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Lightweight
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0)
Nurmagomedov needed less than 15 minutes to dispatch Dustin Poirier at UFC 242, and he made it look astonishingly easy. “The Eagle” overwhelmed his opponent with takedowns and pressure from the outset of the bout, gradually wearing Poirier down until he secured the rear-naked choke submission at the 2:06 mark of Round 3. The reigning lightweight champion’s winning streak is now at 12, which ties him with Tony Ferguson for the sixth-longest winning streak in UFC history. Barring injury, Nurmagomedov will finally square off against Ferguson with lightweight gold on the line on April 18 in Brooklyn, N.Y.2. Tony Ferguson (25-3)
It wasn’t necessarily the ending he envisioned, but Ferguson appeared to be well on his way to defeating Donald Cerrone at UFC 238 before the contest was halted prior to round three due to “Cowboy’s” swollen eye. Cerrone certainly got his shots in, but “El Cucuy” utilized his usual multi-faceted offensive approach to land more than 50 significant strikes in both the first and second rounds. With 12 consecutive wins under his belt, there is no more deserving No. 1 contender at lightweight than Ferguson. “El Cucuy” will challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight crown at UFC 249 in Brooklyn on April 18.3. Dustin Poirier (25-6)
There was some sentiment that Poirier possessed the necessary tools to defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov heading into their title unification bout at UFC 242. However, once the opening bell rung, it was all Nurmagomedov right up until “The Eagle” applied a fight-ending rear-naked choke at the 2:06 mark of Round 3. For Poirier, positive moments were few and far between — a couple solid punches on the feet and a Hail Mary guillotine attempt — but ultimately the American Top Team representative could do little to halt the momentum of his opponent as a six-bout unbeaten streak came to an end.4. Justin Gaethje (21-2)
A former World Series of Fighting champion, Gaethje continues to inch closer to lightweight title contention in the UFC. “The Highlight” earned his third consecutive first-round stoppage at UFC Vancouver, as he defeated Donald Cerrone via TKO at the 4:18 mark of Round 1 in the evening’s main event on Sept. 14. Since dropping back-to-back fights against Dustin Poirier and Eddie Alvarez, the Grudge Training Center product has finished Cerrone, Edson Barboza and James Vick inside of a round.5. Donald Cerrone (36-14)
Cerrone lived up to his reputation as a slow starter in the worst way possible at UFC 246, as he was finished by Conor McGregor in just 40 seconds in the welterweight headliner at T-Mobile Arena. That makes three consecutive KO/TKO defeats for “Cowboy,” who nonetheless appears to have no intention of slowing down in his fighting career. Cerrone could return to 155 pounds for his next appearance after moving back up to welterweight to face McGregor.6. Kevin Lee (18-5)
After a one-fight dalliance at welterweight, Lee announced his return to the lightweight division in emphatic fashion at UFC 244, as he removed Gregor Gillespie from the ranks of the unbeaten with a first-round knockout at Madisoin Square Garden. “The Motown Phenom” had Gillespie reeling with a right hand to the temple, and a follow-up left high kick sent the national champion wrestler crashing to the fence unconscious. With the win, Lee, a former interim title challenger at 155 pounds, snaps a two-bout skid and shows why he remains one of the most talented fighters in the division. Lee will return to action when he faces Charles Oliveira in the UFC Brasilia headliner on March 14.7. Edson Barboza (20-8)
It hasn’t been the best stretch for Barboza, who has lost four of his last five UFC outings dating back to December 2017. However, the competition (Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kevin Lee, Justin Gaethje, Paul Felder) has been nothing but top notch during that period. And in case anyone needs a reminder of what the Brazilian can do at his best, just look back at his thorough beatdown of Dan Hooker at UFC on Fox 31 in December 2018. Additionally, his most recent loss, a split-decision setback to Felder in a rematch at UFC 242, was a bout that the majority of media members scored in favor of the 33-year-old Rio de Janeiro native. Barboza has since revealed his intention to try his hand at 145 pounds.8. Dan Hooker (20-8)
Hooker emerged on the right side of a back-and-forth battle with Paul Felder in the UFC Auckland headliner, taking a closely-contested split-decision triumph at Spark Arena on Feb. 22. “The Hangman” has won three consecutive fights since a brutal beatdown at the hands of Edson Barboza in December 2018. After his latest triumph, he called out top lightweight contender Justin Gaethje — a request that could become a reality depending on how things play out at the top of the division.9. Paul Felder (17-5)
Felder’s split-decision loss to Dan Hooker in the UFC Auckland headliner was such a grueling defeat that “The Irish Dragon” was left to contemplate the end of his mixed martial arts career in the immediate aftermath. Regardless of if retirement is in the cards for Felder, the Roufusport product could have very easily emerged on the other side of the judges’ scorecards on Feb. 22, and more than a few observers scored it in favor of the part-time UFC analyst. Assuming he sticks around, Felder has still won five of his last seven bouts and remains a sure bet for action if he’s on the card.10. Gregor Gillespie (13-1)
Gillespie’s first serious step up in competition didn’t go so well, as the former four-time NCAA All-American from Edinboro University was knocked out by Kevin Lee in the opening round of their featured lightweight bout at UFC 244 in New York. Prior to facing Lee, “The Gift” had won six straight fights under the UFC banner, with the most notable of those victories a second-round stoppage of Yancy Medeiros at UFC Fight Night 143. Gillespie had been mostly dominant before running into Lee, so plenty of interesting matchups should await the Bellmore Kickboxing Academy representative.Other Contenders: Al Iaquinta, Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira, Patricio Freire, Diego Ferreira.
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