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The 23-year-old prospect extended his UFC winning streak to six — the longest in the flyweight division — with a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph over former title challenger Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. After the bout, “The Punisher” announced his readiness for a title shot against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro this May. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but for now, Mokaev climbs to No. 11 in the flyweight rankings.
That wasn’t the only significant flyweight action over the weekend. On the same card, up-and-coming Australian Steve Erceg made a statement with a second-round knockout of the previously 11th-ranked Matt Schnell. That allows “Astro Boy” to take over the No. 10 spot, while Schnell falls out of the rankings entirely.
Meanwhile, the 125-pound title bout at ONE Championship 166 ended in unsatisfying fashion, when Jarred Brooks lost his belt via disqualification for executing an illegal slam against Joshua Pacio in their rematch. Brooks won’t be penalized as he would for a normal defeat, but he does fall to No. 13 with the arrival of Erceg.
Elsewhere, Jairzinho Rozenstruik removed Shamil Gaziev from the ranks of the unbeaten with a jab-heavy victory in the UFC Fight Night 238 headliner, allowing him to stay on the heavyweight bubble at No. 13. Earlier on the card, Umar Nurmagomedov rallied from an early knockdown to dominate Bekzat Almakhan in their featured bantamweight clash. The Dagestani standout is still on the outside of the Top 10 at No. 13, but it seems likely that he’ll receive a higher profile booking for his next Octagon appearance.
Finally, Anatoly Malykhin made history at ONE 166 when he defeated the previously 10th-ranked Reinier de Ridder in a 205-pound title bout to become a three-division champion within the Singapore-based promotion. As a result, he joins the light heavyweight rankings at No. 11.
Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.
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