MMA Divisional Rankings: Arman Tsarukyan makes case for lightweight crown after UFC 331 statement win

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In the ever-shifting MMA landscape, ranking the world’s greatest fighters might seem like a fool’s errand, but that’s exactly what we’ve set out to do with the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Here, our esteemed panel sorts out the movers and shakers from every division to provide you with the most definitive list of the best fighters on the planet.

Arman Tsarukyan deserves his chance to prove he’s MMA’s No. 1 lightweight. In the eyes of a couple of our panel members, he already is.

That’s right, in the latest edition of the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, Tsarukyan came close to claiming the top spot at 155 pounds despite Justin Gaethje currently holding the UFC title. Tsarukyan should be next to challenge Gaethje after his knockout win over Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 this past Saturday, a statement too loud for the matchmakers to ignore.

Tsarukyan’s Knockout of the Year contender and his 11-1 record in his past 12 fights were enough to convince two of our panelists to grace him with a No. 1 vote, while the other three stuck with the incumbent UFC champion. Considering Tsarukyan has opened as a heavy favorite according to speculative odds, perhaps our Tsarukyan supporters aren’t far off in their evaluation of the man who could have UFC gold around his waist soon.

Now just book the damn Gaethje fight.

In other rankings news:

Tom Aspinall is no longer UFC heavyweight champion, but we’re not taking away his No. 1 spot yet. Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit battle for undisputed status at UFC 334 on Nov. 14, and depending whether we get any positive news on Aspinall’s return, it’s unclear whether either Gane or Hokit can impress enough to bump Aspinall (still several months away from automatic ranking removal) from his spot
Everyone at welterweight moved on up because Shavkat Rakhmonov moved on out. All of us here at MMA Fighting wish Rakhmonov the best, and hope he can bounce back from his persistent knee issues, but having been out for well over 18 months, we had no choice but to take the previously No. 2-ranked Rakhmonov off the list
The hottest name in any of the rankings right now? It might be Fatima Kline. The 26-year-old flyweight has all the makings of a future champion and is starting to put it together, recently scoring impressive decision wins over Tabatha Ricci and Angela Hill. She’s up eight spots to No. 6 since our last update. Depending who she fights next, Kline will be a popular pick to compete for a title in 2027

Check out the latest edition of the MMA Fighting Global Rankings below.

HEAVYWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 8 Curtis Blaydes def. No. 7 Waldo Cortes-Acosta, No. 9 Rizvan Kuniev def. Tyrell Fortune, Evgeny Goncharov def. No. 12 Jailton Almeida, Vitor Petrino def. No. 13 Serghei Spivac, No. 15 Valter Walker def. Thomas Peterson

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Ciryl Gane vs. No. 6 Josh Hokit (UFC 334, Nov. 14), No. 11 Vadim Nemkov vs. Sergey Bilostenniy (PFL Dubai, Nov. 14)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Serghei Spivac (4), Ante Delija (2), Alex Pereira (1), Brando Pericic (1), Mario Pinto (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 13 Serghei Spivac, No. 14 Ante Delija

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 3 Magomed Ankalaev def. No. 12 Bogdan Guskov, Navajo Stirling def. No. 6 Jan Blachowicz, No. 12 MW Robert Whittaker def. No. 14 Nikita Krylov vs. No. 12 MW Robert Whittaker, No. 15 Aleksandar Rakic def. Marcin Tybura (heavyweight bout)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Bogdan Guskov (4), Muhammad Saidov (1), Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 12 Bogdan Guskov, No. 15 Aleksandar Rakic (moved to heavyweight)

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 3 Dricus du Plessis def. No. 10 WW Kamaru Usman, No. 12 Robert Whittaker def. No. 14 LHW Nikita Krylov, No. 13 Johnny Eblen def. Impa Kasanganay, Christian Leroy Duncan def. No. 14 Jared Cannonier

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui (UFC 334, Nov. 14), No. 6 Brendan Allen vs. No. 11 Christian Leroy Duncan (UFC Vegas 122, Oct. 10)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Michael Page (3), Yousri Belgaroui (1), Shara Bullet (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 8 Reinier de Ridder (moved to light heavyweight), No. 12 Robert Whittaker (moved to light heavyweight)

WELTERWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Islam Makhachev def. No. 3 (tied) Ian Machado Garry, No. 15 Uros Medic def. Daniel Rodriguez (UFC Belgrade, Aug. 1), No. 3 MW Dricus du Plessis def. No. 10 Kamaru Usman

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 6 Gabriel Bonfim vs. No. 8 Sean Brady (UFC Vegas 124, Nov. 7), No. 12 Uros Medic vs. Kevin Holland (UFC 334, Nov. 14), No. 15 Joaquin Buckley vs. Mike Malott (UFC Edmonton, Oct. 17)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Neil Magny (1), Mike Malott (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 2 Shavkat Rakhmonov (inactivity)

LIGHTWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 (tied) Arman Tsarukyan def. No. 10 Mauricio Ruffy, No. 5 Max Holloway def. Conor McGregor (welterweight bout), No. 6 Usman Nurmagomedov def. Archie Colgan, No. 12 Paddy Pimblett def. No. 7 Benoit Saint Denis, Salahdine Parnasse def. No. 8 Dan Hooker, No. 13 Quillan Salkilld def. No. 9 Mateusz Gamrot, No. 14 Rafael Fiziev def. Manuel Torres

