- UFC Gina Carano's stunning look: The all-black dress that captivated MMA fans
- UFC Who is Gina Carano, the daughter of a former Cowboys QB who is setting the internet ablaze with her return to the cage after 17 years?
As it does every Tuesday, the UFC has updated the rankings for each division, including the pound-for-pound list. In the main event of UFC 326, Charles Oliveira took the BMF belt from Max Holloway after a grappling exhibition that gave him the victory by unanimous decision. This has caused 'Do Bronx' to re-enter this list after a few months out of it, while the Hawaiian fighter has been left on the verge of leaving it.
Until last Saturday, Holloway was the 'Baddest Motherf***' and ranked number 10 in the pound-for-pound rankings, but his defeat to Oliveira has relegated him to number 15, dropping five places at once. 'Blessed' not only lost, but was dominated throughout, without having an answer to the Brazilian fighter's ground skills. That's why the company has left him on the brink of the abyss.
Charles, for his part, has returned to the rankings at number 12 after several months away from the company's top names. In the lightweight division, the rankings have remained unchanged, as 'Do Bronx' was ranked number three and Holloway number four. Arman Tsarukyan remains the number two contender - really number one - behind Justin Gaethje - interim champion - and Ilia Topuria - undisputed champion.
More changes in the pound-for-pound rankings
Holloway's defeat to Oliveira has brought more changes in the rankings, such as the rise of Joshua Van -flyweight champion- to number 10. The Burmese fighter, the second youngest champion in the company's history, will defend his belt for the first time against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327 in Miami, so he could climb even higher.
Another name that has moved up a position without actually fighting is Tom Aspinall, who moves up to number seven, overtaking Merab Dvalishvili, who is now number eight. It is strange that, despite losing the bantamweight belt, 'The Machine' was still ahead of the heavyweight champion to date. However, the English fighter is not one of the most media-friendly names in the division, and as his first title defense was a 'No Contest', his performance cannot be fully assessed.
Finally, there is Dricus Du Plessis, who despite losing the middleweight belt last August to Khamzat Chimaev is still part of this list as number 11, climbing one position. At the top of the table everything remains the same, with Islam Makhachev as number one, Ilia Topuria as number two and Chimaev as number three. However, the White House card on June 14 could cause a change of positions in favor of 'El Matador', as well as Alex Pereira -number five-.