UFC Rankings update: Giga Chikadze and Daniel Rodriguez receive significant boosts
![Giga Chikadze (Left) Kevin Lee & Daniel Rodriguez (right) [Images Courtesy: @knockoutcancer @d_rod_ufc on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/dba2d-16304249474467-800.jpg?w=500)
Following some spectacular performances at UFC Vegas 35, there have been some notable changes to the UFC rankings.
Giga Chikadze and Daniel Rodriguez have both been rewarded for their success, whilst three fighters have fallen out of the rankings altogether.
Giga Chikadze was on the winning side of UFC Vegas 35's main event. He shocked many by knocking out UFC veteran Edson Barboza in emphatic fashion.
Previously ranked at No.10, Chikadze now moves into the No.8 spot in the UFC featherweight rankings, with his next win likely to propel him right into the top-five.
Also at the event, Daniel Rodriguez stepped up on short notice to face Kevin Lee after Sean Brady was forced to bow out due to injury.
Lee moved up from lightweight, where he was ranked within the top-15. His initial opponent, Sean Brady, is the No.13-ranked UFC welterweight. However, Rodriguez was not ranked at all going into the fight.
'D-Rod' put on an impressive performance to win via a decision. The victory has resulted in him entering the 170-pound rankings at No.15. With his entry into the rankings, veteran Robbie Lawler has been pushed out of the welterweight top-15, ahead of his upcoming fight with Nick Diaz.
Kevin Lee, meanwhile, has now been removed from the lightweight rankings, and his UFC career may well be in jeopardy.
With Kevin Lee's exit from the lightweight rankings, Diego Ferreira, Brad Riddell, Rafael Fiziev and Arman Tsarukyan have all moved up a slot, and Thiago Moises re-enters at No.15 despite the fact that he recently lost his place in the rankings following a loss to Islam Makhachev.
The only other notable change is Song Yadong moving into the No.15 spot, with Raulian Paiva falling out of the bantamweight rankings. This is despite neither man having fought at UFC Vegas 35.
What is next in the UFC for Giga Chikadze and Daniel Rodriguez?
Following his finish of Barboza, Chikadze called out former featherweight champion Max 'Blessed' Holloway. Now ranked at No.8, Chikadze may still be one fight away from a matchup with Holloway, who is likely next in line for a title shot once Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega's rivalry is resolved.
Instead, a fight against 'The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung may not be a bad idea. Alternatively, Arnold Allen and Yair Rodriguez may also be good options for the Georgian striker.
With Daniel Rodriguez now finally ranked, his only goal should be to progress up the division. Maybe a fight against Kevin Lee's original opponent, Sean Brady, could be on the cards. Muslim Salikhov and Santiago Ponzinibbio are also both without opponents at the moment.