UFC 317 delivered beyond expectations. After back-to-back cards in Atlanta and Azerbaijan that struggled to produce memorable moments, Saturday’s pay-per-view event reignited the excitement of MMA with the kind of action that reminds us why we fell in love with the sport in the first place.
Now that the dust has settled, it’s time to break down the biggest movers and shakers in the UFC rankings following UFC 317.
Ilia Topuria Claims the No. 1 Spot
If there were any lingering doubts about Ilia Topuria’s status as one of the most elite talents to ever step inside the Octagon, his emphatic knockout of Charles Oliveira in Saturday’s main event surely put them to rest.
Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) became just the 10th fighter in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes—and the first to do so while remaining undefeated. That accomplishment vaulted him past both Merab Dvalishvili and Islam Makhachev to claim the top spot in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.
With Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) expected to face newly crowned welterweight champ Jack Della Maddalena later this year, talk of a potential superfight between Makhachev and Topuria has cooled for now. But once that bout is out of the way, expect the demand for a clash between the two champions to ramp up quickly.
Flyweights on the Rise
By dismantling Kai Kara-France in Saturday’s co-main event, UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (30-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) reminded the world just how dominant he truly is.
“The Cannibal” has now defended his title four times, and his latest win sees him climb four spots in the pound-for-pound rankings—leapfrogging names like Alexander Volkanovski and Tom Aspinall to land at No. 5.
Meanwhile, Joshua Van (15-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) catapulted himself into title contention after emerging victorious in a surefire Fight of the Year candidate against Brandon Royval. Van jumped an astounding 11 spots in the flyweight rankings to become the division’s new No. 1 contender.
Tracy Cortez on the Climb
The only other ranking shift following UFC 317 came in the women’s flyweight division. Tracy Cortez (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) moved up two spots to No. 8 after her decision win over Viviane Araujo (13-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC). Araujo, by contrast, slipped from eighth to tenth.
