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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Welcome to the latest update to the MMA Fighting pound-for-pound rankings, where every month our esteemed panel sort through the noise to answer one question: Who are the best overall male and female MMA fighters in the world?

With the first UFC pay-per-view of 2024 in the books, how has the start of the MMA calendar affected the global pound-for-pound landscape? Let’s take a look.

MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

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MMA Fighting

Dricus du Plessis is the latest UFC middleweight champion to flip the pound-for-pound rankings upside down.

For the fourth time in a row, the middleweight belt changed hands at its earliest possible opportunity this past weekend at UFC 297. This time it was du Plessis who seized the throne with a razor-close split decision over Sean Strickland. Just as it did when Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya, and Strickland all did the same before him, the South African’s ascent caused a bit of chaos in the men’s pound-for-pound ranks, as du Plessis vaulted up nine spots to the No. 10 position, sending Strickland tumbling back down to a still respectable No. 15.

The big question now: Who will serve as du Plessis’ first title defense? Both of his most likely options are ranked — No. 17 Adesanya and No. 18 Khamzat Chimaev — so the new UFC middleweight champ could have a swift rise up this list if he’s able to finally bring some stability to one of the sport’s most unstable divisions over the past 14 months.

Looking ahead, all eyes now turn toward Feb. 17 at UFC 298, where No. 2 Alexander Volkanovski seeks to continue defying Father Time when the oldest champion under 170 pounds in UFC history puts his belt back on the line against undefeated Ilia Topuria.

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 19 Dricus du Plessis def. No. 10 Sean Strickland

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria (UFC 298, Feb. 17)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Jiri Prochazka (4), Johnny Eblen (3), Shavkat Rakhmonov (3), Brandon Moreno (2), Vadim Nemkov (1), Jamahal Hill (2), Robert Whittaker (2), Magomed Ankalaev (1), Jan Blachowicz (1), Merab Dvalishvili (1), A.J. McKee (1), Belal Muhammad (1), Usman Nurmagomedov (1)

WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

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MMA Fighting

Finally, some movement!

It’s been a sloggy couple of months for the women’s pound-for-pound ranks, but Raquel Pennington finally injected some life back into this list by dominating Mayra Bueno Silva and ascending as the first UFC women’s bantamweight champion of the post-Nunes era. Much like du Plessis did on the men’s side, Pennington rocketed up nine spots to comfortably slot in at No. 9 on our rankings, while Silva tumbled down to No. 17 in defeat.

Also of note, RIZIN super atomweight champion Seika Izawa continued her steady climb, jumping up three spots to No. 14 after defeating Miyuu Yamamoto on New Year’s Eve. While she may not be a household name to western fans, Izawa is widely regarded as the top atomweight in MMA, and at age 26, she could be a fixture on this list for many years to come.

As for what’s next, the upcoming slate is once again light on bouts featuring the top women in the sport, however UFC 298 does have one nugget, as No. 20 Amanda Lemos faces off against Macknezie Dern in a battle to reenter the strawweight title mix.

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 18 Raquel Pennington def. No. 11 Mayra Bueno Silva, No. 17 Seika Izawa def. Miyuu Yamamoto

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 20T Amanda Lemos vs. Mackenzie Dern (UFC 298, Feb. 17)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Stamp Fairtex (5), Lauren Murphy (2), Ketlen Vieira (1), Maycee Barber (1), Katlyn Chookagian (1), Irene Aldana (1), Virna Jandiroba (1), Marina Rodriguez (1)

Lastly, a refresher on some ground rules:

• The eight-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Shaun Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, E. Casey Leydon, Steven Marrocco, Damon Martin and Jed Meshew.
• Updates to the rankings will be completed following every UFC pay-per-view. Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout.
• Should a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will decide whether that fighter should immediately be removed from the rankings or maintain their position until further notice (let’s put it this way: we’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings a lot quicker than the UFC did).

