From BJ Penn to Khabib Nurmagomedov, some of the best and brightest in the UFC have held the lightweight championship this past decade.
Along with Penn and Nurmagomedov, the likes of Conor McGregor, Frankie Edgar, Anthony Pettis and Eddie Alvarez are just a few that have risen to the top at 155 pounds.
Make sure to check out FightLine at The Mix for recaps from the other divisions.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
With the planned interim title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje off, for the time being, Khabib Nurmagomedov will sit atop the lightweight division.
Nurmagomedov won the title when he topped Al Iaquinta after both Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson were stripped of their respective belts.
During his run, Nurmagomedov has scored a victory over McGregor and unified the belts with a win vs. Dustin Poirier. His reign is over 700 days.
Dustin Poirier
For a brief moment in time, Dustin Poirier held the interim title, besting Max Holloway.
Poirier won the belt at UFC 236, but was defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov in a unification match at UFC 242.
Tony Ferguson
Injuries and other issues have hindered the run of Tony Ferguson, who once held the interim belt for several months.
Ferguson won the title when he defeated Kevin Lee at UFC 216 on October 7, 2017. He was stripped of the belt due to injury.
Conor McGregor
Both times Conor McGregor has held UFC gold, he has not been defeated for the titles – instead, the belts were stripped of him at lightweight and featherweight.
McGregor, holding the featherweight title at the time, won the lightweight belt when he finished Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in New York City on November 12, 2016. He held the belt for 511 days total.
Eddie Alvarez
Former Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez rose to the top of the UFC when he topped Rafael dos Anjos in 2016.
Alvarez would hold the title for 128 days before losing to Conor McGregor.
Rafael Dos Anjos
A surprising champion, Rafael dos Anjos stunned Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 in Dallas on March 14, 2015 with a victory to win the title.
During his run, dos Anjos defended the belt over Donald Cerrone. He was champion for 481 days total.
Anthony Pettis
At UFC 164 in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Anthony Pettis became UFC lightweight champion, besting Benson Henderson.
His 560-day reign atop the division included a successful title defense at UFC 181 over Gilbert Melendez. Pettis also won the WEC title during his career.
Benson Henderson
Another WEC and UFC champion, Benson Henderson held his lightweight title in the UFC for 552 days.
“Smooth” won it in Japan at UFC 144 when he bested Frankie Edgar. He defended the title over Edgar, Nate Diaz and Gilbert Melendez during his run.
Frankie Edgar
“The Answer,” Frankie Edgar held the UFC lightweight title for 687 days.
Edgar won the championship at UFC 112 when he upset BJ Penn in Abu Dhabi. He earned a defense over Penn, fought Gray Maynard to a draw and defeated Maynard in his final successful title defense.
BJ Penn
Quite possibly the best lightweight in UFC history, Penn’s title run lasted 812 days and included three defenses.
Penn won the vacant title over Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 in 2008, and none of his three defenses came in this decade.
