Glover Teixeira takes No. 1 LHW spot in updated UFC rankings
UFC light heavyweight veteran Glover Teixeira has moved up two spots in the company's ranking system and has now assumed the No. 1 spot in the light heavyweight division.
Glover Teixeira is now the No.1 ranked UFC LHW fighter after his spectacular victory over fellow elite 205-pound fighter Thiago Santos at UFC Vegas 13.
Teixeira’s opponent, Thiago Santos, dropped 1 spot after his loss at UFC Vegas 13. Santos is now ranked No.2 in the UFC light heavyweight division.
Intriguingly, Teixeira, 41, besting a dangerous foe such as Santos has once again brought the former on the cusp of a UFC light heavyweight title shot.
Teixeira, a veteran Brazilian fighter, is likely to challenge for the UFC LHW belt in the 2021 calendar year.
Additionally, Chinese women’s strawweight competitor Yan Xiaonan has moved up five spots in the division’s rankings and is now ranked No. 3.
On the other hand, Yan Xiaonan’s opponent, Claudia Gadelha, has moved down two spots and is now ranked No. 6 in the UFC women’s strawweight division.
While Teixeira secured a third-round submission victory over Thiago Santos at UFC Vegas 13, Yan Xiaonan defeated Claudia Gadelha via unanimous decision at the same event, resulting in the aforementioned notable changes in the UFC’s official rankings.
The updated rankings reflect the significant changes that took place at UFC Vegas 13
The UFC has updated its official rankings, following the conclusion of the UFC Vegas 13 fight card that took place this past weekend (Kindly Note: +/- = movement in rankings; T = tie; *NR = Not previously ranked) –
MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND RANKINGS
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov
2. Jon Jones
3. Israel Adesanya
4. Stipe Miocic
5. Kamaru Usman
6. Alexander Volkanovski
7. Dustin Poirier
8. Max Holloway
9. Petr Yan
10. Justin Gaethje
11. Conor McGregor
12. Robert Whittaker
13. Tony Ferguson
14. Deiveson Figueiredo
15. Francis Ngannou
FLYWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: Deiveson Figueiredo
1. Joseph Benavidez
2. Brandon Moreno
3. Askar Askarov
4. Alex Perez
5. Alexandre Pantoja
6. Brandon Royval
7. Jussier Formiga
8. Kai Kara France
9. Rogerio Bontorin
10. Matt Schnell
11. Raulian Paiva
12. David Dvorak
13. Tim Elliott
14. Tyson Nam
15. Jordan Espinosa
BANTAMWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: Petr Yan
1. Aljamain Sterling
2. Cory Sandhagen
3. Marlon Moraes
4. Cody Garbrandt
5. Frankie Edgar
6. Pedro Munhoz
7. Jose Aldo
8. Jimmie Rivera
9. Raphael Assuncao
10. Dominick Cruz
11. Rob Font
12. Merab Dvalishvili
13. Cody Stamann
14. Song Yadong
15. Marlon Vera
FEATHERWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI
1. Max Holloway
2. Brian Ortega
3. Zabit Magomedsharipov
4. Yair Rodriguez
5. Chan Sung Jung
6. Calvin Kattar
7. Josh Emmett
8. (T) Jeremy Stephens
8. (T) Arnold Allen
10. Sodiq Yusuff
11. Dan Ige
12. Shane Burgos
13. Ryan Hall
14. Bryce Mitchell
15. Edson Barboza
LIGHTWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV
1. Justin Gaethje
2. Dustin Poirier
3. Tony Ferguson
4. Conor McGregor
5. Dan Hooker
6. Charles Oliveira
7. Paul Felder
8. Diego Ferreira
9. Al Iaquinta
10. Kevin Lee
11. Beneil Dariush
12. Islam Makhachev
13. Gregor Gillespie
14. Drew Dober
15. Donald Cerrone
WELTERWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: KAMARU USMAN
1. Colby Covington
2. Gilbert Burns
3. Leon Edwards
4. Jorge Masvidal
5. Stephen Thompson
6. Demian Maia
7. Tyron Woodley
8. Michael Chiesa
9. Neil Magny
10. Vicente Luque
11. Geoff Neal
12. Rafael dos Anjos
13. Nate Diaz
14. Anthony Pettis
15. Robbie Lawler
MIDDLEWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: ISRAEL ADESANYA
1. Robert Whittaker
2. Paulo Costa
3. Jared Cannonier
4. Jack Hermansson
5. Yoel Romero
6. Darren Till
7. Derek Brunson
8. Kelvin Gastelum
