SportsAugust 16, 2026

welterweight

WEL-ter-wayt

Definition

A weight class in combat sports, such as UFC, typically restricted to athletes weighing up to 170 pounds.

Etymology

The word originated in late 19th-century boxing as a term for a weight class between lightweight and middleweight, combining 'welter'—an old term for a heavy or powerful person—and 'weight'.

In the news

The article uses the term to identify the specific 170-pound championship division that Islam Makhachev successfully defended.

Make it 17 straight! Makhachev sets UFC record for consecutive wins in welterweight title defense

Read the full article ↗

KTVN

Related words

arthroplasty

A surgical procedure to restore the function or ease pain of a joint, such as by…

Sports

caroming

Striking and rebounding off a surface at an angle.

Sports

fadeway

A basketball shooting technique where the player jumps backward, away from the hoop,…

Sports

fibula

The outer and thinner of the two bones in the human lower leg, extending from the knee to…

Sports

fundoplication

A surgical procedure used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease by wrapping the upper…

Sports

gamesmanship

The art or practice of using psychological tactics to gain a competitive advantage…

Sports

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.