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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. Nurmagomedov’s long-anticipated date with Tony Ferguson remains cursed, as their headlining bout at UFC 249 was scrapped after the Dagestani fighter was stranded in Russia due to travel restrictions designed to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Now, Nurmagomedov is expected to face new interim king Justin Gaethje, though a date for that title unification bout remains unclear.2. 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. A potential all-action matchup with Dan Hooker has been targeted for a UFC event on June 27.3. Justin Gaethje (22-2)
Gaethje authored the most complete performance of his career to date at UFC 249, as he ended Tony Ferguson’s 12-bout winning streak to claim interim lightweight gold in Jacksonville, Florida. “The Highlight” has always been a dangerous offensive fighter, but his evolution into a more technical competitor makes him that much more dangerous than he was when he suffered losses to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier earlier in his promotional tenure. The former World Series of Fighting Champion will take a four-bout finishing streak into a title unification bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov.4. Tony Ferguson (25-4)
It had been a long time since Ferguson had tasted defeat in the Octagon, but Justin Gaethje made “El Cucuy” look average in the UFC 249 headliner. Ferguson was battered for the majority of five rounds before one final Gaethje jab brought a halt to the contest at the 3:39 mark of the final frame to claim the interim lightweight belt. Not only did the Californian’s 12-bout winning streak come to an end, but the loss might have closed the book on the long-running Ferguson-Khabib Nurmagomedov saga, a fight that was canceled on five different occasions.5. Donald Cerrone (36-15)
Cerrone wanted to exorcise the demons of his 40-second defeat to Conor McGregor at UFC 249, and while he didn’t win, “Cowboy” had a much better showing in a rematch with Anthony Pettis on May 9. Competing at welterweight for the second consecutive bout, Cerrone dropped a competitive unanimous decision to Pettis that more than a few observers thought could have gone his way. The BMF Ranch founder has now lost four UFC bouts in a row dating back to June 2019.6. Charles Oliveira (29-8, 1 NC)
Oliveira can no longer be ignored as a serious threat in the UFC’s lightweight division. “Do Bronx” earned his seventh consecutive victory – and finish – at UFC Fight Night 170, as he submitted former interim title challenger Kevin Lee with a guillotine choke in the third round of the evening’s main event. The promotion’s all-time submission leader has come a long way since his Octagon debut in 2010, and he could be on the verge of even bigger things in the very near future.7. Kevin Lee (18-6)
Not only did Lee miss weight ahead of his UFC Fight Night 170 headlining bout against Charles Oliveira, but he faltered in the Octagon as well, falling to “Do Bronx” via third-round submission in Brasilia, Brasil. “The Motown Phenom” appeared to be revitalized after a head kick knockout of Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244, but there is no ignoring the fact that the interim title challenger has dropped three of his last four promotional appearances. Lee will be sidelined for at least six months after undergoing knee surgery.8. Edson Barboza (20-9)
Barboza’s first featherweight foray ended in heartbreak, as the Brazilian dropped a contentious split decision to Dan Ige in a featured affair at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 16. The good news is the weight cut went well and Barboza looked as dangerous as ever in a new division. On a negative note, Barboza has now come up short in five of his last six UFC appearances.9. 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. A showdown with Dustin Poirier has been targeted to headline a UFC card on June 27.10. 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.Other Contenders: Gregor Gillespie, Al Iaquinta, Islam Makhachev, Patricio Freire, Diego Ferreira.
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