Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Kevin Lee sent a message to the rest of the lightweight division in the UFC Fight Night 128 headliner.

“The Motown Phenom” overwhelmed Edson Barboza with takedowns and vicious ground-and-pound, survived one harrowing spinning back kick and ultimately earned a fifth-round stoppage of his Brazilian opponent. Perhaps the only blemish on Lee’s performance was his inability to make weight one day prior. Still, thanks to the finish, something Khabib Nurmagomedov couldn’t do against Barboza in a three-round affair, Lee vaults to No. 5 in our lightweight rankings.

Meanwhile, Frankie Edgar showed that he still has plenty left in the tank following a brutal knockout loss to Brian Ortega, as he earned a sweep of the scorecards in a rematch against Cub Swanson in the UFC Fight Night 128 co-main event. With the win, Edgar holds steady at No. 4 in our featherweight rankings. Elsewhere, David Branch solidified his spot in the middleweight poll with an emphatic first-round knockout of bubble lister Thiago Santos for his second win in his last three Octagon appearances.

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