Open Boxing

WBO bantamweight world title

Covers world title bouts since 1989. Current champion: Christian Medina, since 14th Sep 2025.

World title bouts
61
Champions
28
Longest reign (Zolani Tete, 2017–2019)
2 years, 7 months
Most successful defences in one reign (Jorge Eliecer Julio, 1997–2000)
3

Current champion

Christian MedinaSince 14th Sep 2025 · 1 year, 2 months · 1 successful defence

Reigns and world title bouts

Jan 2022 – Jan 2027

WBO
CasimeroPaul ButlerJason MoloneyYoshiki TakeiChristian Medina
AprJulOct2023AprJulOct2024AprJulOct2025AprJulOct2026AprJulOct2027
1990200020102020

World title bout

Reigns by length

  1. 1Zolani TeteWBO2017–20192 years, 7 months · 3 successful defences
  2. 2Jorge Eliecer JulioWBO1997–20002 years, 5 months · 3 successful defences
  3. 3John Riel CasimeroWBO2019–20222 years, 5 months · 2 successful defences
  4. 4Rafael del ValleWBO1992–19942 years, 2 months · 2 successful defences
  5. 5Cruz CarbajalWBO2002–20042 years, 1 month · 2 successful defences
  6. 6Israel ContrerasWBO1989–19912 years, 1 month · 1 successful defence
  7. 7Fernando MontielWBO2009–20111 year, 9 months · 2 successful defences
  8. 8Jhonny GonzalezWBO2005–20071 year, 9 months · 2 successful defences
  9. 9Tomoki KamedaWBO2013–20151 year, 8 months · 3 successful defences
  10. 10Gerry PenalosaWBO2007–20091 year, 8 months · 1 successful defence
  11. 11Mauricio MartinezWBO2000–20021 year, 6 months · 1 successful defence
  12. 12Chaiya PothangWBO2004–20051 year, 5 months · 1 successful defence
  13. 13Yoshiki TakeiWBO2024–20251 year, 4 months · 2 successful defences
  14. 14Alfred KoteyWBO1994–19951 year, 2 months · 2 successful defences
  15. 15Christian MedinaWBO2025–present1 year, 2 months · 1 successful defence
  16. 16Jason MoloneyWBO2023–202411 months · 1 successful defence
  17. 17Panya UthokWBO2015–201611 months · 1 successful defence
  18. 18Duke McKenzieWBO1991–199210 months · 2 successful defences
  19. 19Marlon TapalesWBO2016–20178 months · 0 successful defences
  20. 20Robbie ReganWBO1996–19978 months · 0 successful defences
  21. 21Jorge ArceWBO2011–20128 months · 0 successful defences
  22. 22Johnny TapiaWBO2000–20007 months · 1 successful defence
  23. 23Nonito DonaireWBO2011–20117 months · 0 successful defences
  24. 24Paul ButlerWBO2022–20227 months · 0 successful defences
  25. 25Daniel JimenezWBO1995–19966 months · 1 successful defence
  26. 26Paulus AmbundaWBO2013–20134 months · 0 successful defences
  27. 27Panya UthokWBO2012–20134 months · 0 successful defences
  28. 28Gaby CanizalesWBO1991–19913 months · 0 successful defences
  29. 29Naoya InoueWBO2022–20231 month · 0 successful defences

Timeline of world title events

  1. 1989

  2. Israel Contreras beats Maurizio Lupino via knockout 1/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  1. 1990

  2. Israel Contreras beats Ray Minus via knockout 9/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  3. 1991

  4. Gaby Canizales beats Miguel Lora via knockout 2/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  5. Duke McKenzie beats Gaby Canizales via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  6. Duke McKenzie beats Cesar Soto via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  7. 1992

  8. Duke McKenzie beats Wilfredo Vargas via knockout 8/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  9. Rafael del Valle beats Duke McKenzie via knockout 1/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  10. 1993

  11. Rafael del Valle beats Wilfredo Vargas via knockout 5/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  12. Rafael del Valle beats Miguel Lora via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  13. 1994

  14. Alfred Kotey beats Rafael del Valle via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  15. Alfred Kotey beats Armando Castro via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  16. 1995

  17. Alfred Kotey beats Drew Docherty via knockout 4/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  18. Daniel Jimenez beats Alfred Kotey via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  19. 1996

  20. Daniel Jimenez beats Drew Docherty via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  21. Robbie Regan beats Daniel Jimenez via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  22. 1997

  23. Robbie Regan’s reign as the WBO bantamweight world champion ends

    Bantamweight · WBO

  24. Jorge Eliecer Julio becomes the WBO bantamweight world champion

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  25. 1998

  26. Jorge Eliecer Julio beats Daniel Jimenez via knockout 9/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  27. Jorge Eliecer Julio beats Adonis Cruz via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  28. 1999

