The UFC light heavyweight rankings showcase some of the very best 205-pound fighters in the world. The division has often been a home of pound-for-pound talent and is that perfect middle ground between heavyweight-level power and well-rounded skills.
With that in mind, here is the official Sportsnaut top-10 for the UFC’s light heavyweight class.
1. Alex Pereira (13-3)
Alex Pereira’s UFC story is legendary. After nine fights, he became a two-division champion and scored destructive wins over some of the best fighters of this era, at middleweight and light heavyweight. The 38-year-old has been a revelation for the company and connected with the MMA fanbase with an approach to fighting similar to cage-fighting icon Fedor Emelianenko.
After being on the wrong side of a frustrating decision loss in March, the Brazilian came back with a vengeance at UFC 320. He stormed out of the gates in his rematch with Magomed Ankalaev and blew through him in just a couple of minutes to reclaim his place at the top of the division.
Related: Alex Pereira next fight – When will “Poatan” be back in action?
2. Magomed Ankalaev (21-2-1)
Magomed Anakalaev has been outstanding during his run in the promotion. He had just one surprise loss in 16 appearances and scored wins over several of the division’s best, including Volkan Oezdemir, Anthony Smith, and Aleksandar Rakic.
At UFC 313, he proved he is the best in the world by scoring a hard-fought win against former division king Alex Pereira. However, his reign lasted less than a year when “Poatan” ran through him in under a couple of minutes. It seems unlikely the company will rush into a trilogy fight next.
3. Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1)
While Jiri Prochazka may not be the current champion, he is still viewed by many as one of the best fighters in the division. He has been in countless wars and fight of the year contenders, and added to his legend at UFC 320. Despite likely being down two rounds to Khalil Rountree Jr., he brought his classic chaos and was able to score a come-from-behind KO win on the American. The wild win could earn the former division king a title fight early next year.
4. Carlos Ulberg (13-1)
Carlos Ulberg stumbled in his 2021 UFC debut but has caught fire ever since then. He won eight straight inside the Octagon, including finishes in all but two of those victories. His most impressive victory until recently came in March when he went toe-to-toe with and beat former division king Jan Blachowicz.
The win earned him a main event opportunity close to home at UFC Perth in September. On that night, he pushed his win streak to nine straight with a dominant first-round KO of Dominick Reyes. It may have locked up a title shot early in 2026.
Related: UFC Perth – 4 Bold Fight Ideas for Ulberg After KO Win, Including Adesanya
5. Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1)
Even at an advanced age, Jan Blachowicz remains a high-level talent in the light heavyweight division. Unfortunately, he has dealt with a lot of tough luck over the last few years. He earned a draw against current champ Magomed Ankalaev. Then lost a controversial decision to former titlist Alex Pereira. Then he was on the wrong end of another close decision with Carlos Ulberg in March. The Polish fighter is still very good, but Father Time is having a real effect.
6. Azamat Murzakanvo (16-0)
Russian Azamat Murzakanov has quietly climbed up the division rankings and is in striking distance of a top-five spot. The heavy-hitter missed a year of activity due to failed bookings but finally returned to action at UFC 316. But in June, he extended his unbeaten record to 15-0 with a first-round knockout over Brendson Ribeiro.
He then returned at UFC 321 and scored a nasty KO win over top-10 stalwart Aleksandar Rakic. It was a huge statement victory that proved “The Professional” could be in line for a title shot in the second half of 2026.
7. Khalil Rountree (14-7)
After a slump that saw him lose three of four, Khalil Rountree Jr. went back to the drawing board and reinvented himself. The hard work led to a nasty hot streak where he won five straight, including four finishes. It earned him a UFC title shot, but he just wasn’t up to dethroning division great Alex Pereira.
He bounced back from that setback with a decisive win over former champion Jamahal Hill at UFC Baku. It put him in a position where a big win at UFC 320 against Jiri Prochazka might have gotten him a title shot. However, despite winning the first two rounds, he could not deal with the Czech’s late surge and was handed the fourth KO loss of his career.
8. Jamahal Hill (12-4)
Following a serious injury that forced him to vacate the title, Jamahal Hill was given a chance to regain his belt at UFC 300 versus Alex Pereira. However, he ended up being a victim in the rampage that the Brazilian went on after joining the promotion.
To kick off 2025, he had an opportunity to jump into the No. 1 contender spot in a big fight against fellow former champion Jiri Prochazka. However, the American was unable to come up with an answer to the power and unorthodox style of Prochazka’s. He again had difficulty in a UFC Baku main event against Khalil Rountree and suffered a third straight loss.
9. Dominick Reyes (15-5)
At the end of 2022, Dominick Reyes seemed like he was headed to a release after four straight losses, three by knockout. However, he got another chance from the UFC and has made good on it. Following a nightmare slump, the former title challenger won three straight, including a big knockout win over Nikita Krylov at UFC 314.
In understandably earned him a big UFC Perth main event spot against fast-rising contender Carlos Ulberg. However, the New Zealander was way too much for the American and finished him in just under a round. “The Devastator” remains a legit top 10 light heavyweight, but he will never fight for UFC gold again.
Related: UFC Deaths – Taking a look into the ugly and violent side of cage fighting
10. Bogdan Guskov (18-3)
After getting into the deep water for his UFC debut against former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir, Bogdan Guskov has reeled off five straight wins, all finishes, and the most recent coming against talented veteran Nikita Krylov. “Czarevitch” is a serious power puncher who has scored knockouts in 15 of his 18 career wins.
