This weekend packs a punch for fight fans. It promises a one-two shot of excitement with twofold joy, thanks to eagerly anticipated Ultimate Fighting Championship and Professional Fighters League events.
While both shows carry their excitement index, there is a lot more in store for the athletes in action. In this edition of Rankings Tracker, we take a look at some of the fighters who are not only fighting for victory but also a significant climb in the Sherdog rankings:
Vadim Nemkov vs. Bruno Cappelozza
Beyond the four championship bouts on the PFL-Bellator card, the event features a face-off of epic proportions when a former PFL heavyweight champion in Cappelozza welcomes a former Bellator light heavyweight champion in Nemkov to the 265-pound weight class. Cappelozza is coming off a nine-month suspension as a consequence of testing positive for Drostanolone following a rematch against Matheus Scheffel at PFL 2 on April 7. The Brazilian’s first-round TKO victory was subsequently overturned, and Cappelozza will be counting down the days to restore his reputation and return to action. Meanwhile, Nemkov, a four-time combat sambo world champion and the No. 1-ranked Bellator men’s pound-for-pound fighter, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over former UFC middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero. Having defended the 205-pound strap against Romero, Nemkov announced earlier this year that he was vacating the Bellator light heavyweight championship and moving up to the heavyweight division.
In the exclusive Sherdog rankings, Nemkov holds the No. 10 spot in the men’s pound-for-pound list, while Cappelozza is currently unranked—a fact which adds to the allure of the clash.
Ryan Bader vs. Renan Ferreira
In the main event of the upcoming PFL-Bellator card, the heavyweight powerhouses are poised to stand firm, leaving no stone unturned in the defense of their respective organization’s championships. Bader boasts an impressive resume, having previously reigned as the Bellator light heavyweight champion. He went on to compete in the heavyweight division, where he remains undefeated, with wins over the legendary Fedor Emelianenko and veterans Valentin Moldavsky and Cheick Kongo. Meanwhile, Ferreira burst onto the PFL landscape with panache, defeating former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum. However, the bout was overturned to a no contest after replays showed Ferreira tapping out while Werdum had him locked into a triangle choke. The Brazilian is coming off a second-round TKO victory over Denis Goltsov at PFL 10.
As far as their spots in the Sherdog rankings are concerned, Bader occupies the No. 11 position in the heavyweight list, while Ferreira is still unranked.
Johnny Eblen vs. Impa Kasanganay
In the penultimate clash of the PFL-Bellator event, a freshly crowned PFL light heavyweight champion in Kasanganay returns to the middleweight division for the first time since joining PFL when he locks horns with Eblen, the undefeated Bellator 185-pound champion. Kasanganay is riding an impressive six-fight winning streak leading up to the bout, recording victories over the likes of Jared Gooden and Joshua Silveira. He triumphed in four of those bouts by finish. On the other hand, Eblen has emerged as a tenacious force who has endured the test of some of the best middleweights on the Bellator roster. He is coming off an emphatic third-round knockout victory over Fabian Edwards at Bellator 299.
The Sherdog middleweight rankings position Eblen as the No. 6 fighter, while Kasanganay has yet to break onto the list.
Patricio Freire vs. Gabriel Braga
PFL and Bellator spared no effort in stacking the event. In the featherweight division, Jesus Pinedo, the pride of Peru, was expected to take on a Bellator star in “Pitbull,” the current featherweight and former lightweight champion of the organization. However, Pinedo was forced out of the contest due to an undisclosed injury, which paved the way for Braga to step in as a replacement. Braga was originally scheduled to fight Aaron Pico in a featherweight showcase bout. Freire is enduring a minor slump in his career, having lost two fights in 2023 against Sergio Pettis and Chihiro Suzuki. Braga, is also coming off a TKO loss to Pinedo.
Freire remains the No. 4-ranked featherweight contender in the Sherdog rankings, while Braga is currently unranked.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Brian Ortega
In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 237, seasoned featherweight contenders in Rodriguez and Ortega will square off to draw a definitive conclusion to their first encounter back in July 2022. Rodriguez won the fight by TKO in the first round, as Ortega popped his shoulder during a scramble and fell back to the canvas in pain. Since that clash, Rodriguez went on to win interim 145-pound gold against Josh Emmett and dropped the provisional title in the battle for the undisputed championship against then-champion Alexander Volkanovski. Ortega has not competed since the shoulder injury.
As far as the Sherdog featherweight rankings are concerned, Rodriguez is ranked No. 5 and Ortega occupies the No. 9 spot.
Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval
The main event of UFC Fight Night 237 pits a former two-time UFC flyweight champion in Moreno against a recent title challenger in Royval—a rematch from their prior encounter at UFC 255. Moreno won the first fight in November 2020 by TKO in the first round. Moreno and Royval both are coming off losses to champion Alexandre Pantoja, and they are gunning to mount another campaign for a title shot.
Moreno is ranked No. 2 in the Sherdog flyweight rankings, while Royval occupies the No. 7 spot at 125 pounds.