Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

It turns out that rumors of Calvin Kattar’s demise were greatly exaggerated.

The Boston native shook off a lopsided beatdown at the hands of Max Holloway one year prior and returned to form at UFC on ESPN 32, as he battered and bloodied Giga Chikadze for five rounds in Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In ending Chikadze’s nine-bout winning streak, Kattar prevents the Georgian from entering the featherweight Top 10 while re-establishing himself as a person of interest at 145 pounds. With wins in three of his last four Octagon appearances, Kattar moves to the No. 7 spot in our latest divisional rankings.

Elsewhere, Jessica Correa Delboni got her revenge against Alesha Zappitella in the Invicta FC 45 main event, earning a clear-cut decision victory and the atomweight crown this past Wednesday evening in Kansas City. In many minds, Delboni should be riding the momentum of a four-fight winning streak, but a contentious split-decision loss to Zappitella last May makes that a hypothetical situation at best. Regardless, the Brazilian makes a move in Sherdog’s atomweight poll from No. 6 to No. 4.

In other significant action, No. 9 Brandon Royval rebounded from a two-fight skid to hold off 11th-ranked Rogerio Bontorin in a flyweight bout at UFC on ESPN 32, which allows him to advance to the No. 7 position, and Katlyn Chookagian holds on to the No. 6 ranking at 125 pounds after improving to 2-0 against fellow former title challenger Jennifer Maia with a three-round verdict on the same card.

Weekly housekeeping update: Jussier Formiga, inactive since June 2020 and currently on a three-bout skid, exits the flyweight rankings to allow Manel Kape to enter the 125-pound bubble at No. 15.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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