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In the ever-shifting MMA landscape, ranking the world’s greatest fighters might seem like a fool’s errand, but that’s exactly what we’ve set out to do with the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Here, our esteemed panel sorts out the movers and shakers from every division to provide you with the most definitive list of the best fighters on the planet.

Updated pound-for-pound rankings can be found here.

There is plenty of movement up and down the divisions to talk about, with Belal Muhammad ascending to the top of the welterweight mountain, Kyoji Horiguchi once again emerging as a two-division threat, Alexander Volkov upsetting Sergei Pavlovich to make an absolute mess of the heavyweight rankings, Nassourdine Imavov and Macy Chiasson claiming top-five spots with breakthrough performances, and flyweight contenders Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape both somehow hurting their stock following a dud of a grudge match at UFC 304.

But it was actually a less visible move that intrigues us the most this month, as Tom Aspinall further established himself as the best heavyweight on the planet with a 60-second drubbing of Curtis Blaydes. Forget the interim tag on his belt and the upcoming Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic vanity fight, Aspinall is the man to beat in his division until proven otherwise.

All seven of our panelists put Aspinall at No. 1 on their ballots, with the last Jones holdovers finally seeing fit to change allegiances. That means this is the first time in the history of our rankings that Jones does not have a single No. 1 vote to his name after previously receiving such support in the heavyweight, light heavyweight, and men’s pound-for-pound charts.

Is this a true changing of the guard? Should Jones be getting more respect? Or does Jones have to go through Aspinall to regain his spot now?

All eyes are on Jones now as his next fight can’t come soon enough.

Check out the complete July rankings below.

Heavyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Tom Aspinall def. No. 4 Curtis Blaydes, No. 7 Alexander Volkov def. No. 3 Sergei Pavlovich, No. 14 Phil De Fries def. Augusto Sakai

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 3 Alexander Volkov vs. No. 6 Ciryl Gane (UFC 308, Oct. 26), No. 8 Marcin Tybura vs. No. 10 Serghei Spivac (UFC Vegas 95, Aug. 10), No. 9 Tai Tuivasa vs. No. 15 Jairzinho Rozenstruik (UFC 305, Aug. 17), No. 12 Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reug Reug (ONE Fight Night 28, Nov. 8)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Derrick Lewis (4), Linton Vassell (4), Ryan Bader (1), Mick Parkin (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Light Heavyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Alex Pereira def. No. 2 Jiri Prochazka, Roman Dolidze def. No. 13 Anthony Smith, No. 15 Volkan Oezdemir def. No. 8 Johnny Walker

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 15 Azamat Murzakanov vs. Alonzo Menifield (UFC Abu Dhabi, Aug. 3)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Rob Wilkinson (3), Bogdan Guskov (2), Roman Dolidze (2), Alonzo Menifield (1), Dominick Reyes (1), Anthony Smith (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 13 Anthony Smith

Middleweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Robert Whittaker def. Ikram Aliskerov, No. 11 Nassourdine Imavov def. No. 5 Jared Cannonier

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Dricus du Plessis vs. No. 3 Israel Adesanya (UFC 305, Aug. 17), No. 5 (tied) Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards (Bellator London, Sept. 14), No. 5 (tied) Nassourdine Imavov vs. No. 9 Brendan Allen (UFC Paris, Sept. 28), No. 13 Michel Pereira vs. No. 15 Anthony Hernandez (UFC Fight Night, Oct. 19)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Caio Borralho (3), Jack Hermansson (2), Ikram Aliskerov (1), Chris Curtis (1), Fabian Edwards (1), Impa Kasanganay (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Welterweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Belal Muhammad def. No. 1 Leon Edwards, Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. No. 7 Jason Jackson, No. 8 Ian Machado Garry def. No. 13 (tied) Michael Page

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 6 Gilbert Burns vs. No. 9 Sean Brady (UFC Fight Night, Sept. 7)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Colby Covington (1), Rinat Fakhretdinov (1), Vicente Luque (1), Magomed Magomedkerimov (1), Shamil Musaev (1), Magomed Umalatov (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Vicente Luque

Lightweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 7 Usman Nurmagomedov vs. No. 15 Alexander Shabliy (Bellator San Diego, Sept. 7), No. 9 Mateusz Gamrot vs. No. 12 Dan Hooker (UFC 305, Aug. 17), No. 11 Renato Moicano vs. No. 13 (tied) Benoit Saint Denis (UFC Paris, Sept. 28)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Paddy Pimblett (4), Jalin Turner (1), Matt Frevola (1), Drew Dober (1), Tofiq Musayev (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Featherweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 7 Arnold Allen def. No. 13 Giga Chikadze, No. 14 Diego Lopes def. Dan Ige (165-pound catchweight bout)

