Hello everyone, and welcome back for another week of rankings in the UFC. We had a good fight card for Vegas 113, but unfortunately, we had nine decisions and only four finishes, and the top 10 hasn’t changed much because of it. That being said, let’s get to the rankings for this week following Vegas 113. Have a great day, everyone, and may the fights be with you.
10. Joshua Van:
Joshua Van moves back to tenth on this list, which others may still think he doesn’t deserve, but one thing is for sure: Van is a beast. You don’t get slugged like that against Brandon Royval and still win that fight unless you’re special. It takes heart and passion to get to this point in the UFC. Van has all of that and the skill to defend this title more than once. Currently, there has been a verbal agreement to fight Manel Kape at some point this year. Whether this happens or not, we will all see soon enough.
9. Petr Yan:
Petr Yan did the unthinkable by defeating Merab Dvalishvili in their title match at UFC 323. Yan now moves up to ninth overall this week as part of the shake-up I’ve wanted to do after UFC 324 and UFC 325. However, even though Yan won the title, he will most likely be handing it back to Dvalishvili in their rematch sometime in the future. That may be a bold call, but that’s what we do in the Fight Club of Pain.
8. Tom Aspinall:
Tom Aspinall was poked in the eye by Ciryl Gane in the main event at UFC 321. This not only angered everyone but left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth after a questionable card. From groin kicks to strikes to the back of the head, this event should have been better, but it’s fighting, so anything can happen. The rematch still hasn’t been booked, so we’ll wait for now while Uncle Dana schedules this one again. However, with Aspinall’s eye still not healed, there have been discussions of stripping him of the title.
7. Merab Dvalishvili:
Merab Dvalishvili lost his title to Petr Yan in the main event at UFC 323. Unlike their first matchup, Dvalishvili didn’t secure as many take-downs as they did in their first fight, which led to Yan smacking him up till he was bloodied. There are already whispers in the wind that the rematch will be scheduled soon, so until then, we’ll wait for the third saga in this feud. For now, Dvalishvili is the seventh-ranked fighter on this list.
6. Max Holloway:
Max Holloway is the current holder of the BMF title, which, of course, I can’t spell out because of the “f” word. However, Holloway won the BMF title after he defeated Justin Gaethje earlier this year at UFC 300. Right now, Holloway is scheduled to defend his title against Charles Oliveira in March at UFC 326. If you’re a fan of the UFC, then you know how epic this match could be, if it isn’t over in the first round.
5. Alex Pereira:
Alex Pereira moves back to fifth on this list after the two champions before him lost at UFC 323. Pereira won his title back at UFC 320 by finally throwing his reverse punch, which hit Magomed Ankalaev so bad that his knees buckled immediately. That led to Poatan mounting him and winning by TKO through a ground and pound. I thought Carlos Ulberg would be in future discussions for a shot at the title, but now, rumors are saying that he’ll be fighting Magomed Ankalaev. That leaves the door wide open for someone else if that fight gets signed. CHAMA!
4. Khamzat Chimaev:
Khamzat Chimaev takes over the fourth spot after beating Dricus Du Plessis for the title at UFC 319. With a rematch most likely not happening, the next set of opponents has been set up. After Reinier De Ridder quit, I could see Nassourdine Imavov getting the next title shot, but don’t count out Brendan Allen, who called Chimaev, DDP, and Sean Strickland after defeating RDR. However, with Ramadan starting February 17th, Chimaev has already said he will not defend his title till afterwards.
3. Alexander Volkanovski:
Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski moves up to third as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, after defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 325. Now that we’re past that match, Volk has said that he wants to fight someone who deserves it. Jean Silva looks like he could get a shot this year but that will only happen once the match between Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy happens. That match was scheduled yesterday for UFC Fight Night in London, on March 21st.
2. Ilia Topuria:
Ilia Topuria has slipped to second on this list after Islam Makhachev dominated Della Maddalena. Topuria also loves calling out fighters on social media, and that also included Makhachev, who just won his title at UFC 322. Topuria checked out for personal reasons soon after that, which led to Justin Gaethje winning the interim Lightweight Championship by defeating Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324. However, it seems Topuria is back, and we could see a unification match for the title this summer.
1. Islam Makhachev:
Islam Makhachev is now the number one, pound-for-pound fighter in the world, after he easily dispatched Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Not only did he dominate JDM, but he became the 11th fighter to claim a belt in another division. Now that I’ve seen the Death Vader of the UFC smash a man, we can only hope that next year we get another super match between Makhachev and another opponent. The rumors are out that it could be Kamaru Usman, which would be fantastic, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Michael Morales gets the bid. Until then, let’s all hail Lord Makhachev as the best fighter in the world. SMESH!
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