promoted to full champion without needing a unification fight.
Both routes are meant to avoid confusion in the division while still respecting the achievements of the active fighters.
A Recent Real-World Example
- At UFC 324, Justin Gaethje won the interim lightweight title by defeating Paddy Pimblett in a five-round war.
- The undisputed lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is currently out due to personal reasons, which opened the door for an interim belt at 155 lbs.
- The result is that Gaethje now holds the interim title and is positioned to face Topuria in a future unification bout for the full, undisputed lightweight championship.
This is a textbook example of how and why the UFC uses an interim title: to keep the division hot and give fans a meaningful championship storyline even when the main champ is temporarily absent.
Why Fans Argue About Interim Titles
On forums and social media, fans often debate whether interim titles are “real” belts or just promotional tools:
- Some argue they add legitimacy to top contenders and make sure active fighters get rewarded instead of sitting out.
- Others feel they are used too often to sell cards and that the term “undisputed” can lose its meaning when there are frequent interim champs in the same division.
This tension is part of why “what is the interim title UFC” keeps trending whenever a new interim belt is announced.
TL;DR
An interim title in the UFC is a temporary championship created when the real champ is inactive, giving top contenders a belt to fight for and setting up a future unification fight with the undisputed champion.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.