Amateur Boxing Weight Classes (kg & lb): 2026 Chart

Contents

Amateur (Olympic-style) boxing mostly runs on World Boxing’s 10 men’s and 10 women’s weight categories, in force since 1 January 2025. Seven of each are used at the LA 2028 Olympics. Amateur limits are set in whole kilograms (60 kg, 75 kg and so on), unlike the 17 professional divisions, which are set in pounds. And you weigh in on the morning of every day you box, not once.

Below: the World Boxing and Olympic charts in kg and lb, youth classes, the IBA and England Boxing variants, how amateur weigh-ins work, and how the amateur classes line up against the pros.

Limits checked: September 2026 — confirm with your event’s current rulebook.

World Boxing weight classes (elite men and women)

These are the elite categories in the World Boxing Competition Rules (rule 2.2.2, from 1 January 2025). USA Boxing uses the same categories for elite and youth boxers and publishes official lb limits for them (USA Boxing Rule Book 2026, rule 7.2).

Elite men

Category	Max (kg)	Max (lb, exact)	USA Boxing (lb)	LA 2028?
Flyweight	50	110.2	110	—
Bantamweight	55	121.3	121	Yes
Lightweight	60	132.3	132	Yes
Welterweight	65	143.3	143	Yes
Light middleweight	70	154.3	154	Yes
Middleweight	75	165.3	165	—
Light heavyweight	80	176.4	176	Yes
Cruiserweight	85	187.4	187	—
Heavyweight	90	198.4	198	Yes
Super heavyweight	90+	198.4+	198+	Yes

Elite women

Category	Max (kg)	Max (lb, exact)	USA Boxing (lb)	LA 2028?
Light flyweight	48	105.8	106	—
Flyweight	51	112.4	112	Yes
Bantamweight	54	119.0	119	Yes
Featherweight	57	125.7	125	Yes
Lightweight	60	132.3	132	Yes
Welterweight	65	143.3	143	Yes
Light middleweight	70	154.3	154	Yes
Middleweight	75	165.3	165	Yes
Light heavyweight	80	176.4	176	—
Heavyweight	80+	176.4+	176+	—

Each category has a floor as well as a ceiling. At your first official weigh-in of a competition you must be above the minimum of your category (for the lightest classes: over 47 kg for men, over 45 kg for women). Below it, you lose by walkover (rule 5.6).

LA 2028 Olympic boxing weight classes

LA 2028 has seven men’s and seven women’s events. Men: 55, 60, 65, 70, 80, 90 and +90 kg. Women: 51, 54, 57, 60, 65, 70 and 75 kg (LA28 Qualification System, version of 6 May 2026). To be eligible, boxers must be affiliated with World Boxing and take part in at least one of the Olympic qualification tournaments.

If you’re aiming for the Olympic pathway, note that the men’s 50, 75 and 85 kg and women’s 48 and 80 kg classes exist at World Championships but not at the Games.

Youth and junior weight classes

World Boxing’s U19 category uses the same 10+10 classes as elite. U17 uses 13 classes for both boys and girls. USA Boxing’s Junior division (ages 15–16) uses the same 13 kg limits with official lb figures. It also adds 90 and 95 lb classes that apply in the USA only.

U17 / Junior class	Max (kg)	USA Boxing (lb)
Pinweight	46	101
Light flyweight	48	106
Flyweight	50	110
Light bantamweight	52	114
Bantamweight	54	119
Featherweight	57	125
Lightweight	60	132
Light welterweight	63	138
Welterweight	66	145
Light middleweight	70	154
Middleweight	75	165
Light heavyweight	80	176
Heavyweight	80+	176+

IBA weight classes

The IBA still publishes its own rules. The version effective 15 April 2026 lists 14 elite men’s and 12 women’s categories (IBA Technical & Competition Rules, rule 2.2). Which system applies to you depends on your national federation’s affiliation.

#	Elite men, max kg (lb)	Women, max kg (lb)
1	48 (105.8)	48 (105.8)
2	51 (112.4)	50 (110.2)
3	54 (119.0)	52 (114.6)
4	57 (125.7)	54 (119.0)
5	60 (132.3)	57 (125.7)
6	63.5 (140.0)	60 (132.3)
7	67 (147.7)	63 (138.9)
8	71 (156.5)	66 (145.5)
9	75 (165.3)	70 (154.3)
10	80 (176.4)	75 (165.3)
11	86 (189.6)	81 (178.6)
12	92 (202.8)	81+
13	100 (220.5)	—
14	100+	—

England Boxing

England Boxing’s National Amateur Championships follow the World Boxing classes but add in-between domestic categories. For men these are 52.5, 57.5 and 62.5 kg, and for women 62.5 and 67.5 kg (England Boxing Rules 2026, Annex D). Club shows are matched on weight and experience rather than fixed classes, with limits on the weight gap between the two boxers.

Amateur weigh-in rules: what they mean for your cut

Amateur boxers weigh in on every day they box, usually in the morning, with no tolerance. That changes everything about cutting.

Rule	World Boxing	USA Boxing (nationals)	England Boxing
When	Mornings of competition days; make weight each day you box	Daily weigh-in, each day you box	Club shows: done 1 h before boxing; open championships with a draw: 3 h recommended
Gap to first bout	At least 3 h	At least 3 h	—
Attempts	Once on the official scale	Once on the official scale	Championships: unlimited check weighs within the 2-h window
Clothing	Naked or underwear	Undergarments (no one under 18 weighs in naked)	Shorts and vest; underwear at National Amateur Championships
Over the limit	Walkover to opponent	Zero tolerance; disqualified	Walkover to opponent

Sources: World Boxing rule 5.6, USA Boxing rule 11, England Boxing sections 7 and Annex D. England Boxing also caps how much minors, schools, junior and youth boxers may gain or lose during the weigh-in window: 300 g under 50 kg, 500 g from 50 to 63 kg, and 700 g above 63 kg. At the National Amateur Championships the maximum permissible loss is 1 kg.

