Stock Up, Stock Down: Pound-for-Pound Rankings After UFC 265
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The official UFC rankings are a farce. That sounds harsh, however it be the fact.
The total system appears to be predicated on the whims and fancies of the balloting panelists, tons of whom assemble now not even appear to rigorously apply mixed martial arts. There might be now not any consistency by system of what occurs when a ranked fighter changes weight classes or retires. There might be legit proof that implies the UFC nudges its panelists within the directions it deems most excellent.
The checklist of complications goes on and on.
We here at Bleacher File are drained of it and comprise made up our minds to do away with a stand by creating our dangle UFC pound-for-pound lists: one checklist for males and one other for females.
We are able to update our pound-for-pound rankings after each UFC pay-per-scrutinize and, with a tiny bit excellent fortune, converse some narrate to the chaotic world of mixed martial arts.
With UFC 265 going down in entrance of a raucous crowd in Houston, Texas closing Saturday, meaning it be time for one other update.
The cardboard didn’t characteristic any of our recent pound-for-pound fighters, however it did behold unbeaten Frenchman Ciryl Gane pick the meantime heavyweight title with a TKO decide over Derrick Lewis.
How did the events of UFC 265 have an effect on our hallowed pound-for-pound checklist? Retain scrolling to search out out.
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10. Brandon Moreno
9. Jan Blachowicz
7. Max Holloway
6. Dustin Poirier
Ciryl Gane’s meantime title-a success defeat of Derrick Lewis changed into as soon as now not enough to assemble him a content on our pound-for-pound checklist.
The Frenchman is clearly amongst the precise heavyweights within the field and he appears to comprise the abilities required for pound-for-pound greatness, however at this point, he smooth hasn’t performed enough to displace the likes of flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, our No. 10 fighter, or light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, our No. 9 fighter.
That being talked about, Gane is anticipated to order undisputed heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, our No. 8-ranked fighter, within the come future. If he wins that battle, his entry onto our males’s pound-for-pound checklist is all however assured.
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5. Stipe Miocic
4. Alexander Volkanovski
3. Israel Adesanya
2. Kamaru Usman
1. Jon Jones
The spoil half of our males’s pound-for-pound checklist is unchanged after UFC 265, however it will most likely well well abilities some shakeups quickly.
Most notably, our No. 4 fighter, featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski, is slated to defend his title against rival TUF coach Brian Ortega at UFC 266 on September 25. A decide might well push him up this checklist, however a loss would surely push him down.
Our No. 2 fighter, welterweight king Kamaru Usman, moreover has a battle on the calendar. He’ll gape to carry out it 2-0 against Colby Covington at UFC 268 in November. The discontinue outcomes of that battle might well comprise colossal implications for his attach on this checklist.
Used UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, lastly, is at risk of shedding our No. 1 content due to inaction. He is been regarded as surely one of many sport’s pound-for-pound kings for years, however he hasn’t fought since a razor-terminate resolution decide over Dominick Reyes in February 2020.
All people is conscious of he is planning on chasing the heavyweight title—a feat that would handiest cement his attach as the sport’s finest fighter—however if he would now not kind out his contract dispute with the UFC and battle quickly, we are going to need to jump him for inaction.
Provided that UFC President Dana White now not too prolonged within the past claimed Jones might well now not battle again till 2022, it appears esteem it will most likely well well valid advance to that.
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10. Carla Esparza
9. Katlyn Chookagian
8. Holly Holm
7. Germaine de Randamie
6. Jessica Andrade
We lastly did it.
After months of threatening to assemble so, we lastly reduce Tatiana Suarez from our females’s pound-for-pound checklist.
This resolution has nothing to assemble with UFC 265—she changed into as soon as now not in action on the cardboard. As an replacement, it all comes all of the trend down to her inaction.
While she’s undeniably surely one of many precise feminine fighters within the field, Suarez hasn’t fought since a June 2019 decide over Nina Nunes. She changed into as soon as slated to advance to the cage for a flyweight battle with Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 266 next month however changed into as soon as compelled out of the competition with a knee hurt.
It changed into as soon as a devastating twist for the used strawweight contender, and one which has compelled our hand. Sadly, she valid hasn’t been stopping enough to make clear a attach on our checklist.
She’s misplaced her No. 8 content, permitting Holly Holm and Katlyn Chookagian to climb a content apiece and used strawweight queen Carla Esparza, who’s utilizing wins 5 consecutive wins over ranked foes, to debut at No. 10.
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5. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
4. Weili Zhang
3. Rose Namajunas
2. Valentina Shevchenko
1. Amanda Nunes
Amanda Nunes, who holds the UFC females’s featherweight and bantamweight titles as effectively as the No. 1 content on our checklist, changed into as soon as slated to defend her bantamweight belt against Julianna Pena within the co-important tournament of UFC 265 closing weekend. Regrettably, the champ changed into as soon as compelled off the cardboard after testing sure for COVID-19.
Had Nunes fought at UFC 265, shall we need considered some colossal changes to the spoil half our females’s pound-for-pound checklist. She’s already our high fighter, clearly, however a loss—unlikely as it will most likely well well comprise been—would comprise precipitated a tectonic shift to these rankings.
Thanks to Nunes’ exit, even though, our females’s high 5 stays unchanged. She’s smooth the spoil dog. Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, who defends her belt against Lauren Murphy at UFC 266 next month, is smooth sitting at No. 2. And strawweight stars Rose Namajunas, Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk are smooth perched at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 respectively.