Islam Makhachev has long called for a fight with a top-ranked opponent, seeking to prove he belongs at the top of the lightweight division. On Saturday, he didn’t quite get a top 10 opponent, but he did get a main event spot against Thiago Moises at UFC Fight Night.
Makhachev scored a impressive win, stopping Moises with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. Along the way, Makhachev dominated the fight both on the feet and on the ground, boosting himself two spots to No. 5 in the CBS Sports UFC divisional rankings.
In the co-main event, Miesha Tate returned to action after a nearly five-year retirement to score a third-round TKO of Marion Reneau. The win was Tate’s first since she won the women’s bantamweight championship in March 2016. The dominant victory earned Tate a spot at No. 10 in the women’s bantamweight division.
Saturday’s UFC Fight Night features two fights featuring CBS Sports ranked fighters.
- Bantamweight: No. 3 Cory Sandhagen vs. TJ Dillashaw
- Women’s bantamweight: No. 4 Aspen Ladd vs. Macy Chiasson
Rankings are compiled following the submission of ballots by Brent Brookhouse, Brian Campbell and Brandon Wise. Without further ado, here’s where things stand ahead of Saturday’s card.
For Brian Campbell’s updated Pound for Pound Rankings, click here.
Flyweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Brandon Moreno (c) | 19-5-2 |
2. Deiveson Figueiredo | 20-2-1 |
3. Askar Askarov | 12-0-1 |
4. Matt Schnell | 15-5 |
5. Alexandre Pantoja | 23-5 |
6. Kai Kara-France | 22-9 |
7. Joseph Benavidez | 28-8 |
8. Alex Perez | 24-6 |
9. Brandon Royval | 12-5 |
10. Jussier Formiga | 23-8 |
Bantamweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Petr Yan | 15-1 |
2. Aljamain Sterling (c) | 19-3 |
3. Cory Sandhagen | 14-2 |
4. Rob Font | 19-4 |
5. Pedro Munhoz | 19-5 |
6. Marlon Moraes | 23-7-1 |
7. Merab Dvalishili | 13-4 |
8. Jimmy Rivera | 23-5 |
9. Cody Garbrandt | 12-4 |
10. Jose Aldo | 29-7 |
Featherweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Alexander Volkanovski (c) | 22-1 |
2. Max Holloway | 22-6 |
3. Brian Ortega | 15-1 |
4. Zabit Magomedsharipov | 18-1 |
5. Yair Rodriguez | 12-2 |
6. Korean Zombie | 17-6 |
7. Calvin Kattar | 22-5 |
8. Josh Emmett | 16-2 |
9. Edson Barboza | 22-9 |
10. Dan Ige | 15-4 |
Lightweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Dustin Poirier | 28-6 |
2. Charles Oliveira (c) | 31-8 |
3. Justin Gaethje | 22-3 |
4. Michael Chandler | 22-6 |
5. Islam Makhachev | 20-1 |
6. Rafael dos Anjos | 30-13 |
7. Beneil Dariush | 21-4-1 |
8. Dan Hooker | 20-10 |
9. Gregor Gillespie | 14-1 |
10. Tony Ferguson | 25-6 |
Welterweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Kamaru Usman (c) | 19-1 |
2. Colby Covington | 16-2 |
3. Leon Edwards | 19-3 |
4. Gilbert Burns | 20-4 |
5. Stephen Thompson | 16-5-1 |
6. Jorge Masvidal | 35-15 |
7. Michael Chiesa | 18-4 |
8. Vicente Luque | 20-7-1 |
9. Neil Magny | 25-8 |
10. Santiago Ponzinibbio | 28-4 |
Middleweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Israel Adesanya (c) | 21-1 |
2. Robert Whittaker | 23-5 |
3. Paulo Costa | 13-1 |
4. Jared Cannonier | 13-5 |
5. Derek Brunson | 22-7 |
6. Marvin Vettori | 17-5-1 |
7. Jack Hermansson | 18-2-1 22-6 |
8. Uriah Hall | 17-9 |
9. Darren Till | 18-2-1 |
10. Kelvin Gastelum | 16-7 |
Light heavyweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Jan Blachowicz (c) | 28-8 |
2. Glover Teixeira | 32-7 |
3. Jiri Prochazka | 28-3-1 |
4. Aleksandar Rakic | 14-2 |
5. Thiago Santos | 21-9 |
6. Anthony Smith | 35-16 |
7. Dominick Reyes | 12-3 |
8. Magomed Ankalaev | 15-1 |
9. Johnny Walker | 18-5 |
10. Nikita Krylov | 26-8 |
Heavyweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Francis Ngannou (c) | 16-3 |
2. Stipe Miocic | 20-4 |
3. Derrick Lewis | 25-7 |
4. Ciryl Gane | 9-0 |
5. Curtis Blaydes | 14-3 |
6. Alexander Volkov | 33-9 |
7. Jairzinho Rozenstruik | 12-2 |
8. Marcin Tybura | 22-6 |
9. Chris Daukaus | 11-3 |
10. Tai Tuivasa | 13-3 |
Women’s strawweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Rose Namajunas (c) | 10-4 |
2. Weili Zhang | 21-1 |
3. Carla Esparza | 18-6 |
4. Joanna Jedrzejczyk | 16-4 |
5. Mackenzie Dern | 11-1 |
6. Marina Rodriguez | 14-1-2 |
7. Yan Xiaonan | 13-2 |
8. Tatiana Suarez | 8-0 |
9. Michelle Waterson | 18-9 |
10. Jessica Andrade | 21-9 |
Women’s flyweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Valentina Shevchenko (c) | 21-3 |
2. Lauren Murphy | 15-4 |
3. Jennifer Maia | 19-7-1 |
4. Katlyn Chookagian | 16-4 |
5. Cynthia Calvillo | 9-2-1 |
Women’s bantamweight
Fighter | Record |
1. Amanda Nunes (c) | 21-4 |
2. Germaine de Randamie | 10-4 |
3. Holly Holm | 14-5 |
4. Aspen Ladd | 9-1 |
5. Irene Aldana | 13-6 |
6. Julianna Pena | 10-4 |
7. Yana Kunitskaya | 14-6 |
8. Julia Avila | 8-2 |
9. Ketlen Vieira | 11-2 |
10. Miesha Tate | 19-7 |