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Light Heavyweight
1. Alex Pereira (12-2) | UFC [1]
In the headliner of UFC 307 on Oct. 5, “Poatan” added another chapter to his remarkable story, weathering a stern challenge from Khalil Rountree before destroying him with an onslaught of punches in Round 4. With the win, Pereira ran his record to 5-0 at light heavyweight and set a new UFC record for the fastest run to three successful title defenses. The towering Brazilian has taken the sport by storm over the last three years, and while he understandably called for some time off after his latest win, he appears to have quite a bit left in the tank.2. Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1, 1 NC) | UFC [2]
Ankalaev relied on his educated left hand in a methodical unanimous decision triumph against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26. While it wasn’t the most thrilling affair, Ankalaev’s 13-bout unbeaten streak at 205 pounds is difficult to ignore. On the heels of his latest triumph, Ankalaev is expected to be the next challenger for reigning light heavyweight king Alex Pereira.3. Vadim Nemkov (17-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [3]
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 protégé 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. Nemkov’s rankings eligibility at 205 pounds will expire on Dec. 16, 2024.4. Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1) | UFC [4]
Given a second opportunity against Alex Pereira, Prochazka couldn’t find any new weaknesses in his Brazilian rival, as he suffered a second-round technical knockout loss in the UFC 303 headliner on June 29. While the Czech Republic native may very well still be one of the very top talents in the division, his hopes of a return to championship glory will likely remain extinguished until Pereira no longer reigns at 205 pounds.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. Hill was scheduled to make a quick turnaround at UFC 303 against Carlos Ulberg before pulling out of the fight due to injury.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. Krylov was supposed to meet Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 309 before his opponent withdrew from the event.9. Khalil Rountree (13-6, 1 NC) UFC [9]
Heading into his title shot against Alex Pereira at UFC 307, Rountree faced stiff criticism, mostly centered around his recent performance-enhancing substance infraction and the perception that Magomed Ankalaev was a more deserving challenger. Once the cage door closed, the “War Horse” did everything he could to change that narrative, hurting the champ early, catching him with several clean strike combinations, and generally giving him a harder challenge than anyone else in his light heavyweight title reign. While he will likely have to win another fight or two before calling for another try, Rountree remains an extremely dangerous man in the division.10. Carlos Ulberg (11-1) UFC [11]
Ulberg earned a signature victory at UFC Macau, as he outpointed former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir in a featured bout at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China, on Nov. 23. After coming up short in his Octagon debut, “Black Jag” has reeled off seven consecutive UFC victories at 205 pounds — including five inside the distance.Other Contenders: Azamat Murzakanov, Volkan Oezdemir, Impa Kasanganay, Aleksandar Rakic, Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.
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