Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
Resurgent Predator
With Anthony Johnson in retirement until further notice, there may be no scarier one-round fighter than Francis Ngannou.
By vanquishing former champion Cain Velasquez in just 26 seconds at UFC on ESPN 1, “The Predator” has re-established himself as a contender in the heavyweight division. Ngannou has unreal power in his hands, which he demonstrated by buckling Velasquez with a short punch in close quarters in the early going at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. As a result of that shocking finish, the Cameroonian-born Frenchman climbs to the fourth spot in our latest heavyweight poll. Velasquez, once in the “GOAT” discussion, remains unranked.
Elsewhere, Aljamain Sterling earned the most significant triumph of his career to date, outpointing fellow bantamweight contender Jimmie Rivera at UFC on ESPN 1. “Funk Master” has won five his last six UFC appearances overall and three straight since a knockout loss to Marlon Moraes in December 2017. That makes the Serra-Longo Fight Team member a person of interest at 135 pounds, and he climbs to No. 5 in our rankings. Rivera, meanwhile, falls to sixth following his second defeat in three outings.
Over the course of a busy MMA slate, there were also some minor shifts along the fringes of our Top 10 and bubble lists, but a few fighters failed to author memorable performances (We’re looking at you, Michael Page) to make a case for rankings entry. Ultimately, Ngannou and Sterling were the stars of the weekend.
Continue Reading » Heavyweight
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