Athletes
UFC Rankings Report | Week Of July 25, 2023
See Which Fighters Have Moved Up And Down In The Latest Edition Of The 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.
Seven divisions saw updates to their rankings this week – bantamweight, lightweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, heavyweight, women’s flyweight, and women’s bantamweight.
Here’s what changed:
Bantamweight
One fighter moved up in the bantamweight division rankings, while two moved down.
Jonathan Martinez is at No. 13 in this week’s rankings, up two spots from the No. 15 place last week. Martinez most recently fought in March, defeating Said Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision.
As a result of Martinez moving up, Adrian Yanez and Chris Gutierrez are each down one spot to No. 14 and No. 15, respectively. Yanez’s last outing saw him lose to Rob Font at UFC 287 and Gutierrez lost to Pedro Munhoz by unanimous decision in Kansas City in April.
Lightweight
A new fighter enters this week’s lightweight rankings, and another is on the rise.
Diego Ferreira is a new entrant to the lightweight rankings, coming in at the No. 15 spot. Last time out, Ferreira defeated Michael Johnson at the UFC APEX in May.
Matt Frevola is up one spot from No. 15 to No. 14 in the division. Most recently, “The SteamRolla” defeated Drew Dober at UFC 288.
Middleweight
Just days after his middleweight debut and concurrent first victory in the division, Paul Craig is in the division’s rankings.
Entering the rankings at No. 14, the longtime light heavyweight knocked out middleweight veteran Andre Muniz at UFC London on Saturday. Consequently, Muniz lost his No. 14 ranking in the division and Craig exited the light heavyweight rankings, where he was previously ranked No. 9.
Light Heavyweight
With Paul Craig out of the light heavyweight rankings following his middleweight victory, the division saw a major shakeup in the most recent edition of the top 15.
One fighter moved down, five moved up, and one entered the rankings.
Moving down one spot this week is Johnny Walker, who is down to No. 5. Walker has won each of his three most recent outings, including a win over Anthony Smith in May.
Five light heavyweights moved up in the rankings this week. The biggest gain is Khalil Rountree Jr., who is up two spots to No. 11. The other four risers are up one spot each, Ryan Spann to No. 9, Azamat Murzakanov to no. 10, Alonzo Menifield to No. 13, and Dustin Jacoby to No. 14.
The lone newcomer to the light heavyweight division is Kennedy Nzechukwu at No. 15, who will feature on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Font against Jacoby.
Heavyweight
UFC London’s main event makes its impact on this week’s heavyweight division rankings, with two fighters moving up and two moving down.
Tom Aspinall made his long-awaited return to the Octagon on Saturday at the O2 arena, knocking out Marcin Tybura just over a minute into their bout. Aspinall is up one spot to No. 4 in this week’s rankings, while Tybura is down one spot to No. 11.
As a result of this, two other fighters traded places with Aspinall and Tybura due to their moves. Curtis Blaydes, surpassed by Aspinall, is down one place to No. 5. Derrick Lewis, who moved past Tybura, is up one spot to No. 10.
Women’s Flyweight
Only one change was made in the women’s flyweight division rankings this week, with Taila Santos moving down to No. 3. Santos will fight next at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Korean Zombie against Erin Blanchfield.
Women’s Bantamweight
Three fighters moved up in the women’s bantamweight division this week, while one fighter moved down. No fighter moved by more than one spot in the rankings.
Down this week from No. 11 to No. 12 is Miesha Tate, who last had her arm raised in July 2021.
Irene Aldana moved up to No. 5 from No. 6, Karol Rosa is up to No. 9 from No. 10, and Norma Dumont is up to No. 11 from No. 12, trading places with Tate.
Looking Towards Next Week
The highly anticipated UFC 291 card could have massive implications on the rankings across several divisions.
Headlining the event is the rematch between No. 2 lightweight Dustin Poirier and No. 3 lightweight Justin Gaethje. A victorious effort for either of these fighters could put them in a position to challenge for the lightweight division belt going forward, so the implications are massive.
The card features another No. 2 vs No. 3 bout, this time in the light heavyweight division between No. 2 ranked middleweight Alex Pereira and No. 3 light heavyweight Jan Błachowicz. With Pereira fighting up a class, this fight marks an opportunity for both fighters to potentially challenge for the throne.
Also on the main card, ranked welterweights No. 7 Stephen Thompson and No. 15 Michel Pereira will face off on Saturday in Salt Lake City. A loss for either of these fighters could see them in danger of dropping out of the rankings entirely.
In another welterweight bout, No. 12 Michael Chiesa will take on unranked Kevin Holland in a match that could potentially see the winner in the rankings next week and the loser on the outside looking in.
Unranked heavyweight Marcos Rogerio de Lima will take on No. 11 Derrick Lewis. A win is vital for either of these fighters if they want to either stay in or enter the top 15 of this competitive division.
UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2 took place live from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 29, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
