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Light Heavyweight
1. Jon Jones (25-1)
For the second time this year, Jones needed five rounds to retain his 205-pound belt in a matchup with a converted middleweight. Unlike his five-round beatdown of Anthony Smith in March, Jones did experience some adversity against Thiago Santos in the UFC 239 main event. The Brazilian striker punished Jones’ legs with low kicks and attacked with aggression throughout their 25-minute encounter but ultimately dropped a split decision to Jonny “Bones.” Upon further examination, Jones might have been more in control than it initially appeared, as he was the far more efficient striker throughout the contest, while Santos often struggled to navigate the reach of his foe. Next, Jones will continue his quest to clean out the division when he faces the unbeaten Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in Houston on Feb. 8.2. Anthony Smith (32-14)
If you thought Smith was going to fade into also-ran status following his loss to Jon Jones at UFC 235, think again. “Lionheart” rebounded in a big way at UFC Stockholm, submitting Alexander Gustafsson with a rear-naked choke at the 2:38 mark of the fourth round in the evening’s headliner. Smith, a proven finisher, has won four of his five Octagon appearances since moving to 205 pounds – taking out Gustafsson, Volkan Oezdemir, Mauricio Rua and Rashad Evans inside the distance. Smith will be sidelined until some time in 2020 as he recovers from hand surgery.3. Alexander Gustafsson (18-6)
Gustafsson suffered a disappointing loss on home soil in the UFC Stockholm headliner, falling to Anthony Smith via rear-naked choke in the fourth frame. “The Mauler” left his gloves in the Octagon following the defeat, announcing to the crowd at Ericsson Globe, “The show is over, guys.” Gustafsson further clarified his decision in later post-fight interviews, and it seems like, at least for now, that the Swedish star is intent on following through with retirement. After falling short in three title bouts – twice against Jon Jones, it’s quite possible that he stays true to his word. However, Gustafsson is only 32, and retirements often don’t stick in MMA.4. Thiago Santos (21-7)
Santos gave Jon Jones all he could handle for five rounds at UFC 239. “Marreta” punished the legs of his opponent throughout the contest, so much so that Jones needed assistance returning to the locker room after their bout. Still, Jones was the more efficient fighter for most of the contest, which allowed him to capture a narrow split-decision triumph. Santos had a four-fight winning streak snapped in defeat, but he must nonetheless feel encouraged by the fact that he was the first Jones foe to win a scorecard against the pound-for-pound great. The Brazilian will be out for an extended period of time after undergoing surgery on both knees following the bout.5. Corey Anderson (14-4)
Perhaps no fighter made a bigger statement at UFC 244 than Anderson, who made overwhelmed the highly-touted Johnny Walker via technical knockout 2:07 into the opening round of their bout at Madison Square Garden. A right hand on the temple had Walker reeling, and Anderson swarmed from there, unloading with shots until the fight was halted. That makes four straight wins for the man known as “Overtime,” and it firmly establishes him as one of the top contenders in the division. Anderson will rematch Jan Blachowicz in a pivotal 205-pound contest in the UFC Rio Rancho main event on Feb. 15. Anderson defeated Blachowicz via unanimous decision in their first meeting at UFC 191.6. Dominick Reyes (12-0)
While it probably wasn’t the best win of his promotional tenure, Reyes added a high-profile feather to his cap at UFC on ESPN 6 with a quick technical knockout stoppage of former middleweight champion Chris Weidman. A precise straight left put “The All American” on the floor, and Reyes finished his victory with a couple powerful standing-to-ground hammerfists 1:43 into Round 1. With six UFC consecutive victories at 205 pounds, Reyes has established himself as one of the leading contenders for Jon Jones’ belt, and he will get his shot at the reigning champion in the UFC 247 headliner on Feb. 8.7. Jan Blachowicz (25-8)
Blachowicz’s won for the sixth time in his last seven outings at UFC Fight Night 164, as he edged Ronaldo Souza via split-decision in a forgettable headlining clash in Sao Paulo. Regardless of the nature of the victory, Blachowicz keeps his momentum going at 205 pounds and has notched consecutive victories over former middleweight champions in Souza and Luke Rockhold. However, the 36-year-old Pole likely needs one more emphatic victory to cement himself as a serious No. 1 contender. That could come in the UFC Rio Rancho headliner, when he will attempt to avenge a previous loss to Corey Anderson on Feb. 15 in New Mexico.8. Volkan Oezdemir (16-4)
Virtually everything went right for Oezdemir at UFC Uruguay, as he battered Ilir Latifi with a steady diet of knees and punches to the head en route to a second-round TKO victory. Additionally, the Swiss fighter’s takedown defense held up nicely as he halted a three-fight skid within the Las Vegas-based promotion. That makes 12 career KO/TKO victories for “No Time,” including three such triumphs inside the Octagon. Oezdemir will return to action against rising contender Aleksandar Rakic at UFC South Korea on Dec. 21.9. Aleksandar Rakic (12-1)
The 27-year-old Rakic has established himself as a person of interest with four consecutive victories to begin his Octagon tenure. The most impressive of those occurred at UFC Fight Night 153 in Stockholm, where he dispatched former contender Jimi Manuwa with a head kick in a mere 42 seconds. Rakic also owns promotional triumphs over Devin Clark, Justin Ledet and Francimar Barroso and has finished nine of his 12 professional victories by KO or TKO. Rakic will get an opportunity to further solidify himself as a contender when he faces former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Fight Night 165 in South Korea.10. Johnny Walker (17-4)
Walker entered UFC 244 with a stretch of three consecutive first-round finishes, which had many touting him as “The Next Big Thing” at 205 pounds. The hype was derailed in a major way at Madison Square Garden, however, as Corey Anderson rocked and swarmed the Brazilian en route to a first-round technical knockout victory. At 27 years old, Walker remains an intriguing prospect in the division, but he appears to a ways from serious title contention. He will attempt to get back on track when he meets Nikita Krylov at UFC Brasilia on March 14.Other Contenders: Ilir Latifi, Vadim Nemkov, Glover Teixeira, Jiri Prochazka, Phil Davis.
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