UFC divisional rankings: Kamaru Usman surpasses Stipe Miocic on pound-for-pound list; Alexa Grasso takes a big leap
Kamaru Usman and Alexa Grasso shot up the rankings after their fights at UFC 258. While Kamaru Usman is already at the top of the welterweight division, he surpassed Stipe Miocic in the pound-for-pound rankings. Meanwhile, Alexa Grasso jumped up in the Women's Flyweight rankings.
Kamaru Usman defended his welterweight title in the main event against Gilbert Burns. Despite being rocked in the first round, Usman maintained his composure, regrouped and gradually increased the pressure on 'Durinho', before finishing him in the third round.
Before his fight with Gilbert Burns, Kamaru Usman was ranked the 5th best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC after Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jon Jones, Israel Adesanya, and Stipe Miocic. After the fight, Kamaru Usman moved up one spot, overtaking UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic to become the #4 pound-for-pound fighter.
Alexa Grasso faced Maycee Barber in the co-main event of UFC 258. The fight lasted for the entirety of 3 rounds. Maycee Barber had 3 takedowns under her belt compared to none by Alexa Grasso. However, Grasso put on an calculated and measured display of boxing. She outclassed her opponent on the feet and won the fight via unanimous decision. All the judges scored the fight 29-28 in Grasso's favor.
After the fight, Alexa Grasso jumped 5 spots in the women's flyweight ranking to #10. Maycee Barber, on the other hand, fell back to #15.
Kamaru Usman calls for an upgrade in the pound-for-pound list
In the post-fight press conference after UFC 258, Kamaru Usman noted that he was not getting the respect he deserves. He said,
"I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my s**t. So put some respect on my name. Like that pound-for-pound list is not a popularity contest. I haven’t really lost rounds in here. I control what goes on inside that cage. And I feel just because I’m not the loudest guy in the room, I’m not the most braggadocious or I don’t get in trouble outside, I’m not in headlines all the time, let’s be honest, they kinda disrespect me in a sense. That pound-for-pound list is not a popularity contest. I need to move up on that list"
Evidently enough, Kamaru Usman's call for respect was answered by the promotion.