John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Order UFC 281 "Adesanya vs. Pereira" exclusively on ESPN+
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 214 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, “Amandinha” put her punching power on display, pulling ahead of Marina Rodriguez after a back-and-forth first round and finishing her opponent with a flurry of blows against the fence early in Round 3. With the win, her second in a row and seventh in her last eight outings, the 35-year-old Brazilian may have certified herself the next challenger for the strawweight title that will be contested by Carla Esparza and Weili Zhang this weekend at UFC 281.
In other news, Gregor Gillespie has eclipsed the 18-month inactivity threshold for these rankings, and thus exits his No. 10 spot at lightweight. Taking his spot is top bubble list occupant Mateusz Gamrot, who came up short in a memorable scrap with Beneil Dariush last month at UFC 280, but is nonetheless 4-1 in his last five fights. Entering the rankings at No. 15 is Professional Fighters League finalist Olivier Aubin-Mercier, who is on a five-fight win streak since departing the UFC, with a chance to make it six straight—and pick up a $1 million check—at the end of this month.
Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.