Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Following his main-event victory against Jorge Masvidal at Nov. 28’s UFC Fight Night in South Korea, Benson Henderson has been removed from the Sherdog.com divisional rankings.

Wait, what?

Yes, Henderson’s latest win comes at a transitional moment in the former 155-pound world champion’s career. Having hit a dead end in his quest to reclaim the UFC lightweight belt -- and having already succeeded at welterweight in a short-notice February bout with Brandon Thatch -- “Smooth” seems prepared to roll on as a 170-pounder.

With back-to-back fights in his new division, Henderson has become ineligible for the lightweight top 10, a list he has occupied since his time in World Extreme Cagefighting. However, wins over unranked Thatch and Masvidal -- another upsized 155er -- also fail to qualify for a spot in the deep welterweight top 10, leaving Henderson without a home for the moment.

The exit of former No. 4 Henderson moves lightweights ranked five through 10 up one spot, while the vacant bottom rank allows for the return of Edson Barboza. Taking Barboza’s place on the list of 155-pound contenders is Adriano Martins.

In other activity: Mamed Khalidov re-enters the middleweight top 10 after claiming his 11th straight win with a knockout of Michal Materla at KSW 33, knocking Derek Brunson from the list; Dong Hyun Kim notched a decisive stoppage of late replacement Dominic Waters in Seoul, keeping the “Stun Gun” on the list of welterweight contenders; and Poland’s Karol Bedorf makes his first appearance on the heavyweight contenders list, replacing Frank Mir.

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