Tatiana Suárez Resurges: Rise in the UFC Strawweight Rankings

Tatiana Suárez, after her recent fight in February where she did not achieve the UFC strawweight championship, could be heading towards another title opportunity thanks to a standout victory on Saturday. This triumph, at the very least, has boosted her position in ESPN’s division rankings.Seven months ago, Suárez faced Zhang Weili for the title, undefeated and with absolute dominance over her opponents thanks to her effective wrestling. However, Zhang managed to defend her title, frustrating almost all of Suárez’s takedown attempts and securing the victory before moving up to flyweight.This leaves the 115-pound title vacant. After Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern compete on October 25 to contend for the vacant position, the winner will need a first challenger. This is where Tatiana Suárez could come into play.In Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event, Suarez demonstrated her worth in the fight and defeated Amanda Lemos, who was ranked one place higher in the strawweight rankings. With this victory, Suarez (11-1) surpasses Lemos, now ranking number 4.The winner of Saturday’s main event, Diego Lopes, remains in third place among featherweights, as the fighter ahead of him in the rankings, Movsar Evloev, has previously defeated him.In addition, three other changes were made in the rankings, all due to the eligibility requirement that fighters compete in the last year or have a scheduled fight. Dan Hooker, Arnold Allen, and Norma Dumont fell out of the rankings due to inactivity.

Below, we present ESPN’s pound-for-pound MMA rankings and a list of the current UFC champions in all weight classes.

The results are current; rankings updated as of September 16. To be eligible for rankings, a fighter must have competed in the last 12 months or have a scheduled fight. Fighters who have been removed for inactivity can only be reinstated after competing. ## UFC Rankings Heavyweight | Semi-heavyweight | Middleweight | Welterweight
Lightweight | Featherweight | Bantamweight
Flyweight | Bantamweight (Female) | Flyweight (Female) | Strawweight

Tom Aspinall was already ESPN’s number 1 heavyweight, but now the UFC belt he carries no longer has the “interim” label.Richard Sellers/PA via AP### HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 265 lbs)

• Tom Aspinall

Promotion: UFC Champion Record: 15-3 Last: W (TKO1) vs. Curtis Blaydes, July 27, 2024 Next: October 25 vs. Ciryl Gane

• Francis Ngannou

Promotion: PFL Super Fights Champion Record: 18-3 Last: W (KO1) vs. Renan Ferreira, October 19, 2024 Next: TBD

• Ciryl Gane

Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-2
Last: W (SD) vs. Alexander Volkov, December 7, 2024
Next: October 25 vs. Tom Aspinall

• Curtis Blaydes

Promotion: UFC
Record: 19-5, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Rizvan Kuniev, June 21st
Next: TBD

• Alexander Volkov

Promotion: UFC
Record: 38-11
Last: L (SD) vs. Ciryl Gane, December 7, 2024
Next: October 25 vs. Jailton Almeida

• Sergei Pavlovich

Promotion: UFC Record: 20-3 Last: W (UD) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, August 23rd Next: TBD

• Jailton Almeida

Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-3
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Serghei Spivac, January 18th
Next: October 25th vs. Alexander Volkov

• Renan Ferreira

Promotion: PFL Champion Record: 13-4, 3 NC Last: L (KO1) vs. Francis Ngannou, October 19, 2024 Next: TBD

• Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-2
Last: L (UD) vs. Sergei Pavlovich, August 23rd
Next: TBD

• Serghei Spivac

Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-6
Last: L (UD) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, June 7th
Next: TBD

Magomed Ankalaev rose to the top of the light heavyweight division at UFC 313.Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC### SEMI-HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 205 pounds)

• Magomed Ankalaev

Promotion: UFC Champion
Record: 21-1-1, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Alex Pereira, March 8th
Next: October 4th vs. Alex Pereira

• Alex Pereira

Promotion: UFC Record: 12-3 Last: L (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, March 8th Next: October 4th vs. Magomed Ankalaev

• Jirí Prochāzka

Promotion: UFC
Record: 31-5-1
Last: W (TKO3) vs. Jamahal Hill, January 18th
Next: October 4th vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.

• Carlos Ulberg

Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Jan Blachowicz, March 22nd
Next: September 27th vs. Dominick Reyes

• Khalil Rountree Jr.

Promotion: UFC Record: 14-6, 1 NC Last: W (UD) vs. Jamahal Hill, June 21st Next: October 4th vs. Jiří Procházka

• Aleksandar Rakić

Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, October 26, 2024
Next: October 25 vs. Azamat Murzakanov

• Dominick Reyes

Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-4
Last: W (KO1) vs. Nikita Krylov, April 12th
Next: September 27th vs. Carlos Ulberg

• Jamahal Hill

Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-4, 1 NC
Last: L (UD) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., June 21st
Next: TBD

• Volkan Oezdemir

Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-8
Last: L (UD) vs. Carlos Ulberg, November 23, 2024
Next: TBD

• Corey Anderson

Promotion: PFL
Record: 19-6-1
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Denis Goltsov, July 19
Next: October 3 vs. Dovlet Yagshimuradov

