Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Dustin Poirier is still hanging around near the top of the lightweight division.

Faced with a dangerous matchup against all-action fighter Michael Chandler at UFC 281, “The Diamond” weathered an early storm and prevailed for a third-round submission victory at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday. The triumph allows Poirier to keep his No. 3 ranking at 155 pounds and despite two previous losses in title bouts, he still has hope for a third opportunity. That’s because the men who defeated him — Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov — are no longer atop the weight class. He figures to be an interested observer when Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski square off in the UFC 284 headliner.

UFC 281 also saw new champions crowned at middleweight and strawweight, which allowed Alex Pereira and Weili Zhang to ascend to the top of their respective divisions. Elsewhere, Dan Hooker shook off a slump to stop Claudio Puelles and remain in the Top 10 at 155 pounds, while former light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes continued his skid, falling to Ryan Spann via first-round knockout to exit the 205-pound rankings entirely. Finally, Erin Blanchfield’s dominant victory against Molly McCann allows her to debut in the female flyweight poll at No. 14.

In housekeeping news, fifth-ranked featherweight Felicia Spencer has officially been retired for a year, which results in her removal from the rankings. That allows Josiane Nunes to make her debut on the 145-pound bubble. Keep an eye out for more changes in the rankings at that weight class in the weeks to come, as a couple more athletes are scheduled for removal in the very near future.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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