UFC Rankings for Each Weight Division Following UFC 172

Jon Jones continues to assert himself as the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today. In doing so, he's getting closer and closer to becoming the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in MMA history.

On Saturday, Bones took care of business against Glover Teixeira. The champion roughed the Brazilian up in the clinch and mixed things up with multiple takedowns as well.

Now having earned seven consecutive title defenses, Jones has a longer UFC reign than any current champion with the promotion. The light heavyweight titleholder is also only three wins away from tying Anderson Silva's UFC record. 

With UFC 172 in the books and UFC Fight Night 40 coming up on May 10, here are the latest official UFC rankings as voted on by various members of the MMA media, via UFC.com.

Pound-for-Pound

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With his win over Teixeira, Jones remained the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA.

The light heavyweight champion was the only Top 15 pound-for-pound fighter to compete at UFC 172. So, the rankings remained unchanged following Saturday's fights.

Considering no elite pound-for-pound fighters are scheduled to compete at UFC Fight Night 40, the rankings are likely to stay the same for several weeks. 

Official UFC Pound-for-Pound Rankings

1. Jon Jones 
2. Jose Aldo 
3. Renan Barao 
4. Cain Velasquez       
5. Demetrious Johnson 
6. Chris Weidman  
7. Anderson Silva 
8. Anthony Pettis 
9. Johny Hendricks 
10. Ronda Rousey 
11. Vitor Belfort  
12. Benson Henderson     
13. Gilbert Melendez 
14. Alexander Gustafsson 
15. Urijah Faber 

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

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

Bad Call

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

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Pound-for-Pound Fights

• No. 1 Jon Jones defeated Glover Teixeira by unanimous decision.

UFC Fight Night 40 Pound-for-Pound Fights

• None

Heavyweight

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No heavyweight bouts were contested at UFC 172.

At UFC Fight Night 40, Soa Palelei will look to extend his winning streak to three fights. Testing Palelei will be UFC newcomer Ruan Potts.

Neither man is likely to break into the Top 15 with a win, but a big step up in competition would likely be in order should either impress. 

Official UFC Heavyweight Rankings

Champion: Cain Velasquez

1. Fabricio Werdum 
2. Junior dos Santos 
3. Travis Browne     
4. Antonio Silva   
5. Josh Barnett 
6. Alistair Overeem 
7. Stipe Miocic 
8. Mark Hunt   
9. Roy Nelson 
10. Frank Mir   
11. Gabriel Gonzaga 
12. Stefan Struve 
13. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira   
14. Brendan Schaub 
15. Daniel Cormier  

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

No changes were made to the heavyweight rankings.

Bad Call

No changes were made to the heavyweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Heavyweight Fights

• None

UFC Fight Night 40 Heavyweight Fights

• Soa Palelei vs. Ruan Potts

Light Heavyweight

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Jones wasn't the only ranked light heavyweight to pick up a big win on Saturday.

In his return to the Octagon, Anthony Johnson dominated Phil Davis. Shutting down the wrestler's takedowns, Rumble was able to pick Davis apart with his striking en route to a decision victory.

With the win, Johnson immediately became a legitimate contender in the 205-pound division. He may need another win or two before getting a shot at the championship, but Rumble looks like he could be a serious threat to Jones. 

Official UFC Light Heavyweight Rankings

Champion: Jon Jones

1. Alexander Gustafsson  
2. Rashad Evans (+1)
3. Glover Teixeira (-1)
4. Daniel Cormier (+1)
5. Anthony Johnson (+9)
6. Dan Henderson
7. Phil Davis (-3)  
8. Mauricio Rua 
9. Chael Sonnen (-2)
10. Ryan Bader (-1)
11. Jimi Manuwa (-1)
12. Vitor Belfort (+1) 
13. Rafael Cavalcante (-1)
14. Ovince St. Preux (-3)  
15. James Te Huna 

 

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

Although Teixeira has now only lost to Jones inside the Octagon, he was ranked a little too high heading into UFC 172.

Rashad Evans has beaten Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson in his past two outings. Both of those fighters are ranked higher than Ryan Bader, who accounts for Teixeira's most noteworthy UFC victory.

 

Bad Call

Sonnen is only one fight removed from a submission win over Mauricio Rua. Meanwhile, Shogun has only beaten James Te Huna since then.

For now, Sonnen should still be ranked above Rua.

 

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Light Heavyweight Fights

• (C) Jon Jones defeated No. 3 Glover Teixeira by unanimous decision.
• No. 5 Anthony Johnson defeated No. 7 Phil Davis by unanimous decision.

 

UFC Fight Night 40 Light Heavyweight Fights

• None

Middleweight

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Luke Rockhold already has a Strikeforce belt on his mantle. Now, he's closing in on a shot at a UFC championship.

At UFC 172, Rockhold submitted Tim Boetsch with a nasty kimura. With a win over Costas Philippou before that, Rockhold is starting to build himself into one of the top contenders in the 185-pound division.

Philippou, meanwhile, will look to get back on track at UFC Fight Night 40, where he'll meet Lorenz Larkin. 

