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The Ever-Changing Light Heavyweight Throne | Who Will Claim It at UFC 327?
The UFC Light Heavyweight Title Changed Hands Seven Times In Five Years, And This Saturday At UFC 327, A New Champion Will Rise Once Again
Once a bastion of stability, the 205-pound division has been anything but since Daniel Cormier moved up to heavyweight and Jon Jones vacated his title in 2020. The title has changed hands seven times since and will soon be vacated for a fourth time.
At UFC 253, Poland’s Jan Blachowicz put his devastating “Polish Power” on display against Dominick Reyes to claim the title one month after Jones’ departure. Following a measured opening round, Blachowicz broke Reyes down with body work before landing a left hook that appeared to break his opponent’s nose. With Reyes backing up, Blachowicz surged forward and finished him in the second round to become Poland’s second UFC champion.
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Six months later, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya moved up in an attempt to become a simultaneous two-division champion. Despite his success at 185, Adesanya couldn’t match Blachowicz’s strength and versatility. Blachowicz cruised to a unanimous decision, outlanding “The Last Stylebender” 184-99 while adding three takedowns and more than seven minutes of control time.
Blachowicz entered UFC 267 as a heavy favorite against Glover Teixeira, but the veteran delivered a career-defining performance. Teixeira established his wrestling early, controlling the first round before advancing to dominant positions in the second. After forcing Blachowicz to give up his back, Teixeira secured a rear-naked choke to claim the title at 42 years old, becoming the oldest first-time champion in UFC history.
At UFC 275, Teixeira met Jiří Procházka in a Fight of the Year contender. Across four rounds, the bout delivered nonstop action including wild exchanges on the feet and grappling control from Teixeira. Late in the fifth, Teixeira looked to be on his way to a decision while in mount, but Procházka reversed position, took the back and locked in a rear-naked choke with 30 seconds remaining to capture the title in only his third UFC fight.
A rematch with Teixeira was scheduled, but Procházka suffered a serious shoulder injury and chose to vacate the belt. The vacant title was contested at UFC 282, where Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fought to a split draw, leaving the division without a champion.
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The UFC quickly moved to crown a new titleholder, booking Teixeira against Jamahal Hill in Brazil. Hill, riding a wave of knockout wins, showcased his striking across five rounds, outlanding Teixeira 248-108 en route to a unanimous decision victory.
However, Hill’s reign was short-lived. After rupturing his Achilles tendon, he vacated the title—the third such occurrence in four years—continuing the division’s trend of instability.
At UFC 295, Procházka returned to face former middleweight champion Alex Pereira for the vacant belt. Pereira, already victorious in his light heavyweight debut, met Procházka, who was competing for the first time since his title-winning performance against Teixeira in 2022. Pereira made history, defeating Procházka to join the short list of fighters to win UFC titles in two weight divisions.
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For the first time in years, the division found some stability. Pereira held the title for 483 days, defending it three times against Hill, Procházka and Khalil Rountree Jr.
His run came to an end at the hands of Magomed Ankalaev, who defeated the Brazilian at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025, to become the sixth champion in five years. But his reign, like many before him, was short-lived, as he dropped the belt in an immediate rematch with Pereira in October.
Just months after reclaiming the title, UFC CEO Dana White announced Pereira would be relinquishing the belt to pursue interim heavyweight gold against Ciryl Gane in the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250.
Now, Procházka returns alongside City Kickboxing standout Carlos Ulberg, with the two set to compete for the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event at UFC 327. It marks the fourth time in six years that a vacant 205-pound title has been up for grabs.
Find out who will add their name to this ever-changing division this Saturday, live on Paramount+.
UFC 327: Procházka vs Ulberg took place live from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on April 11, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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