How these rankings work
We fit one strength rating per fighter from every UFC fight, and older fights count for less (a fight loses half its weight every three years). We rank on the cautious end of that rating, strength minus one unit of uncertainty, so a short record has to show more before it climbs. To appear in the top 15 a fighter needs a win over a ranked opponent, and to sit in the top five a win over a then-top-10 opponent. Read the full method.
Our data: #3 · 11-5 in the UFC, 5-1 since 2023; 16 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Ilia Topuria (champion at Lightweight, 2026) and Paddy Pimblett (then-#5 at Lightweight, 2026); 3-fight win streak
How to read it. The bar under each name is the plausible strength range; the white tick is our best estimate, and we rank on the left end. A wide bar means thin evidence. provisional entries are ranked where the numbers put them, and the label says the evidence is thin. The arrows show how many places we rank him above (▲) or below (▼) each list; gold means a gap of 3 places or more against the UFC's official rank.
- 1Official #3 ▲2
Why #1: 25-11 in the UFC, 4-2 since 2023; 24 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Max Holloway (then-#4 at Lightweight, 2026) and Michael Chandler (then-#7 at Lightweight, 2024)
Best wins: Max Holloway (then-#4 at Lightweight, 2026); Michael Chandler (then-#7 at Lightweight, 2024); Mateusz Gamrot (then-#8 at Lightweight, 2025)
Score 1.198Range 1.198 to 2.558 - 2Official #7 ▲5
Why #2: 6-0 in the UFC, 6-0 since 2023; 6 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Mateusz Gamrot (then-#8 at Lightweight, 2026) and Beneil Dariush (then-#12 at Lightweight, 2026); 6-fight win streak
Provisional (thin evidence: the record is short or old, so the rating is uncertain).
Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 5 places higher than the UFC does (#7). Our data credits his best win, Mateusz Gamrot (then-#8 at Lightweight, 2026); he has 6 UFC fights at this weight.
Best wins: Mateusz Gamrot (then-#8 at Lightweight, 2026); Beneil Dariush (then-#12 at Lightweight, 2026)
Score 1.300Range 1.300 to 3.204 - 3Official #1 ▼2
Why #3: 9-1 in the UFC, 4-1 since 2023; 3 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Charles Oliveira (then-#2 at Lightweight, 2025) and Max Holloway (then-#5 at Lightweight, 2024); lost last fight to Justin Gaethje
Best wins: Charles Oliveira (then-#2 at Lightweight, 2025); Max Holloway (then-#5 at Lightweight, 2024)
Score 1.103Range 1.103 to 2.768 - 4Official #2 ▼2
Why #4: 11-2 in the UFC, 5-0 since 2023; 13 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Charles Oliveira (then-#1 at Lightweight, 2024) and Beneil Dariush (then-#4 at Lightweight, 2023); 6-fight win streak
Best wins: Charles Oliveira (then-#1 at Lightweight, 2024); Beneil Dariush (then-#4 at Lightweight, 2023); Dan Hooker (then-#6 at Lightweight, 2025)
Score 1.094Range 1.094 to 2.760 - 5Official #4 ▼1
Why #5: 24-9 in the UFC, 5-2 since 2023; 4 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Justin Gaethje (then-#2 at Lightweight, 2024) and Dustin Poirier (then-#6 at Lightweight, 2025)
Best wins: Justin Gaethje (then-#2 at Lightweight, 2024); Dustin Poirier (then-#6 at Lightweight, 2025)
Score 0.830Range 0.830 to 2.290 - 6Official #5 ▼1
Why #6: 8-1 in the UFC, 4-1 since 2023; 9 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Benoit Saint Denis (then-#5 at Lightweight, 2026) and Michael Chandler (then-#7 at Lightweight, 2025)
Best wins: Benoit Saint Denis (then-#5 at Lightweight, 2026); Michael Chandler (then-#7 at Lightweight, 2025); King Green (then-#15 at Lightweight, 2024)
Score 0.585Range 0.585 to 2.234 - 7Official #10 ▲3
Why #7: 9-5 in the UFC, 5-3 since 2023; 14 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Rafael Dos Anjos (then-#11 at Lightweight, 2024); lost last fight to Quillan Salkilld
Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 3 places higher than the UFC does (#10). Our data credits his best win, Rafael Dos Anjos (then-#11 at Lightweight, 2024); he has 14 UFC fights at this weight.
