Ranking all UFC light heavyweight champions so far [Updated 2024]
The UFC light heavyweight championship has long been one of the most coveted world titles in all of combat sports. Originally introduced as the UFC middleweight title in Dec. 1997, it was renamed as the UFC light heavyweight title in May 2001 when the UFC adopted new weight classes in the current format in accordance with the Unified Rules of MMA.
Following inaugural champion Frank Shamrock's title reign, the ensuing reigns were of Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, Randy Couture (second reign), Chuck Liddell, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones (second reign), Jan Blachowicz, Glover Teixeira, Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Alex Pereira.
Thus far, there have been 19 UFC light heavyweight title reigns, in which 17 fighters have reigned as champions. Only two fighters, Randy Couture and Jon Jones, have reigned twice respectively as the 205-pound champion. Today, we take a brief look at and rank all the UFC light heavyweight champions.
We'll focus on the fighters' UFC light heavyweight title reigns, rather than their overall careers, and rank them based on that.
So, without further ado, let's get started!
#17. Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort is an MMA legend, his alleged PED use and TRT history notwithstanding. However, his UFC light heavyweight title reign paled in comparison to his impressive overall MMA career. He's beaten some of the best fighters in the world in the UFC and other promotions as well, including his winning the UFC 12 heavyweight tournament championship.
Nevertheless, 'The Phenom's' 205-pound reign was marred by the manner in which he won the title -- the infamous first-round TKO (eye injury) stoppage in his rematch against Randy Couture in Jan. 2004. In the trilogy fight that followed, Belfort lost the belt to Couture in an anticlimactic third-round TKO (doctor's stoppage/cut stoppage) defeat in Aug. 2004.
#16. Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin, the inaugural TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) light heavyweight tournament winner, eventually became a UFC champion and Hall of Famer. Among his accomplishments, one that stands out is his UFC light heavyweight title-winning performance. He craftily outpointed the fearsome Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, picking up a unanimous decision win to bag the title in July 2008.
Unfortunately, Griffin lost the title in a devastating fashion, getting stopped by Rashad Evans via third-round TKO in Dec. 2008. Unable to notch a successful title defense and failing to reclaim his title has landed this revered fighter at No. 16 on this list.
#15. Jamahal Hill
Jamahal Hill captured the UFC light heavyweight title by defeating Glover Teixeira via unanimous decision in Jan. 2023. Alas, 'Sweet Dreams' was unable to defend his title, as an Achilles tendon injury in July 2023 resulted in him vacating the title. Alex Pereira captured the vacant title by beating Jiri Prochazka via second-round TKO in Nov. 2023.
Hill returned from his injury hiatus to fight Pereira for the belt at the monumental UFC 300 event in April 2024 and lost via first-round KO. He's currently recovering from knee injury issues.
#14. Glover Teixeira
Yes, Glover Teixeira lost to Jamahal Hill, and akin to Hill, Teixeira too has zero successful title defenses. Regardless, the Brazilian MMA great is placed higher on this list because he holds the distinction of being the oldest first-time UFC champion.
Teixeira became the UFC light heavyweight champion by defeating Jan Blachowicz via second-round submission in Oct. 2021. The grappling wizard's first title defense came against Jiri Prochazka in June 2022. In the fifth and final round of their thrilling and grueling showdown, a visibly exhausted Teixeira was submitted by his considerably younger foe and lost the title.
#13. Jiri Prochazka
Jiri Prochazka is perhaps the most intriguing name on the list, particularly given the current MMA landscape. Bear in mind that 'BJP' has the potential to rise right to the top of this list in the years to come. The 31-year-old ascended to the UFC light heavyweight throne by submitting Glover Teixeira in June 2022, but he had to vacate the title due to a serious shoulder injury later that year.
Well, Jamahal Hill beat Glover Teixeira to win the vacant belt in Jan. 2023. Hill then vacated the title due to injury in July 2023, and Alex Pereira beat the returning Prochazka via second-round TKO to win the vacant title in Nov. 2023. Presently, Prochazka is scheduled to face the 36-year-old Pereira in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 303.
The Pereira-Prochazka rematch was likely to take place in August or October. However, the original UFC 303 headliner, Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, fell apart due to McGregor's toe injury just days out from the event.
At 31, Prochazka is likely in his athletic prime and could possibly catch the aging Pereira. Granted that 'Poatan' has been on a roll as of late, but no fighter is infallible and age is among a fighter's biggest enemies. 'BJP' could possibly reclaim the title at UFC 303 and go on a legendary title reign to become an all-time great light heavyweight champion.
#12. Jan Blachowicz (1 successful title defense)
Jan Blachowicz won the UFC light heavyweight title by defeating Dominick Reyes via second-round TKO in Sept. 2020. It marked Reyes' first stoppage defeat. In February of that year, Reyes suffered a razor-thin unanimous decision loss against Jon Jones in their light heavyweight title fight. Many felt that Reyes deserved the judges' nod and was the first to score a clear-cut win against Jones.
