Light heavyweight division has worst winning streaks in UFC

A statistical breakdown of UFC divisional momentum has exposed a striking imbalance at light heavyweight, where the top-15 rankings reveal an almost complete absence of fighters currently building winning streaks.

According to the analysis, not a single fighter inside the light heavyweight top-15 — excluding the champion — is riding a three-fight winning streak or better. In fact, only one fighter across that entire top-15 holds any winning streak at all, and that distinction belongs to a competitor who is no longer even ranked in the division.

That fighter is Paulo Costa, ranked thirteenth in the middleweight division. The Brazilian, who fights out of Team Borracha, carries a professional record of 16-4-0 and competes at 185 cm. The 35-year-old orthodox striker is one of the more offensively active fighters in the sport, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 58 percent. Costa's current winning streak includes at least one victory accumulated during a spell at middleweight, which is where his ranking now sits.

Why it matters

• The light heavyweight top-15 is almost entirely made up of fighters coming off losses or extended inactivity, suggesting the division lacks upward momentum below the title.
• By contrast, the welterweight division is identified in the same analysis as the deepest and most competitive in the UFC, with multiple ranked fighters on winning streaks.
• The disparity in divisional momentum has implications for title contendership, as the light heavyweight picture at the top may remain unclear until fighters begin stringing results together.
• Costa's situation illustrates the unusual nature of the data point — the lone streak-holder in a division's top-15 earned key wins outside of it.