UFC Rankings for Each Weight Division Following UFC Fight for the Troops 3

Army Ranger Tim Kennedy picked up an emotional win on Wednesday, stopping Rafael Natal with a left hook in front of fellow U.S. military members at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.

While it was a memorable victory on a special night, Kennedy was expected to beat Natal. The Brazilian was a late replacement for Lyoto Machida, who moved to the UFC Fight Night 30 fight card for a bout with Mark Munoz following a Michael Bisping injury.

Still, Kennedy was sitting just outside the Top 10 heading into UFC Fight for the Troops 3. So, was an attention-grabbing win over Natal enough for him to break through? 

With UFC Fight for the Troops 3 in the books and UFC Fight Night 32 ahead, here are the latest official UFC rankings.

Pound-for-Pound

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

No Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters competed at UFC Fight for the Troops 3, and none are scheduled to appear at UFC Fight Night 32.

These rankings could see action soon, though.

At UFC 167, Georges St-Pierre will defend his welterweight championship against Johny Hendricks. Then, later in November, flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will meet Joseph Benavidez.

Official UFC Pound-for-Pound Rankings

1. Jon Jones 
2. Georges St-Pierre 
3. Jose Aldo 
4. Anderson Silva 
5. Cain Velasquez 
6. Renan Barao 
7. Demetrious Johnson 
8. Anthony Pettis 
9. Chris Weidman 
10. Benson Henderson 

Good Call

N/A

No changes were made to the pound-for-pound rankings.

Bad Call

N/A

No changes were made to the pound-for-pound rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Pound-for-Pound Fights

• None

UFC Fight Night 32 Pound-for-Pound Fights

• None

Heavyweight

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The heavyweight division was inactive at UFC Fight for the Troops 3. It will also be on the shelf through UFC Fight Night 32 and UFC 167.

Heavyweights return to action at the TUF 18 finale on Nov. 30. On the prelims of that fight card, Jared Rosholt and Walt Harris will make their UFC debuts.

Antonio Silva will be the next Top 10 heavyweight to step into the Octagon. The Brazilian is expected to meet Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 33.

Official UFC Heavyweight Rankings

Champion: Cain Velasquez

1. Junior dos Santos
2. Daniel Cormier 
3. Fabricio Werdum 
4. Antonio Silva
5. Travis Browne
6. Josh Barnett 
7. Alistair Overeem 
8. Frank Mir 
9. Stipe Miocic 
10. Roy Nelson 

Good Call

N/A

No changes were made to the heavyweight rankings.

Bad Call

N/A

No changes were made to the heavyweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Heavyweight Fights

• None

UFC Fight Night 32 Heavyweight Fights

• None

Light Heavyweight

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sport

Although no light heavyweights were seen at UFC Fight for the Troops 3, the division will return in a big way at UFC Fight Night 32 on Saturday.

While it may have more implications on the middleweight division, a 205-pound bout between Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson will headline the fight card. 

Additionally, Rafael Cavalcante will try to beat Igor Pokrajac and earn his first UFC win.

Official UFC Light Heavyweight Rankings

Champion: Jon Jones

1. Alexander Gustafsson 
2. Glover Teixeira 
3. Phil Davis 
4. Rashad Evans 
5. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 
6. Dan Henderson 
7. Chael Sonnen 
8. Gegard Mousasi  
9. Mauricio Rua 
10. Lyoto Machida 

Good Call

N/A

No changes were made to the light heavyweight rankings.

Bad Call

N/A

No changes were made to the light heavyweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Light Heavyweight Fights

• None

UFC Fight Night 32 Light Heavyweight Fights

• No. 6 Dan Henderson vs. Vitor Belfort
• Rafael Cavalcante vs. Igor Pokrajac

Middleweight

Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

With a win over Rafael Natal on Wednesday, Tim Kennedy joined the top contenders in the middleweight division.

At UFC Fight Night 32, Vitor Belfort will try to maintain his spot near the top of the list of 185-pound contenders. Despite meeting Dan Henderson at light heavyweight, Belfort's outing on Saturday could have a big impact on the future of the middleweight division.

Cezar Ferreira and Daniel Sarafian will also compete on the UFC Fight Night 32 fight card in a bout that should have been the TUF: Brazil 1 middleweight final. 

Official UFC Middleweight Rankings

Champion: Chris Weidman

1. Anderson Silva 
2. Vitor Belfort
3. Ronaldo Souza 
4. Michael Bisping 
5. Lyoto Machida 
6. Luke Rockhold 
7. Mark Munoz 
8. Francis Carmont  
9. Costa Philippou 
10. Tim Kennedy (NR)

Good Call

Chael Sonnen Removed from Middleweight Rankings

There's little doubt Chael Sonnen would be a top contender in the middleweight division upon his return. However, his return doesn't appear to be coming soon, and he hasn't fought at middleweight since July 2012. Until he has a fight booked for 185 pounds, Sonnen should solely be considered a light heavyweight.

