Jason Burgos
On Saturday night at UFC 327, several fighters from our UFC light heavyweight rankings were in action, including in the night’s headliner. When the dust settled, Carlos Ulberg, Dominick Reyes, and Paulo Costa scored important victories.
Let’s take a look at how the events of UFC 327 altered the division’s pecking order with our new UFC light heavyweight rankings.
10. Dominick Reyes (16-5)
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 made good on it. Winning three straight and getting back into the UFC light heavyweight rankings.
The hot streak 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. But unlike a couple of years ago, Reyes bounced back with a win in April at UFC 327. While his bout with Johnny Walker was panned by fans for its lack of action, a win is still a win.
9. 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.
8. Paulo Costa (16-4)
After losing four of five, middleweight star Paulo Costa decided he needed a change and chose to move up to 205 pounds. So far, so good. After scoring a July 2025 decision win over Roman Kopylov in his weight class debut, “The Eraser” made a big statement at UFC 327 in April when he scored a TKO win over Azamat Murzakanov.
The victory lands Costa a spot in our latest UFC light heavyweight rankings.
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. Azamat Murzakanov (16-1)
Russian Azamat Murzakanov has quietly climbed up the division rankings and got into striking distance of a title opportunity after winning five straight to begin his UFC career, including a nasty knockout win over Aleksandar Rakić in the fall of 2025.
At UFC 327, he entered his scrap with Paulo Costa as the favorite and could have locked up a title shot with a win. Unfortunately, the Brazilian made a name for himself at his new weight class by stopping “The Professional” in Round 3. The setback ends any chance of Murzakanov fighting for gold in 2026.
5. 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.
4. 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 with another classic fight and win over Khalil Rountree Jr.
The victory earned him another shot at gold in April at UFC 327. However, despite facing a man who blew out his knee in Round 1, the former champ was unable to capitalize on the opportunity and suffered a shocking KO loss in the opening frame. The defeat knocks the Czech outside the title picture for the rest of 2026.
3. Magomed Ankalaev (21-2-1) – Top Contender
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.
2. 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.
However, he relinquished the title in early 2026 to pursue gold at heavyweight. If that ends up being his new long-term home, he will eventually be removed from our UFC light heavyweight rankings.
1. Carlos Ulberg (14-1) – Champion
Carlos Ulberg stumbled in his 2021 UFC debut but has been a dominant force ever since. After his defeat to Kennedy Nzechukwu, he won nine straight, including six finishes. The impressive hot streak earned the New Zealander a title opportunity in April at UFC 327.
Early on, it looked like he would come up short of his ultimate goal when he seemingly blew his knee out in Round 1 of his fight with Jiri Prochazka. However, “Black Jag” showed off impressive guts and his elite power when he was able to drop the former champ to win his first UFC title. The big question now is how long the new champ will be sidelined.