As a reminder, the notion of pound-for-pound supremacy is always going to inherently be subjective. When you’re debating whether someone like Justin Gaethje should be ranked above someone like Max Holloway, there is no true right answer. In other words: It’s not serious business, folks.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Israel Adesanya is happy for Dricus du Plessis, but he still has his sights set on the new UFC middleweight champion.

Du Plessis claimed that title this past Saturday at UFC 297 in Toronto after winning a narrow split decision over Sean Strickland. The back-and-forth fight had the Scotiabank Arena crowd entranced and Adesanya was also watching closely at home.

In a reaction video posted to YouTube, Adesanya explained why he felt du Plessis did enough to win the fight, and also why the two sill have a score to settle.

“The main event, it was nice to watch,” Adesanya said. “I thought Dricus, I thought he would use his wrestling more in the middle of the rounds, but he did use it at the end, which was smart of him to steal the rounds. I thought maybe, my ‘guesstimate’ on watching this, [rounds] 3, 4, 5 he took. Now he is the fourth African champion in UFC history, so congrats to you my African brother Dricus du Plessis.”

“Legit I’m happy for him, I actually like his story,” Adesanya added. “But he still did what he did and I’m still going to test that ass.”

Adesanya and du Plessis have been embroiled in a heated rivalry that began while Adesanya still held the UFC middleweight title. Du Plessis, who hails from South Africa, ruffled Adesanya’s feathers when he suggested that he is a more authentic than Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria but is based in New Zealand.

Following du Plessis’ win at UFC 297, Adesanya said on social media that they are ‘destined’ to fight.

Adesanya lost his title to Strickland at UFC 293 this past September. In the video above, Adesanya and his friends can be seen having a laugh at the now-former champion’s expense.

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Could it be?
| BJPenn.com

It was a bad night for Canadian MMA at UFC 297, with Malott’s shocking last minute disintegration against Neil Magny being the cherry on top of a s— sundae.

UFC 297 was the promotion’s first event in Toronto in over five years, but the return was marred as Canadian fighters went 2-7 across the night. Every single male Canadian took an L, including Great Canadian Hope Mike Malott.

Malott came into the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series and built a 3-0 record (all stoppages) en route to his date with destiny in Toronto. Standing in his way: the always tough Neil Magny. Through two and a half rounds, Malott seemed like he had the fight in hand. He methodically kicked Magny’s leg out from under him and was controlling the pace of the fight … until he went for a guillotine choke in the dying moments of the third round.

All of a sudden, everything seemed to go horribly wrong. Magny slipped out of the choke, went from half to mount with ease, and started raining down punches on Malott. The referee was forced the stop the bout at 4:45 (watch the finish here). The Canadian was 15 seconds away from a career-defining win. Instead, he found himself unable to get off the canvas for minutes after the fight. His corner had to carry him out of the cage, still stunned.

Malott took to social media after the loss, and was clearly emotional about how things had gone.

“Hey guys, I’m all right. I tried my best, I’m really sorry,” he said. “I hope … I’m gonna make you guys proud. I’m a little disappointed but…. I felt really good this camp, no excuses man, I felt really good. I felt good in the fight. I just wasn’t good enough tonight, so. I’m gonna have to make some improvements but I’m so, so touched by all the support I’ve gotten by all the fans. It really means a lot to me.”

“I love you guys. I wanna do my country proud,” he added. “Thank you to my friends and family, my team, sponsors, and everybody who has supported me. I’ll be back. I’ll make you guys proud again. Thank you.”

This feels like one of those fights a fighter had to win to go from up-and-coming prospect to full blown rising contender. Malott’s going to have to come back hard to erase the memory of this one from the memory banks. But hey, even Georges St-Pierre had the Matt Serra incident.

Maybe to fumble is the most Canadian thing. It’s how you pick yourself up and dust yourself off that matters. Let’s all keep that in mind after UFC 297, eh?

