Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Lightweight
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0) [1]
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. Nurmagomedov is expected to face new interim king Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Oct. 24.2. Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) [2]
Coming off a disappointing loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a 155-pound title bout at UFC 242 last September, Poirier displayed his championship mettle against Dan Hooker in the UFC on ESPN 12 main event. “The Diamond” dropped the first two rounds to his Kiwi opponent before picking up the pace down the stretch to earn a thoroughly entertaining unanimous decision at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Poirier has won five of his last six Octagon appearances and remains a dangerous force at the top of the division.3. Justin Gaethje (22-2) [3]
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 at UFC 254.4. Tony Ferguson (25-4) [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. Charles Oliveira (29-8, 1 NC) [6]
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. A proposed clash with Beneil Dariush at UFC on ESPN 16 fizzled when Dariush was forced to withdraw from the bout.6. Dan Hooker (20-9) [6]
Hooker took it to Dustin Poirier for the opening 10 minutes of the UFC on ESPN 12 main event, attacking with a multi-faceted arsenal that had the former interim champion reeling near the end of Round 2. While Poirier ultimately survived, Hooker faded down the stretch to lose a unanimous decision in a contest that will wind up on more than a few “Fight of the Year” lists. Hooker, who had designs on challenging for lightweight gold, had a three-bout winning streak snapped in defeat.7. Kevin Lee (18-6) [7]
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. Paul Felder (17-5) [8]
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.9. Donald Cerrone (36-15) [9]
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. He’ll attempt to return to the win column against Niko Price on Sept. 19.10. Edson Barboza (20-9) [10]
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. Barboza will remain at 145 pounds for a clash with Sodiq Yusuff on Oct. 10.Other Contenders: Gregor Gillespie, Al Iaquinta, Islam Makhachev, Patricio Freire, Diego Ferreira.
Continue Reading » Featherweight