Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Light Heavyweight
1. Glover Teixeira (33-7) [1]
Teixeira’s resurgence continued in a big way at UFC 267, as he rolled to a second-round submission victory over Jan Blachowicz to capture the light heavyweight crown at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 30. Not only is the 42-year-old Brazilian a feel-good story for reaching the mountaintop more than seven years after his first try, but he is also the oldest first-time champion in UFC history. Teixeira will take a six-bout winning streak into his first 205-pound title defense against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 275.2. Jan Blachowicz (28-9) [2]
Blachowicz’s reign ended after just one title defense, as he was overwhelmed by Glover Teixeira in a second-round submission loss at UFC 267 on Oct. 30. It was a discouraging performance for the 38-year-old veteran, who never got to unleash his “Polish Power” while looking out of his depth when the fight hit the canvas. Blachowicz was supposed to face Aleksandar Rakic in the UFC on ESPN 33 headliner on March 26 but was forced out of the contest due to a neck injury. The fight has since been rebooked for May 14.3. Corey Anderson (16-5, 1 NC) [3]
Anderson’s title fight clash with Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 277 on April 15 ended in disappointment for all involved, but especially for challenger Anderson, who appeared to be winning when an inadvertent clash of heads ended the fight in the second round. Considering that Anderson remains the most deserving challenger to Nemkov’s title, an immediate rematch seems likely, and the onus will be on the champ to find an answer for Anderson’s wrestling by then.4. Jiri Prochazka (28-3-1) [4]
After a wild back-and-forth slugfest, Prochazka secured his 12th consecutive triumph with a highlight-reel spinning back elbow KO of Dominick Reyes in the UFC on ESPN 23 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on May 1. Perhaps just as impressive as Prochazka’s offensive arsenal is the fact that his chin was able to hold up after absorbing some heavy artillery from Reyes. With stoppages of a pair of former title challengers in his first two Octagon appearances, the ex-Rizin champion will get a shot at recently-crowned champion Glover Teixeira at UFC 275.5. Vadim Nemkov (14-2, 1 NC) [5]
Nemkov had plowed through the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix, defending his title at each stop along the way, in order to meet Corey Anderson in the final at Bellator 277 on April 15. Their matchup seemed to be a win-win proposition for the promotion — that is, until an accidental clash of heads resulted in a no-contest in the second round. Nemkov retained his title as a result, but considering that Anderson appeared to be winning until the untimely stoppage, the champ will have just as much to prove in their inevitable rematch as the challenger.6. Magomed Ankalaev (16-1) [6]
Ankalaev extended his winning streak to eight at UFC Fight Night 203, besting former title challenger Thiago Santos via unanimous decision in the evening’s main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 12. It wasn’t the most enthralling performance for the Dagestani light heavyweight, but it nonetheless keeps him at the forefront of contenders at 205 pounds. Ankalaev’s resume includes wins over the likes of Santos, Volkan Oezdemir and Nikita Krylov.7. Dominick Reyes (12-3) [7]
Reyes was plenty game against Jiri Prochazka in the UFC on ESPN 23 main event, but he simply couldn’t go blow-for-blow with his Czech opponent, and the end result was knockout loss 4:29 into the second round of their May 1 bout. The Californian’s future seemed bright following a contentious decision loss to then 205-pound champ Jon Jones at UFC 247, but back-to-back KO defeats at the hands of Prochazka and Jan Blachowicz have changed that outlook for the time being.8. Volkan Oezdemir (17-6) [8]
Oezdemir has endured his share of struggles since three straight KO/TKO victories propelled him to UFC light heavyweight title shot in 2018. Including a title bout loss to Daniel Cormier, Oezdemir is just 2-5 in his last seven Octagon appearances. That includes a decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev in his most recent outing at UFC 267.9. Aleksandar Rakic (14-2) [9]
Rakic didn’t take any chances at UFC 259, but he did do just enough to capture a unanimous verdict over former title challenger Thiago Santos. “Rocket” has rebounded from a contentious split-decision defeat against Volkan Oezdemir with back-to-back wins over Santos and Anthony Smith. Rakic, who has been victorious in six of seven Octagon appearances overall, was supposed to face Jan Blachowicz in the UFC on ESPN 33 main event before the ex-light heavyweight champ pulled out of the fight due to injury.10. Ryan Bader (29-7, 1 NC) [10]
It took a gritty effort in the championship rounds, but Bader was able to successfully defend his heavyweight crown for the first time at Bellator 273, as he held off interim title holder Valentin Moldavsky for a unanimous decision triumph at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 29. After losing two of his last three 205-pound bouts, Bader appears set to close out his MMA career in the big man’s division. As it stands, the Arizona native already has his next title defense booked: a rematch with Cheick Kongo at Bellator Paris in May.Other Contenders: Phil Davis, Paul Craig, Anthony Smith, Reinier de Ridder, Thiago Santos.