A comparison of active UFC lightweight winning streaks shows significant changes over the past two years. Currently, Islam Makhachev leads with a long streak, followed by several fighters with shorter runs. One year ago, Makhachev had 14 consecutive wins, with Paddy Pimblett at six and three fighters tied at five. Two years prior, Makhachev was at 12 wins with Renato Moicano and Pimblett at five each. In April 2022, Charles Oliveira led with 10, Makhachev had nine, and Beneil Dariush held seven consecutive victories. The data illustrates the volatility of winning streaks in one of the UFC's most competitive divisions.
The UFC lightweight division has undergone a dramatic reshuffling of its active winning streaks over the past two years, with Islam Makhachev standing alone at the top while the names behind him have shifted considerably.
A snapshot from April 2022 told a different story at the head of the list. Charles Oliveira led the division with ten straight victories at that point, with Makhachev sitting just behind at nine and Beneil Dariush holding seven consecutive wins. Oliveira, now 36 years old and ranked third at lightweight with a 37-11-0 record, remains one of the division's most dangerous finishers. Fighting out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima, the Brazilian averages 2.6 submission attempts per fifteen minutes alongside 2.22 takedowns in the same span, making him a persistent threat wherever the fight goes. He also holds a place in the pound-for-pound rankings at number eleven.
Dariush, a 37-year-old southpaw representing Kings MMA, currently sits eighth in the lightweight standings at 23-8-1. His run of seven consecutive wins back in early 2022 was built in part on a striking output of 3.78 significant strikes per minute, among the higher averages in the division.
By one year ago the landscape had changed, with Makhachev at fourteen straight wins and Paddy Pimblett sitting second at six. The current standings show further movement, underscoring just how difficult it is to sustain momentum in a division this deep.
Why it matters
- The churn below Makhachev signals genuine competitive depth across the lightweight top fifteen
- Oliveira's continued ranking presence despite streak interruptions illustrates the division's unforgiving nature
- Dariush's early 2022 run has since given way to younger challengers pushing up the rankings
- Streak volatility makes long-term divisional forecasting particularly difficult at 155 pounds
