MMA Divisional Rankings: Tom Aspinall tightens grip on No. 1 heavyweight spot

Within the ever-shifting MMA panorama, rating the world’s biggest fighters would possibly seem to be a idiot’s errand, however that’s precisely what we’ve got down to do with the MMA Preventing International Rankings. Right here, our esteemed panel kinds out the movers and shakers from each division to offer you probably the most definitive listing of the most effective fighters on the planet.

Up to date pound-for-pound rankings might be discovered right here.

There’s loads of motion up and down the divisions to speak about, with Belal Muhammad ascending to the highest of the welterweight mountain, Kyoji Horiguchi as soon as once more rising as a two-division menace, Alexander Volkov upsetting Sergei Pavlovich to make an absolute mess of the heavyweight rankings, Nassourdine Imavov and Macy Chiasson claiming top-five spots with breakthrough performances, and flyweight contenders Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape each by some means hurting their inventory following a dud of a grudge match at UFC 304.

But it surely was really a much less seen transfer that intrigues us probably the most this month, as Tom Aspinall additional established himself as the most effective heavyweight on the planet with a 60-second drubbing of Curtis Blaydes. Neglect the interim tag on his belt and the upcoming Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic vainness battle, Aspinall is the person to beat in his division till confirmed in any other case.

All seven of our panelists put Aspinall at No. 1 on their ballots, with the final Jones holdovers lastly seeing match to alter allegiances. Which means that is the primary time within the historical past of our rankings that Jones doesn’t have a single No. 1 vote to his identify after beforehand receiving such assist within the heavyweight, mild heavyweight, and males’s pound-for-pound charts.

Is that this a real altering of the guard? Ought to Jones be getting extra respect? Or does Jones must undergo Aspinall to regain his spot now?

All eyes are on Jones now as his subsequent battle can’t come quickly sufficient.

Take a look at the whole July rankings beneath.

Heavyweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 1 Tom Aspinall def. No. 4 Curtis Blaydes, No. 7 Alexander Volkov def. No. 3 Sergei Pavlovich, No. 14 Phil De Fries def. Augusto Sakai

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 3 Alexander Volkov vs. No. 6 Ciryl Gane (UFC 308, Oct. 26), No. 8 Marcin Tybura vs. No. 10 Serghei Spivac (UFC Vegas 95, Aug. 10), No. 9 Tai Tuivasa vs. No. 15 Jairzinho Rozenstruik (UFC 305, Aug. 17), No. 12 Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reug Reug (ONE Struggle Night time 28, Nov. 8)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Derrick Lewis (4), Linton Vassell (4), Ryan Bader (1), Mick Parkin (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): N/A

Gentle Heavyweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 1 Alex Pereira def. No. 2 Jiri Prochazka, Roman Dolidze def. No. 13 Anthony Smith, No. 15 Volkan Oezdemir def. No. 8 Johnny Walker

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 15 Azamat Murzakanov vs. Alonzo Menifield (UFC Abu Dhabi, Aug. 3)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Rob Wilkinson (3), Bogdan Guskov (2), Roman Dolidze (2), Alonzo Menifield (1), Dominick Reyes (1), Anthony Smith (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): No. 13 Anthony Smith

Middleweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 4 Robert Whittaker def. Ikram Aliskerov, No. 11 Nassourdine Imavov def. No. 5 Jared Cannonier

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 1 Dricus du Plessis vs. No. 3 Israel Adesanya (UFC 305, Aug. 17), No. 5 (tied) Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards (Bellator London, Sept. 14), No. 5 (tied) Nassourdine Imavov vs. No. 9 Brendan Allen (UFC Paris, Sept. 28), No. 13 Michel Pereira vs. No. 15 Anthony Hernandez (UFC Struggle Night time, Oct. 19)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Caio Borralho (3), Jack Hermansson (2), Ikram Aliskerov (1), Chris Curtis (1), Fabian Edwards (1), Impa Kasanganay (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): N/A

Welterweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 4 Belal Muhammad def. No. 1 Leon Edwards, Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. No. 7 Jason Jackson, No. 8 Ian Machado Garry def. No. 13 (tied) Michael Web page

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 6 Gilbert Burns vs. No. 9 Sean Brady (UFC Struggle Night time, Sept. 7)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Colby Covington (1), Rinat Fakhretdinov (1), Vicente Luque (1), Magomed Magomedkerimov (1), Shamil Musaev (1), Magomed Umalatov (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): No. 15 Vicente Luque

Light-weight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): N/A

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 7 Usman Nurmagomedov vs. No. 15 Alexander Shabliy (Bellator San Diego, Sept. 7), No. 9 Mateusz Gamrot vs. No. 12 Dan Hooker (UFC 305, Aug. 17), No. 11 Renato Moicano vs. No. 13 (tied) Benoit Saint Denis (UFC Paris, Sept. 28)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Paddy Pimblett (4), Jalin Turner (1), Matt Frevola (1), Drew Dober (1), Tofiq Musayev (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): N/A

Featherweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 7 Arnold Allen def. No. 13 Giga Chikadze, No. 14 Diego Lopes def. Dan Ige (165-pound catchweight bout)

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 4 Movsar Evloev vs. No. 10 Aljamain Sterling (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 5 Brian Ortega vs. No. 11 Diego Lopes (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 13 Calvin Kattar vs. Kyle Nelson (UFC Struggle Night time, Sept. 7)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Lerone Murphy (3), Chihiro Suzuki (2), Movlid Khaybulaev (1), Bryce Mitchell (1), Adam Borics (1), Joanderson Brito (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): N/A

Bantamweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 4 (FLW) Kyoji Horiguchi def. No. 7 Sergio Pettis

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 1 Sean O’Malley vs. No. 2 Merab Dvalishvili (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 3 Patchy Combine vs. Leandro Higo (Bellator Paris, Nov. 16), No. 4 Cory Sandhagen vs. No. 8 Umar Nurmagomedov (UFC Abu Dhabi, Aug. 3), No. 9 (tied) Deiveson Figueiredo vs. No. 12 Marlon Vera, No. 15 Raufeon Stots vs. Marcos Breno (UFC San Diego, Sept. 7)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Magomed Magomedov (2), Jonathan Martinez (2), Kai Asakura (1), Mario Bautista (1), Kyler Phillips (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): No. 15 Magomed Magomedov

Flyweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 4 Kyoji Horiguchi def. Sergio Pettis (bantamweight bout), No. 13 Tatsuro Taira def. No. 12 Alex Perez, No. 9 (tied) Muhammad Mokaev def. No. 9 (tied) Manel Kape

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 7 (tied) Kai Kara-France vs. No. 11 Steve Erceg (UFC 305, Aug. 17)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Hiromasa Ougikubo (2), Asu Almabayev (1), Askar Akarov (1), Kairat Akhmetov (1), Azamat Kerefov (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): N/A

Girls’s Bantamweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 8 Macy Chiasson def. No. 3 Mayra Bueno Silva

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 6 Irene Aldana vs. No. 12 Norma Dumont (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 8 Karol Rosa vs. No. 10 Pannie Kianzad (UFC Vegas 95, Aug. 10), No. 9 Yana Santos vs. Chelsea Chandler (UFC Vegas 95, Aug. 10), No. 14 Nora Cornolle vs. Germaine de Randamie (UFC Paris, Sept. 28)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Tainara Lisboa (2), Melissa Mullins (2), Lucie Pudilova (2), Julia Avila (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): N/A

Girls’s Flyweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 5 Taila Santos def. Jena Bishop, No. 6 Liz Carmouche def. Kana Watanabe, No. 10 Rose Namajunas def. Tracy Cortez

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 1 Alexa Grasso vs. No. 2 Valentina Shevchenko (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 5 Taila Santos vs. No. 6 Liz Carmouche (PFL 7, Aug. 2), No. 10 Natalia Silva vs. No. 14 Jessica Andrade (UFC Struggle Night time, Sept. 7), No. 15 Jennifer Maia vs. Mayra Cantuaria (Invicta FC 56, Aug. 9)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Karine Silva (4), Ariane da Silva (2), Jena Bishop (1), Kana Watanabe (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): N/A

Strawweight

Latest outcomes for ranked fighters (earlier rating proven): No. 6 Virna Jandiroba def. No. 5 Amanda Lemos, No. 13 Gillian Robertson def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez

Upcoming bouts that includes ranked fighters: No. 4 Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva (flyweight bout) (UFC Struggle Night time, Sept. 7), No. 7 Marina Rodriguez vs. No. 14 Iasmin Lucindo (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 8 Mackenzie Dern vs. No. 10 Crazy Godinez (UFC Abu Dhabi, Aug. 3), No. 11 Angela Hill vs. No. 12 Tabatha Ricci (UFC Struggle Night time, Aug. 24)

Fighters additionally receiving votes (variety of poll appearances proven): Loma Lookboonmee (4), Karolina Kowalkiewicz (2), Danni McCormack (1), Tecia Pennington (1)

Falling out of the rankings (earlier rating proven): N/A

A refresher on the bottom guidelines:

• The seven-person voting panel consists of MMA Preventing staffers Shaheen Al-Shatti, Alexander Ok. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, E. Casey Leydon, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
• Fighters will probably be faraway from the rankings if they don’t compete inside 18 months of their most up-to-date bout. Updates to the rankings are usually accomplished following every month’s UFC pay-per-view.
• Ought to a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will resolve whether or not that fighter ought to instantly be faraway from the rankings or keep their place till additional discover. (Let’s put it this fashion: We’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings lots faster than the UFC did.)
• Holding a promotion’s title doesn’t assure that fighter will probably be considered as the most effective of their promotion. Moreover, fighters who often compete or maintain titles in a number of weight courses are eligible to be ranked in a number of lists.

Ideas? Questions? Considerations? Make your voice heard within the feedback beneath.