Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Light Heavyweight

1. Alex Pereira (13-3) | UFC [1]

Pereira was a man on a mission in his rematch with Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320. “Poatan” dropped his Dagestani adversary with a right hand, then proceeded to pummel him with vicious elbows on the canvas to earn a stoppage just 80 seconds into the opening round of their light heavyweight championship rematch at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 4. After a lackluster outing in their first meeting at UFC 313, Pereira re-established himself as perhaps the top star in the Las Vegas-based promotion. If he remains at light heavyweight, a potential showdown with Carlos Ulberg looms large, but Pereira has also admitted that the weight cut to 205 pounds is growing more difficult — so a move to heavyweight could also be in the cards.

2. Magomed Ankalaev (20-2-1, 1 NC) | UFC [2]

Anakalaev’s championship reign proved to be short-lived, as he was stopped by Alex Pereira just 80 seconds into the UFC 320 headliner on Oct. 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After outdueling “Poatan” over five rounds in their first meeting at UFC 313, Ankalaev suffered his first defeat in more than seven years in extremely emphatic fashion. The Dagestani’s long-running track record of success should keep him on the short list of contenders at 205 pounds, but whether a trilogy with Pereira is in his future remains to be seen.

3. Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1) | UFC [3]

Prochazka spotted Khalil Rountree two rounds before turning up the heat in the final stanza at UFC 320, as “BJP” overwhelmed his opponent with chaos en route to a third-round knockout victory. The Czech Republic native has earned back-to-back finishes over former title challengers at 205 pounds and remains one of the top candidates for another title shot in the light heavyweight division.

4. Carlos Ulberg (13-1) UFC [4]

Ulberg staked his claim to the next light heavyweight title shot in the UFC Perth main event, where he knocked out former No. 1 contender Dominick Reyes in the opening stanza of their Sept. 27 encounter. That makes nine straight victories for “Black Jag,” who hasn’t lost a fight since dropping his Octagon debut in March 2021. In addition to Reyes, Ulberg owns notable triumphs over the likes of Jan Blachowicz and Volkan Oezdemir.

5. Khalil Rountree (14-7, 1 NC) UFC [5]

For two rounds, Rountree looked poised and technical as he outstruck Jiri Prochazka in their pivotal light heavyweight clash at UFC 320. However, that good work all went out the window in the third frame, when “The War Horse” unraveled in the face of his opponent’s consistent pressure and unorthodox offense in a stunning knockout defeat. While his hopes of a quick return to No. 1 contender were doused, Rountree has nonetheless won six of his last eight UFC outings and figures to remain a formidable obstacle for much of the division.

6. Azamat Murzakanov (16-0) | UFC [6]

Facing his most significant test to date, Murzakanov kept on rolling at UFC 321, where he dispatched Aleksandar Rakic inside of a round at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 21. The Russian dropped his much larger foe with a short right hand and sealed his victory with follow-up strikes at the 3:11 mark of Round 1. “The Professional” is now 6-0 in the Octagon, with five of those triumphs coming inside the distance.

7. Jan Blachowicz (29-11-2) | UFC [7]

Blachowicz’s veteran savvy was on display at UFC 323, as he survived a second-round onslaught to have opponent Bogdan Guskov on his heels late in the final frame. Unfortunately for the former light heavyweight champ, two judges scored the second stanza 10-8 for his opponent, resulting in an unsatisfying majority draw. Though the 42-year-old Pole remains a tough out in the division, he hasn’t tasted victory since May 2022.

8. Dominick Reyes (15-5) | UFC [8]

Reyes’ redemption tour came to a screeching halt at UFC Perth, where he was knocked out by Carlos Ulberg in the opening stanza of their light heavyweight headliner. “The Devastator” looked tentative throughout the short-lived affair, which could have landed him a second 205-pound title shot had he been victorious. Instead, Reyes sees a three-fight winning streak come to an end in what was his fourth KO/TKO defeat in UFC competition.

9. Volkan Oezdemir (21-8) UFC [9]

Oezdemir made short work of Alonzo Menifield at UFC Qatar, finishing the Dana White’s Contender Series alum with a knee and punches 1:27 into Round 1 of their encounter on Nov. 22. It’s been well over five years since “No Time” challenged for light heavyweight gold, but with victories in three of his last for outings, the Swiss standout isn’t someone to overlook in a division that lacks depth.

10. Jamahal Hill (12-4, 1 NC) UFC [10]

Hill dropped his third consecutive outing in the UFC Baku main event, falling to Khalil Rountree via unanimous decision on June 21 in the promotion’s first trip to Azerbaijan. “Sweet Dreams” struggled to pull the trigger against a dangerous striker, and as a result, seems more far removed than ever from his brief reign atop the 205-pound division.

Other Contenders: Bogdan Guskov, Nikita Krylov, Corey Anderson, Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov, Antonio Carlos Jr.

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