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Movsar Evloev vs. No. 10 Aljamain Sterling (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 5 Brian Ortega vs. No. 11 Diego Lopes (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 13 Calvin Kattar vs. Kyle Nelson (UFC Fight Night, Sept. 7)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Lerone Murphy (3), Chihiro Suzuki (2), Movlid Khaybulaev (1), Bryce Mitchell (1), Adam Borics (1), Joanderson Brito (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Bantamweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 (FLW) Kyoji Horiguchi def. No. 7 Sergio Pettis

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Sean O’Malley vs. No. 2 Merab Dvalishvili (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 3 Patchy Mix vs. Leandro Higo (Bellator Paris, Nov. 16), No. 4 Cory Sandhagen vs. No. 8 Umar Nurmagomedov (UFC Abu Dhabi, Aug. 3), No. 9 (tied) Deiveson Figueiredo vs. No. 12 Marlon Vera, No. 15 Raufeon Stots vs. Marcos Breno (UFC San Diego, Sept. 7)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Magomed Magomedov (2), Jonathan Martinez (2), Kai Asakura (1), Mario Bautista (1), Kyler Phillips (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Magomed Magomedov

Flyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Kyoji Horiguchi def. Sergio Pettis (bantamweight bout), No. 13 Tatsuro Taira def. No. 12 Alex Perez, No. 9 (tied) Muhammad Mokaev def. No. 9 (tied) Manel Kape

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 7 (tied) Kai Kara-France vs. No. 11 Steve Erceg (UFC 305, Aug. 17)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Hiromasa Ougikubo (2), Asu Almabayev (1), Askar Akarov (1), Kairat Akhmetov (1), Azamat Kerefov (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Women’s Bantamweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 8 Macy Chiasson def. No. 3 Mayra Bueno Silva

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 6 Irene Aldana vs. No. 12 Norma Dumont (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 8 Karol Rosa vs. No. 10 Pannie Kianzad (UFC Vegas 95, Aug. 10), No. 9 Yana Santos vs. Chelsea Chandler (UFC Vegas 95, Aug. 10), No. 14 Nora Cornolle vs. Germaine de Randamie (UFC Paris, Sept. 28)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Tainara Lisboa (2), Melissa Mullins (2), Lucie Pudilova (2), Julia Avila (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Women’s Flyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 5 Taila Santos def. Jena Bishop, No. 6 Liz Carmouche def. Kana Watanabe, No. 10 Rose Namajunas def. Tracy Cortez

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Alexa Grasso vs. No. 2 Valentina Shevchenko (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 5 Taila Santos vs. No. 6 Liz Carmouche (PFL 7, Aug. 2), No. 10 Natalia Silva vs. No. 14 Jessica Andrade (UFC Fight Night, Sept. 7), No. 15 Jennifer Maia vs. Mayra Cantuaria (Invicta FC 56, Aug. 9)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Karine Silva (4), Ariane da Silva (2), Jena Bishop (1), Kana Watanabe (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Strawweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 6 Virna Jandiroba def. No. 5 Amanda Lemos, No. 13 Gillian Robertson def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva (flyweight bout) (UFC Fight Night, Sept. 7), No. 7 Marina Rodriguez vs. No. 14 Iasmin Lucindo (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 8 Mackenzie Dern vs. No. 10 Loopy Godinez (UFC Abu Dhabi, Aug. 3), No. 11 Angela Hill vs. No. 12 Tabatha Ricci (UFC Fight Night, Aug. 24)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Loma Lookboonmee (4), Karolina Kowalkiewicz (2), Danni McCormack (1), Tecia Pennington (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

A refresher on the ground rules:

• The seven-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Shaheen Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, E. Casey Leydon, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
• Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout. Updates to the rankings are typically completed following each month’s UFC pay-per-view.
• 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.)
• Holding a promotion’s title does not guarantee that fighter will be viewed as the best in their promotion. Additionally, fighters who regularly compete or hold titles in multiple weight classes are eligible to be ranked in multiple lists.

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

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Sean Strickland hasn’t let his love for motorcycles get in the way of his hatred for the woke culture. 

While the UFC star has been caught doing and saying some incredibly controversial things, he remains true to his own beliefs. His brash approach to social media has often landed him in trouble, but that hasn’t altered the way he acts.

