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The UFC has released its latest official rankings update following UFC Saudi Arabia, which took place this past weekend at the ANB Arena in Riyadh. The Fight Night event's headliner saw Nassourdine Imavov secure a stunning second-round knockout victory over former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
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A recent report from MMA journalist John Morgan revealed significant changes in the UFC 185-pound rankings following Imavov’s victory. 'The Sniper' surged three spots to claim the No. 2 ranking, shaking up the entire 185-pound division.
Adesanya, now on a three-fight skid, dropped two places to No. 4, while Robert Whittaker slid to No. 5. Jared Cannonier swapped spots with Marvin Vettori, moving up to No. 7. Meanwhile, Michel Pereira climbed two places to No. 13, and both Roman Kopylov and Bo Nickal made their rankings debut at No. 14 and No. 15, respectively.
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Shamil Gaziev, who scored a first-round walk-off knockout against Thomas Petersen on the UFC Saudi Arabia prelims, climbed three spots to secure the No. 11 spot in the UFC heavyweight rankings. The division also saw Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, and Waldo Cortes-Acosta each move up one place, landing at No. 9, No. 10, and No. 12, respectively.
Meanwhile, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, following a one-sided unanimous decision loss to Sergei Pavlovich, was removed from the rankings alongside Marcos Rogerio de Lima. Their exits made room for previously unranked Don'Tale Mayes and Jhonata Diniz to break into the top 15, while Mick Parkin jumped two spots to claim the No. 13 ranking.
Elsewhere on the UFC Saudi Arabia card, Jasmine Jasudavicius secured a unanimous decision win over Mayra Bueno Silva, propelling her three spots up the women's flyweight rankings to No. 9. Viviane Araujo also moved up to No. 8, while Tracy Cortez settled at No. 10.
Further down the division, Karine Silva, Ariane da Silva, and Miranda Maverick each climbed two places, landing at No. 11, No. 12, and No. 13, respectively. Meanwhile, Casey O'Neill and Bueno Silva entered the top 15 of the 125-pound rankings.
Lastly, Ailin Perez's unanimous decision victory over Karol Rosa at UFC 311 lifted her four spots to No. 7 in the women's bantamweight rankings. This shake-up caused a ripple effect, with Bueno Silva, Rosa, Yana Santos, and Miesha Tate each dropping one spot to No. 8, No. 9, No. 10, and No. 11, respectively.
What is the upcoming UFC event after UFC Saudi Arabia?
Following the conclusion of UFC Saudi Arabia, the premier MMA organization is gearing up for its second pay-per-view event of 2025, UFC 312. The event is scheduled to take place on Feb. 8 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
UFC 312 will showcase two championship matchups at the top of the card. In the main event, reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will square off against Sean Strickland in a highly anticipated rematch. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili will put her title on the line against undefeated Tatiana Suarez.
