Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Light Heavyweight
1. Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1) | UFC [1]
There were more than a few times when Prochazka appeared to be dead in the water against Glover Teixeira in their light heavyweight title bout at UFC 275, but ultimately the resilient Czech prevailed with a rear-naked choke submission at the 4:32 mark of Round 5. Had the bout gone to the scorecards, Prochazka would have likely been on the wrong end of a decision defeat. Instead, the former Rizin Fighting Federation titlist claims 205-pound gold and extends his professional winning streak to 13. “Denisa” has also finished his last 11 opponents inside the distance.2. Glover Teixeira (33-8) | UFC [2]
Teixeira was less than a minute from retaining his light heavyweight belt in the UFC 275 headliner before Jiri Prochazka ended his reign in heartbreaking fashion with a rear-naked choke at the 4:32 mark of Round 5. In a fight full of momentum swings, Teixeira controlled more of the action than his unorthodox opponent, but one key mistake in the waning moments brought an end to the Brazilian veteran’s six-bout winning streak. Regardless of how things concluded, Teixeira still looks to have plenty left in the tank with his 43rd birthday on the horizon and he confirmed in his post-fight interview that he plans to keep going in his MMA career.3. Jan Blachowicz (29-9) | UFC [3]
It probably wasn’t the way he drew it up, but Blachowicz won’t return his victory over Aleksandar Rakic, which occurred when his opponent suffered a knee injury in the third round of their headlining bout at UFC on ESPN 36. The Pole returns to the win column after relinquishing the light heavyweight crown to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267 and has won six of seven bouts dating back to July 2019. At the very least, Blachowicz’s latest triumph keeps him in the title discussion at 205 pounds.4. Corey Anderson (16-5, 1 NC) | UFC [4]
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.5. Vadim Nemkov (14-2, 1 NC) | UFC [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) | UFC [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. Ankalaev will attempt to inch close to a title shot when he meets Anthony Smith at UFC 277.7. Dominick Reyes (12-3) | UFC [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) | UFC [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. Oezdemir will attempt to get back on track when he faces Paul Craig at UFC London on July 23.9. Aleksandar Rakic (14-3) | UFC [9]
Rakic was engaged in a competitive battle with Jan Blachowicz at UFC on ESPN 36 when disaster struck, as “Rocket” suffered a right knee injury while moving backward early in the third round of their light heavyweight headliner. Not only is it a missed opportunity for Rakic to make a serious statement in the division, but the Austrian could face a lengthy rehab depending on the severity of the ailment.10. Ryan Bader (30-7, 1 NC) | Bellator [10]
It certainly wasn’t pretty, but Bader’s wrestling-heavy approach was plenty effective in propelling him to a five-round verdict over Cheick Kongo in the Bellator 280 main event in Paris on May 6. Not only does Bader gain some closure in his rivalry with Kongo after their first meeting ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke, but he has two successful heavyweight title defenses to his credit after fending off interim champ Valentin Moldavsky earlier in 2022. It appears that Bader will remain at heavyweight for the foreseeable future after a run in the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix did not go as hoped.Other Contenders: Phil Davis, Paul Craig, Anthony Smith, Reinier de Ridder, Thiago Santos.
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