After claims of Harley Davidson ‘going woke’ surfaced, Sean Strickland hopped on social media, hoping to sell his bike and retract his affiliation with the motorcycle company.

“Well, Harley Davidson has gone woke,” Strickaknd said on X. “Anyone want a good deal on a lowride S 117?”

“Listen, man, I still go to Starbucks. It’s a dirty f***ing liberal company and I accepted that. Harley going woke is a betrayal to their customers. It’s different.”

Well…………………….. @harleydavidson has gone woke…….. Anyone want a good deal on a lowride S 117? #DEI #woke

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2024

Listen man I still go to Starbucks. It's a dirty fucking liberal company and I accepted that… Harley going woke is a betrayal to their customers. It's different.

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2024

Harley Davidson promoted popular musician Machine Gun Kelly and Strickland couldn’t remain silent.

“You promote MGK, the guy who dresses his boys like girls and does blood rituals. Time to sell that Harley stock while it’s up.”

“Harley, there is still time. I don’t want to sell my bike. Your CEO is a German climate activist who has created a woke agenda. Turn back, we will forgive you. Turn back.”

You promote MGK.. the guy who dresses his boys like girls and does blood rituals…… Time to sell that harley stock while it's up.. https://t.co/q784jRhGPo

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2024

They muted the comments… Harley there is still time. I don't want to sell my bike….. You're CEO is a german climate activist who has created a woke agenda. Turn back… we will forgive you… turn back… https://t.co/q784jRhGPo

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2024

Related: Sean Strickland sustains injuries in motorcycle accident

Harley Davidson has been a major partner of the UFC since 2007. The motorcycle company perfectly aligns with fight fans around the world, which helped it gain a proud, loyal following since their partnership began almost two decades ago.

Sean Strickland’s newfound love for riding motorcycles has taken a hit. The former UFC middleweight champion recently learned how to wheelie on his bike, which adds another thrillseeking activity to his ever-growing list.

Despite being able to find the balance point, Strickland managed to have an accident that cut and bruised him while joyriding earlier this month.

MMAWeekly.com | UFC and MMA News, Results, Rumors, and Videos

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Belal Muhammad is now ranked in the Top 10 of the pound-for-pound rankings.

The newly-crowned welterweight champion unseated former division titleholder Leon Edwards in the UFC 304 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last weekend in Manchester, shaking up the 170-pound leaderboard in the process.

“Rocky” slipped to No. 7 at pound-for-pound and No. 1 at welterweight.

Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall also gained some ground on the “bullsh*t” pound-for-pound chart, clocking in at No. 9 after disposing of longtime contender Curtis Blaydes. In addition, lightweight sensation Paddy Pimblett finally cracked the Top 15 at 155 pounds by submitting veteran bruiser King Green.

Here’s how UFC compiles its official rankings:

Rankings were generated by a voting panel made up of media members. The media members were asked to vote for who they feel are the top fighters in the UFC by weight-class and pound-for-pound. A fighter is only eligible to be voted on if they are in active status in the UFC. A fighter can appear in more than one weight division at a time. The champion and interim champion are considered to be in the top positions of their respective divisions and therefore are not eligible for voting by weight-class. However, the champions can be voted on for the pound-for-pound rankings.

Take a look at what the latest rankings field looks like courtesy of the UFC app. Note: (+/- = movement in rankings, T = tie, *NR = Not previously ranked).

MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Islam Makhachev
2. Alex Pereira
3. Jon Jones
4. Ilia Topuria +1
5. Sean O’Malley +1
6. Belal Muhammad *NR
7. Leon Edwards -3
8. Alexander Volkanovski -1
9. Tom Aspinall +2
10. Max Holloway -2
11. Dricus Du Plessis -2
12. Alexandre Pantoja -2
13. Israel Adesanya -1
14. Sean Strickland
15. Charles Oliveira -2

FLYWEIGHT

Champion: Alexandre Pantoja

1. Brandon Royval
2. Brandon Moreno
3. Amir Albazi
4. Kai Kara France
5. Tatsuro Taira
6. Alex Perez +1
7. Steve Erceg +2
8. Matheus Nicolau +2
9. Manel Kape -1
10. Tim Elliott +1
11. Matt Schnell +1
12. Tagir Ulanbekov +1
13. Bruno Silva +1
14. Asu Almabayev +1
15. Cody Durden *NR

