UFC Rankings Update: Max Holloway Falls Far Behind Justin Gaethje Despite UFC 300 KO
Holloway's new spot at lightweight may come as a surprise.
The new rankings are in after UFC 300.
There was much divisional movement after the monumental event took place last weekend, which some are saying was the best card in UFC history.
Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and UFC women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili retained their titles with spectacular performances while Max Holloway was crowned the third-ever BMF Champion with a thunderous last-second KO of Justin Gaethje.
RELATED: UFC 300 Aftermath: Max Holloway vs. Ilia Topuria & More Fights to Make After Massive Card
As you probably heard last week, UFC 300 featured 12 former or current champions and out of 26 of its fighters, 20 were ranked. Check out where they, among other contenders, land in the rankings in this new update via John Morgan.
Max Holloway was arguably the biggest winner of UFC 300 and financially, taking home $600K in bonuses, how could he not be? Talking about 'money', we'll get to Renato Moicano's ranking later. As for "Blessed", he enters the lightweight rankings at the #9 spot.
This somehow comes after Holloway just knocked out the aforementioned Justin Gaethje, who was ranked #2 at the time. Following the loss, Gaethje drops down one to #3 with Holloway trailing "The Highlight" by six in the standings.
Holloway got more respect in the pound-for-pound conversation, however. The longtime featherweight rose from #14 all the way to #6 in the official pound-for-pound rankings for stopping one of the best lightweights in the world. Holloway stays still at #2 in his home weight class of 145lbs.
Additionally at 155, Arman Tsarukyan surpasses Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira to become the new #1 contender. Tsarukyan doesn't replace Oliveira in the pound-for-pound rankings, but 'Do Bronx' does trickle down from #7 to #11 after the loss.
Renato Moicano breaks into the lightweight top 10 at #10 after TKO'ing Jalin Turner, who falls to #12. It seems as though Moicano doesn't agree with Holloway being ranked one spot ahead of him instead of farther ahead.
"Money moicano number 10... max holloway number 9?!? no f*** that he would beat me up. I would fight max Holloway if there was a rule about not punching," Moicano jokingly wrote on 'X'.
Diego Lopes debuts in the UFC featherweight rankings at #14 after making quick work of Sodiq Yusuff on the UFC 300 undercard. This milestone comes less than a year after Lopes first stepped in the Octagon against Movsar Evloev at UFC 288. 'Super' Sodiq's ranking is on the line as he is currently ranked #15.
Another rankings debut at 145lbs goes to none other than Aljamain Sterling. The former champion decided to leave his #2 ranking behind at bantamweight to pursue a second world title at featherweight. Sterling is now a top-10 fighter at the weight class, taking Calvin Kattar's #8 spot.
Kattar drops to #9 in his MMA return after being outwrestled for three rounds by the "Funkmaster".
Jiri Prochazka takes the top seed in the UFC Light Heavyweight division at #1 following his thrilling TKO victory over Aleksandar Rakic. Rakic stays firm at #5, but former champ and #1 contender Jamahal Hill drops down to #3 as he was quickly knocked out by champ Alex Pereira. Magomed Ankalaev moves up one spot to #2.
Kayla Harrison passed her first UFC test with a second-round submission of Holly Holm. With her first win coming over a former champ, Harrison steps into the women's bantamweight division at #4 and also #13 in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 42 year-old Holm goes from #5 to #6.
Despite dropping the champion Zhang Weili in her defeat, last week's title challenger and #1 contender Yan Xiaonan changes places with the #2-ranked Tatiana Suarez.
As a reminder, the official UFC rankings are compiled by a voting panel of media members from the following outlets: KHON Honolulu, MMA Oddsbreaker, CFMU 93.3, Bursprak.se, FightNews, Fight Network, Gazeta Esportiva, Cherokee Scout, Burbank Leader, MMA Weekly, KIOZ 105.3, Vladusport.com, Wrestling Observer, Top Turtle Podcast, MMA Fight Coverage, BoxeoMundial, Kimura.se, MMA Soldier, MMA NYTT, Blood & Sweat and Inside Fighting Radio (via UFC.com).
Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC and MMA