Discover the exciting moves and changes in the latest MMA rankings following the thrilling UFC Fight Night 226 in Paris. Read on to find out who made significant leaps and who emerged as new contenders.
| Division | Pound-for-Pound |
|---|---|
| Strawweight | 1. Rose Namajunas |
| Flyweight | 1. Valentina Shevchenko |
| Bantamweight | 1. Amanda Nunes |
| Featherweight | 1. Amanda Nunes |
| Lightweight | 1. Charles Oliveira |
| Welterweight | 1. Kamaru Usman |
| Middleweight | 1. Israel Adesanya |
| Light Heavyweight | 1. Jan Blachowicz |
| Heavyweight | 1. Francis Ngannou |
The recent UFC Fight Night 226 in Paris brought some thrilling action and resulted in significant changes in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings. Manon Fiorot made a huge leap in the rankings after her impressive unanimous decision win against two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. Fiorot, who was previously ranked No. 8 in the 125-pound division, now sits at No. 5, surpassing Taila Santos, Juliana Velasquez, and Jessica Andrade.
However, Fiorot’s victory wasn’t enough to move past the current No. 4 contender, Erin Blanchfield, as both fighters are vying for the next title shot. The event also saw the emergence of a new face in the rankings and the return of a former contender.
In the lightweight division, Benoit Saint-Denis replaces former champion Rafael dos Anjos, who has moved up to welterweight. Saint-Denis secured a second-round TKO victory over Thiago Moises, earning him a spot in the rankings. Meanwhile, in the light heavyweight division, Volkan Oezdemir made a comeback, replacing Rob Wilkinson after his first-round submission win against Bogdan Guskov.
In the heavyweight rankings, Ciryl Gane put on a masterful performance in the main event against Serghei Spivac. Despite his impressive showing, Gane remains at No. 4, right behind Sergei Pavlovich.
For a comprehensive look at the latest pound-for-pound and divisional rankings, refer to the table below:
| Division | Pound-for-Pound |
|---|---|
| Strawweight | 1. Rose Namajunas |
| Flyweight | 1. Valentina Shevchenko |
| Bantamweight | 1. Amanda Nunes |
| Featherweight | 1. Amanda Nunes |
| Lightweight | 1. Charles Oliveira |
| Welterweight | 1. Kamaru Usman |
| Middleweight | 1. Israel Adesanya |
| Light Heavyweight | 1. Jan Blachowicz |
| Heavyweight | 1. Francis Ngannou |
These rankings reflect the latest developments in the MMA world and set the stage for exciting future matchups. Stay tuned for more updates and action-packed fights!
Note: This article is based on the original story published on MMA Junkie.