Note: Muhammad Mokaev released from UFC, removed from flyweight rankings

BANTAMWEIGHT

Champion: Sean O’Malley

1. Merab Dvalishvili
2. Cory Sandhagen
3. Petr Yan
4. Marlon Vera
5. Henry Cejudo
6. Deiveson Figueiredo
7. Song Yadong
8. Jose Aldo
9. Rob Font
10. Umar Nurmagomedov
11. Kyler Phillips
12. Mario Bautista
13. Dominick Cruz
14. Jonathan Martinez
15. Montel Jackson

FEATHERWEIGHT

Champion: Ilia Topuria

1. Alexander Volkanovski
2. Max Holloway
3. Brian Ortega
4. Yair Rodriguez
5. (T) Movsar Evloev
5. (T) Arnold Allen +1
7. Josh Emmett
8. Aljamain Sterling
9. Calvin Kattar
10. Giga Chikadze
11. Lerone Murphy
12. Diego Lopes
13. Bryce Mitchell
14. Dan Ige
15. Edson Barboza

LIGHTWEIGHT

Champion: Islam Makhachev

1. Arman Tsarukyan
2. Charles Oliveira
3. Justin Gaethje
4. Dustin Poirier
5. Mateusz Gamrot
6. Michael Chandler
7. Beneil Dariush
8. Rafael Fiziev
9. Max Holloway
10. Renato Moicano
11. Dan Hooker
12. Benoit Saint-Denis
13. Jalin Turner
14. Rafael dos Anjos
15. Paddy Pimblett *NR

WELTERWEIGHT

Champion: Belal Muhammed

1. Leon Edwards -1
2. Kamaru Usman -1
3. Shavkat Rakhmonov
4. Colby Covington
5. Jack Della Maddalena
6. Gilbert Burns
7. Ian Machado Garry
8. Sean Brady
9. Stephen Thompson
10. Geoff Neal
11. Joaquin Buckley
12. Neil Magny
13. Vicente Luque
14. Michael Page -1
15. Kevin Holland

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Champion: Dricus Du Plessis

1. Sean Strickland
2. Israel Adesanya
3. Robert Whittaker
4. Nassourdine Imavov
5. Jared Cannonier
6. Marvin Vettori
7. Brendan Allen
8. Paulo Costa
9. Jack Hermansson
10. Roman Dolidze
11. Khamzat Chimaev
12. Caio Borralho
13. Michel Pereira
14. Anthony Hernandez
15. Chris Curtis

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Champion: Alex Pereira

1. Jiri Prochazka
2. Magomed Ankalaev
3. Jamahal Hill
4. Jan Blachowicz
5. Aleksandar Rakic
6. Nikita Krylov
7. Volkan Oezdemir
8. Khalil Rountree
9. Johnny Walker
10. Carlos Ulberg
11. Anthony Smith
12. Bogdan Guskov
13. Dominick Reyes
14. Azamat Murzakanov
15. Alonzo Menifield

HEAVYWEIGHT

Champion: Jon Jones

1. Tom Aspinall
2. Ciryl Gane
3. Alexander Volkov
4. Sergei Pavlovich +1
5. Curtis Blaydes -1
6. Stipe Miocic
7. Jailton Almeida
8. Marcin Tybura
9. Serghei Spivac
10. Tai Tuivasa
11. Derrick Lewis
12. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
13. Alexandr Romanov
14. Marcos Rogerio De Lima
15. Rodrigo Nascimento

WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Alexa Grasso
2. Zhang Weili
3. Valentina Shevchenko
4. Manon Fiorot
5. Julianna Pena
6. Raquel Pennington
7. Rose Namajunas
8. Erin Blanchfield
9. Tatiana Suarez
10. Yan Xiaonan
11. Jessica Andrade
12. Kayla Harrison
13. Virna Jandiroba
14. Ketlen Vieira
15. Amanda Lemos

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT

Champion: Zhang Weili

1. Tatiana Suarez
2. Yan Xiaonan
3. Virna Jandiroba
4. Jessica Andrade
5. Amanda Lemos
6. Marina Rodriguez
7. Mackenzie Dern
8. Amanda Ribas
9. Angela Hill
10. Loopy Godinez
11. Tabatha Ricci
12. Luana Pinheiro
13. Gillian Robertson
14. Iasmin Lucindo
15. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT

