Following UFC 301, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.
In the main event of UFC 301 at Rio Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja denied challenger Steve Erceg to maintain his position as No. 1.
The co-main event produced the biggest move of the week. Former UFC champion Jose Aldo returned to action to fight on home soil, facing Jonathan Martinez. It was a vintage performance from Aldo, who won every round on the scorecards. After his removal from the rankings due to a brief retirement from MMA, Aldo reenters the top 10, landing at No. 7. Martinez, who entered as an honorable mention, maintains his status there.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Ranking Criteria
The rankings take into account a fighter's wins/losses, quality of competition, finishing rate/dominance and frequency of fights.
Fighters are no longer eligible to be ranked after they've been inactive for 24 months, either due to injuries, drug/conduct suspensions, contract disputes or self-imposed hiatuses.
Fighters serving drug/conduct suspensions are eligible to be ranked, so long as they're not inactive for more than 24 months.
To the best of our ability, fighters will be ranked in their primary weight class. Catchweight fights and bouts outside the fighter's primary weight class can have a positive or negative impact on the ranking. However, non-titleholders can be ranked in only one weight class at a given time, and in most cases, they won't be ranked in a new weight class until they've had their first fight at that weight.