  29. Jorge Eliecer Julio beats Julio Gamboa via split decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  1. 2000

  2. Johnny Tapia beats Jorge Eliecer Julio via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  3. Johnny Tapia beats Pedro Javier Torres via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  4. Johnny Tapia’s reign as the WBO bantamweight world champion ends

    Bantamweight · WBO

  5. Mauricio Martinez beats Lester Fuentes via knockout 5/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  6. Mauricio Martinez beats Esham Pickering via knockout 1/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  7. 2002

  8. Cruz Carbajal beats Mauricio Martinez via knockout 9/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  9. Cruz Carbajal beats Danny Romero Jr via corner retirement 4/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  10. 2003

  11. Cruz Carbajal beats Gerardo Espinoza via knockout 8/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  12. 2004

  13. Chaiya Pothang beats Cruz Carbajal via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  14. 2005

  15. Chaiya Pothang beats Mauricio Martinez via majority decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  16. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Chaiya Pothang via knockout 7/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  17. 2006

  18. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Fernando Montiel via split decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  19. 2007

  20. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Irene Pacheco via knockout 9/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  21. Gerry Penalosa beats Jhonny Gonzalez via knockout 7/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  22. 2008

  23. Gerry Penalosa beats Chaiya Pothang via knockout 8/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  24. 2009

  25. Gerry Penalosa’s reign as the WBO bantamweight world champion ends

    Bantamweight · WBO

    Fernando Montiel becomes the WBO bantamweight world champion

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  1. 2010

  2. Fernando Montiel beats Ciso Morales via knockout 1/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  3. Fernando Montiel beats Rafael Concepcion via knockout 3/12

    Bantamweight · WBC and WBO

  4. 2011

  5. Nonito Donaire beats Fernando Montiel via knockout 2/12

    Bantamweight · WBC and WBONew WBO champion

  6. Nonito Donaire’s reign as the WBO bantamweight world champion ends

    Bantamweight · WBO

  7. Nonito Donaire beats Omar Narvaez via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBC and WBO

  8. Jorge Arce beats Angky Angkotta via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  9. 2012

  10. Jorge Arce’s reign as the WBO bantamweight world champion ends

    Bantamweight · WBO

  11. Panya Uthok beats AJ Banal via knockout 9/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  12. 2013

  13. Paulus Ambunda beats Panya Uthok via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  14. Tomoki Kameda beats Paulus Ambunda via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  15. Tomoki Kameda beats Immanuel Naidjala via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  16. 2014

  17. Tomoki Kameda beats Panya Uthok via knockout 7/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  18. Tomoki Kameda beats Alejandro Hernandez via split decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  19. 2015

  20. Tomoki Kameda’s reign as the WBO bantamweight world champion ends

    Bantamweight · WBO

  21. Panya Uthok beats Ryo Akaho via knockout 2/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  22. 2016

  23. Panya Uthok beats Jetro Pabustan via technical decision 7/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  24. Marlon Tapales beats Panya Uthok via knockout 11/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  25. 2017

  26. Marlon Tapales’s reign as the WBO bantamweight world champion ends

    Bantamweight · WBO

  27. Marlon Tapales beats Shohei Omori via knockout 11/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  28. Zolani Tete beats Siboniso Gonya via knockout 1/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  29. 2018

  30. Zolani Tete beats Omar Narvaez via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  31. Zolani Tete beats Mikhail Aloyan via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  32. 2019

  33. John Riel Casimero beats Zolani Tete via knockout 3/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  1. 2020

  2. John Riel Casimero beats Duke Micah via knockout 3/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  3. 2021

  4. John Riel Casimero beats Guillermo Rigondeaux via split decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  5. 2022

  6. John Riel Casimero’s reign as the WBO bantamweight world champion ends

    Bantamweight · WBO

    Paul Butler becomes the WBO bantamweight world champion

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  7. Naoya Inoue beats Paul Butler via knockout 11/12

    Bantamweight · WBA Super, WBC, IBF, WBO and The RingNew WBO champion

  8. 2023

  9. Naoya Inoue’s reign as the WBO bantamweight world champion ends

    Bantamweight · WBO

  10. Jason Moloney beats Vincent Astrolabio via majority decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  11. 2024

  12. Jason Moloney beats Saul Sanchez via majority decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  13. Yoshiki Takei beats Jason Moloney via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

  14. Yoshiki Takei beats Daigo Higa via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  15. 2025

  16. Yoshiki Takei beats Yuttapong Tongdee via technical knockout 1/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

  17. Christian Medina beats Yoshiki Takei via technical knockout 4/12

    Bantamweight · WBONew champion

    Source: Medina stuns Takei to win WBO bantamweight title(opens in a new tab), Boxing News, Shaun Brown,

  18. 2026

  19. Christian Medina beats Adrian Curiel via unanimous decision 12/12

    Bantamweight · WBO

    Source: Boxing Results: Christian Medina Retains WBO Title Over Adrian Curiel(opens in a new tab), Boxing News 24, Ken Hissner,