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Lightweight
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) [1]
Maybe 30-0 won’t become a reality, but Nurmagomedov put about a perfect a stamp as one could on his mixed martial arts career with a second-round submission of Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 headliner on Oct. 24. “The Eagle” withstood some heavy artillery from his opponent — including some powerful low kicks — while continuing to apply constant pressure. Eventually, Gaethje wilted on the canvas, as Nurmagomedov choked him unconscious at the 1:34 mark of Round 2. In the aftermath, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement, leaving behind a legacy that includes a 13-0 UFC mark and a record-tying four championship victories in the brutal lightweight division. Nurmagomedov’s belt has not yet been vacated, and the promotion is holding out hope that “The Eagle” will compete one more time in the Octagon.2. Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) [2]
A much more mature version of Poirier took the Octagon at UFC 257 and it showed, as he dispatched Conor McGregor by knockout 2:32 into the second round of their headlining encounter in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23. It was a far cry from their first meeting over six years ago, when “The Diamond” was stopped by McGregor inside of a round at UFC 178. Since being submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242, Poirier has rebounded to post victories over McGregor and Dan Hooker and should be a no-brainer choice to compose one-half of a bout for the vacant lightweight crown.3. Justin Gaethje (22-3) [3]
Gaethje attacked as best he could against Khabib Nurmagomedov, but he was no match for “The Eagle” on the ground. Although the former World Series of Fighting title holder had some success on the feet, particularly with low kicks, the grappling exchanges were another matter entirely, as Gaethje fell victim to a triangle choke 1:34 into Round 2 of the UFC 254 headliner at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24. Gaethje had a four-bout winning streak snapped in defeat.4. Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) [4]
Oliveira came into UFC 256 feeling overlooked in the lightweight title picture. He left having established himself as one of the division’s top contenders after dominating Tony Ferguson for three rounds in the evening’s co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Dec. 12. That makes eight consecutive Octagon triumphs for “Do Bronx,” who in addition to being the promotion’s all-time submission leader could find himself in prime position for a championship opportunity in the near future.5. Tony Ferguson (25-5) [5]
Ferguson had no answers for the ground prowess of Charles Oliveira at UFC 256, as he was dominated on the canvas for three rounds in a lopsided unanimous decision defeat in the evening’s co-main event on Dec. 12. Once the author of an amazing 12-fight winning streak, “El Cucuy” didn’t look like he was fully recovered from the beating he absorbed at the hands of Justin Gaethje in an interim lightweight title bout at UFC 249. Having lost back-to-back fights for the first time in his career, Ferguson’s days as a top 155-pound contender may be a thing of the past.6. Patricio Freire (31-4) [6]
Bellator’s reigning 145- and 155-pound champ advanced to the semifinals of the promotion’s featherweight grand prix by walloping Pedro Carvalho via first-round knockout in their headlining matchup at Bellator 252 on Nov. 12. That makes six consecutive wins for the 33-year-old Brazilian, who is slated to face Emmanuel Sanchez in the semifinals of the tournament at a future event. Freire defeated Sanchez via unanimous decision in their first meeting at Bellator 209 in November 2018.7. Michael Chandler (22-5) [7]
Chandler’s Octagon debut went about as well as one could possibly hope, as he starched Dan Hooker with punches 2:30 into the opening round of their co-main event clash at UFC 257. The former Bellator lightweight champion received plenty of exposure fighting on what is sure to be one of the promotion’s biggest cards of the year, and he will be positioned for another high profile bout – perhaps even a title shot – in his next Octagon appearance.8. Dan Hooker (20-10) [8]
Hooker never got going at UFC 257, and as a result, he served as highlight-reel fodder for recent free-agent acquisition Michael Chandler in a first-round technical knockout loss. After winning seven of eight promotional appearances from June 2017 to February 2020, “The Hangman” has dropped back-to-back bouts against Chandler and Dustin Poirier. His reputation as an action fighter should keep him in interesting bookings for the foreseeable future, however.9. Rafael dos Anjos (30-13) [9]
In his first lightweight bout in more than four years, dos Anjos showed that he’s ready to contend at 155 pounds again when he dispatched Paul Felder in the UFC Fight Night 182 headliner on Nov. 14. The 36-year-old Brazilian was coming off a stint at 170 pounds in which he had lost four of his previous five Octagon appearances, but it appears that he is ready to make another run at championship gold in the division he once ruled.10. Beneil Dariush (20-4-1) [10]
Dariush improved to 2-0 against fellow lightweight contender Diego Ferreira at UFC Fight Night 184, blending striking and grappling to capture a hard-fought split decision at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Feb. 6. The Kings MMA product is one of the division’s unsung talents and with a six-fight winning streak under his belt, should be in line for a highly-ranked foe in his next UFC appearance.Other Contenders: Kevin Lee, Paul Felder, Islam Makhachev, Diego Ferreira, Donald Cerrone.
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