Bad Call

None

Kennedy was the only UFC Fight for the Troops 3 competitor within striking distance of the middleweight Top 10. Rightly so, the voters replaced Sonnen with Kennedy over the likes of Tim Boetsch, who is coming off of a controversial decision win over C.B. Dollaway.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Middleweight Fights

• Tim Kennedy defeated Rafael Natal by (T)KO in the first round.
• Yoel Romero defeated Ronny Markes by (T)KO in the third round.
• Lorenz Larkin defeated Chris Camozzi by unanimous decision.
• Derek Brunson defeated Brian Houston by submission in the first round.

UFC Fight Night 32 Middleweight Fights

• Cezar Ferreira vs. Daniel Sarafian
• Thiago Perpetuo vs. Omari Akhmedov

Welterweight

Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Seth Baczynski won the lone welterweight bout at UFC Fight for the Troops 3. However, breaking a two-fight losing skid, Baczynski is still a long way away from the Top 10. 

Though Wednesday's event had no impact on the 170-pound rankings, the division's Top 10 was adjusted.

As his retirement looks more and more permanent, Nick Diaz has nearly dropped out of the Top 10 completely. With the depth in the welterweight division, Diaz will likely be bounced from the pool of elite contenders with a few more big wins by those not currently ranked.

Official UFC Welterweight Rankings

Champion: Georges St-Pierre

1. Johny Hendricks
2. Carlos Condit
3. Rory MacDonald 
4. Jake Ellenberger 
5. Demian Maia 
6. Jake Shields (+2)
7. Matt Brown (+2)
8. Martin Kampmann (-1)
9. Nick Diaz (-3) 
10. Robbie Lawler 

Good Call

Voters Removing Nick Diaz from Ranking Consideration

By all accounts, Diaz is done with fighting. For awhile, many felt Diaz was just throwing a fit after two straight losses. However, it's now apparent Diaz is serious about this retirement thing, and there's no reason to rank him if he is.

Bad Call

Martin Kampmann Falling Below Matt Brown

Martin Kampmann has lost two in a row since beating Jake Ellenberger, but those losses came against the top two welterweight contenders, Johny Hendricks and Carlos Condit. Matt Brown may be riding a long winning streak, but he still hasn't beaten a Top 10 welterweight like Kampmann has.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Welterweight Fights

• Seth Baczynski defeated Neil Magny by unanimous decision.

UFC Fight Night 32 Welterweight Fights

• Paulo Thiago vs. Brandon Thatch
• Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Ryan LaFlare

Lightweight

Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

With a win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC Fight for the Troops 3, Rustam Khabilov has become a fringe contender in the lightweight division. Only three fights into his UFC career, though, Khabilov will need another impressive win in order to break into the Top 10.

Despite his loss to Khabilov, Masvidal is also within a couple victories of becoming a Top 10 155-pounder. The Strikeforce veteran may not have beaten a ton of big names, but he has also taken Gilbert Melendez to a close decision.

Two lightweight bouts will be contested at UFC Fight Night 32, but neither should have any impact on the Top 10 rankings. 

Official UFC Lightweight Rankings

Champion: Anthony Pettis

1. Benson Henderson 
2. Gilbert Melendez 
3. TJ Grant 
4. Josh Thomson 
5. Gray Maynard 
6. Rafael dos Anjos 
7. Khabib Nurmagomedov 
8. Nate Diaz 
9. Jim Miller 
10. Donald Cerrone 

Good Call

N/A

No changes were made to the lightweight rankings.

Bad Call

N/A

No changes were made to the lightweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Lightweight Fights

• Rustam Khabilov defeated Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision.
• Michael Chiesa defeated Colton Smith by submission in the second round.
• Bobby Green defeated James Krause by (T)KO in the first round.
• Yancy Medeiros defeated Yves Edwards by (T)KO in the first round.

UFC Fight Night 32 Lightweight Fights

• Thiago Tavares vs. Justin Salas
• Adriano Martins vs. Daron Cruickshank

Featherweight

Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Dennis Bermudez picked up a fifth consecutive win on Wednesday. At this point, the TUF runner-up is closing in on the featherweight Top 10. He'll need a step up in competition to prove he's worthy of being ranked, though.

Although Bermudez's win over Steven Siler didn't alter the 145-pound rankings, one small change was made to the division's standings.

Coming off of a win over Hatsu Hioki, Darren Elkins surpassed Erik Koch for the No. 10 position.

Official UFC Featherweight Rankings

Champion: Jose Aldo

1. Chad Mendes
2. Ricardo Lamas
3. Frankie Edgar
4. Cub Swanson 
5. Chan Sung Jung 
6. Dustin Poirier 
7. Dennis Siver 
8. Nik Lentz 
9. Clay Guida 
10. Darren Elkins (NR)

Good Call

Darren Elkins Surpassing Erik Koch

It's odd timing, considering neither man fought at UFC Fight for the Troops 3, but Elkins has a stronger resume than Koch right now. Koch was once named a title challenger prior to having the shot taken away due to injury. However, he does not own a win over a single current UFC 145-pounder.