Well, Blachowicz decimated Reyes, who had all the momentum in the world with him at that point in time. The Polish striking savant then notched a successful title defense, beating combat sports megastar and then-UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision in March 2021. It marked the first defeat of Adesanya's professional MMA career.
Blachowicz then lost his title via second-round submission against Glover Teixeira in Oct. 2021. Regardless, the fact remains that his 'Legendary Polish Power' knockout win against Reyes and masterful title defense against Adesanya were truly admirable.
#11. Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans is a bonafide MMA legend and was notably inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019. 'Suga' was an undefeated fighter with a truly well-rounded skill set, who won the UFC light heavyweight title by knocking out Forrest Griffin in the third round of their clash in Dec. 2008. Many viewed Evans as a legend in the making at light heavyweight.
While he did forge a legacy as a UFC legend, his title reign didn't last long. He put his 205-pound belt on the line against fellow unbeaten fighter, Lyoto Machida. The Brazilian karateka ended up stopping him via second-round KO to become the new champion and end the 'Suga' championship reign in May 2009.
That said, the level of competition in the division around that time warrants a high spot for 'Suga' on any list of light heavyweight champions.
#10. Lyoto Machida (1 successful title defense)
As noted, Lyoto Machida won the title by defeating Rashad Evans in May 2009. What followed was an extremely controversial fight between 'The Dragon' and Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua in Oct. 2009. Their five-round back-and-forth striking battle saw Machida retain his title via unanimous decision, though many felt that Rua did more than enough to dethrone him on the judges' scorecards.
In their immediate rematch that transpired in May 2010, Rua became the first fighter to defeat Machida, stopping him via first-round KO and winning the UFC light heavyweight title. 'The Dragon' was never able to reclaim the title but was involved in many more legendary fights in the ensuing years.
#9. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
While Lyoto Machida technically has a successful title defense on his record, many MMA fans deemed the first Machida-Rua fight as a win for Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua. Add to that the fact that Rua dominantly won their rematch, by way of a thunderous knockout, and his being placed higher on the list seems fair.
With that being said, after winning the title against Machida in May 2010, Rua lost it in his very next fight. The Pride FC icon and UFC light heavyweight champion suffered a one-sided defeat against Jon Jones, who stopped him via third-round TKO in March 2011.
#8. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson (1 successful title defense)
'Rampage' is not only a true MMA legend but also one of the sport's most popular fighters and charismatic personalities. Quinton Jackson was a huge star in Japan and made an indelible mark after crossing over from Japan's Pride FC to the US-based UFC as well. He won the UFC light heavyweight title by defeating the legendary Chuck Liddell via first-round KO in their rematch in May 2007.
Jackson previously beat Liddell in Pride FC too. His UFC win over 'The Iceman' was made even more special because it broke Liddell's seven-fight win and KO/TKO streak.
'Rampage' then notched a successful title defense by beating fellow legend Dan Henderson via unanimous decision in Sept. 2007. What made the Jackson-Henderson fight even more special, apart from it being a clash of MMA greats, was that Jackson unified the UFC light heavyweight title with Henderson's Pride middleweight title in that fight.
#7. Alex Pereira (1 successful title defense)
Alex Pereira is a former Glory Kickboxing middleweight and light heavyweight champion, who went on to capture the UFC middleweight title as well. After losing his UFC middleweight belt in his MMA rematch against longtime rival Israel Adesanya in April 2023, 'Poatan' moved to the UFC light heavyweight division.
Pereira eventually captured the vacant UFC light heavyweight title by defeating former champion Jiri Prochazka via second-round TKO in Nov. 2023. He then notched a successful title defense by beating former divisional kingpin Jamahal Hill via first-round KO in April 2024.
Presently, Pereira holds the UFC light heavyweight title and is booked to defend it in a rematch against Prochazka at UFC 303. Should he defeat Prochazka again, he'd further rise in the list of all-time greats in UFC light heavyweight history.
#6. Tito Ortiz (5 successful title defenses)
Fans of 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' would disapprove of his being placed No. 6, what with the fact that he boasts five successful UFC light heavyweight title defenses. However, some critics have maintained that Tito Ortiz's title reign saw him take on relatively easier opposition -- facing fighters who either weren't in their prime or simply lacked the grappling to counter his relentless wrestling.
Ortiz won the vacant UFC light heavyweight title by defeating Wanderlei Silva via unanimous decision in April 2000. After beating 'The Axe Murderer', Ortiz went on to defend his title against Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko, and Ken Shamrock.
Following that, Ortiz lost the light heavyweight title via unanimous decision to Randy Couture in Sept. 2003. He was unable to recapture the title during the remainder of his UFC run.
