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Rankings Report | Week of March 4, 2024
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. Take a look at which fighters moved up and down in the most recent edition and see which rankings are on the line at UFC 299: O’Malley vs Vera 2.
Order UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2
Four divisions – flyweight, bantamweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight - saw updates to their rankings following UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Gaziev.
Flyweight
Following last weekend's matchups, there was significant shuffling in the flyweight rankings.
WATCH: UFC 299 Embedded | All Episodes
Muhammad Mokaev and Alex Perez traded positions after Mokaev secured a unanimous decision victory, with Perez now at No. 8 and Mokaev at No. 7. Steve Erceg climbed two spots to No. 10 after his TKO win over Matt Schnell, pushing Schnell down to No. 11 and subsequently causing Tagir Ulanbekov to drop to No. 12.
Sumudaerji and Tatsuro Taira also exchanged rankings, with Taira now positioned at No. 13 and Sumudaerji sliding to the bottom of the list at No. 15.
Bantamweight
After Umar Nurmagomedov's unanimous decision victory over Bekzat Almakhan, he ascended three places to secure the No. 10 spot, displacing Jonathan Martinez, Dominick Cruz, and Pedro Munhoz to positions No. 11, No. 12, and No. 13.
Light Heavyweight
Vitor Petrino secured a spot in the lightweight Top 15 following his unanimous decision victory over Tyson Pedro last weekend. He currently holds the No. 15 position in the rankings.
Heavyweight
Derrick Lewis and Jairzinho Rozenstruik are now tied in the rankings, both holding the No. 11 spot. Rozenstruik is coming off a main event TKO victory against Shamil Gaziev.
Rankings On The Line This Weekend
There are nine fights coming up in Miami this weekend that feature at least one ranked fighter.
Order UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2
Opening up the prelims, we have No. 13 Pedro Munhoz vs unranked Kyler Phillips. Munhoz’s last outing was against main event challenger Marlon Vera at UFC 292, while Phillips was last seen at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Font in August, where he added a unanimous decision win against Raoni Barcelos.
Mateusz Gamrot, ranked at No. 6 in the lightweight division, is set to face Rafael Dos Anjos. Gamrot's most recent victory is a second-round TKO win against Rafael Fizeiv in their main event. Meanwhile, former champion Dos Anjos aims to break back into the Top 10 of the lightweight division.
In a women’s flyweight bout, No. 4 Katlyn Cerminara faces off against No. 6 Maycee Barber. Cerminara has been absent from the Octagon for a while, with her last appearance being at UFC 280, where she suffered a unanimous decision loss to Manon Fiorot.
On the other hand, Barber competed twice last year, securing victories against Andrea Lee and Amanda Ribas. This matchup serves as a crucial test to determine if Barber can advance into the Top 5.
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2
Wrapping up the prelims is the matchup between heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida.
The main card on Saturday night begins and ends in the bantamweight division. Kicking off the action is the matchup between No. 4 Petr Yan and No. 7 Song Yadong.
At 170 pounds is a showdown between No. 4 Gilbert Burns and No. 11 Jack Della Maddalena.
Another welterweight bout will see No. 13 Kevin Holland taking on UFC debutant Michael “Venom” Page. Holland recently experienced a split decision defeat against No. 11 Jack Della Maddalena. Page enters the UFC with a remarkable 21-2 record, and it will be interesting to see how he manages his transition into the Octagon Saturday night.
In the co-main event, we have No. 3 lightweight contender Dustin Poirier facing off against rising star No. 13 Benoît Saint Denis. Poirier has faced some of the toughest competitors in the division, including Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler, and, most recently, Justin Gaethje. Saint Denis comes into the bout with an impressive record, having won five of his last six UFC fights, all by way of finish..
Main Event Preview | UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2
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Main Event Preview | UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2
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In Saturday's headline bout, current bantamweight champion “Suga” Sean O’Malley is set to defend his title for the first time against No. 5 contender Marlon “Chito” Vera. Adding an extra layer of intrigue to this title defense is the fact that these two fighters have crossed paths before in the Octagon. Their initial encounter occurred nearly four years ago at UFC 252, where Vera secured a victory via a first-round stoppage after injuring O’Malley's leg.
UFC 299 COUNTDOWN: Full Episode | O'Malley vs Vera | Poirier vs Saint Denis | Holland vs Page
O'Malley claimed the belt in his last fight against Aljamain Sterling, earning a TKO victory at UFC 292. It will be interesting to see how O'Malley handles his first title defense. Vera's most recent bout was against Pedro Munhoz at the same event, where he emerged victorious with a unanimous decision win.
UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2 took place live from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on March 9, 2024. See the final Prelims & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
