Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Lightweight

1. Islam Makhachev (27-1) | UFC [1]

Makhachev left no doubt in the UFC 311 headliner, submitting last-minute opponent Renato “Moicano” with a brabo choke in the opening stanza of their lightweight championship bout at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The late shift from Arman Tsarukyan to “Moicano” did little to faze Makhachev, who won his 15th consecutive outing and set the UFC lightweight record for most championship victories with five. While Makhachev has expressed interest in moving up to 170 pounds to pursue two-division glory, a rebooking against Tsarukyan or a showdown against reigning featherweight king Ilia Topuria could be interesting options should he remain at 155 pounds.

2. Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) UFC [2]

Tsarukyan relied on a strong top game and submission defense to earn a split-decision triumph over ex-lightweight champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 300. The American Top Team product has won four straight and nine of his last 10 UFC appearances overall, which led the promotion to grant him a shot at the belt in a rematch with Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. However, a last-minute back injury forced Tsarukyan to withdraw one day before the fight.

3. Charles Oliveira (35-10, 1 NC) | UFC [3]

Oliveira looked in prime form at UFC 309, dominating Michael Chandler on the feet as well as on the ground for four rounds before being forced to survive a late onslaught from the longtime Bellator champ in the final frame. “Do Bronx” held on for the decision win, adding some drama to an otherwise lopsided beating of a proud former champion. The victory gets the 35-year-old Brazilian back on track after his narrow loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 and makes his case for another shot a at lightweight gold.

4. Max Holloway (26-8) | UFC [4]

Holloway looked sharp for two rounds against Ilia Topuria, but “Blessed” ultimately succumbed to his opponent’s otherworldly power at the 1:34 mark of Round 3 in the UFC 308 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26. Holloway is now winless in his last four bids for featherweight gold, but his status as perpetual fan favorite and reigning BMF champ likely means there will be no shortage of interesting matchups in the future for the Hawaiian star.

5. Justin Gaethje (25-5) | UFC [5]

Gaethje relinquished his BMF crown to Max Holloway at UFC 300, suffering a knockout loss at the 4:59 mark of Round 5 in what will go down as one of the most memorable bouts in the history of the Las Vegas-based promotion. The Colorado native struggled after having his nose broken at the end of Round 1, and outside of a late surge in the fourth frame, was largely outgunned by his Hawaiian adversary. One of the sport’s most beloved all-action fighters will be back in the Octagon for a co-main event clash against Dan Hooker at UFC 313.

6. Dustin Poirier (30-9, 1 NC) | UFC [6]

If this was Poirier’s farewell, he went down with guns blazing before falling to Islam Makhachev via fifth-round submission in the UFC 302 headliner. While it ultimately was Poirier’s third failed attempt at capturing undisputed UFC lightweight gold, he got stronger as the fight progressed and gave Makhachev a much more difficult test than many expected. Poirier didn’t make a clear decision regarding retirement in the immediate aftermath, and if he does decide to stick around, there figure to be plenty of interesting options for the Louisiana native.

7. Beneil Dariush (22-6-1) | UFC [7]

Dariush probably didn’t know what hit him in the UFC on ESPN 52 headliner, where he fell victim to an Arman Tsarukyan right hand and follow-up punches just 64 seconds into the opening round of their clash at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Dariush has now suffered back-to-back first-round KO/TKO defeats at the hands of Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira, pushing him down the ranks of contenders at 155 pounds. The Kings MMA product was supposed to lock horns with Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in Los Angeles but that bout fell through when his opponent was called up to the headliner against Islam Makhachev one day before the event.

8. Dan Hooker (24-12) UFC [8]

Hooker blended improved takedown defense with his typically dangerous striking to earn a hard-fought split decision triumph against Mateusz Gamrot in a featured bout at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, on Aug. 17. By besting a contender who had been victorious in seven of his previous eight promotional appearances, “The Hangman” should be in line for another interesting matchup when he’s ready to return. That will come in the form of a showdown against Justin Gaethje in a five-round, co-headliner at UFC 313.

9. Mateusz Gamrot (24-3, 1 NC) | UFC [9]

While Gamrot fought admirably against Dan Hooker at UFC 305, the optics weren’t always great and that resulted in a split-decision loss for the former KSW champion. “Gamer” showcased improved striking in the bout, but his vaunted wrestling faded down the stretch. Still, Gamrot is 7-2 in his last nine UFC appearances and remains a tough out for virtually anyone in the lightweight division.

10. Rafael Fiziev (12-3) | UFC [10]

In what was shaping up to be an intriguing clash of lightweight contenders, Fiziev suffered an unfortunate knee injury early in the second round of his headlining clash against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Fight Night 228. Not only is Fiziev mired in the first two-bout skid of his professional career, but he’ll likely face a fairly lengthy recovery process before he can return to action within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Other Contenders: Renato Carneiro, Paddy Pimblett, Bobby Green, Jalin Turner, Usman Nurmagomedov.

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