At UFC 327 on Saturday night, several fighters from our UFC light heavyweight rankings were in action, including the night's headliner. When the dust settled, Carlos Ulberg, Dominic Reyes and Paulo Costa scored important victories.
Let's see how the events of UFC 327 changed the division's pecking order with our new UFC light heavyweight rankings.
10. Dominic Reyes (16-5)
At the end of 2022, Dominic Reyes looked like he was headed for release after four consecutive losses, three by knockout. However, he got another opportunity from the UFC and he took advantage of it. Winning three consecutive times and climbing back into the UFC light heavyweight rankings.
The hot streak earned him a berth in the main event of UFC Perth against fast-rising contender Carlos Ulberg. However, the New Zealander was far ahead of the American and finished him off in less than a round. But unlike a few years ago, Reyes bounced back with a victory at UFC 327 in April. While his bout with Johnny Walker was criticized by fans for its lack of action, a win is still a win.
9. Jamahl Hill (12-4)
After a serious injury caused him to vacate the title, Jamahl Hill was given a chance to regain his belt at UFC 300 vs. Alex Pereira. However, he became a victim of the turmoil the Brazilian created after joining the promotion.
To start 2025, he had the opportunity to move up to the No. 1 contender spot in a big fight against fellow former champion Jiri Prochazka. However, the American was unable to respond to Prochazka's power and unorthodox style. He struggled again in the UFC Baku main event against Khalil Rountree and suffered his third consecutive loss.
8. Paulo Costa (16-4)
After losing four of five, middleweight star Paulo Costa decided he needed a change and decided to move up to 205 pounds. so far so good. After scoring a decision win over Roman Kopylov in his weight class debut in July 2025, “The Eraser” made a big statement at UFC 327 in April when he scored a TKO victory over Azamat Murzakanov.
The win earned Costa a spot in our latest UFC light heavyweight rankings.
7. Khalil Rountree (14-7)
After a slump in which he lost three of four, Khalil Rountree Jr. went back to the drawing board and reinvented himself. The hard work led to an extremely hot streak where he achieved five consecutive wins including four finishes. This earned him a UFC title shot, but he was not able to unseat division great Alex Pereira.
He bounced back from that setback with a decision win over former champion Jamahl Hill at UFC Baku. This put him in a position where a big win against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 320 could earn him a title shot. However, despite winning the first two rounds, he could not deal with the Czech's late surge and suffered the fourth KO defeat of his career.
6. Azamat Murzakanov (16-1)
Russian Azamat Murzakanov has quietly climbed up the division rankings and is within striking distance of a title opportunity after racking up five consecutive wins to start his UFC career, including a scrappy knockout win over Alexander Rakic in the fall of 2025.
At UFC 327, he entered his scrap with Paulo Costa as the favorite and could lock up a title shot with a win. Unfortunately, the Brazilian earned a name for himself in his new weight class by stopping "The Professional" in Round 3. The setback ended any chances of Murzakanov fighting for gold in 2026.
5. Jan Blachowicz (29-11-2)
Even at his advancing age, Jan Blachowicz remains a high-level talent in the light heavyweight division. Unfortunately, he has faced a lot of tough luck over the years. He played a draw against former winner Magomed Ankalev. Then lost a controversial decision to current titlist Alex Pereira.
In March, he was on the wrong side of another close decision to fast-rising star Carlos Ulberg. He returned in December looking to end a two-fight losing streak and probably should have put up a tough fight against youngster Bogdan Guskov. Instead, the judges ruled it a draw. The Polish giants' tough luck continues, but they retain their top six spot.
4. Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1)
Although Jiri Prochazka may not be the current champion, he is still viewed by many as one of the best fighters in the division. He has been in countless fights and Fight of the Year contenders, and he added to his legend with another classic fight and victory over Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 320.
The win earned him another shot at the gold medal at UFC 327 in April. However, despite facing a man who blew out his knee in Round 1, the former champion was unable to take advantage of the opportunity and suffered a shocking KO defeat in the opening frame. The defeat has knocked the Czechs out of the title picture for the rest of 2026.
3. Magomed Ankalev (21-2-1) – Top Contender
Magomed Anaklaev has performed excellently during his promotion. He suffered only one surprising defeat in 16 appearances and had victories over many of the division's best players, including Volkan Oezdemir, Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic.
At UFC 313, he proved that he is the best in the world by registering a hard-fought victory against former division king Alex Pereira. However, his reign lasted less than a year as "Potan" passed him by within minutes. It doesn't seem like the company will be participating in a trilogy fight next time.
2. Alex Pereira (13-3)
Alex Pereira's UFC story is legendary. After nine fights, he became a two-division champion and scored devastating victories over some of the best fighters of the era at middleweight and light heavyweight. The 38-year-old has been a revelation for the company and has connected with the MMA fanbase with a fighting approach similar to cage fighting icon Fedor Emelianenko.
After being on the wrong side of a disappointing decision loss in March, the Brazilian returned with a vengeance at UFC 320. He came out of the gate in his rematch with Magomed Ankalev and blew him away in a matter of minutes to regain his place at the top of the division.
However, he vacated the title in early 2026 to pursue a gold medal at heavyweight. If that becomes his new long-term home, he will ultimately be removed from our UFC light heavyweight rankings.
1. Carlos Ulberg (14-1) – Champion
Carlos Ulberg faltered in his 2021 UFC debut but has been a dominant force since then. Following his loss to Kennedy Nchukwu, he reeled off nine consecutive wins, including six finishes. The impressive hot streak earned the New Zealander a title opportunity at UFC 327 in April.
Initially, it looked like he would fall short of his ultimate goal when he tore out his knee in Round 1 of his fight with Jiri Prochazka. However, “Black Jag” displayed impressive courage and his elite power when he was able to defeat the former champion to win his first UFC title. Now the big question is how long will the new champion be sidelined.
