Light Heavyweight
1. Daniel Cormier (19-1)
After a second submission win over Anthony Johnson, the question for UFC light heavyweight champion Cormier quickly turned to whether or not his next title defense would come against big-punching Brit Jimi Manuwa or rival Jon Jones, the only man to defeat him. Let the mystery be solved, at least until it gets complicated with pre-fight drama: Jones-Cormier 2, the biggest 205-pound bout in MMA history, is tentatively set for UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim, California.2. Alexander Gustafsson (17-4)
The last time Gustafsson fought in his native Sweden, “The Mauler” was brutally knocked out and humiliated by Anthony Johnson in just over two minutes in front of an estimated 30,000 fans. Gustafsson will get the chance to exorcise some of those demons on May 28, when he main events the UFC’s return to the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm against perennial contender Glover Teixeira.3. Ryan Bader (22-5)
Bader signed a six-fight deal with Bellator MMA in March and lobbied to get a crack at the promotion's title in his debut. This demand was tempered, as the former Arizona State wrestler was lined up to meet Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal at Bellator 180 on June 24. However, Lawal pulled out due to injury, meaning “Darth Bader” will now get his debut title shot after all. On the same Bellator 180 card in New York, Bader meets 205-pound champion Phil Davis, a man he bested via split decision in the UFC in January 2015.4. Phil Davis (17-3, 1 NC)
Davis is a perfect 4-0 in Bellator MMA and holds the promotion's 205-pound title after blowing out previously unbeaten Liam McGeary in November. However, the last man to beat “Mr. Wonderful” was Ryan Bader, who did the honors under the UFC banner in January 2015. Now, courtesy of an injury to Muhammed Lawal, Davis will put his Bellator title on the line in a rematch with Bader at Bellator 180 on June 24 in New York.5. Jimi Manuwa (17-2)
A pair of resounding back-to-back knockouts over Ovince St. Preux and Corey Anderson thrust Manuwa into UFC title contention at 205 pounds. Ultimately, the return of former pound-for-pound king Jon Jones and the importance of his rematch with current champion Daniel Cormier won out over “Poster Boy.” Nonetheless, owing to Jones' history of unreliability, it is thought that Manuwa will be booked on the same UFC 214 card on July 29, just in case anything should run afoul in the weeks leading up to the main event.6. Glover Teixeira (26-5)
Teixeira at UFC 208 rebounded from his horrific, 13-second knockout loss to Anthony Johnson by dominating Jared Cannonier for 15 minutes. Now, the 37-year-old Brazilian will get a headlining assignment in a real MMA road game, as he meets Alexander Gustafsson on May 28 in Gustafsson’s native Sweden.7. Misha Cirkunov (13-2)
Cirkunov aced his first UFC contract, winning all four bouts via stoppage in increasingly impressive fashion. Nonetheless, UFC President Dana White came out in the media, called Cirkunov a “flake” and said the promotion would part ways with the Canadian-Latvian. Instead, the 30-year-old ended up signing a new deal and will now face Volkan Oezdemir in the co-feature of the UFC Fight Night event on May 28 in Sweden.8. Nikita Krylov (21-5)
UFC 206 in December saw Krylov drop a first-round submission loss to Misha Cirkunov and then promptly hardball the UFC to release him with one fight left on his contract. Krylov's release allowed him to sign with Fight Nights Global, and “The Miner” will face former Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton in a surprisingly relevant contest on June 2 in St. Petersburg, Russia.9. Mauricio Rua (25-10)
We are 12 years removed from “Shogun” Rua’s legendary 2005 breakout campaign, during which he stampeded through the Pride Fighting Championships 205-pound grand prix. Now, in 2017, the 35-year-old Rua is on a three-fight winning streak, with quality victories over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Corey Anderson and Gian Villante. As a result, “Shogun” is likely to tangle with an upper-echelon light heavyweight next time out, as improbable as it seems.10. Linton Vassell (18-5, 1 NC)
Since losing a decision to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal at Bellator 142 in September 2015, Vassell has ripped off three straight wins, the biggest of his career. “The Swarm” has been in the game for nearly nine years but has broken out with consecutive wins over former Bellator light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton, UFC vet Francis Carmont and now, another ex-Bellator titlist in Liam McGeary.Other Contenders: David Branch, Ilir Latifi, Liam McGeary, Volkan Oezdemir, Ovince St. Preux.
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