The Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division is about to turn 25, and it’s going to celebrate in the most appropriate way imaginable: with an interim title fight.
Over the past decade, lightweight has been arguably the strongest division in the UFC, with some of the biggest draws and most dominant fighters in MMA history laying claim the undisputed belt. Just beneath the tier of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira and Conor McGregor, a cast of interim champs and top contenders like Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler have helped ensure that just about every title fight was an absolute banger, a vehicle to propel the winner to new heights of stardom.