UFC Rankings: Umar Nurmagomedov Shakes Up BW Division; Muhammad Mokaev & Jairzinho Rozenstruik Handed Massive Update

UFC Fight Night 238 took place over the weekend and the fans witnessed several entertaining fights. The card did not feature any champion, but it was not short of talent and featured several superstar prospects. Amongst them, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, made his long-awaited return to the sport and fetched himself another victory.

Whereas, the flyweight division took notice of a rising prospect, Muhammad Mokaev, who defeated Alex Perez. Also, at the other end, the heavyweight division saw a clash of Titans Jair Rozenstruik got back to the win column after defeating Shamil Gaziev. Subsequently, one might reasonably wonder how the rankings change and where they stand today. Look no further, and let’s find out all about it.

Umar Nurmagomedov breaks into top 10

Umar Nurmagomedov is trying to fill in the shoes of the former lightweight champion and his older brother, which is an arduous ask. However, it appears he is doing just as fine. He continued to be undefeated after defeating Bekzat Almakhan via a decision and fetched himself his 17th victory. 

Although his opponent was not ranked, the bantamweight fighter finally made it to the top 10 list as per the UFC rankings. The fighter has immense potential and is backed by one of the greatest fighters of all time. However, given his resume in the UFC, one might question whether he is deserving or not to be in the top 10.

Moreover, it bears mention that according to the fighter himself, he is willing to face any formidable opponent in the division, but he claims that the fighters are reluctant to fight him. How true is the statement? What we know is, he is now ranked top 10 and will soon face the best of the best in the division. Until then, let’s take a look at how the rankings have changed for other fighters on the card.

A massive win for Muhammad Mokaev and Jairzinho Rozenstruik

 Muhammad Mokaev is a flyweight fighter and was ranked no.8 as per the UFC ranking before his last fight. However, over the weekend, he very impressively defeated Alex Perez via a decision. After the fight, he replaced Perez’s ranking and is number seven in the division now.

Read more: Jairzinho Rozenstruik Ethnicity/Nationality: Is the UFC Heavyweight African?

Meanwhile, Jairzinho Rozenstruik headlined the card against Shamil Gaziev and was coming into the fight under a lot of pressure, as his last win was more than a year ago. That being said, from his performance, it did not seem like the heavyweight titan was short of any confidence. After a competitive back and forth, he fetched himself a stoppage in the fourth round. After the fight, it is reported that he has moved up one spot to a tie at No. 11 with veteran knockout artist Derrick Lewis.

From the aforementioned revelations, it can be inferred that the last UFC fight was paramount for many fighters’ future opportunities, elevating them in the rankings. However, these rankings are highly subjective. We are curious to know: Do you agree with them? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

Read more: Jairzinho Rozenstruik Losses: Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane and Every Defeat in the UFC Heavyweight’s Career