Justin Gaethje rises to No. 1 lightweight after Topuria upset
Justin Gaethje sits atop the lightweight division for the first time in his career after stopping Ilia Topuria at UFC White House, according to the latest MMA Fighting global rankings released Thursday.
Gaethje entered the event ranked fifth at 155 pounds, trailing Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Arman Tsarukyan — all fighters with wins over him. The victory over the previously unbeaten Topuria vaulted him over the trio and ended a run of near-misses that saw him capture two interim titles but never the undisputed crown. "Still doesn't seem real," MMA Fighting's Alexander K. Lee wrote of the ranking shift.
White House card reshuffles heavyweight picture
The same card saw Ciryl Gane become the only UFC fighter besides Gaethje to win an interim belt twice, this time stopping Alex Pereira in a heavyweight bout. Pereira's ranking at light heavyweight holds steady since he was moving up from 205 pounds for the fight. The light heavyweight picture remains uncertain with Pereira declaring his intention to stay at heavyweight and newly crowned champion Carlos Ulberg recovering from a knee injury suffered at UFC 327.
Other notable shifts include Carlos Prates breaking into the welterweight top five after stopping Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth, and Joshua Van moving up at flyweight after defeating Tatsuro Taira. Islam Makhachev meets Ian Machado Garry at welterweight on August 15 at UFC 330, while Max Holloway faces Conor McGregor at 170 pounds on July 11 at UFC 329.
Original reporting:
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