Best wins: Rafael Dos Anjos (then-#11 at Lightweight, 2024)
Score 0.535Range 0.535 to 1.933 - 8Official #12 ▲4
Why #8: 13-7 in the UFC, 4-2 since 2023; 11 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Jalin Turner (then-#10 at Lightweight, 2024) and Benoit Saint Denis (then-#12 at Lightweight, 2024)
Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 4 places higher than the UFC does (#12). Our data credits his best win, Jalin Turner (then-#10 at Lightweight, 2024); he has 11 UFC fights at this weight.
Best wins: Jalin Turner (then-#10 at Lightweight, 2024); Benoit Saint Denis (then-#12 at Lightweight, 2024); Drew Dober (then-#15 at Lightweight, 2024)
Score 0.489Range 0.489 to 1.895 - 9Official #8 ▼1
Why #9: 5-2 in the UFC, 5-2 since 2023; 6 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Rafael Fiziev (then-#9 at Lightweight, 2026) and Michael Chandler (then-#13 at Lightweight, 2026); lost last fight to Arman Tsarukyan
Best wins: Rafael Fiziev (then-#9 at Lightweight, 2026); Michael Chandler (then-#13 at Lightweight, 2026); King Green (then-FightIQ #12 at Lightweight, 2025)
Score 0.158Range 0.158 to 1.742 - 10Official #11 ▲1
Why #10: 8-5 in the UFC, 2-4 since 2023; 13 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Manuel Torres (then-#15 at Lightweight, 2026) and Ignacio Bahamondes (then-FightIQ #9 at Lightweight, 2025)
Best wins: Manuel Torres (then-#15 at Lightweight, 2026); Ignacio Bahamondes (then-FightIQ #9 at Lightweight, 2025)
Score 0.303Range 0.303 to 1.740 - 11Official: unranked
Why #11: 22-9 in the UFC, 1-3 since 2023; 20 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Benoit Saint Denis (then-#12 at Lightweight, 2024); lost last fight to Max Holloway; inactive: no decided bout in 14 months
Best wins: Benoit Saint Denis (then-#12 at Lightweight, 2024)
Score 0.200Range 0.200 to 1.639 - 12Official: unranked
Why #12: 6-3 in the UFC, 6-3 since 2023; 9 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins King Green (then-FightIQ #11 at Lightweight, 2026)
Best wins: King Green (then-FightIQ #11 at Lightweight, 2026)
Score 0.170Range 0.170 to 1.771 - 13Official #14 ▲1
Why #13: 5-1 in the UFC, 5-1 since 2023; 6 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Fares Ziam (then-#14 at Lightweight, 2026); 5-fight win streak
Provisional (thin evidence: the record is short or old, so the rating is uncertain).
Best wins: Fares Ziam (then-#14 at Lightweight, 2026)
Score 0.166Range 0.166 to 2.077 - 14Official #6 ▼8
Why #14: 9-4 in the UFC, 7-3 since 2023; 12 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins Dan Hooker (then-#6 at Lightweight, 2026) and Beneil Dariush (then-#9 at Lightweight, 2025); lost last fight to Paddy Pimblett
Where we differ from the UFC: We rank him 8 places lower than the UFC does (#6). His best win on our record is Dan Hooker (then-#6 at Lightweight, 2026).
Best wins: Dan Hooker (then-#6 at Lightweight, 2026); Beneil Dariush (then-#9 at Lightweight, 2025); Matt Frevola (then-#14 at Lightweight, 2023)
Score 0.165Range 0.165 to 1.537 - 15Official: unranked
Why #15: 9-6 in the UFC, 3-4 since 2023; 13 UFC fights at Lightweight; best wins King Green (then-#13 at Lightweight, 2023)
Best wins: King Green (then-#13 at Lightweight, 2023)
Score 0.131Range 0.131 to 1.682
Official ranks: UFC official rankings. Meta ranks: Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com.
In their top 15, not in ours
- Salahdine Parnasse · UFC official rankings #9
fewer than 3 decided UFC bouts - Dan Hooker · UFC official rankings #13
outside our top 15 (our position 19) - Tofiq Musayev · Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com #13
no win in the last 3 years over an opponent then ranked at Lightweight - Grant Dawson · Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com #14
no win in the last 3 years over an opponent then ranked at Lightweight - Beneil Dariush · UFC official rankings #15
outside our top 15 (our position 18)
- Our rankings as of
- Results through
- UFC official rankings as of
- Meta UFC Rankings, ufc.com as of
- Who can be ranked
- at least 3 decided UFC bouts, a UFC bout in the last 18 months, and not listed as Retired or Not Fighting on the fighter's UFC.com athlete page