Welcome to the latest update to the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, where our esteemed panel of experts team up to sort out the movers and shakers of an ever-shifting MMA landscape.
All may be quiet on the rankings front after the first month of 2022, but things are about to heat up in a hurry. With 70 percent of the middleweight top 10 gearing up for action, and a multitude of massive fights lining the calendar, February has all the makings of a month to remember.
Let’s look at the future slate before turning our attention to January drama. It was a dramatic month that saw the return of the heavyweight champion.
Don’t forget the latest episode of the MMA Fighting Rankings Podcast below.
A quick reminder of some ground rules before we start
In case you missed it, last month’s divisional rankings can be seen here.
Let’s get started.
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Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Your eyes do not deceive you, Ryan Bader is back in the top 10.
Say what you want about the dearth of talent in Bellator’s big boy division, Valentin Moldavsky looked poised to become the undisputed champion at Bellator 273 this past Saturday — yet it was Bader who ended up unifying their belts and beginning what could be the last leg of his career on the right foot. Bader has said he’s done with light heavyweight and he already has his next heavyweight title defense booked: He’ll head to Paris in May to rematch Cheick Kongo after their first fight two years ago ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke.
With a Fedor Emelianenko rematch also in play at some point in the future, Bader’s future is pretty clearly laid out, which definitely cannot be said for UFC champion Francis Ngannou who retained the No. 1 spot in the rankings with a gutsy win over interim champion Ciryl Gane.
Defeating his largest rival would have made him a UFC star, but Ngannou and his crew discussed their demands for Ngannou’s next contract. Then they publicly aired their dissatisfaction with UFC after Ngannou won.
Add in the fact that Ngannou plans to undergo knee surgery that will sideline him for what could be the entirety of 2022 and suddenly his spot atop the rankings seems anything but assured.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Francis Ngannou def. No. 3 Ciryl Gane, No. 14 Ryan Bader def. No. 9 Valentin Moldavsky
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Derrick Lewis vs. No. 14 Tai Tuivasa (UFC 271, Feb. 12), No. 7 Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. No. 11 Marcin Tybura (UFC Vegas 49, Feb. 26)
Fighters also receiving votes: Shamil Abdurakhimov, Alexander Romanov, Fedor Emelianenko, Phil De Fries, Arjan Bhullar, Augusto Sakai, Serghei Spivac, Marcos Rogerio de Lima
And there goes Ryan Bader!
This month’s voting saw all but two panelists remove Bader from their 205-pound rankings following his announcement that he plans to stay at heavyweight. That may seem like a formality at this point given that Bader only has one win at light heavyweight since May 2018, but it’s noteworthy when you remember that “Darth” has been a mainstay in the 205-pound divisional rankings for the better part of the last decade.
Bader handily won Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter and then embarked on a successful UFC career that saw him score wins over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Ovince Saint Preux, Phil Davis, and Rashad Evans, before capturing the Bellator light heavyweight title. If this is the last we see of Bader at 205 pounds, then it’s been a hell of a run for him.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 8 Ryan Bader def. No. 9 HW Valentin Moldavsky (heavyweight bout)
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: None
Fighters also receiving votes: Israel Adesanya, Ryan Bader, Tomasz Narkun, Johnny Walker, Antonio Carlos Junior, Jamahal Hill
A month from now, the middleweight rankings could look very, very different.
First and foremost, the UFC middleweight championship is on the line at UFC 271 as Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker face off once more. Since their first meeting at UFC 243, both fighters have made the most of their time, with Adesanya logging three successful title defenses and even taking a crack at the light heavyweight belt. On the other side, Whittaker took some much-needed time off to recover from burnout before coming back strong with three straight wins over ranked opponents. This division is perfect.
Whoever wins won’t be able to rest for long as top contenders Derek Brunson, Jared Cannonier, Jack Hermansson, and Sean Strickland also fight this month, and any one of those names could challenge for the belt before the year is through.
By the way, No. 3 Gegard Mousasi defends his title against the undefeated Austin Vanderford at Bellator 275. If Vanderford wins, it could be the most significant upset of all.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): None
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Israel Adesanya vs. No. 2 Robert Whittaker (UFC 271, Feb. 12), No. 3 Gegard Mousasi vs. Austin Vanderford (Bellator 275, Feb. 25), No. 4 Derek Brunson vs. No. 6 Jared Cannonier (UFC 271, Feb. 12), No. 8 Jack Hermansson vs. No. 9 Sean Strickland (UFC Vegas 47, Feb. 5)
Fighters also receiving votes: Chris Curtis, John Salter, Nassourdine Imavov, Brad Tavares
With little happening at 170 pounds in January (don’t worry, we see you Michel Pereira) or February (we see you too Neiman Gracie and Logan Storley), the question that’s been hanging over the division for the past couple of months lingers: What’s next for Kamaru Usman?