Champion: Alexa Grasso

1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Manon Fiorot
3. Erin Blanchfield
4. Maycee Barber
5. Rose Namajunas
6. Jessica Andrade
7. Katlyn Cerminara
8. Natalia Silva
9. Amanda Ribas
10. Viviane Araújo
11. Karine Silva
12. Tracy Cortez
13. Ariane Da Silva
14. Jasmine Jasudavicius
15. Casey O’Neill

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT

Champion: Raquel Pennington

1. Julianna Pena
2. Ketlen Vieira
3. Kayla Harrison
4. Irene Aldana
5. Macy Chiasson
6. Mayra Bueno Silva
7. Holly Holm
8. Karol Rosa
9. Miesha Tate
10. Norma Dumont
11. Pannie Kianzad
12. Yana Santos
13. Julia Avila
14. Chelsea Chandler
15. Germaine De Randamie

You can expect these rankings to change around this time next week, particularly in the bantamweight division, following the UFC Abu Dhabi: “Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov” mixed martial arts (MMA) event on ABC and ESPN+, scheduled for Sat., Aug. 3, 2024 at Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

For much more on that upcoming fight card click here.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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Muhammad Mokaev sees the error of his ways.

At UFC 304, Mokaev won a unanimous decision over Manel Kape in a bout that was overshadowed by all the controversy surrounding it. Prior to their fight, Mokaev and Kape got into an altercation at the fighter hotel, which Mokaev later admitted to causing when he sucker-punched Kape, and the two nearly came to blows at several other media events during Fight Week. After Saturday’s fight, UFC CEO Dana White said the promotion would not re-sign the undefeated super prospect as he had completed his deal with the UFC.

Needless to say, it was a tumultuous week for Mokaev and now with a little time to reflect, “The Punisher” appears to recognize his actions weren’t well-received.

Mokaev addressed the controversy via social media.

“This is first time I punched outside the cage, it was more personal

“He was the one who head butted 5 days before Perez fight when I went to shake his hand in Vegas!

“I understand, this is wrong what happen at the hotel and I apologize to the UFC, but there’s some nights I didn’t sleep because someone treated me like that , I never been cheap shot on the streets

“I will never let anyone bully me and I never bullied anyone, but whatever happened it happened, I don’t wanna keep going about it but I will take big lesson from it!”

Mokaev was ranked No. 6 in the UFC flyweight rankings before his departure from the promotion. Given the UFC’s willingness to work with other fighters who have behaved in a similar fashion, fans quickly wondered if there was an ulterior motive to the move, with a rumor circulating that Mokaev actually began negotiating with the PFL prior to finishing his UFC contract, prompting White’s comments.

Mokaev’s manager Tim Simpson categorically rejected those reports and Mokaev himself also denies anything of the sort, saying he still hopes to be re-signed by the promotion.

“My dream is to become UFC Champion.

“I turn them all down because UFC gave me the platform to put my name out there and earn money to feed my family!

“[By the way] PFL don’t have flyweight division.

“All these journalists that make this shit up are idiots!

“I hope Dana resigns me, this is my dream to become champion!”

While White could always change his mind, for the time being it appears that Mokaev is truly out of the promotion as he was dropped from the UFC rankings in its latest update. But having just turned 24 years old, with an impressive undefeated record, and nearly 2 million Instagram followers, Mokaev should not lack for suitors for his considerable skillset, if the UFC holds firm.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Jon Jones, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, looks to be the underdog in a potential match against Tom Aspinall. The UK-born Aspinall has been tearing through the UFC’s heavyweight division, looking so dangerous that he would be the betting favorite against all-time great ‘Bones’ Jones.

Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall

According to a sportsbook, Aspinall is a slight favorite at -150 to defeat Jones at +130. The UK-born Aspinall hold the interim heavyweight title in the UFC while ‘Bones‘ Jones, of the USA, holds the undisputed championship. These two are not yet booked against one another. While Aspinall is the clear top contender to claim Jones’ crown, the American athlete wants to defeat the former champion Stipe Miocic.

According to the UFC star Padd Pimblett, Jones is so heavily interested in the Stipe Miocic fight because he wants a leg up against his rival Daniel Cormier. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Low Kick MMA, Pimblett explained: “He wants to have that win over Stipe who’s beaten Cormier twice, just so it’s another f*ck you to Cormier. That’s how his brain works.”

Tom Aspinall Record

Tom Aspinall has quite an incredible record in MMA. In the UFC, he has eight wins all by way of knockout or submission. None of these victories went past the three-minute mark. Aspinall has a lone loss to Curtis Blaydes, due to a knee injury, which he later avenged at UFC 304. All 15 of Aspinall’s wins in MMA have come by way of KO/TKO or submission, the English athlete has never had to meet a judges scorecard.

