The Light Heavyweight Division is a weight class in combat sports. The UFC Light Heavyweight Division limits between 186.1 lbs to 205 lbs (84 to 93 kg).
Current Light Heavyweight Champion
The current UFC Light Heavyweight champion is Magomed Ankalaev. He won the title against former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira via a unanimous decision at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025.
Latest Results from UFC Light Heavyweight
| Date | Fight | Method | Round | Time | Result |
| April 26, 2025 | Zhang Mingyang vs. Anthony Smith | TKO (elbows) | 1 | 4:03 | Zhang Mingyang def. Anthony Smith |
UFC Light Heavyweight Rankings 2025
| Rank | Fighter | Record | M | Win Streak | Result | Last fight | Next Fight |
| C | Magomed Ankalaev | 20–1–1 (1 NC) | 3(0 def) | Win | UFC 313 Alex Pereira | TBD | |
| 1 | Alex Pereira | 12–3 | 0 | Loss | UFC 313 Magomed Ankalaev | TBD | |
| 2 | Jiří Procházka | 31–5–1 | 1 | Win | UFC 311 Jamahal Hill | TBD | |
| 3 | Carlos Ulberg | 12–1 | 8 | Win | UFC Fight Night 255 Jan Błachowicz | TBD | |
| 4 | Jamahal Hill | 12–3(1 NC) | 0 | Loss | UFC 311 Jiří Procházka | UFC on ABC 8 Khalil Rountree Jr. | |
| 5 | Jan Błachowicz | 29–11–1 | 0 | Loss | UFC Fight Night 255 Carlos Ulberg | TBD | |
| 6 | Aleksandar Rakić | 14–5 | 0 | Loss | UFC 308 Magomed Ankalaev | TBD | |
| 7 | Khalil Rountree Jr. | 13–6(1 NC) | 0 | Loss | UFC 307 Alex Pereira | UFC on ABC 8 Jamahal Hill | |
| 8 | Dominick Reyes | 15–4 | 3 | 3 | Win | UFC 314 Nikita Krylov | TBD |
| 9 | Volkan Oezdemir | 20–8 | 0 | Loss | UFC Fight Night 248 Carlos Ulberg | TBD | |
| 10 | Nikita Krylov | 30–10 | −2 | 0 | Loss | UFC 314 Dominick Reyes | TBD |
| 11 | Johnny Walker | 21–9(1 NC) | −1 | 0 | Loss | UFC on ABC 6 Volkan Oezdemir | UFC 316 Azamat Murzakanov |
| 12 | Azamat Murzakanov | 14–0 | 14 | Win | UFC on ABC 7 Alonzo Menifield | UFC 316 Johnny Walker | |
| 13 | Bogdan Guskov | 17–3 | 3 | Win | UFC 311 Billy Elekana | TBD | |
| 14 | Alonzo Menifield | 16–5–1 | 1 | Win | UFC Fight Night 252 Julius Walker | UFC Fight Night 257 Oumar Sy | |
| 15 | Anthony Smith | 38–22 | 0 | Loss | UFC on ESPN 66 Zhang Mingyang | TBD |
History of Light Heavyweight Class
The Light Heavyweight Title was known as the Middleweight Title before UFC 31 (May 4, 2001). In 2007, the Pride World Middleweight Championship was unified with the UFC Light Heavyweight Title when Quinton Jackson defeated Dan Henderson at UFC 75.
The UFC Light Heavyweight Title has been held by the likes of Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Forest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, and Mauricio Rua.
At UFC 128, Jon Jones won the Light Heavyweight Title for the first time in his career after defeating Mauricio Rua. Jones held the title for 1501 days and defended it eight times before being stripped of it due to a hit-and-run issue. Daniel Cormier won the vacant belt by beating Anthony Johnson at UFC 187.
Cormier, who became the second fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously and is the first to defend them in two divisions, vacated his Light Heavyweight Championship 174 days after winning the Heavyweight title. Jon Jones won the vacant belt for the second time in his career after defeating Alexander Gustafsson. He defended it against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes before vacating it to move up to the Heavyweight division.
In his first title defense as UFC champion, Glover Teixeira lost to Jiri Prochazka via rear-naked choke at UFC 275, making Jiri Prochazka the incumbent light heavyweight champion.
Jamahal Hill was crowned as the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion after defeating Glover Teixeira at UFC 283. Hill is the first fighter in the UFC to become champion after appearing on the Dana White Contender Series.
On July 14th, Jamahal Hill shared a video on his YouTube channel stating that he would be vacating his Light Heavyweight title because of a severe Achilles tendon injury.
Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira squared off for the vacant light heavyweight title at the main event of UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023. Pereira became a 2-division champion after defeating Prochazka via a TKO in the closing minutes of the 2nd round.
At UFC 313, Magomed Ankalaev was crowned the new champion of the light heavyweight division by beating Alex Pereira via a unanimous decision on March 8, 2025.
UFC Weight Divisions
Men
Women
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FAQ's On UFC light heavyweight
A. Magomed Ankalaev is the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion.
A. Alex Pereira is the No.1 contender in the UFC light heavyweight division.
A. The UFC light heavyweight division weighs 186.1 lbs to 205 lbs (84 to 93 kg).
A. Yes, Alex Pereira now competes in the light heavyweight division.
