John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Israel Adesanya’s five-round victory over Jared Cannonier in Saturday’s main event offered little in the way of excitement or suspense, but it was what happened earlier in the evening that has the masses buzzing. By ending Sean Strickland’s six-bout winning streak inside of a round, Alex Pereira propelled himself into the middleweight rankings at No. 7. More importantly, he has set himself up for a title shot against Adesanya in what would be just his fourth Octagon appearance. Normally, such a fast track to the top seems foolhardy, but given Pereira’s two past victories against the reigning 185-pound champ in the kickboxing realm, it makes all the sense in the world. To make matters easier, it’s what both parties want.
Meanwhile, Alexander Volkanovski maintained his stranglehold on the featherweight division with a lopsided five-round verdict against Max Holloway in the UFC 276 co-headliner. This time, the City Kickboxing representative seems to have closed the book for good on his rivalry with the popular Hawaiian. A 3-0 record against the same opponent tends to have that effect. While Josh Emmett has been clamoring for the next shot at 145-pound gold, Volkanovski has his sights set on a move to lightweight and champ-champ status, a goal which could make things very interesting for “The Great” in the coming months if it comes to fruition.
Elsewhere, Jalin Turner and Andre Muniz enter the lightweight and middleweight rankings on the heels of impressive outings at UFC 276. Turner secured his fifth straight finish in the Las Vegas-based promotion with a first-round submission of Brad Riddell, allowing him to claim the 15th spot at 155 pounds. Muniz, meanwhile, was in complete control in a three-round verdict over Uriah Hall, and his five-fight winning streak is enough to climb to 13th at 185 pounds.
Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.
Jump To »
HEAVYWEIGHT
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
MIDDLEWEIGHT
WELTERWEIGHT
LIGHTWEIGHT
FEATHERWEIGHT
BANTAMWEIGHT
FLYWEIGHT
WOMEN'S FEATHERWEIGHT
WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT
WOMEN'S FLYWEIGHT
WOMEN'S STRAWWEIGHT
WOMEN'S ATOMWEIGHT