Official UFC Middleweight Rankings

Champion: Chris Weidman

1. Anderson Silva   
2. Vitor Belfort 
3. Lyoto Machida 
4. Ronaldo Souza  
5. Luke Rockhold 
6. Tim Kennedy 
7. Mark Munoz  
8. Michael Bisping 
9. Francis Carmont 
10. Gegard Mousasi  
11. Yoel Romero 
12. Costas Philippou 
13. Tim Boetsch    
14. Thales Leites (+1)
15. Brad Tavares (-1)

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

Not only is Thales Leites riding more momentum than Brad Tavares. He also has a slightly better resume than the Hawaiian.

While Tavares fought to a split decision with Tom Watson in September 2012, Leites defeated the Englishman much more decisively 11 months later on.

Bad Call

There were no bad calls in this edition of the middleweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Middleweight Fights

• No. 5 Luke Rockhold defeated No. 13 Tim Boetsch by submission in the first round.

UFC Fight Night 40 Middleweight Fights

• No. 12 Costas Philippou vs. Lorenz Larkin
• Ed Herman vs. Rafael Natal

Welterweight

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With no welterweight bouts contested at UFC 172, changes to the division's rankings were minimal.

Erick Silva surpassed Ryan LaFlare for the No. 14 position. On Saturday, Silva will meet Top 10 contender Matt Brown, so the Brazilian will have a chance to prove he was deserving of being elevated in the rankings.

Riding six straight wins, Brown will be looking to make a statement and earn a title shot over the weekend. 

Official UFC Welterweight Rankings

Champion: Johny Hendricks

1. Robbie Lawler 
2. Rory MacDonald 
3. Tyron Woodley 
4. Carlos Condit 
5. Jake Ellenberger     
6. Hector Lombard 
7. Matt Brown  
8. Demian Maia 
9. Dong Hyun Kim 
10. Tarec Saffiedine  
11. Kelvin Gastelum 
12. Mike Pyle  
13. Gunnar Nelson   
14. Erick Silva (+1)   
15. Ryan LaFlare (-1)

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

There were no good calls in this edition of the welterweight division.

Bad Call

Silva gets more attention, but Ryan LaFlare has already built up a resume equal to the Brazilian's in four UFC appearances. While Silva has a 4-3 UFC record, LaFlare has earned as many wins inside the Octagon without suffering a loss.

Unless Silva beats Brown on Saturday, LaFlare has earned the No. 14 position.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Welterweight Fights

• None

UFC Fight Night 40 Welterweight Fights

• No. 7 Matt Brown vs. No. 14 Erick Silva
• Neil Magny vs. Tim Means
• Yan Cabral vs. Zak Cummings
• Anthony Lapsley vs. Albert Tumenov

Lightweight

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UFC 172 featured multiple lightweight bouts worth noting.

Top 10 lightweight Jim Miller picked up a predictable submission win over replacement opponent Yancy Medeiros. Takanori Gomi picked up his first win in 17 months against Isaac Vallie-Flagg. Also, Danny Castillo scored an impressive knockout against Charlie Brenneman.

At UFC Fight Night 40, former featherweight contender Erik Koch will look to climb toward the top of the 155-pound division.

Official UFC Lightweight Rankings

Champion: Anthony Pettis

1. Gilbert Melendez 
2. Benson Henderson 
3. TJ Grant 
4. Josh Thomson 
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov 
6. Nate Diaz    
7. Donald Cerrone 
8. Rafael dos Anjos  
9. Jim Miller 
10. Gray Maynard  
11. Myles Jury   
12. Michael Johnson 
13. Edson Barboza  
14. Bobby Green   
15. Rustam Khabilov  

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

No changes were made to the lightweight rankings.

Bad Call

No changes were made to the lightweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Lightweight Fights

• No. 9 Jim Miller defeated Yancy Medeiros by submission in the first round.
• Takanori Gomi defeated Isaac Vallie-Flagg by unanimous decision.
• Danny Castillo defeated Charlie Brenneman by (T)KO in the second round.

UFC Fight Night 40 Lightweight Fights

• Erik Koch vs. Daron Cruickshank
• Justin Salas vs. Ben Wall

Featherweight

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In a battle between two bright up-and-comers, Max Holloway recorded the only featherweight win on Saturday.

The Hawaiian was paired with Team Alpha Male's Andre Fili. Forcing Fili to attempt takedowns due to his edge in the striking department, Holloway was eventually able to counter a takedown attempt with a guillotine choke, stopping the fight in the final round.

At UFC Fight Night 40, Top 10 featherweight Nik Lentz will attempt to maintain his position against veteran Manny Gamburyan. 

Official UFC Featherweight Rankings

Champion: Jose Aldo

1. Chad Mendes
2. Frankie Edgar 
3. Ricardo Lamas 
4. Cub Swanson 
5. Dustin Poirier 
6. Chan Sung Jung 
7. Dennis Siver 
8. Clay Guida 
9. Nik Lentz 
10. Jeremy Stephens 
11. Dennis Bermudez   
12. Darren Elkins    
13. Conor McGregor  
14. Tatsuya Kawajiri 
15. Erik Koch 

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

No changes were made to the featherweight rankings.

