Paddy Pimblett has arrived in the UFC’s top ten after a gruesome stoppage victory over Michael Chandler on Saturday night.
Fan favorite Pimblett brutalized Chandler over three rounds before slicing him open and finishing him in the co-main event of UFC 314 on Saturday night. The American had been ranked number seven, making a win over him very valuable.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Alexander Volkanovski returned to the pound-for-pound top ten after his main event victory over Diego Lopes. And Jean Silva landed himself in the rankings at featherweight for the first time with his win against Bryce Mitchell.
Paddy Pimblett lands top ten ranking after UFC 314 win
Paddy Pimblett has entered the top ten of the UFC lightweight rankings after his win over Michael Chandler on Saturday night. The American had been ranked at number seven, but the Brit has missed out on that placement with fellow European Mateusz Gamrot taking that slot.
It’s another step in the direction of a world title shot for the scouser who has improved every next fight under the UFC banner and remains undefeated. He called for fights with Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira or Arman Tsarukyan after his victory, and appears serious about title contention.
Islam Makhachev has even admitted in the past that should Pimblett rocket up the rankings that he may have to fight him given the lack of serious contenders. However, he may have to face former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who gave up his belt to move up in weight.
Chandler’s defeat saw him slump back to the number 12 spot that Pimblett has previously held. He hasn’t won in the UFC since 2022, and is 2-5 in the promotion since making the move from Bellator in 2021.
Alexander Volkanovski returns to the top 10 pound-for-pound
After reclaiming the featherweight title on Saturday night, Alexander Volkanovski is back at the summit of his division. His knockout losses to Topuria and Makhachev in quick succession had hurt his pound-for-pound ranking, after once competing for top spot.
But an impressive outing against the plucky Lopes saw him rise to number nine as he begins his push back to the top. The lightweight champion remains in the top spot, much to Dana White’s annoyance as he stays ahead of Jon Jones.
Interestingly, the only two men to beat Volkanovski under the UFC banner Makhachev and Topuria are respectively ranked number one and number three pound-for-pound. Should they fight, it would likely be for top spot.
