The Light Heavyweight Division | 2026 Preview

Outlook for 2026: After the “Year of Poatan,” Ankalaev looked like he was set to start his own campaign in 2025 after he dethroned Pereira at UFC 313 in March. The effort was a steady but dominant one, which cooled excitement and expectations going into their rematch at UFC 320. Pereira claimed he wasn’t healthy in their first matchup, but at the time, it was taken more as an excuse than a reason. He proved it was a legitimate claim when he steamrolled Ankalaev inside the first 90 seconds of the fight to reclaim the title, waiting until the dust had settled to make it known he wanted to fight Jones. 

Whether “Bones” comes back is unsettled, but that fight would takeplace at heavyweight, leaving business unattended at 205 pounds. At present, the presumptive No. 1 contender is Carlos Ulberg. The Kiwi out of City Kickboxing has steadily climbed the ladder since winning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in November 2020. After dropping his debut, he embarked on a 9-fight winning streak, which included six finishes and five coming in the first round. The 35-year-old “Black Jag” most-recently smoked Dominick Reyes in the first round of their main event bout to cement himself among the division’s elite. 

However, it’s difficult arguing against what Jiří Procházka did in 2025. The former light heavyweight champ started the year with a banger, outshooting Jamahal Hill and knocking the fellow former champion in the third round of their UFC 311 bout. He passed on a chance to fight for the belt in lieu of pursuing his master’s degree (an incredibly Prochazka thing to do) and returned at UFC 320 where he overwhelmed Khalil Rountree Jr. in one of the most thrilling contests of the year. The issue for Prochazka is his two losses to Pereira, and the fact that those losses were rather one-sided affairs. The Czech man is insistent he can get it done against the Brazilian, but whether he gets a third crack at his nemesis is unclear. If Pereira waits and moves up to heavyweight, however, a vacant title fight between Prochazka and Ulberg makes a lot of sense. 

Lurking right around there is Ankalaev. The 33-year-old had the unfortunate casting as the heel against the fan-favorite Pereira, but his quality is unmistakeable. A 13-fight unbeaten streak led him to his first fight with Pereira, and he has proven time and time again he is one of the best 205ers in the world. He may have to wait for a fight that makes sense or fight someone further down the rankings (something he has done on several occasions already) to solidify his spot in the title picture. 

Also on the periphery is Rountree Jr. as well as Azamat Murzakanov albiet on two different trajectories. Rountree Jr. impressed many when he took a few rounds off Pereira in their September 2024 title fight, and he bounced back well with a steady decision win over Hill in Baku. However, he wasn’t able to close the deal against Prochazka despite being up on the scorecards and finds himself in limbo. A fight against “The Professional” could make sense, though. The undefeated 36-year-old is a perfect 6-0 since earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2021 with five coming via knockout. His most-recent effort was a first-round KO of Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 321, setting himself up for a marquee matchup in the first half of 2026.

Other Names to Track: Zhang Mingyang, Bogdan Guskov