Bad Call

No changes were made to the featherweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Featherweight Fights

• Max Holloway defeated Andre Fili by submission in the third round.

UFC Fight Night 40 Featherweight Fights

• No. 9 Nik Lentz vs. Manny Gamburyan

Bantamweight

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It didn't take Chris Beal long to make a splash inside the Octagon.

Officially fighting in the UFC for the first time on Saturday, Beal blasted Patrick Williams with a flying knee in the second round. The spectacular knockout earned Beal a Performance of the Night bonus.

At UFC Fight Night 40, Eddie Wineland will continue his climb back toward another title shot against Johnny Eduardo. Wineland's Top Five ranking will be on the line against the unranked Brazilian. 

Official UFC Bantamweight Rankings

Champion: Renan Barao

1. Urijah Faber   
2. Raphael Assuncao 
3. Michael McDonald  
4. Eddie Wineland 
5. TJ Dillashaw    
6. Takeya Mizugaki   
7. Iuri Alcantara 
8. Mike Easton 
9. Dominick Cruz
10. Erik Perez (+2)   
11. Francisco Rivera 
12. Alex Caceres (-2)
13. Bryan Caraway   
14. Wilson Reis 
15. Brad Pickett 

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

Alex Caceres is on a roll, but he hasn't earned a spot above Francisco Rivera or Erik Perez. Both those men have decisive wins over Edwin Figueroa, who beat Caceres in a split decision at UFC 143. 

Bad Call

There were no bad calls in this edition of the bantamweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Bantamweight Fights

• Chris Beal defeated Patrick Williams by (T)KO in the second round.

UFC Fight Night 40 Bantamweight Fights

• No. 4 Eddie Wineland vs. Johnny Eduardo

Flyweight

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Joseph Benavidez is heading in the right direction once again.

Following a loss to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, Benavidez met Tim Elliott on Saturday. Despite a slow start, Benavidez was able to catch Elliott in a guillotine choke, which returned him to the win column.

Having already lost to Mighty Mouse on two occasions, Benavidez might need some help from another contender in order to get another crack at the 125-pound championship anytime soon. 

Official UFC Flyweight Rankings

Champion: Demetrious Johnson

1. John Dodson 
2. Joseph Benavidez 
3. Ian McCall
4. John Moraga
5. Ali Bagautinov 
6. Jussier Formiga 
7. John Lineker  
8. Tim Elliott  
9. Zach Makovsky
10. Chris Cariaso (+1) 
11. Brad Pickett (-1)  
12. Louis Gaudinot    
13. Dustin Ortiz   
14. Scott Jorgensen 
15. Darrell Montague  

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

Chris Cariaso and Brad Pickett are both former bantamweight still looking to find their place in the flyweight division. Considering Cariaso fought to a split decision with Michael McDonald, a common opponent who submitted Pickett, it's hard to argue against Cariaso being ranked slightly higher than the Englishman.

Bad Call

There were no bad calls in this edition of the flyweight rankings.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Flyweight Fights

• No. 2 Joseph Benavidez defeated No. 8 Tim Elliott by submission in the first round.

UFC Fight Night 40 Flyweight Fights

• No. 10 Chris Cariaso vs. Louis Smolka
• No. 15 Darrell Montague vs. Kyoji Horiguchi

Women's Bantamweight

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Bethe Correia improved to 2-0 inside the Octagon on Saturday.

Facing Jessamyn Duke, Correia was able to overcome a big reach disadvantage by being the more active fighter over three rounds. With 91 significant strikes landed, Correia nearly doubled Duke's output in their matchup.

Although Correia hasn't lost with the world's top promotion, she hasn't dominated either of her UFC opponents. The Brazilian will need a more memorable performance to climb the ladder and solidify her Top 10 position. 

Official UFC Women's Bantamweight Rankings

Champion: Ronda Rousey

1. Cat Zingano  
2. Alexis Davis 
3. Miesha Tate 
4. Sara McMann 
5. Sarah Kaufman 
6. Jessica Eye 
7. Liz Carmouche 
8. Amanda Nunes 
9. Jessica Andrade 
10. Bethe Correia (+2)
11. Julianna Pena (-1) 
12. Germaine de Randamie (-1) 
13. Raquel Pennington 
14. Jessamyn Duke 
15. Jessica Rakoczy 

Rankings Analysis

Good Call

No changes were made to the women's bantamweight rankings.

Bad Call

During The Ultimate Fighter 18, Julianna Pena picked up a knockout win over Jessica Rakoczy, who defeated Duke just as decisively as Correia earlier in the competition. Correia and Pena aren't separated by much, but Pena has a slightly stronger resume than the Brazilian.

Results and Upcoming Fights

UFC 172 Women's Bantamweight Fights

• No. 10 Bethe Correia defeated No. 14 Jessamyn Duke by unanimous decision.

UFC Fight Night 40 Women's Bantamweight Fights

• None