bantamweight

American  

[ban-tuhm-weyt] / ˈbæn təmˌweɪt /

noun

1. a boxer or other contestant intermediate in weight between a flyweight and a featherweight, especially a professional boxer weighing up to 118 pounds.

---

bantamweight British  

/ ˈbæntəmˌweɪt /

noun

1. 1. a professional boxer weighing 112–118 pounds (51–53.5 kg)

   2. an amateur boxer weighing 51–54 kg (112–119 pounds)

   3. ( as modifier )

      the bantamweight champion

2. a wrestler in a similar weight category (usually 115–126 pounds (52–57 kg))

---

Usage

What does bantamweight mean? The word bantamweight is most commonly used in boxing to refer to the weight class between flyweight and featherweight. Weight classes are divisions in which all boxers must be under a certain weight limit. Bantamweight is one of the lightest weight classes. The word is also commonly used to refer to a boxer in this weight class, as in The next bout is between two bantamweights. Such boxers are sometimes called bantams for short. The word bantamweight is sometimes used in these same ways in other sports that have weight classes, such as mixed martial arts and wrestling. The specific maximum weight for the bantamweight division varies based on the sport, the organization, and whether it applies to men or women. In professional and amateur boxing, the weight limit for the bantamweight division is about 53. 5 kilograms (118 pounds) for both men and women. There is also a super bantamweight division in professional boxing with a limit of about 55. 3 kilograms (122 pounds). In Olympic boxing, the bantamweight division is no longer used—the next class after flyweight is featherweight. Weight classes are enforced by weighing competitors before a match at what’s called a weigh-in. Example: I’m dropping down to bantamweight so I need to cut some weight before the next weigh-in.

Etymology

Origin of bantamweight

First recorded in 1880–85; bantam + weight

Example Sentences

The 39-year-old took aim at the UFC's fighter pay, criticised UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison and championed her bout with Carano as a landscape-shifting moment for the sport.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Ronda Rousey was UFC’s first female fighter, its first women’s bantamweight champion and the first woman inducted into its Hall of Fame.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

She won six UFC women’s bantamweight title bouts before retiring from the sport, then became a WWE triple-crown winner before stepping away from professional wrestling in 2023.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

In the chief-support bout, English bantamweight Francesca 'Billion Dollar Baby' Hennessy extended her perfect record to 7-0 with a dominant points win over former atomweight world champion Fabiana Bytyqi.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025

A goldtoothed bantamweight, Freddie was as much of a town crier as Southside had.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison