middleweight

American  

[mid-l-weyt] / ˈmɪd lˌweɪt /

noun

1. a boxer or other contestant intermediate in weight between a welterweight and a light heavyweight, especially a professional boxer weighing up to 160 pounds (72.5 kilograms).

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adjective

1. Boxing. of or relating to middleweights.

   the middleweight division.

2. (of a horse, especially a hunter) able to carry up to 185 pounds (83.9 kilograms).

middleweight British  

/ ˈmɪdəlˌweɪt /

noun

1. 1. a professional boxer weighing 154–160 pounds (70–72.5 kg)

   2. an amateur boxer weighing 71–75 kg (157–165 pounds)

   3. ( as modifier )

      a middleweight contest

2. a wrestler in a similar weight category (usually 172–192 pounds (78–87 kg))

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Etymology

Origin of middleweight

First recorded in 1870–75; middle + weight

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

middleweight

Chantelle Cameron produced one of the finest displays of her career to beat Mikaela Mayer and add the WBA and WBC light middleweight titles to her WBO belt.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

It’s the perfect time for UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland to sneak into the venue, jump into the WWE ring, and begin to make a scene.

From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026

The streamer has recently increased its sports offerings, with a super middleweight clash between Terence Crawford and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in Las Vegas last September viewed by 41 million people.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

Mike McCallum:, external Jamaican boxer was a world champion at light-middleweight, middleweight and light-heavyweight.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025

Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway