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UFC 274 reinforced the notion that the lightweight division is arguably the most exciting division in the promotion.
While Charles Oliveira stunned the crowd by submitting Justin Gaethje in the first round, Michael Chandler produced a stellar knockout against Tony Ferguson that could well be a Knockout of the Year contender.
The 155 lb division has always attracted people in large numbers. The division, featuring the likes of Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, has amassed huge numbers in pay-per-view buys for the promotion.
The prime reason behind this feat is the presence of a pool of exciting fighters and the competition among them. While some are exceptional submission artists, others are proficient at knocking their opponents out with a barrage of strikes.
In this article, we will take a look at the five best active strikers in the UFC lightweight division.
#5. Charles Oliveira - former UFC lightweight champion
BJJ has always been the highlight of Charles Oliveira's fighting style. Currently on a 11-fight win streak in the UFC, 'Do Bronx' leads the charts for the most wins by submissions in the history of the promotion (16). Additionally, he also holds the record for most finishes inside the octagon (18).
However, in recent times he has added the one skill that was arguably missing from his arsenal - striking. While Oliveira has knocked out his opponents in the past, he wasn't as fluid at throwing strikes as he is now.
Although he isn't the most formidable striker, 'Do Bronx' has knocked down the likes of Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje in recent times. Oliveira was heavily pounded by Chandler in the opening round of their title clash in 2021. But in the second round, 'Do Bronx' stunned everyone with a strong left hand on 'Iron' to register the third knockout win of his UFC career.
He was just as good against Justin Gaethje in his last fight. Regarded as one of the most powerful strikers in the 155 lbs division, Gaethje was expected to have the edge over Oliveira in the striking department. However, the Brazilian proved everyone wrong by outstriking 'The Highlight' 30-21 in significant strikes on target and even knocking him down at one point.
#4. Rafael Fiziev
Rafael Fiziev has taken giant strides in the 155 lbs rankings since his debut fight the promotion back in 2019. Although his debut didn't turn out the way he would have hoped for, 'Ataman' hasn't looked back ever since.
Currently on a 5-fight win streak in the UFC, Fiziev has made heads turn with his striking. Of the five wins inside the octagon, two have come from knockouts.
Much of it is due to his Muay Thai background. Fiziev, a product of the famous Tiger Muay Thai gym in Phuket, won many accolades in Muay Thai before switching over to MMA.
Fiziev is a dangerous striker and has the ability to batter his opponents with powerful kicks. His Fight of the Night performance against Brad Riddell at UFC Vegas 44 was a testimony to that.
The first two rounds were relatively quiet, with both fighters trading shots from a standup position.
But come the third round, everything changed. Right when it seemed like the fight would go the distance, Fiziev produced a wheel kick to the head to knock out his former training partner.
#3. Michael Chandler
At 5 feet 8 inches, Michael Chandler isn't the tallest fighter in the division. Yet, that hasn't stopped him from knocking people out in his career.
'Iron' made his UFC debut against Dan Hooker and took a little over two minutes to get his first knockout win in the promotion. He used his nimble foot movement to trade shots with Hooker before closing the distance to knock 'The Hangman' out with a strong left hand.
After a close contest against Charles Oliveira, Chandler locked horns with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 for what became the 2021 Fight of the Year. It was unpredictable, violent and tested the durability of both fighters.
Although Gaethje won the fight via the judges' decision, Chandler was praised for his performance as well. According to stats, the slugfest registered 219 significant strikes on target, with 'Iron' landing 103 of them.
As mentioned earlier, the former Bellator lightweight champion delivered arguably the best knockout in recent times in his last fight against Tony Ferguson. In a fight that was always expected to be a barnburner, Chandler connected a frontkick to Ferguson's chin to knock him out cold in only the second round.
#2. Justin Gaethje- former UFC interim champion
Former interim champion Justin Gaethje is a dangerous striker to face in the octagon. Although his roots lie in wrestling, Gaethje prefers to fight from a standup position in the octagon. As per the official record book, 'The Highlight' has the highest significant strike accuracy in the 155 lbs division.
Although he has always been a lethal striker, 'The Highlight' has improved to a fair extent under Trevor Wittman. He has become a lot more composed in his approach while also retaining the explosiveness he is known for.
Besides the power he possesses in his fists, 'The Highlight' is just as vicious with his leg kicks. According to fellow lightweight contender Dustin Poirier, Gaethje is the best leg-kicker he has ever faced in the UFC.
The duo met back in 2018 at UFC on Fox 29, with Poirier winning the contest via knockout. However, the win didn't come cheap. During a conversation with Dan Lambert, Poirier mentioned how Gaethje's vicious leg kicks had caused him to tear his quadriceps partially.
Watch Dustin Poirier talk about Justin Gaethje here:
#1. Dustin Poirier- former UFC interim champion
Arguably no striker in the UFC lightweight division is better at volume striking than Dustin Poirier at the moment.
His great head movement, coupled with the ability to switch stances during a fight, makes 'The Diamond' an opponent to be wary of in the octagon. The Louisana native has an illustrious resume to boast of. A former interim champion, Poirier hasn't been knocked out once in the last five years.
Ranked second in the updated lightweight rankings, Poirier has stood tall against some of the best strikers in the promotion, including Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje and Conor McGregor.
At UFC 257, 'The Diamond' created history by becoming the first fighter to knock out Conor McGregor in the octagon. Interestingly, with eight knockout wins in his UFC career, he also holds the record for most KO/TKO wins in the lightweight division.
