Light Heavyweight
1. Daniel Cormier (19-1, 1 NC)
Cormier is once again UFC light heavyweight champion and the No. 1 205-pound fighter in the world, though it is far from how he wanted to stay on the throne. Cormier could not defeat Jon Jones in their July 29 rematch and settled for a no-contest after Jones’ “B” sample came back positive for steroids. No matter his future in the cage, “DC” remains inextricably linked to Jones while also facing great uncertainty about the identity of his next UFC title challenger. Cormier seems to prefer a matchup with fast-rising contender Volkan Oezdemir in early 2018, provided Oezdemir’s legal issues are resolved.2. Alexander Gustafsson (18-4)
The latest piece to the Jon Jones anti-doping drama must be bittersweet for Gustafsson. Coming off back-to-back wins over Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira, “The Mauler” seemed primed for a title eliminator sort of bout, perhaps against Volkan Oezdemir, in order to get a second shot at Jones’ championship and a chance to avenge his razor-thin loss in their classic 2013 “Fight of the Year.” With Jones now stripped and the title returned to Daniel Cormier, Gustafsson could walk into a title rematch with “DC,” a man he nearly topped for the crown at UFC 192 in October 2015.3. Ryan Bader (24-5)
Bader’s Bellator MMA career got off to a quick start, as he took the promotion’s 205-pound title from Phil Davis in June and then defended it easily against tough Brit Linton Vassell on Nov. 3. Now, there is even more potential at hand for “Darth Bader,” as he has joined the bracket for Bellator’s 2018 tournament to crown a new heavyweight champion. Bader’s quest to become a two-division champion begins in May, when he faces Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal in the quarterfinals.4. Volkan Oezdemir (15-1)
Oezdemir seemed like a man of destiny in 2017, debuting on short notice in the UFC in February and then beating Ovince St. Preux, Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa in increasingly dominant fashion. Just when it seemed like “No Time” had punched his ticket to a UFC title fight with Daniel Cormier early next year, Oezdemir was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pertaining to an alleged aggravated battery that occurred in August. Oezdemir and his team are claiming self-defense; he will need that explanation to check out if he wants next dibs on “DC”.5. Phil Davis (18-4, 1 NC)
Down 2-0 to Ryan Bader in their head-to-head series that has transferred from the UFC to Bellator MMA, Davis took a step toward a third encounter with the man who took his light heavyweight title in June. Davis won a handy unanimous decision over Leonardo Leite at Bellator 186, handing the jiu-jitsu ace his first pro MMA loss on the campus of his alma mater, Penn State University.6. Jimi Manuwa (17-3)
Manuwa was penciled in to face Przemyslaw Mysiala at UFC Fight Night 118 on Oct. 21, but Mysiala was unable to get a release from his promotional contract with Absolute Championship Berkut, leaving Manuwa waiting for a new date and opponent. “The Poster Boy” has publicly turned his gaze to the Misha Cirkunov-Glover Teixeira bout at UFC on Fox 26, stating that he would be ready to step in if either man falls out of the Dec. 16 contest.7. Glover Teixeira (26-6)
Teixeira was devastated over 21 minutes by Alexander Gustafsson in May, suffering a nasty fifth-round knockout defeat. Nonetheless, the perennial 205-pound standout opted for a difficult fight for his return, signing on to face Misha Cirkunov at UFC Fight Night 119 on Oct. 28. However, Teixeira was slower to heal than expected after recovering from hand surgery, so the Teixeira-Cirkunov clash has been moved to UFC on Fox 26 on Dec. 16 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.8. Misha Cirkunov (13-3)
Another victim of Volkan Oezdemir’s shocking 2017 campaign of terror, Cirkunov had his eight-fight winning streak -- all stoppages -- smashed in just 28 seconds by the Swiss exponent in May. The Latvian-Canadian was scheduled for comeback duty on Oct. 28 against Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night 119, but the former UFC title challenger needed more time to heal his hand after surgery, leading to the fight being rescheduled for UFC on Fox 26 on Dec. 16. The booking should appeal to Cirkunov on some level, as he has gone from fighting a Brazilian in Sao Paulo to taking on Teixeira in his adopted home nation of Canada.9. Ilir Latifi (13-5, 1 NC)
In the modern UFC, if you want a particular fight, you are wise to ask for it. After his September win over Tyson Pedro, Latifi called out Ovince St. Preux, who in turn hollered back at the Swede when he head kicked Corey Anderson at UFC 217. With their mutual interest made explicit, Latifi and St. Preux will now square off on the UFC on Fox 27 main card on Jan. 27, when the Octagon heads back to Charlotte, North Carolina.10. Nikita Krylov (23-5)
Krylov on Oct. 13 made his second appearance for Fight Nights Global after requesting his release from the UFC. While opponent Emanuel Newton entered the bout 1-5 over his previous six outings, the former Bellator 205-pound champion had never been treated like this: Krylov swarmed him and collapsed “The Hardcore Kid” with a devastating knee strike in just 43 seconds. It was only the second time in Newton’s career -- the first since his November 2003 pro debut -- that he had been stopped with strikes. After the emphatic win, Krylov called out fellow UFC veteran Fabio Maldonado.Other Contenders: Tomasz Narkun, Mauricio Rua, Ovince St. Preux, Linton Vassell, Rashid Yusupov.
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