Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Khalil Rountree kept himself relevant in the light heavyweight division.

“The War Horse” adopted a tactical approach in the UFC Baku headliner, as he picked Jamahal Hill apart on the feet for five rounds in a clear-cut unanimous decision at Baku Crystal Hall in Azerbaijan on Saturday. On the heels of a championship loss to Alex Pereira last October, Rountree vanquishes a former 205-pound title holder and moves up to No. 5 in the rankings. Hill, meanwhile, seems far removed from his reign atop the light heavyweight division with his third consecutive defeat. As a result “Sweet Dreams” falls from fourth to 10th in the latest rankings update.

In the UFC Baku co-main event, 11th-ranked Rafael Fiziev delighted the home folks with a unanimous decision triumph over No. 15 Ignacio Bahamondes, snapping a three-bout skid that included losses to Justin Gaethje (twice) and Mateusz Gamrot. Thanks to his first victory since July 2022, “Ataman” holds on to his position in the lightweight rankings. Meanwhile, Gadzhi Rabadanov punched his ticket to the Professional Fighters League World Tournament Finals with a dismantling of Kevin Lee on Friday, earning his 12th consecutive victory in the process. He takes Bahamondes’ place on the lightweight bubble.

Elsewhere, Curtis Blaydes edged Rizvan Kuniev via split decision in a featured heavyweight bout that could have easily gone the other way on the scorecards. Blaydes, who struggled to secure takedowns and absorbed significant punishment on the feet, hardly looked like a heavyweight on the rise. However, the 34-year-old holds on to his seventh ranking thanks to a recent victory over the man directly beneath him, Jailton Almeida. Meanwhile, Tagir Ulanbekov held off a valiant effort from Azat Maksum, earning a three-round verdict in flyweight action at UFC Baku. The Dagestani has won six of his seven Octagon appearances and stays put at No. 13 in the flyweight rankings.

Finally, former Bellator MMA flyweight queen Liz Carmouche marched into the finals of the PFL Tournament with a unanimous decision victory over the previously undefeated Elora Dana. The 41-year-old “Girl-Rilla” has won 11 of 12 professional outings since 2020 and will likely be favored against championship foe Jena Bishop on Aug. 15. She maintains her No. 8 ranking in the latest women’s flyweight poll.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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