Stock Up, Stock Down: B/R UFC Rankings After UFC 288

UFC 288, which went down on Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey, is now in the rear-view mirror, which means it's time for another update to B/R's pound-for-pound UFC rankings.

While the card was widely criticized for its lack of big names, it had plenty of relevance in terms of our rankings, as the main event saw bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling—our No. 8-ranked male fighter—defending his belt against a former pound-for-pound star in Henry Cejudo.

A win for either man had the potential to change our rankings, and in the end, it was Sterling who cemented himself as one of the sport's pound-for-pound kings with a split-decision win.

Jessica Andrade, a staple of our women's pound-for-pound rankings, was also in action on the card, taking on a rising contender Yan Xiaonan. A win likely wouldn't have improved her position much, but she was ultimately knocked out in the first round, which has affected her spot on women's rankings everywhere.

Keep scrolling to see where everyone has landed in the wake of the card.

Men: Nos 10-6

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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 06: (R-L) Aljamain Sterling kicks Henry Cejudo in the UFC bantamweight championship fight during the UFC 288 event at Prudential Center on May 06, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

10. Brandon Moreno

9. Alex Pereira

8. Charles Oliveira

7. Kamaru Usman

6. Aljamain Sterling

It's time to put some respect on Aljamain Sterling's name.

After his hard-fought decision win over Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, he has now defended the bantamweight title three times—the most of any bantamweight champion in the promotion's history.

The win affirmed what even Sterling's most steadfast haters are coming to realize: He is not only the best bantamweight in the world but also one of the very best fighters in any weight class.

The big question, as far as our rankings were concerned, was how far he'd jump after beating Cejudo, who only disappeared from the pound-for-pound conversation because he was retired for three years.

We're giving Sterling a big bump.

He moved from No. 8 to No. 6, passing former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, both of whom have now gone some time without a victory.

This is definitely a what have you done for me lately sport, and Sterling has definitely been doing a lot for us lately.

Men: Nos. 5-1

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PERTH, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 12: (R-L) Islam Makhachev of Russia and Alexander Volkanovski of Australia talk after their UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 284 event at RAC Arena on February 12, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

5. Leon Edwards

4. Israel Adesanya

3. Islam Makhachev

2. Jon Jones

1. Alexander Volkanovski

The top half of our men's rankings are unchanged following UFC 288, but if Sterling keeps winning, it's just a matter of time before he crashes into this esteemed section of the list.

We could also see some other big changes soon, as our pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski will attempt to defend his featherweight belt against Mexico's Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 in July. A win in that fight will only reaffirm that the Aussie champion is the best fighter around right now, but a loss—as unlikely as it may be—will send a shockwave through our rankings.

Unfortunately, that's where the potential for change ends right now. None of the other fighters in our Top 5 currently have fights booked.

Women: Nos. 10-6

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Yan Xiaonan knocks out Jessica Andrade.

10. Jessica Andrade

9. Manon Fiorot

8. Amanda Lemos

7. Julianna Peña

6. Erin Blanchfield

Had Jessica Andrade beaten Yan Xiaonan at UFC 288, she probably would have stayed put in our rankings. She was No. 7 before the card, and even an impressive victory wouldn't have been enough to push her past our sixth-ranked fighter, Erin Blanchfield, whom she lost to via submission in February.

Yet, as anyone who's been paying attention knows, Andrade didn't win at UFC 288. Instead, she got a taste of her own medicine, suffering a brutal first-round knockout loss to her Chinese foe.

The big question after the fight was whether the win over Andrade was enough to push Yan into our women's pound-for-pound top 10. In the end, after serious deliberation, we decided it wasn't.
While the win was her second in a row—she beat Mackenzie Dern by decision in her next most recent fight—her two-fight win streak was preceded by two straight losses to Marina Rodriguez and Carla Esparza.

That skid is a bit too fresh in the mind to give her a spot on this list, but another impressive win should change that—especially if it comes against strawweight champ Zhang Weili, which is possible.

While we decided not to add Yan to our rankings just yet, we had to adjust Andrade's position. After a second consecutive loss, she is now clinging to the rankings in the No. 10 spot. Another loss and she's gone. An impressive win from another contender will most likely cause her exit too.

Women: Nos. 5-1

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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 05: Two-division champion Amanda Nunes is seen on stage during the UFC 289 press conference at Prudential Center on May 05, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

5. Alexa Grasso

4. Zhang Weili

3. Rose Namajunas

2. Valentina Shevchenko

1. Amanda Nunes

There are no changes to report on the top half of our or women's pound-for-pound list. However, there is some potential for change in the near future, as our No. 1 fighter, two-division champion Amanda Nunes, is set to defend her bantamweight title against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 next month.

Nunes is already in the top spot on our list, so her beating Aldana won't change anything. But in the unlikely event that she loses to the Mexican boxing specialist, we will definitely have to give our top 5 a facelift.