There’s been plenty of upheaval in the UFC rankings following UFC Baku last Saturday night, but the biggest changes come from Dana White’s post-fight press conference announcement that Jon Jones has officially retired.
Let’s take a look at the biggest movers and shakers in this week’s UFC rankings.
All Change in the Pound-for-Pound Top 15
Jon Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) had been sitting in the No. 3 spot on the pound-for-pound list but is no longer eligible now that he's officially retired. His departure shifts a large portion of the list upward, with new heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) being the biggest beneficiary—jumping three spots to No. 8.
Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who is preparing to face Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 in August, enters the list at No. 15.
Khalil Rountree Jr.
Following his impressive win over former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill in Saturday’s main event, Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) has climbed three spots and now sits at No. 4 in the 205-pound rankings. Hill (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC), now on a three-fight losing streak, drops two spots to No. 6.
Rafael Fiziev
After snapping his three-fight skid with a win over Ignacio Bahamondes, Rafael Fiziev (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) moves up one spot to break into the top 10 at lightweight. Renato Moicano—who is scheduled to face Beneil Dariush at UFC 317 this weekend—slips to No. 11.
A New Addition to the Heavyweight Rankings
Jon Jones has also been removed from the heavyweight top 15, with Tom Aspinall now officially listed as the UFC heavyweight champion. Despite losing his UFC debut to Curtis Blaydes on Saturday, Rizvan Kuniev (13-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) enters the rankings at No. 15.
