noun
defending champion
Sports term for the current titleholder who is defending their championship.
彼はディフェンディングチャンピオンとして大会に臨んだ。
He entered the tournament as the defending champion.
Variant with interpunct; less common but seen in some contexts.
チャンピオン is a general champion, while ディフェンディングチャンピオン specifically refers to the current titleholder defending their title.
Loanword from English 'defending champion'.