Khamzat Chimaev is exactly where he was expected to be: at the top of the UFC middleweight division.Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images### MEDIUM (up to 185 lbs)

• Khamzat Chimaev

Promotion: UFC Champion
Record: 15-0
Last: W (UD) vs. Dricus Du Plessis, August 16th
Next: TBD

• Dricus du Plessis

Promotion: UFC
Record: 23-3
Last: L (UD) vs. Khamzat Chimaev, August 16th
Next: TBD

• Nassourdine Imavov

Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-4, 1 NC
Last: W (US) vs. Caio Borralho, September 6th
Next: TBD

• Sean Strickland

Promotion: UFC
Record: 29-7
Last: L (UD) vs. Dricus Du Plessis, February 8th
Next: TBD

• Israel Adesanya

Promotion: UFC
Record: 24-5
Last: L (KO2) vs. Nassourdine Imavov, February 1st
Next: TBD

• Reinier de Ridder

Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-2
Last: W (SD) vs. Robert Whittaker, July 26th
Next: October 18th vs. Brendan Allen

• Anthony Hernandez

Promotion: UFC Record: 15-2, 1 NC Last: W (Sub4) vs. Roman Dolidze, August 9 Next: TBD

• Caio Borralho

Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-2, 1 NC
Last: L (UD) vs. Nassourdine Imavov, September 6th
Next: TBD

• Robert Whittaker

Promotion: UFC
Record: 26-9
Last: L (SD) vs. Reinier de Ridder, July 26
Next: TBD

• Brendan Allen

Promotion: UFC
Record: 25-7
Last: W (UD) vs. Marvin Vettori, July 19th
Next: October 18th vs. Reinier de Ridder

Jack Della Maddalena holds the welterweight belt in his hand after dethroning Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC ### WELTER (up to 170 pounds)

• Jack Della Maddalena

Promotion: UFC Champion
Record: 18-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Belal Muhammad, May 10th
Next: November 15th vs. Islam Makhachev

• Belal Muhammad

Promotion: UFC
Record: 24-4, 1 NC
Last: L (UD) vs. Jack Della Maddalena, May 10
Next: TBD

• Shavkat Rakhmonov

Promotion: UFC
Record: 19-0
Last: W (UD) vs. Ian Machado Garry, December 7, 2024
Next: TBD

• Sean Brady

Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-1
Last: W (Sub4) vs. Leon Edwards, March 22nd
Next: TBD

• Leon Edwards

Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-5, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub4) vs. Sean Brady, March 22nd
Next: November 15th vs. Carlos Prates

• Kamaru Usman

Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-4
Last: W (UD) vs. Joaquin Buckley, June 14th
Next: TBD

• Ian Machado Garry

Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Carlos Prates, April 26th
Next: TBD

• Michael Morales

Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-0
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Gilbert Burns, May 17th
Next: TBD

• Joaquin Buckley

Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-7
Last: L (UD) vs. Kamaru Usman, June 14th
Next: TBD

• Carlos Prates

Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-7
Last: W (KO1) vs. Geoff Neal, August 16th
Next: November 15th vs. Leon Edwards

Ilia Topuria had vacated the featherweight title before UFC 317, but winning the lightweight belt provided a glorious photoshoot.Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC### LIGHTWEIGHT (up to 155 pounds)

• Islam Makhachev

Promotion: UFC
Record: 27-1
Last: W (Sub1) vs. Renato Moicano, January 18th
Next: November 15th vs. Jack Della Maddalena

• Ilia Topuria

Promotion: UFC Champion
Record: 17-0
Last: W (KO1) vs. Charles Oliveira, June 28th
Next: TBD

• Charles Oliveira

Promotion: UFC
Record: 35-11, 1 NC
Last: L (KO1) vs. Ilia Topuria, June 28th
Next: October 11th vs. Rafael Fiziev

• Max Holloway

Promotion: UFC
Record: 27-8
Last: W (UD) vs. Dustin Poirier, July 19th
Next: TBD

• Justin Gaethje

Promotion: UFC
Record: 26-5
Last: W (UD) vs. Rafael Fiziev, March 8th
Next: TBD

• Paddy Pimblett

Promotion: UFC
Record: 23-3
Last: W (TKO3) vs. Michael Chandler, April 12th
Next: TBD

• Usman Nurmagomedov

Promotion: Bellator Champion Previous Ranking: 8 Record: 19-0, 1 NC Last: W (MD) vs. Paul Hughes, January 25 Next: October 3 vs. Paul Hughes

• Beneil Dariush

Promotion: UFC
Previous Ranking: 9
Record: 23-6-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Renato Moicano, June 28th
Next: TBD

• Mateusz Gamrot

Promotion: UFC
Previous Ranking: 10
Record: 25-3, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Ludovit Klein, May 31st
Next: TBD

• Rafael Fiziev

Promotion: UFC
Previous Ranking: Unranked
Record: 13-4 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes, June 21st
Next: October 11th vs. Charles Oliveira