Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Light Heavyweight
1. Alex Pereira (10-2) | UFC [1]
Pereira left no doubt regarding the true identity of the light heavyweight champion with his first-round knockout of Jamahal Hill in the UFC 300 headliner. Once he found his opening, “Poatan” wasted little time, dropping his foe with a left hook and sealing his victory with follow-up ground strikes 3:14 into the opening stanza. By besting Hill, who had to vacate the title due to injury in 2023, Pereira avenged mentor Glover Teixeira and continued to raise his profile as one of the promotion’s biggest stars.2. Vadim Nemkov (17-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [2]
After vacating his 205-pound belt, Nemkov enjoyed a successful heavyweight debut at PFL vs. Bellator, as he put Bruno Cappelozza to sleep with an arm-triangle choke 2:13 into the second round of their encounter at Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 24. Not only did the Fedor Emelianenko protege carry the extra 40 pounds quite well, but he managed to survive a brief moment of adversity when his Brazilian opponent clipped him on the feet just prior to the finishing sequence. The Russian is unbeaten in his last 13 professional appearances dating back to June 2016, and he becomes an instant contender in his new weight class.3. Jiri Prochazka (30-4-1) | UFC [3]
Prochazka rebounded from his first career Octagon defeat in style, as he rallied for a second-round technical knockout victory against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300 on April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While Prochazka’s offense-first approach can make for some harrowing moments, it typically pays dividends once the former light heavyweight champion begins to build momentum. With his latest effort, “BJP” keeps himself in the thick of the title picture at 205 pounds.4. Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1, 1 NC) | UFC [4]
After their first meeting ended in a disappointing no contest, Ankalaev got some much-needed closure in the UFC Fight Night 234 headliner, as he vanquished Johnny Walker via second-round knockout. The Dagestani standout is now unbeaten in his last 13 UFC appearances — including the no contest vs. Walker and a draw against Jan Blachowicz — and has his sights set on a light heavyweight title shot.5. Jamahal Hill (12-2, 1 NC) UFC [5]
After vacating his belt in 2023 due to a torn Achilles tendon, Hill recovered quickly enough to challenge new light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira at UFC 300. That effort was short lived, however, as “Sweet Dreams” suffered a first-round knockout loss in the evening’s main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The future is still bright for the Dana White’s Contender Series alum, who has won six of eight Octagon appearances and boasts victories over the likes of Glover Teixeira, Thiago Santos, Johnny Walker and Jimmy Crute. He’ll make a quick turnaround against Khalil Rountree in the UFC 303 co-main event.6. Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1) | UFC [6]
Blachowicz welcomed ex-middleweight champ Alex Pereira to the division at UFC 291 and with Jamahal Hill having vacated the belt due to injury, their clash might well have been a title eliminator at the very least. Blachowicz came out on the wrong end of a close split decision, leaving him very much in the mix, but time is dwindling if he means to make another run at the belt. A shoulder injury forced Blachowicz to withdraw from a rematch against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 297 in Toronto.7. Corey Anderson (18-6, 1 NC) | Bellator [7]
It wasn’t always pretty, but Corey Anderson imposed his will over five rounds to earn a unanimous decision triumph over Karl Moore in the Bellator Belfast headliner on March 24. Nearly 10 years after winning “The Ultimate Fighter 19,” Anderson has his first championship in a major organization. The 34-year-old known as “Overtime” is now 5-1 with one no contest since leaving the UFC for Bellator in 2020.8. Nikita Krylov (30-9) UFC [8]
After an illness forced Krylov out of a proposed headlining clash against Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 220, the bout was rescheduled two weeks later as a 215-pound catchweight affair. “The Miner” showcased his grappling chops in the rebooking, submitting Spann with a triangle choke in the opening stanza of their UFC Fight Night 221 matchup. Krylov has won three straight outings, a run that includes wins over Spann, Volkan Oezdemir and Alexander Gustafsson.9. Khalil Rountree (13-5, 1 NC) UFC [9]
After an inconsistent beginning to his UFC tenure, Rountree has found a groove in recent years, winning his last five Octagon appearances dating back to September 2021. His most recent victory was also his most significant to date, as he stopped former title challenger Anthony Smith via third-round technical knockout at UFC Fight Night 233 on Dec. 9. He’ll get another high-profile matchup at UFC 303, when he meets former champ Jamahal Hill in the evening’s co-main event.10. Aleksandar Rakic (14-4) | UFC [9]
Rakic started well in his first bout since May 2022, but he ultimately succumbed to Jiri Prochazka’s overwhelming offense in a second-round technical knockout loss at UFC 300 on April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After beginning his promotional tenure with wins in six of his first seven outings, “Rocket” has dropped back-to-back fights against Prochazka and Jan Blachowicz.Other Contenders: Anatoly Malykhin, Johnny Walker, Azamat Murzakanov, Carlos Ulberg, Anthony Smith.
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