Who Are the Top 5 Best UFC Light-heavyweight Champions in UFC History?

Although his rivalry with Jon Jones is a defining storyline of his career, Daniel Cormier was a formidable champion in his own right. He claimed the vacant belt in 2015 by submitting Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and defended it against elite competition including Alexander Gustafsson and Johnson again. 

Cormier’s professionalism inside and outside of the cage, and his ability to balance success at both light heavyweight and heavyweight secures him a spot in the top five.

4. Tito Ortiz (2000-2002)

In the early 2000s, Tito Ortiz was the UFC’s first true superstar. He held the belt from 2000-2003 and defended it a then-record five consecutive times, defeating fighters like Evan Tanner and Ken Shamrock, though his reign ended when Randy Couture outworked him in 2003.

Stylistically, Ortiz was a ground-and-pound specialist, using his wrestling base to wear opponents down before punishing them from top position. 

His rivalry with Shamrock became one of the UFC’s first true mainstream storylines, driving pay-per-view buys when the company desperately needed them. His charisma, countless rivalries and fighting style brought much-needed attention to the UFC.

3. Chuck Liddell (2005-2007)

In the mid-2000s, Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell was more than just a UFC champion, he was the face of mixed martial arts.

Liddell’s reign began in 2005 when he knocked out Randy Couture to win the belt. What followed was a stretch of four successful defences, during which he became a crossover star, appearing on magazine covers and late-night talk shows.

His style was tailor-made for highlight reels due to his sprawl-and-brawl with knockout power in both hands. He flattened Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, and Renato “Babalu” Sobral during his title run, electrifying arenas and pushing UFC into the sports mainstream.

2. Alex Pereira (2023-2025)

Few fighters have risen faster in the UFC than Alex “Poatan” Pereira. A decorated two-division GLORY kickboxing champion, Pereira entered the UFC in 2021 and within two years had already claimed UFC gold.

At middleweight, he shocked the world by knocking out long-time rival Israel Adesanya to capture the belt. But it was his move to light heavyweight that elevated his legacy.

In 2023, he stopped Jiri Prochazka to win the vacant title, making him the fastest fighter in UFC history to win championships in two divisions. He defended the belt at UFC 300 by dismantling former champ Jamahal Hill, showcasing his signature stone-fisted knockout power. In 2024, he put on two world class striking displays by knocking out Prochazka again before leaving Khalil Rountree bloodied and cut open before finishing him in the fourth round.

March 2025 served up the Brazilian’s second loss in the UFC, but he has a chance to get revenge over Ankalaev and reclaim his title.

1. Jon Jones (2011-2015, 2016-2020)

When it comes to light-heavyweight champions, there is Jon Jones and then there’s everyone else.Jones claimed the belt in 2011 by dismantling Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at just 23 years old, making him the youngest champion in UFC history. From there, he built an era of dominance unlike anything the UFC had ever seen. 

He defended the belt a record eight times consecutively, dispatching former champions and top contenders alike: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Glover Teixeira, Daniel Cormier, all of which are either UFC Hall of Famers or recognised as legends by the fans. Altogether, he made 11 successful title defences at 205-pounds before jumping up to heavyweight.

What made Jones unique wasn’t just his physical gifts like his freakish reach, creativity, and wrestling pedigree, but his ability to beat opponents at their own game was demoralising for his opponents. Wrestlers couldn’t outwrestle him and strikers couldn’t outstrike him. What makes this even crazier is the fact that “Bones” reportedly would go out and party during training camps and he’d still show up in shape and dominate his opponents.