What this means in practice:

• A cut is not a one-off. In a multi-day tournament you have to make weight again every morning you box. Dehydrate for day one and you repeat it on day two, three and four.
• Three hours is a short refill. It’s far less than the day-before weigh-ins in pro boxing. Even a modest cut matters: in elite Olympic-style boxers, a ~3% rapid weight loss cut maximal force by 12% and shortened time to exhaustion (Zubac et al., 2020).
• Refuel with what fits the window. Stick to fluids with some sodium and familiar, easy-to-digest carbs. See our guide to rehydrating after the weigh-in.

Amateur vs professional: the 17 pro weight classes

Professional boxing uses 17 traditional divisions set in pounds. The IBF’s championship rules list them from minimumweight (105 lb) to heavyweight, which is unlimited above 200 lb (IBF Championship Rules, rule 1). Names vary slightly between sanctioning bodies (“junior” vs “super”).

#	Division	Max (lb)	Max (kg)
1	Minimumweight / strawweight	105	47.6
2	Light flyweight	108	49.0
3	Flyweight	112	50.8
4	Super flyweight	115	52.2
5	Bantamweight	118	53.5
6	Super bantamweight	122	55.3
7	Featherweight	126	57.2
8	Super featherweight	130	59.0
9	Lightweight	135	61.2
10	Super lightweight	140	63.5
11	Welterweight	147	66.7
12	Super welterweight	154	69.9
13	Middleweight	160	72.6
14	Super middleweight	168	76.2
15	Light heavyweight	175	79.4
16	Cruiserweight	200	90.7
17	Heavyweight	Unlimited	—

The WBC also recognises bridgerweight (up to 224 lb, about 101.6 kg) and starts heavyweight above 224 lb (WBC).

The weigh-in is the bigger difference. For IBF title fights, the official weigh-in is 20–30 hours before the first bout. A second weigh-in follows on fight morning with a ceiling roughly 10 lb or more above the limit (for example 158 lb for a 147-lb welterweight). Amateurs get neither the long window nor the single weigh-in. That’s why pro cutting habits don’t transfer to amateur tournaments.

Choosing your amateur weight class

Choose the category you can make every morning of a tournament, not just once. Amateur classes are wide, often 5 kg apart, so the jump down is large.

1. Track your morning weight for a few weeks in normal training. The category just above that trend is usually your honest class.
2. Only go down a class if you can get there through gradual fat loss before the event, not water. Our guide on how much weight you can safely cut gives realistic numbers, and weight cutting for beginners covers the basics.
3. Plan for the whole tournament. Ask yourself whether you could make weight four or five mornings in a row while boxing hard.
4. Check which rulebook applies (World Boxing, IBA or your national federation) and the event’s own fact sheet, which can be stricter.

There’s no “easiest” weight class. Depth varies by country, level and gender, and the class you can make comfortably will almost always serve you better than a lighter one you arrive at depleted. To compare boxing with other sports, see our overview of combat sports weight classes and the charts for MMA weight classes in kg, Muay Thai and kickboxing.

MyFightPrep tracks your morning weight against your target class and tournament dates, so you can pick a category you can make every day of the event — free.

Important

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Rapid weight loss before daily weigh-ins can impair performance and health, and repeated dehydration over a multi-day tournament adds up. Junior and youth boxers should not cut water at all, and should only change weight under the guidance of a coach, parent and doctor. If you feel dizzy, confused, faint or unusually weak while making weight, stop and seek medical help.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 17 weight classes in boxing in order?

From lightest: minimumweight/strawweight (105 lb), light flyweight (108), flyweight (112), super flyweight (115), bantamweight (118), super bantamweight (122), featherweight (126), super featherweight (130), lightweight (135), super lightweight (140), welterweight (147), super welterweight (154), middleweight (160), super middleweight (168), light heavyweight (175), cruiserweight (200) and heavyweight (over 200 lb). The WBC adds an 18th, bridgerweight, up to 224 lb.

What are the amateur boxing weight classes in kg?

Under World Boxing, elite men box at 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90 and 90+ kg, and elite women at 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 and 80+ kg. Seven of each are used at the LA 2028 Olympics.

What is the easiest weight class in boxing?

No weight class is easy. How deep a division is depends on your country, level and gender. The best class for you is the one you can make on the morning of every bout day without a big water cut.

Is 25 too late to become a pro boxer?

The amateur rules don't stop you: World Boxing and USA Boxing class boxers aged 19 to 40 as elite. Professional licensing is handled by each national or state commission, so check its requirements where you live.

When do amateur boxers weigh in?

On the morning of every day they box. World Boxing requires at least three hours between the end of the daily weigh-in and the first bout, and a boxer over the limit loses by walkover.

Sources

This guide is based on the works below. Numbers in the text refer to them.

1. World Boxing (2024). World Boxing Competition Rules (in force November 2024)
2. World Boxing / International Olympic Committee (2026). Qualification System – Games of the XXXIV Olympiad Los Angeles 2028: Boxing
3. International Boxing Association (IBA) (2026). IBA Technical & Competition Rules (effective 15 April 2026)
4. USA Boxing (2026). USA Boxing National Rule Book (effective January 1, 2026)
5. England Boxing (2026). England Boxing Technical & Competition Rules 2026
6. International Boxing Federation (IBF) (2025). IBF Championship Contest Rules
7. World Boxing Council (WBC) (2026). Know the divisions in professional boxing
8. Zubac D, Šimunič B, Buoite Stella A, Morrison SA (2020). Neuromuscular performance after rapid weight loss in Olympic-style boxers