Find out how the official UFC rankings shifted following the promotion's first event of the year.
The first UFC event of the year is in the books, and that means the promotion’s official rankings have undergone their first update of 2026.new interim champion was crownedWith his unanimous decision win over Paddy Pimblett in the main event for UFC 324, Justin Gaethje claimed the promotion’s interim lightweight belt for the second time and now sits at the #1 spot in a division full of fighters“The Highlight” bumped Arman Tsarukyan down one spot to #2 in the process, while Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway also dropped one place each to numbers 3 and 4.
Those two men are set to rematch at UFC 326, where Holloway will attempt to defend the “BMF” title that he took from Gaethje with a stunning last-second knockout at UFC 300. Justin Gaethje reacts after the fight against Paddy Pimblett during UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images The incredible toughness Paddy Pimblett showed in a losing effort against Gaethje seemed to raise his stock among many MMA fans after UFC 324, and “The Baddy” still holds the same #5 spot that he occupied heading into his first UFC main event.locked up the next women’s flyweight title shotSilva was already sitting at #2 in the divisional rankings ahead of UFC 324 but is now officially the #1 contender at 125 lbs., and the Brazilian represents a fresh challenge for Valentina Shevchenko after “Bullet” stifled Weili Zhang’s double-champ bid at UFC 322. Natalia Silva fights Rose Namajunas during UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Two-time strawweight queen Namajunas dropped one spot from #6 to #7 with the loss, and the 33-year-old is now 3-3 overall since making the move up to the flyweight division in 2023.Waldo Cortes-Acosta scored arguably the biggest win of his career when he stopped Derrick Lewis on the main card of UFC 324, but “Salsa Boy” stayed put as the division’s #5 ranked contender. Waldo Cortes-Acosta reacts after the fight against Derrick Lewis during UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn ImagesTwo-Time UFC Champion Honored During UFC 324 Broadcast as 2026 Hall of Fame Inductee Like Cortes-Acosta, #2-ranked bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov didn’t get any rankings bump for his victory over former flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo, who swapped spots with Aiemann Zahabi and now sits at #7. Arnold Allen reacts during the fight Jean Silva during UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Imageswas Jean Silva, who jumped up four spots in the featherweight rankings following his unanimous decision victory over Arnold Allen, who dropped one place to #7 after coming up short in the main card opener for UFC 324.Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.A Polarizing Vote Has Boxing on Its Way to a UFC-Style Makeover
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