The fallout from UFC 314 continues, with major changes taking place at the top of the official UFC rankings across several divisions.
Paddy Pimblett is the biggest mover following his statement victory over Michael Chandler in Saturday's main event. Pimblett climbs four spots in the lightweight rankings to land at No. 8, while Chandler drops five places to No. 13 following his third consecutive loss.
The move could pave the way for a blockbuster matchup against one of the division’s elite in Pimblett’s next outing. With Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier (ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively) rumored to be facing each other, it’s likely Pimblett’s next opponent could come from the top three: Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, or Arman Tsarukyan.
Also in the lightweight rankings, Joel Alvarez —who is set to face Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 315 next month—replaces Ignacio Bahamondes at No. 15.
Jean Silva Enters Featherweight Rankings
A multitude of changes have taken place at 145 pounds, the most notable being Jean Silva’s entry into the rankings at No. 11 following his submission win over Bryce Mitchell on Saturday. Mitchell, previously ranked No. 13, has now dropped out of the rankings entirely.
Ilia Topuria remains in the featherweight standings despite vacating his title and announcing his move up to 155 pounds. "La Leyenda" slides to No. 3, while three big names inside the top ten each move up one spot: Arnold Allen climbs to No. 6, Diego Lopes moves to No. 2, and Max Holloway takes over the top spot at No. 1.
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has also risen two places in the pound-for-pound rankings, overtaking Alexandre Pantoja and Tom Aspinall to claim the No. 9 position.
In the women’s strawweight division, Virna Jandiroba is now the No. 1 contender following her dominant win over former title challenger Yan Xiaonan. Meanwhile, Dominick Reyes returns to the light heavyweight top ten after securing his third straight victory. “The Dominator” knocked out Nikita Krylov in Saturday’s main card opener—a result that sees the Ukrainian fall to No. 10.
