UFC Rankings: 16 Fighters See Ranking Updates After UFC Fight Night 238
UFC Fight Night 238 wasn't a high-stakes card by any means, but it possessed a modest amount of ranked fighters which means changes are in order.
Here are your UFC ranking updates, courtesy of the official UFC athlete rankings.
Steve Erceg Breaks Flyweight Top-10
Perth's Steve Erceg has had a flawless run in the UFC, going 3-0 in the promotion and already assuming the #10 spot in the flyweight rankings.
Erceg jumped two spaces with his vicious left hook knockout over previously-#9 Matt Schnell at UFC Vegas 87 on March 3.
Steve Erceg scored his first UFC finish at UFC Vegas 87.
Erceg could be looking at a title-shot opportunity in his next fight or two. Despite being #10, most fighters above Erceg are either tied up with other bookings or have already lost to the champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Hopefully "AstroBoy" can breathe some life into the stale 125 lb title picture.
Umar Nurmagomedov Enters Bantamweight Top-10
Umar Nurmagomedov overcame early adversity to completely shut out Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Vegas.
The Dagestani fighter was previously #13 at bantamweight, but shockingly moved up three spots to #10 with his win over the debuting (unranked) Kazakh.
Umar Nurmagomedov survived an early knockdown to defeat Bekzat Almakhan by decision.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
With this, Nurmagomedov leapfrogs the waning Dominick Cruz and Pedro Munoz. He also steps over Jonathan Martinez - one of the most promising prospects in the division.
Nurmagomedov called to rebook his fight against #3 Cory Sandhagen, but with his ranking and history of cancellations, it would be better to see Nurmagomedov against Martinez or someone like Rob Font.
Vitor Petrino Enters Light Heavyweight Rankings
Brazil's Vitor Petrino might not have stunned fans with his victory over Tyson Pedro, but it was dominant nonetheless. "Icao" snubbed Pedro almost entirely, landing thudding shots on the feet and smothering him on the ground.
The normally aggressive Tyson Pedro was apprehensive when confronted by Vitor Petrino at UFC Vegas 86.
For this, Petrino is newly ranked at #15 in the light heavyweight division. As for opponents, the undefeated star could target the likes of Azamat Murzakanov, Alonzo Menifield, or Ryan Spann.
However, Petrino himself called for a fight with #10 Anthony Smith, who has historically been a high-profile stepping stone for those looking to get close to the title.
Other UFC Ranking Updates
Including Nurmagomedov, Erceg, and Petrino, a total of 15 fighters saw their ranking change following UFC Vegas 86:
Flyweight
- Muhammad Mokaev; #8 to #7
- Alex Perez; #7 to #8
- Tim Elliott# #10 to #9
- Steve Erceg; #13 to #10
- Matt Schnell; #9 to #11
- Tagir Ulabnekov; #11 to #12
- Tatsuro Taira; #15 to #13
- Sumudaerji; #13 to #15
Bantamweight
- Umar Nurmagomedov; #13 to #10
- Jonathan Martinez; #10 to #11
- Dominick Cruz; #11 to #12
- Pedro Munhoz; #12 to #13
Light Heavyweight
- Vitor Petrino; Newly Ranked #15
- Dustin Jacoby pushed OUT of the rankings
Heavyweight
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik; #12 to #11
- Derrick Lewis; #11 to #12
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