UFC rankings update: Nassourdine Imavov climbs up middleweight ladder after UFC Vegas 85 win, Roman Dolidze falls two places 

Nassourdine Imavov's UFC Vegas 85 triumph over Roman Dolidze has led to a UFC rankings update at middleweight. The Dagestani-Frenchman has been bumped up to the No.8 position from No.11. Meanwhile, his opponent fell two spots from No.8 to No.10 in the recent divisional shake-up.

However, this isn't the only change in the promotional rankings. Women's flyweight contender Natália Silva, who is currently undefeated in the promotion, ascended to the No.7 ranking, moving up two spots. Her opponent, Viviane Araújo, however, has fallen two spots to No.9.

Curiously, there was nearly no change to the lightweight rankings following the clash between Renato Moicano and Drew Dober, which was punctuated by an outrageous post-fight interview from the victorious Brazilian. Neither Moicano nor Dober moved up or down a position.

Instead, Benoît Saint Denis, who is scheduled to face former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 299, fell down a spot to No.12 just outside the top 10, putting him nearly 10 spots away from his UFC 299 opponent, as 'The Diamond' is currently the No.3-ranked lightweight on the roster.

Nevertheless, both middleweight and women's flyweight will now be on the lookout for Imavov and Silva. Imavov showcased improved veteran savy during his bout with Dolidze, while Silva remains unbeaten at 125 pounds. Fans are eager to see if she can translate her success inside the octagon into a future title shot.

She is now on an 11-fight win streak, and perhaps two or three more wins would earn her a crack at the women's flyweight crown. Imavov, however, has a long way to go before he can even think of eyeing the middleweight title, given how many other fighters are currently hovering around the 185-pound title scene.

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Is there another UFC middleweight headliner this coming weekend?

Fans of the middleweight division will be happy to know that there is another card set to headline this coming weekend. 185-pound grappler extraordinaire Jack Hermansson will take on Joe Pyfer in the UFC Fight Night 236 main event. The bout is a pivotal one for the Norwegian Swede.

'The Joker' previously lost to Roman Dolidze, who headlined last weekend's card. He will be looking for a rebound win, given his win-loss run of form as of late. Not since 2019 has Hermansson been on a win streak, much to his frustration.