Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Sean Strickland continues to hang around near the top of the middleweight division.

One bout removed from losing the 185-pound belt, Strickland reminded the world why he’s such a difficult matchup in the UFC 302 co-main event, as he confounded Paulo Costa for the better part of five rounds in a split-decision triumph — one that probably should have been unanimous on all three judges’ scorecards. Strickland maintains his No. 3 ranking at 185 pounds, and it seems increasingly likely that another title shot could be in the future for the Xtreme Couture standout, though he may have to wait for a rumored booking between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya before that happens.

Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev survived a tougher-than-expected test from Dustin Poirier before authoring his third successful title defense with a fifth-round submission triumph in the UFC 302 headliner. Makhachev now boasts a 14-bout UFC winning streak — the third-longest in promotion history — and he remains the clear No. 1 at 155 pounds. Whether his next fight occurs at lightweight or welterweight remains to be seen, though he has another intriguing challenge in Arman Tsarukyan waiting in the wings.

Elsewhere, Jailton Almeida shook off a second-round knockout loss to Curtis Blaydes, as he submitted Alexander Romanov in the opening stanza of their preliminary heavyweight bout at UFC 302. While the loss to Blaydes may have temporarily slowed the Brazilian’s climb to title contention, “Malhadinho” continues to build an impressive resume in the big man’s division, which makes him worthy of his No. 8 ranking. In other action, Grant Dawson put forth a workman-like effort in a decision triumph over Joe Solecki, which allows the American Top Team export to maintain his No. 15 ranking at 155 pounds.

In housekeeping news, there remains no word regarding Carla Esparza’s next UFC fight after an extended hiatus that began when she announced her pregnancy. Due to that absence, “Cookie Monster” exits the No. 2 spot at strawweight, while Angela Hill, who has won four of her last five, enters the 115-pound bubble.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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