Bad Call

Clay Guida Still Ranked Above Darren Elkins

Clay Guida has earned only one win since transitioning to the featherweight class, a controversial decision victory over Hatsu Hioki. Elkins recently beat Hioki more decisively than Guida did and has several more victories at 145 pounds.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Featherweight Fights

• Dennis Bermudez defeated Steven Siler by unanimous decision.

UFC Fight Night 32 Featherweight Fights

• Rony Jason vs. Jeremy Stephens
• Godofredo Pepey vs. Sam Sicilia

Bantamweight

Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Francisco Rivera continued his ascent in the bantamweight division on Wednesday, knocking out George Roop in the second round.

Undefeated in his past five official fights, Rivera might be the last man outside the bantamweight Top 10. With the run he is on, Rivera should expect a Top 10 opponent in his next outing.

No changes were made to the 135-pound rankings as a result of Rivera's win, and the Top 10 is likely to remain the same through UFC Fight Night 32, where no bantamweight fights will be contested.

Official UFC Bantamweight Rankings

Champion: Dominick Cruz

1. Renan Barao (interim champion)
2. Urijah Faber
3. Michael McDonald
4. Raphael Assuncao 
5. Eddie Wineland 
6. Brad Pickett 
7. Scott Jorgensen
8. TJ Dillashaw 
9. Mike Easton 
10. Takeya Mizugaki 

Good Call

N/A

No changes were made to the bantamweight rankings.

Bad Call

N/A

No changes were made to the bantamweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Bantamweight Fights

• Francisco Rivera defeated George Roop by (T)KO in the second round.

UFC Fight Night 32 Bantamweight Fights

• None

Flyweight

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Spor

No flyweight fights were booked for UFC Fight for the Troops 3, but the division will return to action on Saturday.

At UFC Fight Night 32, Jose Maria will welcome Dustin Ortiz to the Octagon. Having only lost twice, with one of those defeats coming against Ian McCall, Ortiz was considered one of the world's best flyweights competing outside the world's top MMA promotion. Now, Ortiz will have a chance to prove he's among the planet's best 125-pounders.

Later this month, Demetrious Johnson will put his flyweight belt on the line in a rematch with Joseph Benavidez.

Official UFC Flyweight Rankings

Champion: Demetrious Johnson

1. Joseph Benavidez
2. John Dodson
3. Ian McCall
4. John Moraga
5. John Lineker 
6. Jussier Formiga 
7. Tim Elliott 
8. Chris Cariaso 
9. Louis Gaudinot 
10. Darren Uyenoyama 

Good Call

N/A

No changes were made to the flyweight rankings.

Bad Call

N/A

No changes were made to the flyweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Flyweight Fights

• None

UFC Fight Night 32 Flyweight Fights

• Jose Maria vs. Dustin Ortiz

Women's Bantamweight

Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Alexis Davis took a big step toward a title shot on Wednesday, thoroughly beating former title challenger Liz Carmouche.

Amanda Nunes also earned an important win at UFC Fight for the Troops 3, where she stopped Germaine de Randamie in the first round.

Both women will likely have to keep on winning to earn a spot in a championship bout, though. As long as she continually progresses in her recovery from knee injuries, Cat Zingano is ahead of both ladies in the line for a fight with the winner of a championship fight between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate.

Official UFC Women's Bantamweight Rankings

Champion: Ronda Rousey

1. Cat Zingano 
2. Miesha Tate 
3. Alexis Davis (+3)
4. Sara McMann (-1)
5. Sarah Kaufman 
6. Jessica Eye (+1)
7. Liz Carmouche (-3)
8. Amanda Nunes 
9. Germaine de Randamie 
10. Jessica Andrade

Good Call

Amanda Nunes Staying Put at No. 8

While Amanda Nunes was impressive in victory over Germaine de Randamie at UFC Fight for the Troops 3, she still has some work to do before she closes in on a Top Five position. Under the Strikeforce banner, Nunes lost more decisively to Alexis Davis than even Liz Carmouche did on Wednesday.

Bad Call

Jessica Eye Still Ranked Below Sarah Kaufman

Despite beating Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166 and going undefeated in her past eight fights, Jessica Eye is still ranked below he latest victim. Kaufman may have a longer track record of success, but Eye proved she's the better fighter right now and deserves at Top Five position.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Women's Bantamweight Fights

• No. 3 Alexis Davis defeated No. 7 Liz Carmouche by unanimous decision.
• No. 8 Amanda Nunes defeated No. 9 Germaine de Randamie by (T)KO in the first round.

UFC Fight Night 32 Women's Bantamweight Fights

• None