Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Light Heavyweight
1. Vadim Nemkov (16-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [1]
Nemkov was largely dominant in his latest title defense, as he earned a clear-cut unanimous verdict over former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero in the Bellator 297 main event. The Fedorteam representative battered his adversary with straight punches and an arsenal of kicks while surviving a late Romero takedown in the final stanza. While a finish would have been an ideal punctuation to the night, Nemkov still had to respect the explosive ability of his opponent. The Russian standout is unbeaten in his last 12 professional outings, a stretch that also includes a victory in the Bellator 205-pound grand prix.2. Alex Pereira (9-2) | UFC [2]
Pereira has proven to be a quick study in MMA, as he became the ninth two-division champion in promotion history by virtue of a second-round stoppage of Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 295 headliner. It only took “Poatan” seven UFC appearances to capture gold at 185 and 205 pounds after conquering two divisions in Glory Kickboxing, making him one of the most accomplished combat sport athletes in recent memory. In the aftermath of his latest triumph, the Brazilian encouraged longtime rival Israel Adesanya to move up to light heavyweight for an MMA trilogy.3. Jiri Prochazka (29-4-1) | UFC [3]
After being sidelined for the majority of 2023 as he recovered from a shoulder injury, Prochazka’s bid to regain the vacant light heavyweight strap came up short at UFC 295, where he suffered a second-round knockout loss to former middleweight king Alex Pereira. That officially ends a 13-fight winning streak for the Czech Republic native, who accepted the defeat in typically classy fashion by refuting any notion of an early stoppage. Prochazka will attempt to rebound when he meets Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300.4. Jamahal Hill (12-1, 1 NC) UFC [4]
Hill put on a clinic in the UFC 283 headliner, as he battered and bloodied a resilient Glover Teixeira en route to a convincing unanimous decision triumph in Rio de Janeiro. The UFC’s 16th light heavyweight champion ended up with a short-lived reign after rupturing his Achilles tendon during a pick-up basketball game among UFC fighters in July. Hill subsequently relinquished the 205-pound strap, and his timetable for a return could be a lengthy one.5. Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1, 1 NC) | UFC [8]
After their first meeting ended in a disappointing no contest, Ankalaev got some much-needed closure in the UFC Fight Night 234 headliner, as he vanquished Johnny Walker via second-round knockout. The Dagestani standout is now unbeaten in his last 13 UFC appearances — including the no contest vs. Walker and a draw against Jan Blachowicz — and has his sights set on a light heavyweight title shot.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 (17-6, 1 NC) | Bellator [7]
Anderson edged former light heavyweight champion Phil Davis via split decision in a featured light heavyweight contest at Bellator 297, rebounding from a five-round defeat to reigning title holder Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 288. It wasn’t an emphatic victory, but few expected it would be given the skill sets of the two grappling-minded combatants. While “Overtime” has yet to capture championship gold in the UFC or Bellator, he has built a solid resume that includes victories over the likes of Davis, Ryan Bader, Glover Teixeira and Jan Blachowicz.8. Nikita Krylov (30-9) UFC [9]
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.9. Aleksandar Rakic (14-3) | UFC [10]
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. After a lengthy rehab, Rakic was to return for a rematch against Blachowicz at UFC 297 before his Polish foe pulled out of the fight. Instead, Rakic will square off against another former champ in Jiri Prochazka at UFC 300.10. Reinier de Ridder (16-1) ONE [11]
De Ridder has been on hiatus since suffering a lopsided beatdown at the hands of Anatoliy Malykhin in a bid for heavyweight gold at One on Prime Video 5 in December 2022. That will change in March, when he defends his 205-pound belt against Malykhin in the headliner of a ONE Championship event in Qatar.Other Contenders: Khalil Rountree, Johnny Walker, Phil Davis, Anthony Smith, Azamat Murzakanov.
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