UFC 323 featured a big matchup inside the light heavyweight rankings when one-time division king Jan Blachowicz looked to end a recent losing skid against fast-rising star Bogdan Guskov. At points, the young prospect looked like he might finish “Polish Power.” However, the elder lion battled through some tough moments and seemingly scored a hard-fought win.
Unfortunately, the judges scored the fight a draw. Let’s see how the UFC 323 main card fight affects the updated UFC light heavyweight rankings.
10. Volkan Oezdemir (21-8)
Win or lose, Volkan Oezdemir has long been one of light heavyweight’s best knockout artists. In his nine UFC wins, five of them have been vicious knockouts. The latest came in November at UFC Qatar when he flattened veteran Alonzo Menifield in a minute and a half. He will never fight for UFC gold again, but he remains one of 205’s most dangerous fighters.
9. Dominick Reyes (15-5)
At the end of 2022, Dominick Reyes seemed like he was headed to a release after four straight losses, three by knockout. However, he got another chance from the UFC and has made good on it. Following a nightmare slump, the former title challenger won three straight, including a big knockout win over Nikita Krylov at UFC 314.
It understandably earned him a big UFC Perth main event spot against fast-rising contender Carlos Ulberg. However, the New Zealander was way too much for the American and finished him in just under a round. “The Devastator” remains a legit top 10 light heavyweight, but he will never fight for UFC gold again.
8. Jamahal Hill (12-4)
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 a victim in the rampage that the Brazilian went on after joining the promotion.
To kick off 2025, he had an opportunity to jump into the No. 1 contender spot in a big fight against fellow former champion Jiri Prochazka. However, the American was unable to come up with an answer to the power and unorthodox style of Prochazka. He again had difficulty in a UFC Baku main event against Khalil Rountree and suffered a third straight loss.
7. Khalil Rountree (14-7)
After a slump that saw him lose three of four, Khalil Rountree Jr. went back to the drawing board and reinvented himself. The hard work led to a nasty hot streak where he won five straight, including four finishes. It earned him a UFC title shot, but he just wasn’t up to dethroning division great Alex Pereira.
He bounced back from that setback with a decisive win over former champion Jamahal Hill at UFC Baku. It put him in a position where a big win at UFC 320 against Jiri Prochazka might have gotten him a title shot. However, despite winning the first two rounds, he could not deal with the Czech’s late surge and was handed the fourth KO loss of his career.
6. Jan Blachowicz (29-11-2)
Even at an advanced age, Jan Blachowicz remains a high-level talent in the light heavyweight division. Unfortunately, he has dealt with a lot of tough luck over the last few years. He earned a draw against former champ Magomed Ankalaev. Then lost a controversial decision to current titlist Alex Pereira.
In March, he was on the wrong end of another close decision with fast-rising star Carlos Ulberg. He returned in December looking to end a two-fight losing skid and probably should have in a hard-fought battle against youngster Bogdan Guskov. Instead, the judges scored it a draw. The Polish legend’s tough luck continues, but he holds on to his top-six spot.
5. Azamat Murzakanvo (16-0)
Russian Azamat Murzakanov has quietly climbed up the division rankings and is in striking distance of a top-five spot. The heavy-hitter missed a year of activity due to failed bookings but finally returned to action at UFC 316. But in June, he extended his unbeaten record to 15-0 with a first-round knockout over Brendson Ribeiro.
He then returned at UFC 321 and scored a nasty KO win over top-10 stalwart Aleksandar Rakic. It was a huge statement victory that proved “The Professional” could be in line for a title shot in the second half of 2026.
4. Carlos Ulberg (13-1)
Carlos Ulberg stumbled in his 2021 UFC debut but has caught fire ever since then. He won eight straight inside the Octagon, including finishes in all but two of those victories. His most impressive victory until recently came in March when he went toe-to-toe with and beat former division king Jan Blachowicz.
The win earned him a main event opportunity close to home at UFC Perth in September. On that night, he pushed his win streak to nine straight with a dominant first-round KO of Dominick Reyes. It may have locked up a title shot early in 2026.
3. Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1)
While Jiri Prochazka may not be the current champion, he is still viewed by many as one of the best fighters in the division. He has been in countless wars and fight of the year contenders, and added to his legend at UFC 320. Despite likely being down two rounds to Khalil Rountree Jr., he brought his classic chaos and was able to score a come-from-behind KO win on the American. The wild win could earn the former division king a title fight early next year.
2. Magomed Ankalaev (21-2-1)
Magomed Anakalaev has been outstanding during his run in the promotion. He had just one surprise loss in 16 appearances and scored wins over several of the division’s best, including Volkan Oezdemir, Anthony Smith, and Aleksandar Rakic.
At UFC 313, he proved he is the best in the world by scoring a hard-fought win against former division king Alex Pereira. However, his reign lasted less than a year when “Poatan” ran through him in under a couple of minutes. It seems unlikely the company will rush into a trilogy fight next.
1. Alex Pereira (13-3)
Alex Pereira’s UFC story is legendary. After nine fights, he became a two-division champion and scored destructive wins over some of the best fighters of this era, at middleweight and light heavyweight. The 38-year-old has been a revelation for the company and connected with the MMA fanbase with an approach to fighting similar to cage-fighting icon Fedor Emelianenko.
After being on the wrong side of a frustrating decision loss in March, the Brazilian came back with a vengeance at UFC 320. He stormed out of the gates in his rematch with Magomed Ankalaev and blew through him in just a couple of minutes to reclaim his place at the top of the division.
