205LB · TOP 15
Men's rankings

Light Heavyweight

The top 15 active men at 205 lb, ranked by how decisively they win, weighted for who they beat, and counting only what they have proven.

See the top 15How to read it

The shape of the division

Each dot is a ranked fighter on this division's scale. Peaks show where the division bunches up; gaps show where one fighter has pulled clear.

62points between No. 1 and No. 2
295points between No. 1 and No. 15
No. 3Where the UFC champion ranks: Carlos Ulberg
1. Alex Pereira, 18962. Magomed Ankalaev, 18353. Carlos Ulberg, 17784. Jiri Prochazka, 17735. Dominick Reyes, 17476. Robert Whittaker, 17307. Paulo Costa, 17198. Reinier de Ridder, 16999. Navajo Stirling, 168710. Jan Blachowicz, 167311. Azamat Murzakanov, 165512. Volkan Oezdemir, 165013. Johnny Walker, 162014. Bogdan Guskov, 161915. Aleksandar Rakic, 1601

What the numbers mean

Every fighter starts at 1500 with a wide margin of error, so before a first fight their published rating sits near 1150. It climbs as results prove them. The marks below are this division's own landmarks.

The top 15

As of 2 November 2026, Alex Pereira is No. 1 at UFC light heavyweight on the Dominance Index, with a rating of 1896, ahead of Magomed Ankalaev and Carlos Ulberg.

Tap a fighter for their full profile. The dot is the published rating, the level they have proven; the fading trail is the range the numbers still allow. Arrows show moves since UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evloev. † Fewer than five UFC fights at this weight.

  1. 1 Alex Pereira6–1 at 205 lbL1Last fought at heavyweight: lost to Ciryl Gane, Jun 2026. This rating covers 205 lb only 7at weight 5 of 6dominant wins 1896
  2. 2 Magomed Ankalaev13–2–1 at 205 lbW1 16at weight 7 of 13dominant wins 1835
  3. 3 Carlos Ulberg10–1 at 205 lbChampW10 11at weight 7 of 10dominant wins 1778
  4. 4 Jiri Prochazka6–3 at 205 lbL1 9at weight 6 of 6dominant wins 1773
  5. 5▲3 Dominick Reyes11–5 at 205 lbW2 16at weight 9 of 11dominant wins 1747
  6. 6▼1 Robert Whittaker†1–0 at 205 lbW1 1at weight 1 of 1dominant wins 1730
  7. 7▼1 Paulo Costa†1–1 at 205 lbW2 2at weight 1 of 1dominant wins 1719
  8. 8▼1 Reinier de Ridder†1–0 at 205 lbW1 1at weight 1 of 1dominant wins 1699
  9. 10▲1 Jan Blachowicz12–9–2 at 205 lbL1 23at weight 10 of 12dominant wins 1673
  10. 11▼1 Azamat Murzakanov6–2 at 205 lbL2 8at weight 5 of 6dominant wins 1655
  11. 12 Volkan Oezdemir9–7 at 205 lbW1 16at weight 7 of 9dominant wins 1650
  12. 13 Johnny Walker8–7 at 205 lbW1Last fought at heavyweight: beat Mick Parkin, Oct 2026. This rating covers 205 lb only 15at weight 7 of 8dominant wins 1620
  13. 14 Bogdan Guskov4–2–1 at 205 lbL1 7at weight 4 of 4dominant wins 1619
  14. 15 Aleksandar Rakic6–5 at 205 lbW1Last fought at heavyweight: beat Marcin Tybura, Aug 2026. This rating covers 205 lb only 11at weight 4 of 6dominant wins 1601

Last updated: Monday 2 November 2026. Includes UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evloev, 24 Oct 2026. Boards update weekly.

Ranks 16 to 30
  1. 16Jamahal Hill1601
  2. 17Alonzo Menifield1595
  3. 18Khalil Rountree Jr.1581
  4. 19Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev1577
  5. 20Dustin Jacoby1564
  6. 21Nikita Krylov1564
  7. 22Roman Dolidze1512
  8. 23Muhammad Saidov1507
  9. 24Modestas Bukauskas1505
  10. 25Jimmy Crute1489
  11. 26Ion Cutelaba1477
  12. 27Iwo Baraniewski1470
  13. 28Zhang Mingyang1461
  14. 29Christian Edwards1422
  15. 30Billy Elekana1412

How light heavyweight fights end

427 decisive bouts at 205 lb since 2015, set against the UFC as a whole.

66%Finished inside the distanceUFC-wide 51%
57%Of finishes come in round oneUFC-wide 49%
23%Of decisions are splitUFC-wide 20%
48% KO/TKO17% submission34% decision

How to read the board

Four things worth knowing before you argue about the order. The full method has the rest.

The rating

Every fighter has a best estimate and a margin of error. The number we publish is the low end of that range: the level they have already proven.

More fights at the weight tighten the range. A long layoff loosens it.

How you win matters

A finish moves a rating more than a dominant decision, and a dominant decision more than a split. Method, control time and strike differential set the scale.

Every result is also weighed against the opponent's rating going in.

Who makes the list

Anyone who has fought in the UFC in the last 18 months and has at least one UFC win at the weight. A † means fewer than five fights there, so the rating can still move a long way.

Change weight and your rating comes with you, with a wider margin of error, until results at the new weight confirm it.

Why a win can lower a rating

Every fight carries an expectation. Edge past a much lower-rated opponent on the cards and the margin falls short of it, so the rating can dip. It happens in about one win in a hundred.

The reverse is true too: a close loss to a far better fighter can nudge a rating up.