With such an impressive run in the UFC, having won and defended his interim title, Aspinall wants a shot at the division king on Jones. He even pitched a heavyweight tournament idea featuring Jones, himself, Stipe Miocic, and the light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

“So, they’re saying Jon Jones and Stipe are going to fight at MSG in November, why don’t we do a tournament: Jon vs. Stipe and me vs. Alex,” Pereira said. “Do a four-man tournament, two fights in one night, and let’s find out who the real Heavyweight champion is.

“We got the greatest Heavyweight of all time, we got the greatest MMA fighter of all time, we got the Light Heavyweight champion, and me who is just a poxy Interim champion. Let’s do that…wouldn’t that be a cool little thing, two fights in one night. I got the lowest average fight time in the UFC, and it’s even lower after tonight; my chances in that tournament are pretty good” (h/t Bloody Elbow).

Jon Jones Next Fight

Jon Jones next fight is not yet officially scheduled. Since defeating France’s Ciryl Gane in early 2023, ‘Bones’ has been inactive. At UFC 295 the 37-year-old was booked against Stipe Miocic on November 11, 2023, but Jones pulled out of the match due to an injury.

The status of all-time great has certainly been earned throughout the career of Jon Jones. Since becoming the youngest champion in UFC in 2011, he has defeated former or future UFC champions Glover Teixeira, Daniel Cormier, Vitor Belfort, Rashad Evans, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Maurício ‘Shogun’ Rua, and Lyoto Machida, in addition to other contenders who would never hold UFC gold. Simply, ‘Bones’ has an incredible resume in MMA.

Fans are hoping to see Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall face off in a title unification bout sometime in 2024. Many MMA followers are not interested in the Miocic fight. The American athlete Miocic was a great UFC heavyweight champion but has been winless since 2020. ‘The Baddy’ Paddy Pimblett said, That’s the scenario that I think every UFC fan wants.”

LowKickMMA.com

Leon Edwards’ coach has looked to add some context to the former UFC welterweight champion’s wrestling struggles against Belal Muhammad.

Edwards headlined this past weekend’s UFC 304 pay-per-view event at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England, defending the 170-pound gold in a rematch with Muhammad.

Against the odds and despite many backing the champ to retain, “Remember the Name” proved that his confidence was well placed by putting on a largely dominant display across five rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.

A key part of Muhammad’s title triumph was his renowned grappling game, as he utilized a smothering wrestling arsenal to control Edwards for significant portions of the UFC 304 headliner. That came as a surprise to many given Edwards’ strong wrestling defense, which helped him outpoint both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington last year.

Now, some extra information has been attached to the former champ’s failure to combat Muhammad’s takedowns…

Coach Lovell Was ‘Dubious’ About Edwards Fighting Through Injury At UFC 304

During a recent interview on Submission Radio, coach Dave Lovell reflected on his man’s setback in Manchester this past weekend, which marked his first defeat since a decision loss to Usman in 2015.

While he acknowledged Muhammad’s display and suggested it simply wasn’t Edwards night, the experienced trainer did reveal some injury troubles that he believes hampered “Rocky’s” ability to handle the challenger’s main offense at UFC 304.

“Where Leon was concerned, a lot of people don’t know this — and I’m not making any kind of excuses for him — but we had a few niggles in camp. His back was niggling him,” Lovell said. “So he couldn’t wrestle the way he really needed to, offensively and defensively. We’re not taking anything away from Belal’s performance. He did well; the best man won on the night. But Leon will be back.

“I was very dubious because these niggles were going on for about maybe five or so weeks on or off. He had to go to a chiropractor (for) regular massages. But again, after one session, it was back to square one,” Lovell continued. “In the back part of my mind, I was thinking, ‘Should we go for this?’ But because he hadn’t fought for so long, Leon said he wanted it, so we just pushed forward through the injury, trained through the injury, and then tried to get through and get a victory. Unfortunately, it never happened.”

Edwards made no mention of the physical problems he seemingly entered the cage with at UFC 304 himself. In a short and succinct post-fight statement, “Rocky” apologized to his fans and vowed to regain the gold.

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• Read More: 4 Positives & 3 Negatives From UFC 304: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2

Continue Reading Leon Edwards’ Coach Claims Injury Affected UFC 304 Performance: ‘He Couldn’t Wrestle The Way He Needed To’ at MMA News.

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