Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Brian Ortega found redemption in Mexico City.

After suffering a shoulder injury in his first meeting with Yair Rodriguez in July 2022, Ortega displayed impressive resilience in their rematch, rallying for a third-round submission triumph in the UFC Fight Night 237 headliner on Saturday night. “T-City” rolled his ankle during pre-fight introductions, then got dropped and nearly finished by Rodriguez in Round 1 before regaining his bearings and imposing his will down the stretch. As a result, Ortega is once again a relevant contender at 145 pounds and climbs to No. 4 in the latest divisional rankings.

Meanwhile, Brandon Rovyal took a major step toward championship contention in the UFC Fight Night 237 headliner, as he relied on striking volume to pull away from ex-title holder Brandon Moreno for a split-decision triumph. Like Ortega, Royval avenged a previous defeat to his opponent — this one from 2020 — and he climbs in the rankings — all the way to No. 2 at 125 pounds. Another rematch, this time with reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja, could be in store for “Raw Dawg” in the coming months.

In other action, Renan Ferreira earned himself a potential winning ticket in the Francis Ngannou sweepstakes, as he walloped Bellator MMA heavyweight king Ryan Bader in just 21 seconds at PFL vs. Bellator Champs on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bader is a nice feather in the cap for “Problema” who is coming off a 2023 championship campaign in Professional Fighters League. That four-fight winning streak — all via KO or TKO — allows the towering Brazilian to enter the heavyweight poll at No. 11. Bader, meanwhile, plummets to 15th.

Elsewhere, Johnny Eblen’s campaign to be regarded as the best middleweight in the world hit a speed bump — albeit in victory — when he struggled to a split-decision triumph against defending 2023 PFL light heavyweight champ Impa Kasanganay. Eblen’s stock might have taken a hit, but he’s still undefeated and remains ranked No. 6 in Sherdog’s divisional poll 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