UFC 257 confirmed what some more attentive mma fans have been defending for some time, namely that Conor McGregor was no longer as dominant as in the past.
The Irishman was brutally knocked out by Dustin Poirier, a match that came to reshape the top of one of the most equipped weight categories in the UFC, the lightweights.
With a range of top fighters, all with legitimate aspirations to reach the title (which for now is still in the hands of Khabib, although the Russian has announced his retirement), the lightweight category does not even have Conor McGregor in his top 5.
With the help of author Kate Richardson, specialist in sports, betika apk and sports betting, we bring you the top 5 of the lightweights today. Don’t forget to check Kate’s profile by clicking here.
5- Tony Ferguson
Former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is probably the least lucky fighter in the UFC.
Until April of last year, “El Cucuy” came from an impressive sequence of 12 consecutive victories, in a time interval where he should have naturally fought for the title against Khabib, but due to injury, illness, or logistical problems related to the covid 19 , the fight was canceled on 4 occasions.
Now, the experienced 36-year-old fighter comes from two painful defeats against Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira, where he found himself dominated both in the fight standing and on the ground, something we had never seen before.
With age advancing, for many, Tony Ferguson has already missed the title train, but we should never set aside a fighter as unorthodox and as selfless and resistant as the Californian.
4- Michael Chandler
A newcomer to the UFC, the former Bellator champion could hardly get a better start, since on his UFC 257 debut he brutally knocked Dan Hooker in the first round.
He has already made a point of launching the challenge to Dustin Poirier, certainly wishing to fight with the number 1 for the title that may be vacant.
However, after just one fight in the UFC it will be unfair if Chandler gets a shot at the title, and then faces Gaethje or Oliveira, who in the post-victory speech said he was able to impose the first defeat on Khabib.
3- Justin Gaethje
The last victim of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 32-year-old American is one of the top players in the division, having a record of 22 wins and only 3 losses. Waiting for an opponent, Gaethje will certainly want a big name to get back to the title.
Last year, despite losing to the second round against Khabib in October, Gaethje has had his high point in his career so far, when in April he clearly and brutally beat Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title.
2- Charles Oliveira
Perhaps little known until a few months ago, Charles “Bronx” Oliveira made a point of proving that he is here to reach the title, when in December he completely dominated his fight against Tony Ferguson, winning by unanimous decision and adding the 8th consecutive victory in the UFC.
Endowed with an interesting striking, it is above all on the ground that Charles stands out, where, with his Jiu-Jitsu, he becomes a serious threat.
Endowed with an almost unequaled range of submissions, the Brazilian manages to apply arm braces, triangles, guillotines or any type of submission (as Tony Ferguso, who almost ran out of arms, saw). Will the Bronx fight for the title in his next fight?
1- Dustin Poirier
The Louisiana “diamond” returns to the top of the division after the victory over McGregor, who in 2019 had already been interim champion.
Endowed with a very powerful striking and a very underrated jiu-jitsu, Dustin Poirier was, over the years, gaining calm and coolness that he lacked at the beginning of his career (he always wanted to end the fights very quickly).
In the fight last weekend, Poirier again demonstrated his coldness and his ability to absorb punches from his opponent, while destroying McGregor’s right leg with powerful leg kicks.
For many, the uncrowned lightweight champion, the Poirier diamond will have one of two scenarios in the future. Either he is crowned champion when Khabib vacates the title, or he will have a fight for it, against Khabib or any other opponent.
And What about Connor McGregor?
One position below the Top 5 is the Irish “Notorious”, who returned to the octagon with the clear objective of beating Poirier again, in order to dream about the rematch against Khabib for the title.
However, the outcome was different, with Conor seeing himself finished for the first time by ko.
The Irishman has already said he wants to be more active this year, so there is a lot of curiosity about what McGregor’s next opponent will be.
His coach has already “launched” the possibility of a trilogy with Poirier for the vacant lightweight title, which at this point would not make any sense, as Conor comes from two straight losses in this lightweight category.
Betting on MMA and in the UFC
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