Following UFC 304, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.
In the main event at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England, Belal Muhammad had his crowning moment by dominating Leon Edwards to become the new UFC welterweight champion.
Entering the week at No. 3 in the welterweight rankings, Muhammad’s title win places him at No. 1, knocking Edwards down one spot.
The co-feature produced an unprecedented move in the heavyweight rankings.
Tom Aspinall successfully defended his interim heavyweight title by knocking out Curtis Blaydes in just one minute. Aspinall is an active and dominant force in the heavyweight division, and he has overtaken Jon Jones for the No. 1 spot.
Jones, the current champion, has not fought in over 16 months, and his next fight in the works will not be a title unification bout. Aspinall has appeared three times since Jones’ heavyweight debut and has finished each opponent in the first round.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.
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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.
