The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, this Saturday for UFC 240. A number of ranked fighters are competing at the event, so let’s take a look at them and the possible implications their fights could have on the rankings.
Max Holloway defends his featherweight title against Frankie Edgar in the main event. It will be the third time the two are booked to fight and hopefully, it’s a charm. Unlike the previous two occasions, however, Holloway (20-4) is coming off a decision loss to Dustin Poirier from their interim lightweight title fight. While it was his first loss since 2013, Holloway is still on a 13-fight winning streak at featherweight and will look to continue it this weekend. As a result, he is currently rated as the eighth-best pound-for-pound fighter by Sherdog, ninth by ESPN and is ranked No. 6 in the official UFC pound-for-pound ranks. A win over a future Hall of Famer in Edgar could see Holloway climb further.
Meanwhile, a win over Holloway would not only see Edgar (23-6-1) enter the pound-for-pound ranks, but also make him the latest two-division champion in the UFC. “The Answer” has won three of his last four fights, most recently outpointing Cub Swanson in a rematch last year. His knockout loss to Brian Ortega saw him drop down the rankings a bit, but he is still high up there. Both Sherdog and ESPN have him as the fifth-best featherweight in the world, while he is the No. 4 contender in the UFC featherweight rankings.
In the co-main event, Cristiane Justino (20-2, 1 NC) returns to action when she takes on Felicia Spencer in a featherweight contest. It will be her first outing since her knockout defeat to Amanda Nunes at UFC 232, which was her first defeat since her pro debut back in 2005. Regardless, “Cyborg” still ranks among the very elite with Sherdog rating her as the second-best featherweight in the world behind the champion. In addition, Sherdog have her as the fourth-best pound-for-pound female fighter in the world while ESPN regard as the second-best. However, until she rematches Nunes, she is unlikely to move up.
For Spencer (7-0), though, a win would rank as the biggest of her career. “FeeNom” debuted in the UFC earlier this year as she comfortably submitted Megan Anderson in the first round. Still unbeaten, Spencer could get a featherweight title shot with a win over “Cyborg” while she would also climb up the ranks. Sherdog currently have her as the sixth-best featherweight in the world.
Lastly, Alexis Davis is in women’s flyweight action when she takes on Viviane Araujo on the prelims. Davis (19-9) is currently on a two-fight losing skid following losses to Katlyn Chookagian and Jennifer Maia. Despite that, she is ranked No. 7 in the UFC flyweight rankings and will be looking to get back on the win column.
Her opponent in Araujo (7-1) has a chance to leapfrog many contenders with a win over Davis. The Brazilian enjoyed an impressive promotional debut with her knockout win over Talita Bernardo at UFC 237. A win over a former title challenger in Davis would not only represent the biggest of her career, but more than likely shoot her into the top 10 of the UFC rankings.