Light Heavyweight
1. Jon Jones (22-1)
Jones’ pre-UFC 200 test failure for a pair of anti-estrogenic agents has left the career of arguably the greatest MMA fighter ever in yet another quagmire. “Bones” recently took to Instagram to proclaim that his defense would in some form exonerate him from the failure and that he would be back in the UFC sooner than expected; however, because of Jones’ track record, he will need to actually find his way into the Octagon on a Saturday night before we can believe he is back for real.2. Daniel Cormier (18-1)
Cormier’s white whale, competitively and financially, is still Jon Jones. Cormier will need to eventually rematch “Bones” to have any hope of claiming he is the legitimate light heavyweight kingpin. However, while Jones stays optimistic that his USADA test failure will not keep him out of the cage long, Cormier is most likely going to end up in a rematch with dangerous striker Anthony Johnson in the near future. “Rumble” brutally dispatched Glover Teixeira at UFC 202, and uncertainty still clouds Jones’ immediate future.3. Anthony Johnson (22-5)
Since falling to champion Daniel Cormier in May 2015, Johnson has ripped off three straight impressive knockout wins, icing Jimi Manuwa and Ryan Bader before surpassing himself at UFC 202. In just 13 seconds, Johnson landed a horrific right uppercut that stopped the tough Glover Teixeira for the first time in over 14 years. In UFC President Dana White’s eyes, it firmed up the need for a “Rumble”-Cormier rematch.4. Alexander Gustafsson (17-4)
On Sept. 3 in Hamburg, Germany, Gustafsson pounded out a deserved decision win over Jan Blachowicz but did little to inspire ideas of a third UFC light heavyweight challenge. With losses to Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson, “The Mauler” will have to patiently wait his turn as the Swede tries to jump back into major 205-pound title contention.5. Ryan Bader (21-5)
Bader’s losses to Glover Teixeira and Anthony Johnson have him stuck in the middle of the 205-pound elite. With that said, while those defeats may knock him out of immediate UFC title contention, “Darth” always manages to rack up quality wins outside of the division's top five, most recently clobbering Ilir Latifi with a brutal second-round knee on Sept. 3 in Hamburg, Germany.
6. Phil Davis (16-3, 1 NC)
It was not exactly a well-received victory, but at Bellator 154, Davis earned a unanimous verdict over Muhammed Lawal. It gave Davis another quality light heavyweight win and firmed up “Mr. Wonderful” for something he never got in the UFC: a shot at a championship. With his win over “King Mo,” Davis will meet Bellator champion Liam McGeary later this year with 205-pound gold on the line.7. Glover Teixeira (25-5)
Almost 15 years ago, Teixeira was pounded out by Eric Schwartz in his pro MMA debut. From there, Teixeira went 28 fights and over 14 years without being stopped in mixed martial arts. That all changed at UFC 202, violently and in a scant 13 seconds, as a massive Anthony Johnson uppercut knocked the Brazilian unconscious and out of the UFC light heavyweight title picture.8. Ovince St. Preux (19-8)
St. Preux had no answers for Jon Jones over 25 minutes when “Bones” returned to the cage at UFC 197 in April. The former University of Tennessee Volunteer linebacker remains a perennial standout at 205 pounds but will have to defend that status against hard-hitting Brit Jimi Manuwa at UFC 204 on Oct. 8 in Manchester, England.9. Nikita Krylov (21-4)
Once a punchline for his “Fighting Al Capone” gimmick, Ukraine’s Krylov has refashioned himself, not just as “The Miner” but as a legitimate prospect at 205 pounds. Since debuting at light heavyweight with an 89-second shoulder choke loss to Ovince St. Preux in March 2014, Krylov has won five in a row in increasingly impressive fashion. Most recently, Krylov took out sturdy veteran Ed Herman at UFC 201 in Atlanta, devastating “Short Fuse” with a second-round head kick.10. Liam McGeary (11-0)
Bellator MMA’s light heavyweight champion is still recovering from a knee injury, but he now knows what lies ahead. The unbeaten Brit will make the second defense of his title later this year against former NCAA Division I wrestling champion Phil Davis, who earned his shot by topping Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 154 on May 14.Other Contenders: Quinton Jackson, Ilir Latifi, Tomasz Narkun, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Mauricio Rua
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