The Lightweight division is one of the most competitive in the UFC right now and attracts fans from all over the world. Conor McGregor will also return to the octagon in late 2023 to face Michael Chandler, making it a thrilling year in the division.
However, the division has already seen some epic clashes in 2023, including Islam Makhachev‘s successful title defense against Alexander Volkanovski. But who are the top fighters in the UFC’s lightweight division right now?
Islam Makhachev
It would be pretty difficult to argue against the fact of Islam Makhahev being the dominant fighter in the lightweight division at present. He is already the best current Russian UFC star, and he is ranked as the second-best fighter in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 31-year-old has held the lightweight title since October 2022, as he defeated Charles Oliveira by submission in the second round of their clash at UFC 260.
Since then, he successfully defended the title with a dominant unanimous decision success over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. The Russian still boasts a near-perfect professional record, as he has won 24 of his 25 bouts. His only career loss was suffered on his second UFC appearance as he was stopped in the opening round by Adriano Martins at UFC 192. However, his response following that loss has been excellent.
Charles Oliveira
Despite his loss to Makhachev, Charles Oliveira is currently ranked second in the lightweight division. Throughout his career, the Brazilian has been a consistent force in the lightweight division, and he holds a number of prestigious UFC records. Among them are the most submission victories and finishes in the organization’s history. His loss to the Russian last year dropped him to eighth in the pound-for-pound rankings, but it would be difficult to bet against the Brazilian returning to the top of the mountain.
The 33-year-old has an incredible professional record, having won 33 of his 43 matches, with 21 of his professional victories coming by submission. Oliveira captured the lightweight title with a TKO finish against Michael Chandler at UFC 262, before successfully retaining the title with submission wins over Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, before dropping the title to Makhachev in October of last year.
Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier has ranked high in the lightweight rankings throughout his career, and he looks set to be one of the many contenders that believe that they should be next in line for a title opportunity in 2023. The 34-year-old previously held the interim title, and he is currently ranked as the 12th best fighter in the pound-for-pound rankings. The Diamond will be looking to maintain his strong recent form, as he lifted himself back up to second in the overall ranking after claiming a submission victory over Chandler at UFC 281 in November 2022.
That was a fine response after losing against Oliveira for the lightweight title. His defeat against Oliveira was the second time that he had lost a fight for the world title, with his other loss being suffered against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242. However, since that defeat, he scored two stunning victories over McGregor, with the first win scoring the performance of the night bonus. It could be argued that he is the best of the rest in the lightweight division, but whether he has the ability to win a world title remains up for debate.
Huge Fight Set For Later This Year
There will be a massive fight later in 2023, which will have huge ramifications for the lightweight division. McGregor will make his return to the octagon for the first time since breaking his leg against Poirier in July 2021. On his comeback, he will come up against former Bellator champion Michael Chandler.
Chandler is currently ranked fifth in the lightweight rankings, but he has lost three of his previous four fights in the UFC. His only win over that period was secured against Tony Ferguson in May 2022. There will be pressure on both fighters to get back in the win column when they collide, and defeat for either could leave their future in the octagon very much up in the air.
Conclusion- Makhachev Likely To Return
As the man holding the gold, Makhachev will be returning to the octagon later this year when his next challenger is determined. However, fans of the lightweight division may be forced to wait a while before we find out who that challenger is. It has been reported that Makhachev will defend his world title against the winner of the bout between Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.