#5. Frank Shamrock (4 successful title defenses)
Frank Shamrock is the inaugural UFC light heavyweight champion who amassed four successful defenses of the title. He later vacated the title and departed the UFC. His exit was marked by claims that the UFC roster lacked decent competitors who could challenge him, but several other factors, including a strained relationship with the UFC brass, contributed to him leaving.
His title win came via first-round submission against Kevin Jackson in Dec. 1997, which was followed by successful title defenses against Igor Zinoviev, Jeremy Horn, John Lober, and Tito Ortiz. Shamrock is considered to be one of the pioneers of the modern-day MMA style of being a well-rounded fighter. Such was his brilliance that it'd be an understatement to say that he was ahead of his time.
#4. Randy Couture
Randy Couture won the interim UFC light heavyweight title by defeating Chuck Liddell via third-round TKO in June 2003. 'The Natural' then beat Tito Ortiz in a title unification matchup, a win that saw Couture become the new UFC light heavyweight champion in Sept. 2003.
Couture then lost the title to Vitor Belfort via a first-round TKO cut stoppage in their infamous anticlimactic clash in Jan. 2004. He reclaimed the title by beating Belfort via third-round TKO in Aug. 2004, commencing his second reign as the light heavyweight champion. But that reign too was short-lived, as Chuck Liddell beat him via first-round KO in their rematch in April 2005.
Intriguingly, Couture also won the UFC heavyweight title in his career. He was the first fighter to ever win UFC titles in two separate weight classes. However, he's placed lower than archrival Chuck Liddell on this list because we're specifically addressing their light heavyweight title journeys.
#3. Chuck Liddell (4 successful title defenses)
After winning the light heavyweight belt by knocking out Randy Couture in their rematch (April 2005), Chuck Liddell amassed four successful title defenses. 'The Iceman' defeated Jeremy Horn, Randy Couture (in their trilogy fight), Renato Sobral, and Tito Ortiz (in their rematch). Liddell's reign ended courtesy of a first-round KO defeat against Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson in May 2007.
All of Liddell's four successful title defenses were marked by KO/TKO wins. Even before winning the belt, he, rather than Tito Ortiz, was hailed as the true king of the light heavyweights. To his credit, 'The Iceman' did knock Ortiz out twice in their respective athletic primes. That said, Ortiz did beat him via first-round KO in their trilogy fight in 2018, which saw Liddell return from an eight-year MMA hiatus.
#1. and #2. Daniel Cormier (3 successful title defenses) and Jon Jones (11 successful title defenses)
The MMA community has long debated whether Daniel Cormier or Jon Jones deserves to be called the greatest UFC light heavyweight of all time. Jones holds a victory over him and knocked him out in their rematch, albeit the rematch's KO verdict was overturned to an NC (No Contest) due to Jones' PED test failure. Let's travel back in time, shall we?
Jones won the UFC light heavyweight title by beating Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua via third-round TKO in March 2011. 'Bones' notched eight successful title defenses, beating Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Alexander Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira, and Daniel Cormier. He was then stripped of his title owing to his infamous hit-and-run case.
Daniel Cormier then won the vacant UFC light heavyweight title by defeating Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson via third-round submission in May 2015. 'DC' then competed in two title bouts and one non-title bout, notching two successful title defenses. He defended his belt by beating Alexander Gustafsson and Johnson (in a rematch).
Meanwhile, Jones returned to beat Ovince Saint Preux via unanimous decision in April 2016, but 'Bones' was later stripped of the title due to positive PED tests. Jones then faced Cormier the latter's UFC light heavyweight title in July 2017. He beat Cormier via third-round KO to win the title but tested positive for PEDs again.
Their rematch's verdict was changed to a No Contest, and Cormier was retroactively reinstated as champion, therefore, his reign is counted as one. 'DC' then defended his light heavyweight belt by beating Volkan Oezdemir via second-round TKO in Jan. 2018. Cormier then moved up in weight and captured the UFC heavyweight title, subsequently vacating the UFC light heavyweight belt.
Jones then returned and won the vacant UFC heavyweight title by defeating Alexander Gustafsson via third-round KO in their rematch in Dec. 2018. 'Bones' thereby commenced his second reign as the light heavyweight champion.
'Bones' notched three successful title defenses -- beating Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes -- before taking a three-year hiatus and moving up in weight to win the UFC heavyweight title in March 2023. Moreover, many believe that Santos and Reyes beat Jones on the judges' scorecards.
On one hand, some feel Jones' virtually undefeated MMA record and wins against a myriad of legends cement his status as the UFC light heavyweight G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time). On the other hand, some highlight that Cormier never tested positive for banned PEDs in his career, unlike Jones, and is more deserving of being called the UFC light heavyweight G.O.A.T.
The general consensus is that the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the list most definitely belong to Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones.