5 best light heavyweight UFC fighters ever

Pereira might not have the longevity of the other greatest light heavyweights of all time, but what he did in a short while at 205 pounds was unheard of. After winning and eventually losing the Middleweight Championship, Pereira moved up to 205 pounds, a weight that seemed to better suit his massive frame and huge bone structure.

Once at light heavyweight, Poatan immediately beat former champion Jan Blachowicz. He was then awarded a title shot against Prochazka, which he capitalized on with a knockout win.

Pereira would go on to knock out each of his next three opponents in title fights, too. Those wins that ended with his opponents crumbled on the canvas came against Jamaal Hill, Prochazka again, and Rountree.

Pereira won four championship bouts inside of one year. Pereira most recently lost to Ankalaev, and it is unclear what his future holds, considering he is already 38 years old. A move up to heavyweight and a chance to become the first ever three-division champion has been rumored.

4. Tito Ortiz

Conor McGregor, one of the best featherweight/lightweights ever, catapulted MMA into a whole different stratosphere. It was Tito Ortiz and the next fighter on this list who first helped popularize the UFC, though. Ortiz made his promotional debut at UFC 13 while he was still in college and unable to compete for prize money as an amateur.

Ortiz went on to reign supreme as the Light Heavyweight Champion from 2000-03. He was known for his devastating ground-and-pound. Ortiz fought nearly everybody of note at light heavyweight during the division’s heyday.

He had separate win streaks of six and five wins, both of which came against the most notorious fighters in the sport. Ortiz’s record is only 19-12-1 because he lost or drew eight of his last nine fights after his prime ended, but his best days were up there with any UFC fighter ever.

He was arguably the first villain in UFC history, which is an archetype that has since become popular in MMA. Fans loved to root against Ortiz, but he often left them disappointed after he’d put their favorite fighters down face-first on the canvas.

3. Chuck Liddell

Ortiz’s longtime rival was Chuck Liddell, and the Iceman bested the Huntington Beach Bad Boy in both of their UFC matchups. Liddell vs. Ortiz was one of the first iconic rivalries in UFC history. Liddell fought with ruthless aggression, evidenced by his light heavyweight record nine knockout victories.

Liddell’s main goal was to turn his opponents’ lights off more so than it was actually securing a win. The aggressive style worked as Liddell won 17 of his first 20 fights in the UFC. Like Ortiz, he faded late, and five late-career losses resulted in a 21-8 record.

Liddell was a megastar whose fighting style was enjoyable to all. Liddell was arguably more important than anybody except for McGregor when it came to popularizing MMA. His five title-fight wins at 205 pounds are the second most in the history of the division.

2. Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier eventually moved up to heavyweight and become one of just four simultaneous two-division belt-holders, but most of his work came at 205 pounds. Cormier started his MMA career late, but his dominant wrestling and expertise in the clinch allowed him to compile an impressive resume.

Cormier won each of his first 15 MMA bouts, 12 of which came in the UFC. He was 22-3-0 (1 NC) in total with his only four non-victories coming against Stipe Miocic and Jones.

Cormier lost to Miocic in each of his last two fights, but he had previously beaten the heavyweight GOAT. He lost to Jones in both of their matchups, but the second defeat was eventually ruled a no-contest after Jones tested positively for a banned substance.

Cormier is now one of the UFC’s leading commentators, but he was a near-unstoppable force inside the octagon during his fighting days.

1. Jon Jones

Doping issues and trouble with the law have tainted Jones’ career slightly, but he has accomplished far more than anybody else in UFC history inside the octagon. For that reason, he is not only the best light heavyweight ever, but he is the best fighter in UFC history as a whole.

Jones’ fighting resume is basically flawless. Bones is 28-1, with the only loss on his record coming via disqualification because of 12-6 elbows in a fight that he was dominating. He has fought in nothing but title fights since 2011. That is 17 title fights in total, all of which saw his hand raised at the end.

Jones can do it all in the octagon. He is an elite striker who is a threat to knock opponents out with punches, kicks, or elbows. Jones can take opponents to the ground and win via ground-and-pound or submission. He even seems to get out of any situation where he is in danger.

All in all, Jones has light heavyweight records for wins (20), bottom position percentage (0.2%), winning streak (13), total strikes landed (1,835), and takedown defense (95%).