UFC commentator John Gooden breaks down the major players in the lightweight division before champion Islam Makhachev …
the top of the lightweight division features some of the best and most exciting fighters on the entire UFC roster and over the last few months a few Rising prospects push tested and challenged that elites with mixed effect after a handful of Marquee matchups shuffled and settled the deck the lightweight title pitcher is clearer than ever heading into the summer first comes Islam mv’s title defense against Dustin porier at UF 302 in newk this is the state of the lightweight division is is the Islam mahv had a bit of a breakout year in 2023 between two Jews with Alexander volkanovski mahv was part of one of the best fights of the year and picked up one of the most stunning Knockouts of 2023 as well with the lightweight title pitchure gaining Clarity over the last few months Mahadev now has the opportunity to tell another defense of his title against one of the signature names at 155 in Dustin por which would tie him with friend and Mentor khabib Nam magedov with three title defenses each the diamond hopes the third time is the charm when he goes for Undisputed gold at UFC 302 the Louisiana born and bred knockout artist turned his fortunes around in a big way when he bounced back from his knockout lost to Justin gatei with The Knockout win of his own over benoir s at UFC 299 in Miami 22nd UFC win for Dustin porier and you got to think you sweeter than that one that bounce was a make or break moment for Cory who has held a spot in the lightweight title pitcher for the better part of the last seven years having accomplished almost everything else a fighter could pursue in the Octagon porier hopes to put a golden bow on his Hall of Fame career on June 1st no matter who comes out victorious in Newark the winner likely has a matchup with Arman sarian on their docket next the 27-year-old Armenian has long been seen as a contender in the making since pushing mahat for three hard rounds back in his debut in 2019 that rematch is something SAR rukan has chased in tandem with the UFC title so there is a chance for him to have a full circle moment should mahv come out of Newark with the belt around his waist since his debut sarian has had a harder time finding top opponents to fight than he’s had actually fighting in the Octagon only losing once in his last 10 bouns back-to-back wins over benil darush and Charles Oliva cemented him as the number one [Applause] Contender go hway wins the BMF title oh my goodness the former featherweight King and newly mined BMF Champion catapulted himself into lightweight title contention when he knocked out Justin gaii at UFC 300 the buzzer beater finish was the signature moment of an historic event and launched holay already one of the most beloved fighters on the roster to even greater Heights bless is now a man with Myriad options he called out both featherweight Champion Ilia Toria and mahv after his victory and it seems like a bounce with Toria is imminent the pride of a why could not only have a chance to regain his featherweight belts in the coming months but also gain double champ status as well charlesa Oliva might have fallen short at UFC 300 but only just his Split Decision defeats AAR Ruki and puts him on the outside looking in when it comes to the queue to regain the title but du Bronx does hold wins over four of the top seven lightweights in the world with a statement making win next time outs he could very well be right back in the mix whether it comes from a rematch with someone like Justin gatei or a new face like mat gamr UFC’s alltime leader in finishes will undoubtedly have the spotlight shining bright on himself the next time he steps into the Octagon perhaps no fighter put more on the line at UFC 300 than Justin gatei which is a big reason he is loved by fans and Fighters alike but the gamble did not pay off for the former interim lightweight and BMF champion and the loss dropped him out of title contention for the time being gate g will likely take some time to rest reassess and regroup following The Knockout loss but his path back to a shot at the belt is murky at best as porier showed however a major bounce back win is all it takes to get back to the front of the line but who that opportunity comes against is all a matter of timing for the Colorado resident winner of seven of his last eight fights Poland’s Matos gamr has taken the slower Road of the lightweight rankings the exhaustive grappler racked up a bevy of impressive winds over the liks of sarian jayen Turner and most recently hael dos Angeles but it feels like the 33-year-old needs a signature performance to put him over the edge the decision win over sarian in June 2022 continues to age well for him and he is overdue for another crack at summon in the top five to prove himself a worthy title Challenger let’s go a lightweight division discussion cannot be had without mentioning the notorious Conor McGregor who is due for his return to the Octagon opposite Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in Las Vegas the former double champ returns to the action for the for the first time since breaking his leg against Dustin porier in July 2021 and although the bout is set to be contested at 170 lb it goes without saying that a win on June 29th puts McGregor in a fascinating position that’s easier said than done against Chandler whose five fight run in the UFC has been as entertaining as any in the last half decade for as much as contenders are made through a string of wins high-profile victories also carry plenty of weights which both men have a chance to grab in a few weeks time what’s certain is lightweight is as loaded as ever between the Apple mentioned men and the risers like Kato moano Raphael phiv jayen Turner and benoir S to mention a few and things have lined up to make 2024 a significant year at lightweights