Athletes
UFC Rankings Report | Week Of August 22, 2023
See Which Fighters Moved Up And Down The Latest Edition Of The UFC Rankings
The latest updates to the UFC rankings across all divisions are here. Take a look at which fighters have moved up and moved down in the most recent edition of the UFC rankings.
Six divisions, bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, heavyweight, and women’s flyweight saw updates to their rankings this week,as well as both the men’s and women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Men’s Pound-For-Pound
The new bantamweight champ has entered the rankings.
Sean O’Malley’s incredible knockout win over Aljamain Sterling launched him to the No. 8 spot in the men’s pound-for-pound rankings. It’s quite the debut spot for “Sugar.”
Aljamain Sterling, Alex Pereira, Jiri Prochazka, Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, and Jamahal Hill dropped to make room for O’Malley, with Brandon Moreno falling off the top 15 list completely. Kamaru Usman and Charles Oliveira each moved up a spot, landing at No.7 and No.6, respectively.
Alexander Volkanovski moved down a spot, making way for Jon Jones to reclaim the sole title of the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Women’s Pound-For-Pound
Zhang Weili’s dominant performance at UFC 292 pushed her up a spot, moving her ahead of former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. The only other movement in the women’s pound-for-pound rankings was Erin Blanchfield moving down a spot to No. 7.
Bantamweight
The big shake-up in the rankings happened in the bantamweight division, as O’Malley took his place on the 135-pound throne.
Sterling moved to the No. 1 contender spot and pushed teammate Merab Dvalishvili to No. 2. Song Yadong moved up a spot to tie Rob Font in the rankings in the seven spot.
Lightweight
Even though neither Grant Dawson or Rafael Dos Anjos fought this week, the two switched spots. Dawson moved to No. 10 and RDA fell to 11.
Welterweight
Ian Machado Garry certainly made a statement in his UFC 292 bout with veteran Neil Magny. “The Future” was flawless for 15 minutes, delivering his most impressive performance to date. The win moved him from No. 13 to No. 11, ahead of Magny and Kevin Holland.
Middleweight
Roman Dolidze moved up on spot in the middleweight rankings, putting him in a tie with Derek Brunson at No. 7.
Heavyweight
Marcos Rogerio de Lima and Rodrigo Nascimento each moved up, claiming the No. 14 and No. 15 spots in the heavyweight rankings.
Women’s Flyweight
Both Natalia Silva and Karine Silva delivered quality performances at UFC 292. Natalia wasn’t able to finish veteran Andrea Lee, but the win was about as dominant as she could have hoped for. The voters saw the quality of the win and it helped her debut at 13 in the rankings.
Karine’s submission win over Maryna Moroz was her third consecutive first-round submission victory. That’s something that no woman has ever accomplished in the UFC and earned her the No. 15 spot in the rankings.
Looking Toward Next Week
A shot at the flyweight title could potentially be on the line when Erin Blanchfield and Taila Santos collide at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs The Korean Zombie this week in Singapore.
At No. 3 and No. 4, a spectacular performance could set the winner up for a chance to face the winner of Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.
Exciting featherweights Giga Chikadze and Alex Caceres plan to put on a beautiful display of MMA for fight fans this weekend. Chikadze hasn’t fought since January of 2022 and Caceres has been eager for a shot at the featherweight top 10. It’s a big fight for both men trying to stake their claim as a true title contender.
Preview Every Fight On UFC Singapore
Light heavyweights Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann are running it back in the co-main event, with the winner eyeing the 205-pound top 5. It’s an interesting matchup considering these two fought in 2021, with Smith finishing Spann in the first round. Will Spann even the score or with “Lionheart” roar for a second time?
In the main event, former featherweight champion Max Holloway faces The Korean Zombie. This is a legacy fight for both of these fan favorites, and it could be The Korean Zombie’s final fight as he continues his foray into coaching. For Holloway, it could be the performance he needs to earn a fourth opportunity at champ Alexander Volkanovski.
UFC 292: Sterling vs O'Malley took place live from TD Garden in Boston on August 19, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
