Lightweight
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (26-0)
Nurmagmedov claimed the vacant lightweight throne with a convincing five-round verdict over Al Iaquinta at UFC 223. Far bigger game now awaits, as the Dagestani grappler will finally square off against ex-champ Conor McGregor in a long-awaited showdown at UFC 229 on Oct. 6 in Las Vegas. Oddsmakers initially tabbed “The Eagle” as a slight favorite in the bout, as Nurmagomedov will attempt to win his 11th straight fight in the promotion.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. The short-lived interim champion will attempt to put himself back in line for a title shot when he faces Anthony Pettis at UFC 229.3. Dustin Poirier (24-5)
With a victory in their rematch at UFC on Fox 30, Poirier may have surpassed Eddie Alvarez as the most violent fighter in the lightweight division. More importantly, “The Diamond” is unbeaten in his last five Octagon appearances, with wins over Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis and Jim Miller to his credit. Poirier will not waste his time waiting on the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Conor McGregor winner, however. Instead, he will take on former McGregor foil Nate Diaz in a high-profile matchup at UFC 230 on Nov. 3.4. Kevin Lee (17-3)
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.5. Eddie Alvarez (29-6)
For the second time in as many meetings, an illegal strike cost Alvarez dearly against Dustin Poirier. Well on his way to banking the second round on the scorecards, Alvarez was ordered to stand from the mount position after throwing a 12-to-6 elbow against his opponent. A barrage of offense from Poirier followed, as he put away “The Underground King” 4:05 into the second stanza of the UFC on Fox 30 headliner. Even in defeat, Alvarez did nothing to harm his reputation as one of the sport’s top all-action fighters.6. Justin Gaethje (19-2)
For the first time in recent memory, Gaethje did not endure an obscene amount of punishment in one of his fights, and better yet, he got his hand raised. The former World Series of Fighting champion quieted James Vick in emphatic fashion in the UFC Fight Night 135 headliner, winning with a massive overhand right in the opening stanza to halt a two-fight skid. Gaethje’s exciting style keeps him right in the mix for another high-profile bout, though it would have been more difficult to find a clear direction for him had he suffered a third straight defeat.7. Edson Barboza (19-6)
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. Barboza will attempt to bounce back from the first two-bout skid of his career when he faces streaking New Zealand native Dan Hooker at UFC on Fox 31 in Milwaukee on Dec. 15.8. Gregor Gillespie (12-0)
Gillespie has been nothing short of stellar since arriving in the UFC in 2016. The four-time NCAA All-American wrestler pushed his record inside the Octagon to 5-0 on June 1, when he submitted Vinc Pichel with a second-round arm-triangle choke at UFC Fight Night 131. It marked the fourth consecutive finish for the 31-year-old Gillespie, who has this far passed every test placed before him.9. Anthony Pettis (21-7)
Pettis’ performance against Michael Chiesa at UFC 226 was a closer resemblance to the exciting “Showtime” of years past. After an entertaining opening stanza, the Roufusport standout rocked Chiesa with a right hand and secured a guillotine choke. Chiesa escaped and moved to top position, but Pettis secured the tapout with a triangle armbar from the bottom. The ex-UFC and WEC 155-pound king has won two of three bouts since returning to the lightweight division and could re-enter the title picture with a win over ex-interim champ Tony Ferguson at UFC 229.10. James Vick (13-2)
Vick questioned Justin Gaethje’s methods leading up to their UFC Fight Night 135 encounter, but ultimately, it was “The Texecutioner” who wound up looking up at the lights after a first-round knockout loss. While the defeat was undoubtedly disappointing for a man in his first headlining assignment, the 31-year-old Texan had won nine of his first 10 Octagon appearances prior to crossing paths with Gaethje and should still have plenty of interesting matchups within the division.Other Contenders: Michael Chiesa, Alexander Hernandez, Al Iaquinta, Islam Makhachev, Francisco Trinaldo.
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