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Ian Machado Garry was satisfied with the result of UFC 297’s main event.

After a rather dramatic build-up outside the octagon to the first middleweight title fight of 2024, Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis — legally — came to blows this past Saturday night in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ultimately, Strickland saw his title reign conclude before it truly got going, as he dropped a hard-fought split decision loss to Du Plessis.

The previous two months saw Strickland draw attention for his verbal assaults, which is nothing new for the outspoken 185-pound star. One of the newly developed enemies he made was the rising 13-0 welterweight contender Garry, whom Strickland targeted for his relationship with his wife Layla Anna-Lee. Garry, 26, has since fired back at Strickland in a couple of different facets, but after watching the recent title fight play out, he was quite happy as he shared his reaction on social media yesterday.

“I hope Sean gets sparked unconscious,” Garry said in an X video as he watched the fight (h/t MMA Mania). “There is no way I would have ever bet against Du Plessis losing this fight considering he mauled Robert Whittaker, and Sean Strickland isn’t half the fighter Robert Whittaker is.

“Just sloppy boxing. Swinging. Look at this. The f***** state of this. Zero technique, just slugging it out now. Oh my God, I feel like I’m watching two amateurs fight. Oh my God (laughs). Oh, my dear Jesus Christ. If I ever have a fight like that, please tell me to retire.”

Whether or not you thought the title tilt was the prettiest in terms of technique, it was close on the judges’ scorecards. Du Plessis earned the nod with two 48-47 cards to Strickland’s one with the third round as the swing round.

Before Garry ever gets his hands on Strickland, he’ll keep working his way through the welterweight division. Next on deck is a rebooked Geoff Neal matchup at UFC 298 next month for Garry, but he’s certainly excited by the prospect of battling the now-former middleweight champion.

“F*** you, Sean Strickland,” Garry said. “Now that fight’s even more available.”

TOP STORIES

Aftermath. UFC 297: 7 biggest takeaways from UFC’s first pay-per-view of the year

Controversy. Sean Strickland blames head butt for ugly cut in UFC 297 main event, Dricus du Plessis responds

Rivals. Israel Adesanya responds to Dricus du Plessis: ‘Our paths are destined to cross again’

Scoring. Dana White reveals he had Sean Strickland winning at UFC 297, but doesn’t plan immediate rematch

Turnaround. Dricus du Plessis: Israel Adesanya at UFC 300 ‘sounds amazing,’ scoffs at Khamzat Chimaev

GOAT. Amanda Nunes hints at potential comeback: ‘I still feel like a champion, so we’ll see’

Buzz. ‘Drake gotta stop betting on MMA‘: Fighters react to Dricus du Plessis’ win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297

Disappointment. ‘That was a title fight?’: Fighters react to Raquel Pennington’s UFC 297 win over Mayra Bueno Silva

Legend. Frankie Edgar announced as first 2024 UFC Hall of Fame inductee

Beef. Raquel Pennington wants to settle score with Julianna Peña: ‘I’ve been waiting for that fight for 13 years’

$ $ $ . UFC 297 bonuses: Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland earn ‘Fight of the Night’ for five-round battle

VIDEO STEW

UFC 297 Post Show.

On To the Next One.

UFC 297 Post-Fight Scrums.

The Answer.

RIZIN Confessions 141.

Surprising Sage.

37-second flashback.

MORNING MUSIC

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Update.

Gangster.

Sadness.

Subs.

Lol.

Poster.

Thumped her.

Ouch.

Spice.

Nicky.

Nasty.

Weili plus GSP.

Jiri.

Connections.

History.

In the desert.

