UFC Rankings Update: Kamaru Usman falls to No.4 on P4P list, Merab Dvalishvili ranked No.3 as Jose Aldo drops to No.6 at bantamweight
This week's UFC rankings update has seen major changes amongst the men's pound-for-pound list following UFC 278's stunning main-event between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman.
'Rocky' and 'The Nigerian Nighmare' stepped into the octagon for their highly anticipated rematch but this time, the welterweight title was on the line. Usman was one win away from tying Anderson Silva's record of consecutive UFC victories (16) whereas Edwards was challenging for UFC gold for the first time.
What followed was one of the most shocking moments in MMA history. After losing the first round to Edwards, Usman returned to his clinical wrestling style and dominated for three rounds. Heading into the fifth, 3-1 down on the scorecards and with only a minute left, 'Rocky' caught the 35-year-old with a headkick that laid him out flat.
British fight fans have their second UFC champion and his name is Leon Edwards.
Leon Edwards knocking out one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC https://t.co/cK6TDxRjF5
The victory for Edwards moved the 30-year-old to No.6 in the men's P4P list for the first time. Usman's first loss in the UFC has dropped him from No.1 to No.4 and given Alexander Volkanovski the No.1 spot. Israel Adesanya and Charles Oliveira each climbed one place to No.2 and No.3 respectively.
The shake-up in the P4P list has meant Robert Whittaker drops out of the rankings entirely due to every fighter below Edwards falling one place.
The 170lb division sees its new champion Leon Edwards crowned at the top as Kamaru Usman drops to the No.1 welterweight in the rankings. Usman's loss means Colby Covington is now at the No.2 spot in the division. Geoff Neal's recent victory over Vicente Luque was rewarded as the American moved two places to No.6, dropping Stephen Thompson, Sean Brady and Luque all down one spot each.
Check out the full list of UFC rankings updates here:
#UFCRankings update 8/23/22 https://t.co/8wouopQ5YD
The women's P4P list sees flyweight champion Carla Esparza climb two places to No.4. Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang have fallen to No.5 and No.6 and Taila Santos was rewarded for her impressive performance against Valentina Shevchenko earlier this year. The Brazilian is now No.12, swapping places with Yan Xiaonan.
UFC rankings update continued
This week's UFC rankings update sees minor changes at heavyweight as Marcin Tybura cracks the division's top 10 after a victory over Alexander Romanov at UFC 278. Chris Daukaus falls one place to No.11. The middleweight division also sees Marvin Vettori as the only mover as he moves up one place to No.2.
At bantamweight, Merab Dvalishvili's unanimous decision victory over veteran Jose Aldo was the biggest win of his career. The Georgian fighter has swapped places with Aldo and is now in the division's top 3.
The UFC rankings update has also seen Shane Burgos drop out of the featherweight's top 15. Alex Caceres swaps places with Burgos and Ilia Topuria moves up one spot to No.14 in the division.
Amir Albazi's first-round submission win at UFC 278 has meant the the 28-year-old cracks the flyweight division's top 10, moving one place and sitting at the No.10 spot. Tim Elliot and Su Mudaerji fell one place respecitvely.
The final changes in the UFC rankings are in the women's divisions. Casey O'Neill finds herself inside the women's flyweight division's top 10, changing places with Maycee Barber.
At strawweight, former champ Jessica Andrade is now No.4 in the rankings and Virna Jandiroba is the new No.10. Mackenzie Dern, Yan Xiaonan and Michelle Waterson-Gomez all dropped one place, with Waterson-Gomez now finding herself outside the top 10.