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 (26-5) | UFC [5]

Once again, Gaethje got the better of Rafael Fiziev, this time winning a hard-fought unanimous decision in the UFC 313 co-headliner at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After a devastating knockout loss to Max Holloway in his previous outing, the former World Series of Fighting champion’s chin held up under duress as he continued to solidify his place as one of the promotion’s most fan-friendly fighters. “The Highlight” has won three of his last four outings and could be a darkhouse candidate for a lightweight title shot considering he has yet to face reigning champion Islam Makhachev.

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. “The Hangman” was supposed to face Justin Gaethje in a five-round, non-title bout at UFC 313, but a broken hand suffered in sparring forced him to withdraw with less than two weeks to go before the event.

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 (12-4) | UFC [10]

Fiziev stepped up on short notice against Justin Gaethje in the UFC 313 co-main event, and while he fought well, “Ataman” ultimately dropped a unanimous verdict to fall to 0-2 against his American rival. Fiziev’s stock shouldn’t fall too far, and it was also a positive that he seemed to be fully recovered from a knee injury suffered in a loss against Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023.

Other Contenders: Renato Carneiro, Paddy Pimblett, Usman Nurmagomedov, Mauricio Ruffy, Ignacio Bahamondes.

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