There are a few intriguing fights that will shape the welterweight championship picture in the next months, including one between No. 5 Vicente Luque and No. 6 Belal Muhammad, a much-talked about (but far from official) grudge match between No. 4 Gilbert Burns and No. 10 Khamzat Chimaev, and, of course, the highly anticipated UFC 272 main event between past Usman foes No. 2 Colby Covington and No. 11 Jorge Masvidal. And then there’s the possibility of No. 3 Leon Edwards getting a well-deserved shot over all of those guys anyway.
All of this assumes Usman intends to follow a traditional champion’s program. There’s always the possibility that he takes aim at 185 (especially if his pal Israel Adesanya loses his rematch with Robert Whittaker) or pursues opportunities outside of MMA. Regardless, you get the sense that this will be an eventful year for Usman, even if that doesn’t necessarily mean just racking up more title defenses.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): None
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: None
Fighters also receiving votes: Douglas Lima, Geoff Neal, Jason Jackson, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Roberto Soldic
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Much like middleweight, there’s about to be a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on at 155 pounds.
Islam Makhachev is about as destined as one can be to eventually compete for the UFC title, and all he has to do now is get through Beneil Dariush, his fellow No. 4 in our rankings. In reality, both men have done enough to earn a title shot, but with champion Charles Oliveira already booked to fight Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, they have no choice but to settle who is the true No. 1 lightweight contender.
A little farther down the rankings we have The Battle of the Rafaels, as former UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos fights Rafael Fiziev, one of the hottest names in the division. Fiziev’s thrilling striking and affable personality have already endeared him to the fans, and a win over “RDA” will earn him a spot in one of the toughest top 10s to crack.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): None
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 (tied) Beneil Dariush vs. No. 4 (tied) Islam Makhachev (UFC Vegas 49, Feb. 26), No. 8 Rafael dos Anjos vs. No. 11 Rafael Fiziev (UFC Vegas 48, Feb. 19)
Fighters also receiving votes: Arman Tsarukyan, Conor McGregor, Mark O. Madsen, Drew Dober, Ok Rae Yoon, Thiago Moises, Damir Ismagulov
In his first fight in a year, Calvin Kattar showed that he’s not just a fringe top-10 competitor — he’s coming for one of those top-5 spots.
Kattar has swapped spots with Giga Chikadze, moving from No. 10 to No. 8, after pummeling Chikadze for five rounds in the main event of Vegas 46. It was sweet vindication for Kattar after being on the receiving end of his own beatdown at the hands of Max Holloway last January, along with having to deal with Chikadze campaigning for a title shot before he’d even stepped into the octagon with Kattar.
Kattar won the fight, proving that he was not a genuine contender. Now its Chikadze who faces questions about his future with his first UFC loss on the record. Then again, Chikadze may want to take a look at how much taking time off from competition benefited Kattar and consider a similar hiatus.
Let us just hope that next time Chikadze appears in the title picture it will be after a performance which makes his case undisputed, rather than the discussion being driven by him or his management.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 10 Calvin Kattar def. No. 8 Giga Chikadze
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: None
Fighters also receiving votes: Magomedrasul Khasbulaev, Bryce Mitchell, Ilia Topuria, Shane Burgos, Adam Borics, Mads Burnell, Aaron Pico
Bantamweight has been the hottest division in MMA for the past few years, so we can excuse it slowing down for a second.
There’s plenty more to come. Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling finally have a date for the rematch (UFC 273, April 9) that everyone has been calling for since Yan had one of the biggest brainfarts in the history of MMA title fights, which of course led to Sterling becoming the first-ever UFC champion by disqualification. And while contenders T.J. Dillashaw, Cory Sandhagen, Jose Aldo, and Merab Dvalishvili do not have fights lined up, there’s nary a bad matchup to be made for any of those four names at 135 pounds.
Making a major impact to start the year — and likely sitting just at the edge of most people’s rankings — were Said Nurmagomedov and former RIZIN standout Victor Henry, both of whom knocked off top-25 competitors at UFC 270. Nurmagomedov stunned veteran Cody Stamann with an airtight guillotine choke in under a minute, while Henry showed off his fan-friendly style with a clean sweep on the scorecards against Raoni Barcelos.
Even though it may not seem like there are many happenings at bantamweight.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): None
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: None
Fighters also receiving votes: Frankie Edgar, Ricky Simon, Song Yadong, Cody Garbrandt, Raufeon Stots, Patchy Mix, Said Nurmagomedov, Hiromasa Ougikubo
Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Sorry for the inconvenience, but this feels like Deiveson Figueroa and Brandon Moreno might be doing this move for a while.
