Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Francis Ngannou is still as dangerous as they come in the heavyweight division.

After a hiatus that lasted well over two years, “The Predator” returned in emphatic fashion, knocking out Renan Ferreira in the opening stanza of the PFL “Battle of the Giants” headliner in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. Ngannou showcased some sound strategy in the bout, as he grounded his taller foe and punished him with forceful ground-and-pound to get the finish. With a seven-fight winning streak that also includes a January 2022 triumph over the previously third-ranked Ciryl Gane, Ngannou returns to the heavyweight rankings at No. 3.

Meanwhile, in the “Battle of the Giants” co-main event, Cris Cyborg proved that she still has plenty left in the tank at 39 years old, as she outdueled PFL two-division champ Larissa Pacheco to earn a unanimous decision triumph. That keeps the heavy-handed Brazilian atop the featherweight rankings, one spot ahead of her vanquished opponent. In other PFL action, No. 6 middleweight Johnny Eblen relied on his wrestling to retain his Bellator title in a rematch against No. 13 Fabian Edwards. That’s enough for Eblen to retain his position in the latest 185-pound update.

Elsewhere, Anthony Hernandez proved his rankings worthiness, as he rolled to a fifth-round technical knockout triumph over Michel Pereira in the UFC Vegas 99 main event on Saturday night. “Fluffy” extends his winning streak to six and climbs to the No. 12 ranking at 185 pounds.

Finally, there was movement in the flyweight division at UFC Vegas 99. Asu Almabaev took a unanimous decision over the previously 12th-ranked Matheus Nicolau, and Charles Johnson edged the unranked Su Mudaerji. As a result, Almabaev joins the 125-pound poll at No. 12, Johnson climbs from 15th to 13th and Nicolau exits those rankings entirely with his third consecutive defeat.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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