Dumper.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dan Ige (17-7) vs. Andre Fili (23-10); UFC Vegas 86, Feb. 10

Rinya Nakamura (8-0) vs. Carlos Vera (11-3); UFC 298, February 17

Anthony Hernandez (11-2) vs. Roman Kopylov (12-2); UFC 298, Feb. 17

Julia Polastri (12-3) vs. Josefine Knutsson (7-0); UFC Vegas 87, March 2

Chad Anheliger (12-7) vs. Charalampos Grigoriou (8-3); UFC Vegas 88, March 16

Billy Quarantillo (18-5) vs. Gabriel Miranda (17-6); UFC Vegas 89, March 23

Ibo Aslan (12-1) vs. Anton Turkalj (8-3); UFC Atlantic City, March 30

Cesar Almeida (4-0) vs. Josh Fremd (11-5); UFC Vegas 90, April 6

Cynthia Calvillo (9-6-1) vs. Piera Rodriguez (9-1); UFC Vegas 90, April 6

James Llontop (14-2) vs. Lando Vannata (12-7-2); UFC Fight Night, April 27

Maheshate Hayisaer (9-3) vs. Anshul Jubli (7-1); UFC Fight Night, April 27

FINAL THOUGHTS

Whether intentional or not, Garry knows how to play the villain/”bad guy,” man.

Happy Monday. Thanks for reading!

POLL POSITION

Last Week’s Results:

Friday: 53% of 411 total votes answered “No” when asked, “Do you believe UFC Saudi Arabia will get a title fight?”

Thursday: 56% of 469 total votes answered “Yes” when asked, “Do you want to see Tom Aspinall vs. Alex Pereira added to UFC 300?”

Wednesday: 46% of 407 total votes answered “Dricus Du Plessis and Mayra Bueno Silva” when asked, “Who wins this weekend?” Du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland via split decision in UFC 297’s main event. Raquel Pennington defeated Bueno Silva via unanimous decision in UFC 297’s co-main event.

Tuesday: 56% of 463 total votes answered “Ilia Topuria” when asked, “Who does Sean O’Malley have a better chance of beating?”

Monday: 57% of 247 total votes answered “Worse” when asked, “Does the idea of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler at middleweight make a matchup between the two better or worse than it would be at light or welterweight?”

Today’s exit poll:

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.

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After capturing middleweight gold at UFC 297, Dricus Du Plessis was completely overcome with joy. It had been a long road for the man, and the world saw before their eyes somebody who had just accomplished a long-awaited goal.

For Du Plessis, much can be said about the pressure he exerted upon Strickland during the fight. He also came into the match with a chip on his shoulder, as fans and media claimed Du Plessis’ cardio couldn’t last into the championship rounds. Not only did ‘Stillknocks’ prove them wrong, but he and Strickland put on a show for the fans while doing it.

Now 8-0 in the UFC, Dricus Du Plessis seemingly has his pick of the litter. On the microphone during his post-fight interview, he called out the former champion Israel Adesanya. However, many notable fighters such as Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa are chomping at the bit for a title fight with him as well.

Dricus Du Plessis celebrates his victory in style While the World Wonders: Who’s Next?

After the battle, Dricus Du Plessis seemed to have a hankering for some beer and croissants. He seemed to have gotten what he wanted and posted a photo to Instagram to let fans across the world see him celebrate his success with a literal breakfast of champions.

“This is Africa,” the newly crowned champion wrote. “We fear nothing, and certainly no one!! Thank you, South Africa. It’s an honor representing our beautiful nation.”

While the post may have served as heartwarming content, It still doesn’t decide the future, and many fans seem conflicted about what opponent could make for a compelling fight. Du Plessis said himself during his post-fight interview that he wanted Adesanya next, but that’s certainly not set in stone.

A fight with Khamzat Chimaev would certainly generate an absurd amount of hype, but many fans also believe the young Chechen-born Swede is simply not ready for a title fight yet. Costa is throwing his name in the mix, but he sadly has more fight cancellations than actual fights these last few years.

A Sean Strickland rematch is also a possibility, but then again, many saw the fight as a convincing victory for Du Plessis and don’t feel like Strickland has much to offer in a potential rematch.

Who do you think Dricus Du Plessis will defend his title against?

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