Where We Stand: Light Heavyweight Division | March 2025

Outlook: “Poatan” wasn’t able to recreate the magic that made him the defining fighter of 2024. At times, he looked hesitant on the feet, unable to land a real significant strike on Ankalaev outside several low kicks. Pereira didn’t seem too distraught after the fight and seems keen on recapturing his belt before perhaps moving up to heavyweight as was rumored beforehand. Procházka tweeted out the idea of facing Pereira for a third time, but it seems like Pereira could be in position for an immediate rematch with Ankalaev.

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2) Jiří Procházka

Last Fight: TKO Win vs Jamahal Hill (1/18/2025)

Next fight: N/A

Outlook: After struggling with shoulder injuries, Błachowicz is once again fit and prepared to cement his spot in the light heavyweight title picture. The former champion hasn’t fought since mid-2023, when he lost a razor-close decision to Pereira, but he needs to get his hand raised again before looking back toward gold. That opportunity comes shortly, as he faces the streaking Carlos Ulberg in London. A win likely doesn’t guarantee Błachowicz a rematch against Ankalaev—the two fought to a split draw for the vacant belt in December 2022—but the 42-year-old isn’t very far outside the picture, either.

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4) Jamahal Hill

Last Fight: TKO Loss vs Jiří Procházka (1/18/2025)

Next fight: vs Khalil Rountree Jr. (4/26/2025)

Outlook: The fight game moves quickly, but it’s still a little surprising to realize Jamahal Hill’s last win came in January 2023. Injuries halted any momentum he had after claiming the title over Glover Teixeira, but “Sweet Dreams” fought very well against Procházka to open the year. He gets a chance to right the ship against a former title challenger in Khalil Rountree Jr., a matchup originally booked last summer before injuries scratched the bout from UFC 303. Hill does have losses to two of the four men above him in the rankings, but crucially, he still hasn’t fought Ankalaev, so a couple wins could put him back in a title fight.

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5) Aleksandar Rakić

Last Fight: Unanimous Decision Loss vs Magomed Ankalaev (10/26/2025)

Next fight: N/A

Outlook: Rakić’s record can feel a little misleading compared with the quality he shows in the Octagon. His loss to Błachowicz in May 2022 was the result of injuring his knee, and he looked very sharp against Procházka at UFC 300. After he was unable to make the most of his opportunity against Ankalaev at UFC 308, however, he is in need of a win to cement his spot in the Top 5. Who that comes against is unclear, but he could face the loser of the Hill-Rountree Jr. bout or Carlos Ulberg should the Kiwi dispatch Błachowicz in a couple weeks. 

In the Mix: Carlos Ulberg, Khalil Rountree Jr., Dominick Reyes

Outlook: Outside of the champion, there might not be a fighter in better form than Carlos Ulberg. The 34-year-old New Zealander has won his last seven bouts, finishing five of them, and most recently outdueled Volkan Oezdemir in Macau. The City Kickboxing representative gets his shot at the Top 5 when he faces Błachowicz in London, and should he stretch his streak to eight, he could put himself in great position for a No. 1 contender fight later this year. 

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Another fighter with a great opportunity ahead is Khalil Rountree Jr., who rightly earned himself plenty of good faith from the fanbase after pushing Alex Pereira in Salt Lake City last year. Although the shot came as a slight surprise to some, Rountree Jr. showed he can stand and trade with the best of them, which is exactly what fans should expect when he and Hill meet in Kansas City. A win over the former champion would do wonders for Rountree Jr., who hasn’t fought anyone else inside the Top 5 to date. 

While 2024 was Pereira’s year by all accounts, Dominick Reyes put together one of the better feel-good campaigns the sport will see. After going nearly five years without a win, Reyes stopped Dustin Jacoby in Denver before finishing Anthony Smith in December. The 35-year-old former title challenger looked refreshed, rejuvenated and sharp as ever in those two outings, and if he can snatch a third win in a row when he faces Nikita Krylov at UFC 314, he could very well be a dark horse in the title picture.