The UFC Light Heavyweight division was easily the most chaotic division in 2017. Many fighters fell off of the Top 10 rankings for reasons outside of the cage.
Jon Jones, Anthony Johnson, Ryan Bader, and Nikita Krylov were all removed from the rankings in 2017, all for different reasons. Jones ran into drug test problems, Johnson retired, Bader left the UFC for Bellator MMA, and Krylov left for the open market.
With the division left wide open, one fighter took advantage and shot up the rankings. Volkan Oezdemir started the year as an unranked fighter, making his UFC debut in February. By the end of 2017, he was the #2 contender at Light Heavyweight and will be Daniel Cormier’s dance partner at UFC 220.
Everyone else in the division shifted up one or two spots, due to all of the fighters falling off of the rankings. Alexander Gustafsson kept name at the top of the division, moving up to the #1 contender spot at Light Heavyweight.