9. Uriah Hall
10. Chris Weidman
11. Edmen Shahbazyan
12. Brad Tavares
13. Omari Akhmedov
14. Marvin Vettori
15. Ian Heinisch
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: Jan Blachowicz
1. Glover Teixeira +2
2. Thiago Santos -1
3. Dominick Reyes -1
4. Aleksandar Rakic
5. Jiri Prochazka
6. Anthony Smith +1
7. Volkan Oezdemir -1
8. Nikita Krylov
9. Johnny Walker
10. Misha Cirkunov
11. Magomed Ankalaev
12. Ryan Spann
13. Jim Crute
14. Mauricio Rua
15. Paul Craig
HEAVYWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: STIPE MIOCIC
1. Francis Ngannou
2. Curtis Blaydes
3. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
4. Derrick Lewis
5. Alistair Overeem
6. Alexander Volkov
7. Junior dos Santos
8. Shamil Abdurakhimov
9. Augusto Sakai
10. Aleksei Oleinik
11. Walt Harris
12. Sergei Pavlovich
13. (T) Ciryl Gane
13. (T) Blagoy Ivanov +1
15. Andrei Arlovski *NR
WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND RANKINGS
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Weili Zhang
3. Valentina Shevchenko
4. Rose Namajunas
5. Jessica Andrade
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Germaine De Randamie
8. Holly Holm
9. Aspen Ladd
10. Cynthia Calvillo
11. Nina Ansaroff +1
12. Katlyn Chookagian -1
13. Yan Xiaonan *NR
14. Claudia Gadelha -1
15. Julianna Pena -1
WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: WEILI ZHANG
1. Rose Namajunas
2. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
3. Yan Xiaonan +5
4. Carla Esparza -1
5. Nina Ansaroff
6. Claudia Gadelha -2
7. Michelle Waterson -1
8. Marina Rodriguez
9. Tecia Torres +1
10. Amanda Ribas -1
11. Mackenzie Dern
12. Angela Hill
13. Virna Jandiroba
14. Felice Herrig
15. Livinha Souza
WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO
1. Jessica Andrade
2. Katlyn Chookagian
3. Jennifer Maia
4. Cynthia Calvillo
5. Lauren Murphy
6. Jessica Eye
7. Joanne Calderwood
8. Roxanne Modafferi
9. Viviane Araujo
10. Andrea Lee
11. Maycee Barber
12. Gillian Robertson
13. Alexis Davis
14. Montana De La Rosa
15. Antonina Shevchenko
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT RANKINGS
Champion: AMANDA NUNES
1. Germaine de Randamie
2. Holly Holm
3. Aspen Ladd
4. Raquel Pennington
5. Irene Aldana
6. Julianna Pena
7. Ketlen Vieira
8. Yana Kunitskaya
9. Sara McMann
10. Marion Reneau
11. Lina Lansberg
12. Macy Chiasson
13. Sijara Eubanks
14. Pannie Kianzad
15. Julia Avila
Glover Teixeira is likely to receive a UFC LHW title shot
The consensus in the MMA world is that, as noted by UFC President Dana White, reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will defend his belt against current UFC middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya in a champion-vs-champion super-fight that’ll transpire in 2021.
Moreover, recent comments made by Dana White suggest that Teixeira will most definitely receive an opportunity to fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship. It is no more than Teixeira deserves.
The vast majority of MMA fans and experts believe that Glover Teixeira won’t receive a shot at Jan Blachowicz right now, but will instead face the winner of the Blachowicz vs. Adesanya super-fight for the UFC light heavyweight title.
Teixeira had previously challenged then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones for the title in 2014, but lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Presently, Teixeira is still regarded as one of the top 205-pounders in the world. Teixeira, despite being older than most other fighters in MMA today, continues impressing one and all with his consistency and skills. Teixeira has stated that he aims to capture the UFC LHW title, adding that he will win UFC gold before retiring. There is no doubting Teixeira's ambition.
Can Teixeira beat the odds? Do you think he has what it takes to capture the UFC light heavyweight championship? Sound off in the comments.