Lightweight
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (26-0)
It felt basically inevitable, but that did not make it any less impressive. Nurmagomedov did what he does best in the UFC 223 headliner, as he dominated short-notice opponent Al Iaquinta for five rounds to claim the undisputed lightweight title. Any number of interesting options could await “The Eagle” for his first championship defense, but it will not come until November or December -- the months the Dagestani fighter has targeted for his Octagon return.2. Tony Ferguson (23-3)
When it comes to freak injuries, Ferguson’s is hard to top. “El Cucuy” reportedly tore a ligament in his knee while fulfilling media obligations less than a week before a highly anticipated clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov. As a result, the cursed fight was canceled for a fourth time. Still, Ferguson has won 10 straight fights, and according to UFC President Dana White, he remains the No. 1 contender at 155 pounds. However, the interim title he claimed in October appears to be no more.3. Conor McGregor (21-3)
The main storyline surrounding McGregor for months was when or if he would return to the UFC. Now the man known as “Notorious” faces questions of an entirely different nature after using a dolly to shatter a bus window carrying Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters and employees at UFC 223. The incident, which UFC President Dana White called the most disgusting in the history of the promotion, resulted in McGregor’s arrest and forced two fighters from the UFC 223 card. To make matters worse, the Irishman was officially stripped of his lightweight title following the event.4. Eddie Alvarez (29-5)
Alvarez’s showdown with Justin Gaethje on Dec. 2 was given “Fight of the Year” consideration months before it even happened. When it finally went down at UFC 218 in Detroit, Alvarez prevailed in a punishing classic, as he finally toppled Gaethje in the third round, handed the former World Series of Fighting champion the first loss of his pro career and claimed one of his greatest victories in the process.5. Kevin Lee (16-3)
Lee did not make weight prior to UFC Fight Night 128, but that did little to detract from a dominant performance against Edson Barboza in the headliner. Lee battered his opponent on the canvas and survived some adversity on the feet in the third round to earn a fifth-round doctor’s stoppage. “The Motown Phenom” has won six of seven in the UFC and at 25 years old could have his best years ahead of him.6. Dustin Poirier (22-5)
Poirier’s UFC on Fox 29 main event with Justin Gaethje delivered as advertised, but more importantly for “The Diamond,” it resulted in victory. Poirier weathered Gaethje’s forward pressure and chopping leg kicks to score a fourth-round technical knockout against the former World Series of Champion in Glendale, Arizona. The American Top Team product has lost just once in nine outings since 2015 and should be positioned for another ranked opponent when he is ready to return.7. Edson Barboza (19-5)
Barboza is as tough as they come, but it appears that strong wrestlers will continue to be his kryptonite. While he briefly put Kevin Lee on skates with a spinning heel kick in the third round at UFC Fight Night 128, he spent most of the time on his back absorbing brutal ground-and-pound. That ultimately resulted in a doctor’s stoppage defeat in Round 5, giving the Brazilian back-to-back losses in the Octagon -- the other came against another powerful grappler in Khabib Nurmagomedov -- for the first time in his career.8. Justin Gaethje (18-1)
Gaethje’s go-for-broke style will undoubtedly keep him in high-profile bouts for the foreseeable future, but if he is going to make a move in the division, he might have to adopt some changes to his approach. “The Highlight” battled Dustin Poirier in a wildly entertaining affair at UFC on Fox 29, but ultimately, his chin failed to hold up in a fourth-round TKO defeat. Gaethje has now fallen to Poirier and Eddie Alvarez in successive Octagon appearances.9. Michael Chiesa (14-3)
Chiesa was one of the casualties of Conor McGregor’s charter bus rampage ahead of UFC 223. Hoping to rebound from a bitter and controversial loss to Kevin Lee in the summer of 2017, “Maverick” was ruled out of a proposed clash with Anthony Pettis due to cuts suffered as a result of McGregor’s dolly attack two days before the event. Even so, Chiesa has won three of his last four bouts and hopes to rebook his bout with Pettis as soon as possible.10. James Vick (13-1)
With nine wins in 10 Octagon appearances, Vick has suddenly emerged as a lightweight contender. After a 2017 campaign that saw him score finishes against Joseph Duffy, Marco Polo Reyes and Abel Trujillo, “The Texecutioner” outpointed Francisco Trinaldo at UFC Fight Night 126 in Austin, Texas, to run his current winning streak to four fights.Other Contenders: Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Al Iaquinta, Islam Makhachev, Brent Primus, Francisco Trinaldo.
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