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The UFC lightweight division is one of the promotion's most stacked lineups. It always has been. Some of the sport’s greatest legends competed in the 155-pound weight class. Its most recent champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, is regarded by many as the greatest of all time.
Alongside the Russian, names like Conor McGregor, Eddie Alvarez, Rafael Dos Anjos, BJ Penn and Benson Henderson are some of the legendary fighters the division has given us. The current crop of lightweights is keeping this division's reputation intact.
Following the retirement of Khabib, the 155-pound title became vacant and a new lightweight king will be decided at UFC 262. Brazil's Charles Oliveira will finally get his shot at UFC gold and his opponent, Michael Chandler, will fight for a belt in just his second walk to the octagon. You can guess which fight is at the top of this list...
Despite some exciting lightweight matchups set for this weekend, there aren't currently many top fights scheduled in the division after UFC 262 except for the trilogy bout that has everyone talking.
Nevertheless, here are five upcoming fights in the UFC lightweight division to look forward to.
#5 Guram Kutateladze vs. Don Madge
Everyone loves a sleeper fight. The matchup between Guram Kutateladze and Don Madge is one that won't be stealing any headlines in the buildup to the UFC's July 17 card, but might just do so after it.
Kutateladze (12-2) is the latest member of the UFC's Georgian invasion. We saw the country's rising MMA scene in action when Giga Chikadze and Merab Dvalishvili picked up main card wins at UFC Vegas 25. Ilia Topuria also remains unbeaten in MMA and has earned a fight against Ryan Hall at UFC 264. Kutateladze is Georgia's hottest lightweight prospect.
In his UFC debut last October, 'Georgian Viking' became the only man to defeat Mateusz Gamrot in the Pole's 19 MMA fights. The decision was controversial and Kutateladze will be looking to make a firmer impression when he faces South Africa's Don Madge in July.
With the likes of Madge and middleweight Dricus Du Plessis recording wins in the UFC, South Africa's MMA scene is also becoming stronger every year. After seven professional fights, the 30-year-old had a 3-3-1 record. Since then, 'Magic Man' has won six straight with four knockouts and a submission victory.
Wins over Te Edwards and Fares Ziam established his name in the UFC and he'll be looking to maintain his perfect record in the promotion against another relative newcomer in Kutateladze.
Having not fought since 2019, Madge will be looking to finally realize the potential he showed in his first UFC outings.
#4 Drew Dober vs. Brad Riddell
The next few pay-per-views all feature some intriguing lightweight matchups. The dose of 155-pound action at UFC 263 comes courtesy of 15th-ranked Drew Dober and New Zealand's Brad Riddell.
Over the past few years, Dober has only lost to the best. Since 2016, the 32-year-old has picked up six wins, including victories over Alexander Hernandez, Nasrat Haqparast and Frank Camacho. His only defeats in that time have been at the hands of the rapidly rising Beneil Dariush and the 19-1 monster Islam Makhachev in March.
Following his previous three defeats, the Omaha native has rebounded with a winning streak. He'll hope to repeat that feat, starting with Brad Riddell at UFC 263.
Brad Riddell is a serious lightweight prospect. 9-1 as a professional, 'Quake' has only suffered one defeat in MMA and it came in his third fight back in 2018. Since then, the New Zealander has accumulated a six-fight winning streak that includes UFC wins over Jamie Mullarkey, Magomed Mustafaev and Alex de Silva Coelho.
Yet to find a stoppage during his unbeaten start in the UFC, the 29-year-old will look to make a statement against Dober and secure his own place in the 155-pound rankings.
#3 Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush
What a matchup this is. There aren't enough adjectives in the English language to describe how good of a fight this is on paper.
Tony Ferguson is a legendary name in MMA. 'El Cucuy' has long been a fan favorite and since winning The Ultimate Fighter 13 tournament in 2011, he's collected wins over the likes of Edson Barbosa, Rafael Dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, Kevin Lee and Donald Cerrone.
Heading into 2020, Ferguson was on a 12-fight winning streak that included nine finishes. He was the clear top contender at 155-pounds and was set to finally challenge Khabib for the belt. The year didn't go how he would have envisioned. After the champion couldn't fight, Ferguson faced Justin Gaethje for the interim belt and was dominated.
Having been thoroughly beaten on the feet by Gaethje in May, he was to be on the receiving end of another beating in December, this time on the ground against Charles Oliveira. Looking to avoid a three-fight losing skid, Ferguson faces the surging Beneil Dariush at UFC 262 this weekend.
Beneil Dariush is on the sort of run that made Tony Ferguson a contender. Since a defeat to Alexander Hernandez in 2018, Dariush has built a six-fight winning streak comprising of knockouts and submissions.
Two memorable KO wins over Drakkar Klose and Scott Holtzman brought his name into the lightweight conversation. An impressive performance against Carlos Diego Ferreira in February made him a contender.
With two unique fighters and innovative strikers entering the octagon together, this one is a must-watch fight.
#2 Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3
Against Conor McGregor at UFC 257, Dustin Poirier provided one of the most memorable moments of 2021 during the year's very first pay-per-view. The fight, which took place at UFC 257 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, saw Poirier write his name in the history books as the first man to knockout Conor McGregor.
With McGregor's victory over the Louisianan at UFC 178 in 2014, the pair are now 1-1 in their rivalry and will complete a memorable trilogy at UFC 264 in July.
UFC 257 was one of the most successful pay-per-views in the promotion's history, having attracted 1.6 million buys. With UFC 264 already sold out, the UFC will be hoping for similar success in July.
Despite their positive relationship throughout the UFC 257 fight week, the pair have exchanged words over social media since and a debate over the Irishman's promised donation to Poirier's charity led to animosity between the two elite lightweights.
Although they seem to have patched things up, their third fight is sure to have some more words in the lead-up and who knows, maybe we'll see some of McGregor's famed trash talk in the build-up to UFC 264.
#1 Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler - UFC lightweight championship
The UFC lightweight division will have a new champion for the first time since 2018. After months of uncertainty, the great Khabib Nurmagomedov officially vacated the belt and retired. It’s time for a new chapter at 155 lbs.
The candidates with a chance to start this new chapter on top of the lightweight hill are Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler.
Putting aside the glaring omission of Dustin Poirier in the first title fight since Khabib's departure, this fight is as intriguing a matchup as we’ll see this year. Oliveira [30-8] is riding an eight-fight winning streak. Victories over Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson established “Do Bronx” as a contender.
Chandler, 34, is 1-0 in the UFC after a debut win over Dan Hooker in January. “Iron Mike” looked about as good as a UFC debutant could. It was one of the most impactful debuts in history.
Oliveira and Chandler collide on Saturday at UFC 262. It stands to reason the winner’s first defense will be against the winner of Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3.
