Lightweight rankings.
The top 30 lightweights by the First Light Rating, a skill score built from in-cage performance and results, with each one’s First Light Index: fame against what that skill predicts. Usman Nurmagomedov leads at 2,114.
Movement since 25 Aug 2026 · Updated · All divisions
Lightweight
| Rank | Fighter | FLRFirst Light Ratingmeasure of true skill | FLIFirst Light Indexfame compared to skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Usman Nurmagomedov | 2,114 | +0.11▼ −0.05 |
| 2 | Arman Tsarukyan 2 | 2,100 | +0.59▼ −0.08 |
| 3 | Justin Gaethje 1 | 2,093 | +0.53 |
| 4 | Charles Oliveira 1 | 2,087 | +0.57— |
| 5 | Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov 5 | 2,055 | −0.76▼ −0.06 |
| 6 | Benoit St. Denis 1 | 2,049 | +0.35Last 18 days: +0.35 → +0.35 |
| 7 | Ilia Topuria 1 | 2,042 | +0.83— |
| 8 | Grant Dawson 1 | 2,039 | −0.40— |
| 9 | Salahdine Parnasse 2 | 2,038 | +0.33▼ −0.02 |
| 10 | Max Holloway 2 | 2,038 | +0.74— |
| 11 | Mateusz Gamrot 2 | 2,036 | +0.21▼ −0.03 |
| 12 | Bibert Tumenov | 2,016 | −0.79Last 16 days: −0.79 → −0.79 |
| 13 | Archie Colgan 2 | 2,006 | −0.65Last 16 days: −0.65 → −0.65 |
| 14 | Dustin Poirier 3 | 2,005 | +0.68— |
| 15 | Paddy Pimblett 1 | 2,004 | +0.87 |
| 16 | Gadzhi Rabadanov 3 | 2,003 | −0.19▲ +0.04 |
| 17 | Sidney Outlaw 1 | 2,002 | −0.76— |
| 18 | Roberto Satoshi de Souza 4 | 2,002 | −0.61Last 23 days: −0.56 → −0.61 |
| 19 | Natan Schulte | 2,000 | −0.82— |
| 20 | Quillan Salkilld 11 | 1,999 | +0.20▼ −0.12 |
| 21 | Alexandr Shabliy 1 | 1,994 | −0.26— |
| 22 | Akbar Abdullaev New | 1,985 | −0.19— |
| 23 | Manoel Sousa 6 | 1,978 | −0.71 |
| 24 | Michael Chandler | 1,975 | +0.69— |
| 25 | Mateusz Rebecki 1 | 1,973 | — |
| 26 | Renato Carneiro 1 | 1,971 | — |
| 27 | Esteban Ribovics 18 | 1,969 | −0.03▼ −0.12 |
| 28 | Mason Jones 5 | 1,967 | — |
| 29 | Axel Sola 14 | 1,967 | −0.23▼ −0.10 |
| 30 | Paul Hughes 21 | 1,962 | — |
Where the UFC panel disagrees.
- Quillan SalkilldFLR 20th · panel 7th13 lower here
- Paddy PimblettFLR 15th · panel 5th10 lower here
- Ilia TopuriaFLR 7th · panel 1st6 lower here
- Max HollowayFLR 10th · panel 4th6 lower here
- Justin GaethjeFLR 3rd · panel champion3 lower here
Better than their audience knows.
- Natan SchulteFLR 19th−0.82
- Bibert TumenovFLR 12th−0.79
- Abdul-Aziz AbdulvakhabovFLR 5th−0.76
Bigger names than their skill predicts.
- Paddy PimblettFLR 15th+0.87
- Ilia TopuriaFLR 7th+0.83
- Max HollowayFLR 10th+0.74
Data Credit: First Light Observatory.
How the FLR and FLI are measured · Download every division (CSV) · First Light may hold interests in athletes covered by the Index.