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Lightweight
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0)
Post-fight shenanigans aside, Nurmagomedov was in prime form against Conor McGregor at UFC 229. He completed takedowns, applied heavy top pressure and generally made life difficult for the knockout-minded Irishman at every turn. “The Eagle” even survived adversity — he lost a round for the first time in his promotional tenure — before tapping McGregor with a neck crank at the 3:03 mark of round four. Nurmagomedov received a nine-month suspension — which can be reduced to six with the production of an anti-bullying PSA — and a $500,000 fine for his role in the post-fight brawl that occurred after the bout. While he could be back in action by April, it appears that the Dagestani won’t return until the end of the year.2. Tony Ferguson (24-3)
Ferguson showed no ill affects from the knee injury that forced him out of a title fight in April, as he displayed all of his trademark movement and creativity en route to earning a stoppage victory against Anthony Pettis in the UFC 229 co-main event. “El Cucuy” may have lost his interim 155-pound belt due to injury, but with 11 consecutive victories under his belt, he remains the top contender in the division.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 was scheduled to face Nate Diaz in the UFC 230 main event, but a hip injury forced “The Diamond” to exit the contest. At the moment, it doesn’t appear Poirier will be rebooked against Diaz.4. Conor McGregor (21-4)
All things considered, it wasn’t a bad effort for McGregor following a two-year layoff at UFC 229. He defended Nurmagomedov’s initial takedown attempts reasonably well and didn’t absorb too much damage when on his back. The Irishman even won a round against “The Eagle.” Ultimately, it wasn’t enough, as he succumbed to a neck crank in the fourth stanza. The “Notorious” one will be eligible to return to the Octagon as soon as April after receiving a six-month suspension for his role in the post-UFC 229 melee.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. Alvarez, one of the sport’s most entertaining all-action fighters, will attempt to earn a title in a third promotion after signing with the Singapore-based One Championship. The promotion has announced that Alvarez will take part in its lightweight grand prix tournament, beginning with a booking against Timofey Nastyukhin on March 31.6. 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. “The Highlight” will face Edson Barboza in another all-action contest at UFC on ESPN 2 in Philadelphia on March 30.7.Al Iaquinta (14-4-1)
Iaquinta seems to have Kevin Lee’s number. The Serra-Long Fight Team representative outlanded Lee on the feet and survived a couple precarious positions to take a unanimous verdict over “The Motown Phenom” in the UFC on Fox 31 headliner. Iaquinta has won six of his last seven Octagon appearances, with his only defeat during that time coming at the hands of reigning lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov.8. Kevin Lee (17-4)
After completely throttling Edson Barboza, Lee had another chance to one-up Khabib Nurmagomedov against a common opponent, but this time he failed miserably against Al Iaquinta at UFC on Fox 31. “The Motown Phenom” was able to twice take Iaquinta’s back but was largely outboxed on the feet en route to losing a unanimous decision in Milwaukee. Not only is Lee now 0-2 against Iaquinta, but he remains on the outside looking in when it comes to the UFC lightweight title picture.9. Edson Barboza (20-6)
After suffering lopsided losses to wrestlers Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kevin Lee in his last two Octagon appearances, Barboza fought like his career was on the line at UFC on Fox 31. The Brazilian savaged Dan Hooker with low kicks and savage body work, ultimately earning a stoppage with a body punch 2:19 into round three. The 32-year-old may not be a title contender in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions, but is at the very least one of the sport’s most dangerous gatekeepers. The promotion has booked a showdown with former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje at UFC on ESPN 2 for Barboza’s next outing.10. Gregor Gillespie (13-0)
Gillespie absolutely dominated Yancy Medeiros at UFC Brooklyn, outlanding his opponent by a 51-to-1 count in significant strikes en route to a second-round technical knockout stoppage. That makes six consecutive Octagon triumphs for the former NCAA All-American, who is a suffocating wrestler in the mold of Khabib Nurmagomedov. While he isn’t quite championship material just yet, Gillespie deserves to face a top lightweight contender in his next outing.Other Contenders: Anthony Pettis, James Vick, Donald Cerrone, Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira.
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