Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Brandon Royval isn’t ready to step aside for the new generation of flyweight contenders just yet.

The Factory X standout put a halt to Tatsuro Taira’s ascent in the UFC Vegas 98 headliner, taking a hard-fought split-decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. It wasn’t nearly as easy as he anticipated. “Raw Dawg” spent the better part of two rounds with his Japanese adversary attached to his back, but it was his superior striking that ultimately won the day. Since fallling to Alexandre Pantoja in a flyweight title bout at UFC 296, Royval has recovered to post back-to-back wins over Taira and Brandon Moreno, proving that he is well deserving of his No. 2 ranking. Taira, meanwhile, likely sees his stock improve in defeat, but he remains 10th in Sherdog’s latest divisional poll.

In housekeeping news, while Alex Pereira has expressed interest in a return to the middleweight division to challenge Dricus Du Plessis, it’s been more than 18 months since he last competed at 185 pounds. As a result, he exits the middleweight rankings, clearing the way for Anthony Hernandez to enter to poll at No. 15. Meanwhile, Kamaru Usman hasn’t fought at 170 pounds since coming up short against Leon Edwards in a championship rematch in March 2023. With no bout currently on the horizon, the former welterweight king exits the rankings, while surging prospect Michael Morales makes his debut at 15th.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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