A fourth fight between the two is inevitable, whether it happens immediately or somewhere down the road after Figueiredo has had the chance to defend against any number of worthy challengers. Figueiredo and Moreno have fought nobody but each other for over a year now, yet it’s inarguable that Moreno has done enough to earn one more title fight given that he finished Figueiredo in their second meeting and then put on an outstanding five-round performance in defeat at UFC 270.
Although it may seem crazy to put them in cages four times in succession, sometimes they are the best. Sometimes you have to let them do their thing and get away from the mess.
If it’s not Moreno, then Askar Askarov, Kai Kara-France, Manel Kape, or Sumudaerji could be next in line for the flyweight title with a convincing performance in their upcoming fights, not to mention Alexandre Pantoja is waiting in the wings.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Deiveson Figueiredo def. No. 1 Brandon Moreno, No. 8 (tied) Brandon Royval def. No. 14 Rogerio Bontorin
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 7 Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell (UFC 271, Feb. 12)
Fighters also receiving votes: Amir Albazi, Ali Bagautinov, Danny Kingad, Jeff Molina, Matt Schnell
The ground is still settling after Julianna Pena’s earth-shattering upset of Amanda Nunes, and unfortunately, that means there is little to report at 135 pounds.
With respect to No. 15 Alexis Davis, who fights Julija Stoliarenko this Saturday at UFC Vegas 47, it’s going to be some time before Pena has her first title defense. There is good news: No. 4 Holly Holm and No. 8 Ketlen Vieira are expected to fight in May and either would be a fresh opponent for Pena. Another option is Germaine de Randamie, who owns a submission win over the champ, though the status of “The Iron Lady” is uncertain after an injury in September forced her off of UFC 268.
Injuries, postponements, and a lack of new talent at 135 pounds have left what was once the UFC’s only women’s division in shambles, so let’s cross our fingers and hope that someone like Macy Chiasson, Karol Rosa, Julia Avila, or Jessica-Rose Clark experience a breakthrough this year to give bantamweight a desperately needed shot in the arm.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): None
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 15 Alexis Davis vs. Julija Stoliarenko (UFC Vegas 47, Feb. 5)
Fighters also receiving votes: Jessica-Rose Clark
Katlyn Cohookagian may be a gatekeeper but she’s also a pretty good one. As long as she comes home every night with at least two dollars in her hand, it’s hard to imagine that she cares less about this title.
In a mostly unnecessary rematch, Chookagian again outpointed No. 6 Jennifer Maia to hold on to her top 3 spot and stay in line for a rematch with Valentina Shevchenko that likely isn’t coming anytime soon. The biggest storyline coming out of the fight was actually that Chookagian is a free agent.
It sounds absurd, but Chookagian’s continued success is almost anathema to the UFC matchmakers, as she doesn’t have a fighting style that appeals to a broad audience but does have a fighting style that is conducive to winning and knocking off fresh contenders. The UFC could just be tempted to take out one of their best flyweights.
Should this happen, it could be the best thing for Chookagian. She could move to another promotion, such as Bellator, and be immediately positioned as an opponent. There is a way to win a title in the world that does not require Shevchenko.
Pick the right promotion, and perhaps Chookagian will stop wearing that label as a gatekeeper.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 3 Katlyn Chookagian def. No. 6 Jennifer Maia
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 14 Casey O’Neill vs. Roxanne Modafferi (UFC 271, Feb. 12)
Fighters also receiving votes: Maycee Barber, Cynthia Calvillo, Jessica Eye, Manon Fiorot, Melissa Gatto, Roxanne Modafferi, Miranda Maverick, Vanessa Porto
Let’s put some respect on Xiong Jingnan’s name!
ONE’s reigning strawweight champion recorded her sixth straight title defense at the promotion’s “Heavy Hitters” event this month and remains undefeated when competing at her natural weight class with a perfect mark of 17-0. Her two career losses are to Angela Lee at atomweight (Xiong defeated Lee when Lee came for her strawweight title) and a distant loss to Colleen Schneider in a 132-pound bout.
Xiong has been holding down a top-15 spot for a while now, and admittedly, inactivity (she’s fought just twice in the past two years before this month’s win over Ayaka Miura) has been as much of a reason for her lack of upward movement as the fact that she fights outside of the United States against relatively unknown competition. But if she can rattle off a few more wins this year, she could make a case for a spot in the top 10.
As for the UFC’s strawweight division, it remains in a holding pattern with Rose Namajunas awaiting her next challenger, which will be either Carla Esparza or Marina Rodriguez if Rodriguez defeats Yan Xiaonan in March.
January results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 14 Xiong Jingnan def. Ayaka Miura
February bouts featuring ranked fighters: None
Fighters also receiving votes: Emily Ducote, Kanako Murata, Stamp Fairtex, Luana Pinheiro
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