The UFC lightweight rankings showcase some of the very best talents in MMA. The division has long been the deepest and most talent-rich in the sport’s history. Several of its top competitors can also be found in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
With that in mind, here are the official Sportsnaut rankings for the top 10 lightweights in the best cage fighting promotion in all the land.
1. Ilia Topuria (17-0)
Ilia Topuria will go down as one of the great featherweights of all time. But instead of building on his 145-pound resume, “El Matador” made the move up to lightweight in search of history. Well, he achieved that in June by becoming just the 10th fighter to win gold in two divisions. Crushing former 155-pound champ Charles Oliveria and adding him to his hitlist of legends.
2. Justin Gaethje (27-5)
Justin Gaethje is one of the best lightweight fighters of his generation because he has earned a legion of fans for being one of the most durable and violent athletes in the division’s history. While he has had some tough losses, he has also had some iconic wins.
He got another in January at UFC 324 when he took on Paddy Pimblett for the lightweight title. While the Englishman gave him a tough fight, Gaethje won interim gold for the second time and further cemented his place as one of the weight class’s all-time greats.
3. Arman Tsarukyan (23-3)
Arman Tsarukyan has developed into one of the very best 155-pounders on earth. During his run in the UFC, he has won many fights, and his only losses have come to the former division king, Islam Makhachev, and fellow ranked star Mateusz Gamrot. However, he has overcome those setbacks, and his impressive victories over Charles Oliveira and Dan Hooker have solidified his place as the undisputed No. 1 contender at lightweight.
4. Max Holloway (27-8)
Max Holloway will go down as one of the greatest UFC featherweights of all time. However, all good things come to an end. With him being unable to overcome Alexander Volkanovski, he made the move up to lightweight and became the new BMF champ in 2024 with a KO win over Justin Gaethje. However, a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in a return to 145 pounds solidified the fact that 155 needs to be his permanent home.
In July, he looked to score a win over division great Dustin Poirier, finally. In his third attempt, he got sweet revenge and now has definitive wins over two of the best lightweights of the decade. He may now be one win away from a title fight in his new division.
5. Charles Oliveira (35-11)
Charles Oliveria owns several UFC records and will go down as one of the greatest Brazilian MMA fighters of all time. There is a lot to love about his fight style, and his resume is stacked with big wins. But age catches up with everyone, and it has affected “Do Bronx.”
He entered his UFC 317 clash with former featherweight Ilia Topuria as a sizable underdog. Well, those odds proved to be right as he was crushed by the one-time 145-pound champ in less than a round. Oliveira remains an elite fighter in the division, but he probably will never again fight for gold.
6. Benoit Saint-Denis (17-3)
Benoit Saint-Denis has had a very nice 12-fight run in the UFC. While he has hit some bumps in the road and been on the wrong side of stoppage losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, he has still posted a 9-3 record inside the Octagon.
Since those setbacks, the Frenchman has again caught fire. Winning four straight, with the last two coming over a pair of rankings stalwarts over the last decade, Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker. Both wins were knockouts.
7. Paddy Pimblett (23-4)
Paddy Pimblett has his doubters, but you can’t deny starting a UFC career by winning seven straight, including over some future Hall of Famers. Sure, he didn’t get Tony Ferguson or Michael Chandler in their prime, but a wins a win, and the victories earned him a title fight at UFC 324.
While he didn’t get the W against Justin Gaethje, “The Baddy” showed a massive amount of heart and went to war with the MMA legend. Despite the setback, he doesn’t drop in our UFC lightweight rankings.
8. Renato Moicano (20-7-1)
Renato Moicano has suffered a few losses in the UFC, but he remains one of the most entertaining fighters in the division and is improving later in his career. No matter who he faces, he is never an easy out and has become a must-see fighter at 155 pounds any time he competes. That is why he lands in our latest UFC lightweight rankings.
9. Manuel Torres (17-3)
Outside of a big knockout loss to Ignacio Bahamondes in 2024, Manuel Torres has been outstanding during his short career. After earning a UFC contract with a Round 1 knockout on the Contender Series in 2021, he has gone 5-1 in the company, with all of his victories being first-round finishes.
His most recent came in December when he earned another KO, this time over talented UFC vet Grant Dawson. The win solidified his place as worthy of a spot in our top 10.
10. Mauricio Ruffy (13-2)
Brazil’s Mauricio Ruffy has been very impressive during his time competing in the Octagon. Two years ago, he earned his way into the company with a KO on the Contender’s Series and won his first three bouts in the UFC. In 2025, he suffered his second career loss when he hit the French wall known as Benoit Saint-Denis.
However, to begin 2026, he bounced back from the setback in a big way at UFC 325 by scoring a highlight reel KO over one of the best strikers the division has seen over the last decade, Rafael Fiziev. That win leaps him into our latest UFC lightweight top 10.
