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Rankings Report | Week Of December 5, 2023
See Which Fighters Moved Up And Down In The Latest Edition Of The Rankings
The latest updates to the UFC rankings across all divisions are here. Let’s dive into which fighters moved up and down in the most recent edition of the UFC rankings.
Six divisions - flyweight, bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, and women’s bantamweight - saw updates to their rankings this week, as did the men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Flyweight
The flyweight division underwent some significant changes this week, primarily marked by Cody Durden’s entry into the Top 15 just before his UFC 296 showdown against Tagir Ulanbekov. Durden came in at No.15, which prompted a shift up one position for everybody above him, except for Brandon Royval, Manel Kape, and Steve Erceg. These fighters surged two positions higher, claiming No.2, No.6, and No.11.
Order UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington
Notably, Brandon Moreno and Alex Perez, were the only two fighters who maintained their original rankings, staying at No.1 and No.7.
Bantamweight
Following his unanimous decision victory against Rob Font at UFC Fight Night: Dariush vs Tsarukyan over the weekend, Deiveson Figueiredo has entered the top 15 at No.8. This shift pushed Rob Font down to position No.9.
View The Entire UFC 296: Edwards vs Covington Card
Figueredo’s entry resulted in a one-spot downward shift for all fighters below him, with the exception of Ricky Simon, who ascended up a spot to No.12.
Lightweight
The lightweight division experienced a good amount of change this week, marked by Arman Tsarukyan’s significant leap of four spots following his knockout win over Beneil Dariush in the Saturday night main event. Dariush, on the other hand, dropped three spots down to No.7.
UFC AUSTIN REWIND: Final Results | Tsarukyan Post-Fight Interview | Who Won Bonuses?
In Saturday’s co-main, Jalin Turner secured a KO against Bobby Green, causing Green to slide down a spot to No.14. Turner’s success propelled him up by two spots to No.10.
Mateusz Gamrot and Renato Moicano both find themselves up a position this week, as they now sit at No.5 and No.13. While Rafael Fiziev was knocked down one spot to No.11.
Welterweight
The welterweight division experienced minimal changes this week, with Sean Brady advancing two positions following his submission over Kelvin Gastelum. Brady's ascent resulted in Geoff Neal and Vicente Luque each dropping down to No.8 and No.9 in the rankings.
Middleweight
Not much movement in the middleweight rankings this week. Kelvin Gastelum dropped three spots to No.14 after his loss on Saturday night. Consequently, Nassourdine Imavov, Paul Craig, and Chris Curtis all moved up one spot each, securing positions from No.11 to No.13.
Women’s Bantamweight
The sole change in the women's bantamweight division occurred with Miesha Tate and Norma Dumont swapping positions. Tate now holds the No.11 spot, while Dumont is positioned at No.12. This switch resulted from Tate's submission victory over Julia Avila over the weekend, with Avila maintaining her position at No.13.
Looking Forward to Next Week
All three of the featured bouts on UFC Fight Night: Song vs Gutierrez are ranked vs ranked bouts.
In the featured preliminary bout, flyweight contenders Tim Elliott and Sumudaerji are set to face off just a week before the title is up for grabs. Elliott is stepping in as a replacement for Allan Nascimento, aiming to rebound from a third-round submission loss to Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
Preview Every Fight On UFC Fight Night: Song vs Gutierrez
Sumudaerji, on the other hand, makes his first appearance since his intense battle with Matt Schnell in the summer of 2022 on Long Island. Despite landing on the wrong side of the results and ending a three-fight winning streak, the bout contributed to his rising stock.
The co-main features Anthony Smith, a former title challenger and a consistent presence in the Top 10. Smith ended a two-fight losing streak in his last outing with a split decision victory over Ryan Spann in Singapore. The 35-year-old veteran, having faced notable opponents in the division, is expected to leverage his wealth of experience as he returns to action this weekend.
FREE FIGHTS: Song vs Simon | Gutierrez vs Alatengheili
Originally slated to fight in Austin last weekend, Rountree Jr. is now here in Las Vegas to compete in the co-main. The 33-year-old Ultimate Fighter alumnus has secured four consecutive wins, three of which ended in stoppages.
The main event of Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez brings together top 15 bantamweights to conclude the second to last card of 2023. Song, participating in his third consecutive main event, seeks to build on his fifth-round stoppage victory over Ricky Simon in April, which earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. Saturday marks his 30th professional fight and 13th appearance in the UFC Octagon, a notable achievement given that he just turned 26 last Saturday.
Gutierrez, making a relatively swift turnaround for his inaugural main event, returns to action after securing a unanimous decision win over Alatangheili in late October.
