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Last week, Jon Jones announced that he will be relinquishing his light heavyweight title, leaving the division without a champion. Moreover, the 205lbs division has reached a changing of the guard moment as, for the first time in nine and a half years, the next champion will not be named Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier.
The immediate future of the division does have some clarity after it was announced that Dominick Reyes will take on Jan Blachowicz for the vacant light heavyweight title on September 26 at UFC 253 at a location yet to be announced. What isn't clear is who will be the next man to become the face of the division after it has been dominated by Jones, frequently considered the greatest light heavyweight ever, for such a long time.
While either Reyes or Blachowicz will undoubtedly get the first opportunity to carry the torch for the division, here are the 5 men best placed to make the light heavyweight division their own as we look forward into the future.
#5 Jiri Prochazka (27-3-1)
While it might seem unlikely that a man with just 1 UFC fight under his belt could conceivably become the face of the division, Prochazka has the potential to make this a reality. Prochazka exploded on to the UFC scene with a second-round KO of established contender Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 251 and immediately shot up from a near unknown to the number 6 light heavyweight in the world.
While his arrival in the UFC was sudden, Prochazka is an experienced fighter who has won his last 12 professional bouts. On top of that, he's won his last 9 fights by KO, after an impressive run in Japanese promotion RIZIN. Prochazka's exciting fighting style is quickly making him a favorite among UFC fans and it may only take one or two more strong performances in the octagon before he challenges for the title. Prochazka is also only 27 years old and should be around for some time to come. Could a lengthy run with the belt be in Jiri Prochazka's future?
#4 Anthony Johnson (22-6)
"Rumble" recently announced he is planning a return to the octagon, at the moment in the light heavyweight division, and he has all the credentials to quickly assert himself as a force in the division. Prior to his retirement, Johnson had only lost 2 of his last 14 fights with both defeats coming at the hands of one of the greatest of all time in Daniel Cormier, each time for the title. Johnson is an explosive athlete, boasting the most sub-minute KOs in UFC history with 5 and it is this ridiculous power that made him a huge hit with UFC fans. At 36, Johnson should still have a number of years left competing at a high level and while it remains to be seen what sort of shape he can get himself into ahead of his potential return, it does not seem outside the realms of possibility that he could have a run at the top of the division.
#3 Jan Blachowicz (26-8)
Blachowicz will have the first shot at becoming the man in the 205 lbs division September 26, when he takes on Dominick Reyes for the title. While he may be at the top of the division now, Blachowicz struggled at the beginning of his UFC career, losing 4 of his first 6 fights with the company. Since then, however, he has turned things around, winning 7 of his last 8 bouts including a stunning first-round KO of Corey Anderson in his last octagon appearance. The pole is the number 3 light heavyweight in the world and has shown he is capable of both KO's and submissions as he has racked up 7 of the former and 9 of the latter in a career that has seen him earn plenty of "performance of the night" bonuses. While Blachowicz will undoubtedly have his work cut out if he is to defeat Reyes and claim the gold, should he do so, he has the chance to carve out a place in history as champion.
#2 Dominick Reyes (12-1)
There is certainly a case to be made for Reyes to be number 1 on this list given his only loss was a highly disputed one last time out against Jon Jones for the title. Reyes had been surging prior to this razor-thin decision, racking up 12 consecutive wins, punctuated by a first-round KO of former UFC Middleweight champion Chris Weidman in October of last year.
Should Reyes win in September he immediately asserts himself as one of the most dominant light heavyweights in recent memory and he's already put himself in a great position as the number 1 ranked fighter in the division. While many were hoping his next fight would be a rematch with Jones so the controversy surrounding the first encounter could be cleared up, Reyes will still compete in his second consecutive title fight and will likely be the favorite heading into that bout. Only time will tell if Reyes is to become the man to beat in the light heavyweight division.
#1 Thi os (21-7)
While Thiago Santos has not competed since his split decision loss to Jon Jones in July of last year, his credentials as a top competitor in the division cannot be ignored. Formerly a middleweight who got his start in the UFC on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2, Santos was red hot with 3 KOs in his first 3 fights at light heavyweight and even knocked out current title challenger Jan Blachowicz prior to his tight decision loss to Jones.
While he does not currently have an opponent lined up, Santos is still the number 2 ranked light heavyweight in the world and figures to immediately be in and around the title picture when he does return to the octagon. Santos, nicknamed Maretta, has the looks and the power that could make him a star in the UFC and it does not seem too much of a stretch of the imagination to see him quickly becoming a dominant champion in the light heavyweight division.