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Renato Moicano (3), King Green (1), Tofiq Musayev (1), Tom Nolan (1), Chris Padilla (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 15 Renato Moicano

FEATHERWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 6 Jean Silva def. Jose Miguel Delgado, No. 14 Razhabali Shaidulloev def. A.J. McKee, No. 15 Patricio Pitbull def. Doo Ho Choi

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Alexander Volkanovski vs. No. 2 Movsar Evloev (UFC 333, Oct. 24), No. 12 Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita (UFC 333, Oct. 24)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Josh Emmett (1), Movlid Khaybulaev (1), Pat Sabatini (1)

BANTAMWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 7 Song Yadong def. No. 3 Umar Nurmagomedov, No. 6 Mario Bautista def. No. 5 Cory Sandhagen, No. 9 David Martinez def. Dan Ige, No. 13 Marlon Vera def. Charles Jourdain

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Petr Yan vs. No. 2 Merab Dvalishvili (UFC 333, Oct. 24), No. 10 Mitch McKee vs. Taylor Lapilus (PFL Lyon), No. 11 Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Payton Talbott (UFC 332, Oct. 3), No. 13 Raoni Barcelos vs. Raul Rosas Jr. (UFC Vegas 121, Sept. 26), No. 14 Sergio Pettis vs. Joji Goto (PFL Dubai, Nov. 14), No. 15 Marcus McGhee vs. Bernardo Sopaj (UFC 332, Oct. 3)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Farid Basharat (3), Rob Font (2), Magomed Magomedov (1), Raul Rosas Jr. (1), Payton Talbott (1), Jakub Wiklacz (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 15 Rob Font

FLYWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Joshua Van def. No. 1 Alexandre Pantoja, No. 4 Manel Kape def. No. 3 Kyoji Horiguchi, No. 6 Brandon Royval def. No. 8 Lone’er Kavanagh, No. 9 Brandon Moreno def. Joseph Morales, Ramazan Temirov def. No. 14 Steve Erceg, No. 11 Asu Almabayev def. No. 15 Charles Johnson, Sumudaerji def. No. 13 Alex Perez, No. 15 Charles Johnson def. Eduardo Chapolin

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 8 Lone’er Kavanagh vs. No. 12 Ramazan Temirov (UFC 333, Oct. 24)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Charles Johnson (3), Tim Elliott (2), Tagir Ulanbekov (2), Avazbek Kholmirzaev (1), Alex Perez (1), Rei Tsuruya (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 13 Alex Perez, No. 15 Charles Johnson

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Luana Santos def. No. 8 Karol Rosa, No. 12 Bia Mesquita def. Melissa Mullins, No. 14 Nora Cornolle def. Klaudia Sygula

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes (UFC 334, Nov. 14), No. 3 (tied) Norma Dumont vs. No. 6 Ailin Perez (UFC Vegas 121, Sept. 26), No. 10 Bia Mesquita vs. No. 13 Macy Chiasson (UFC 334, Nov. 14)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Melissa Croden (4), Lucia Szabova (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 15 Melissa Croden

WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 5 Alexa Grasso def. No. 2 Manon Fiorot, No. 6 Dakota Ditcheva def. Denise Kielholtz, No. 7 Liz Carmouche def. Viviane Araujo, Sabrinna de Sousa def. No. 11 Taila Santos, Wang Cong def. No. 12 Tracy Cortez

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Natalia Silva vs. No. 13 Wang Cong (UFC 332, Oct. 3), No. 5 Erin Blanchfield vs. No. 9 Jasmine Jasudavicius (UFC Edmonton, Oct. 17), No. 7 Liz Carmouche vs. Jena Biship (PFL Chicago, Oct. 16)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Tracy Cortez (2), Jena Bishop (1), Carli Judice (1), Miranda Maverick (1), Karine Silva (1), Regina Tarin (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 12 Tracy Cortez, No. 14 Miranda Maverick, No. 15 Karine Silva

STRAWWEIGHT

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Mackenzie Dern def. No. 6 Gillian Robertson, No. 13 Denise Gomes def. No. 4 Yan Xiaonan, No. 12 Alexia Thainara def. No. 7 Amanda Lemos, No. 14 Fatima Kline def. No. 10 Tabatha Ricci

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Virna Jandiroba vs. No. 3 Tatiana Suarez (UFC Vegas 124, Nov. 7), No. 8 Loopy Godinez vs. Ketlen Souza (UFC Vegas 122, Oct. 10), No. 14 Piera Rodriguez vs. Talita Alencar (UFC Vegas 123, Oct. 31)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Talita Alencar (2), Jaqueline Amorim (2), Angela Hill (2)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 15 (tied) Jaqueline Amorim, No. 15 (tied) Angela Hill

A refresher on the ground rules:

The five-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout in a given weight class. Updates to the rankings are typically completed following each month’s UFC pay-per-view.
Should a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will decide whether that fighter should immediately be removed from the rankings or maintain their position until further notice. (Let’s put it this way: We’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings a lot quicker than the UFC did.)
Holding a promotion’s title does not guarantee that fighter will be viewed as the best in their promotion. Additionally, fighters who regularly compete or hold titles in multiple weight classes are eligible to be ranked in multiple lists.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.

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