| Rank | Fighter | Record | Last 3 Results | ||
| #1 | Alex Pereira | 11-2 | W-W-W | ||
| #2 | Magomed Ankalaev | 19-1-1 | W-D-W | ||
| #3 | Jamahal Hill | 12-2 | L-W-W | ||
| #4 | Jiri Prochazka | 30-5-1 | L-W-L | ||
| #5 | Jan Blachowicz | 29-10-1 | W-D-W | ||
| #6 | Nikita Krylov | 30-9 | W-W-W | ||
| #7 | Khalil Rountree | 13-5 | W-W-W | ||
| #8 | Aleksandar Rakic | 14-4 | L-L-W | ||
| #9 | Azamat Murzakanvo | 13-0 | W-W-W | ||
| #10 | Carlos Ulberg | 10-1 | W-W-W |
The UFC light heavyweight rankings are a showcase of some of the very best fighters 205-pound fighters in the world. The division has often been a home of pound-for-pound talent and is that perfect middle ground between near-heavyweight level power and well-rounded skills.
With that in mind, here is the official Sportsnaut top-10 for the organization’s light heavyweight class.
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UFC light heavyweight rankings
10. Carlos Ulberg (10-1)
Carlos Ulberg stumbled in his 2021 UFC debut but has caught fire since then. He has won six straight inside the Octagon, including finishes in all but one of those victories. His most impressive yet came in May when he scored a KO win over Alonzo Menifield in just 12 seconds. “Black Jag” is a fighter to watch at 205 pounds.
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9. Azamat Murzakanvo (13-0)
Russian Azamat Murzakanov is one of the top rising stars in the UFC light heavyweight division. He is unbeaten after three fights and has been impressive over his first four bouts inside the Octagon. The best yet may have been a hard-fought win over an always-touch challenge in veteran Dustin Jacoby this past April. “The Professional” is deserving of and should get a top-10 foe in his next bout.
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8. Aleksandar Rakic (14-3)
Aleksandar Rakic has been the victim of some tough luck during his run in the UFC. Over the past six years, he has been one of the best fighters at 205. However, injuries and frustrating judge’s decisions have held him back from getting a title opportunity. He was on the brink of a title fight last year but a leg injury in his main event clash with former division king Jan Blachowicz derailed that momentum.
Following a lengthy recovery, he got a massive opportunity at UFC 300 and faced former champion Jiri Prochazka. Unfortunately, he came up short in a wild fight and now has back-to-back losses for the first time in his career.
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7. Khalil Rountree (13-5)
It wasn’t long ago that Khalil Rountree had lost three of four and his career seemed to be sputtering into mediocrity. However, since his last defeat in January of 2021, he has won five straight, with four of those wins coming by knockout.
His most recent — and most important — victory came in December at UFC Vegas 83 when he handed top-10 stalwart Anthony Smith a second-round knockout loss. At 33, “The War Horse” is hitting a new peak and is a very dangerous fighter in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.
6. Nikita Krylov (30-9)
After losing two straight, Ukrainian Nikita Krylov has racked up three straight wins. The most recent was a definitive first-round submission of uber-talented light heavyweight Ryan Spann. For much of his career, “The Miner” has always seemed like a nice but never very good fighter. However, he may be evolving into his best version and could move into title contention later in the year with the right booking.
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5. Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1)
Even at an advanced age, Jan Blachowicz remains an elite-level talent in the light heavyweight division. Over the last three years, he has lost just twice in nine fights and that came to former title challenger Thiago Santos and recent champion Glover Teixeira. The one-time champion’s draw with Magomed Anakalaev in 2022 was a major setback for both as it threw them into a bit of limbo.
He tried to free himself from that tough spot at UFC 291 and possibly set up another title fight, however, by split decision in a highly competitive bout with former middleweight champ Alex Pereira. Where the one-time division king goes next is anyone’s guess.
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2. Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1)
While “Denisa” may not be the current champion, he is still viewed by many as one of the best fighters in the division. A serious shoulder injury derailed what could have been a memorable title run in 2023. After months of recovering, the Czech star returned at UFC 295 in an attempt to regain his belt, however, former middleweight king Alex Pereira blocked his return to the top.
Despite a bounceback win earlier this year, he again came up short in a second crack at the Brazilian at UFC 303 in June.
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4. Jamahal Hill (12-2)
Following a serious injury that forced him to vacate the title, Jamahal Hill was given a chance to regain his belt at UFC 300 versus Alex Pereira. However, he ended up being the latest victim in the rampage the Brazilian has undertaken since joining the promotion. It will be interesting to see who “Sweet Dreams” gets in his next fight as he tries to reclimb the light heavyweight ladder.
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3. Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1)
Magomed Anakalaev has been outstanding during his run in the promotion. After taking an L to Paul Craig in his UFC debut, he has gone unbeaten in his next 12 bouts. What has hurt the Russian is having bad luck in his most recent fights that ended in a draw and no contest.
In January he faced Johnny Walker in a rematch of their fight that ended in that unfortunate no-contest but that did not happen this time around. Ankalaev dispatched the Brazilian in less than two rounds with a definitive victory. Likely putting him in line for a title fight next.
1. Alex Pereira (10-2)
Alex Pereira’s UFC story is becoming legendary. After just eight fights he has become a two-division champion and has scored destructive wins over some of the best fighters of this era at middleweight and light heavyweight. While he is 36 years old, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down and proved his elite level talents again at UFC 303 when he scored a second KO win over former champion Jiri Prochazka.
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