John
Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
A wounded animal is often the most dangerous kind.
Carlos
Ulberg proved that to be true in the
UFC 327 headliner, where he knocked out Jiri
Prochazka in the with a left hook and follow-up punches in the
opening stanza to claim the vacant light heavyweight title on
Saturday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami. “Black Jag”
accomplished that feat despite apparently blowing out his knee
early in the fight. Despite severely compromised movement from that
point forward, Ulberg was still able to land the decisive blow on
his opponent — who perhaps lacked the necessary killer instinct
with a belt at stake. As a result, Ulberg and his 10-fight UFC
winning streak moves to No. 3 in the latest light heavyweight poll.
However, depending on the timeline for his recovery, the division
could be in line for an interim title bout in the near future.
There was some other significant light heavyweight action at UFC
327, as Paulo Costa
announced his presence to the division with a third-round stoppage
of the previously undefeated Azamat
Murzakanov. The former middleweight title challenger looks
rejuvenated in a shallow division as he debuts in the rankings at
No. 6, one spot ahead of his vanquished opponent. Elsewhere,
Dominick
Reyes missed the opportunity to make a similar statement with a
lackluster three-round verdict over Johnny
Walker. Despite wins in four of his last five Octagon
appearances, Reyes falls to No. 9 in the poll.
Meanwhile, Josh Hokit
emerged as a the breakout star at UFC 327, as he slugged his way to
a unanimous decision victory over the perennially ranked Curtis
Blaydes in a “Fight of the Year” contender at heavyweight.
Taking a significant step up in competition wasn’t too big a leap
for “The Incredible Hok,” who makes his debut in the heavyweight
Top 10 at No. 7. Also at UFC 327, Tatiana
Suarez continued to distance herself from a failed title bid
against Weili
Zhang, as she earned her second consecutive triumph with a
second-round submission of fellow Top 10 strawweight Lupita
Godinez. That allows the American wrestler to move up one spot
to No. 4 in the latest 115-pound rankings.
Elsewhere, a new star emerged at
PFL Chicago, where Mitchell
McKee kept his undefeated record intact with a clear-cut
victory over Sergio
Pettis in the evening’s main event at the Wintrust Arena on
Saturday night. The 28-year-old Kill Cliff FC product makes his
debut in the bantamweight rankings at No. 11, and he looks like a
sure bet to be in the PFL’s championship plans at 135 pounds in the
near future. Also at PFL Chicago, No. 14-ranked women’s flyweight
Viviane
Araujo handled business against an overweight Shanna
Young, winning a decision to renew her place in the
rankings.
Finally, Rajabali
Shaidullaev continues to impress, as he steamrolled Yuta Kubo in
their rematch at Rizin “Landmark Vol. 13” to improve to 19-0. All
of Shaidullaev’s victories have come inside the distance, and he
has clearly established himself as one of the top featherweight
talents in all of MMA, regardless of promotion. Thanks to his
latest performance, the 25-year-old climbs to No. 8 in Sherdog’s
featherweight rankings. Additionally, Natalia
Kuziutina announced herself as a talent to watch with a
first-round submission of former Rizin queen Ayaka
Hamasaki in her super atomweight debut. That allows Kuziutina
to join the atomweight rankings at No. 4.
In housekeeping news, former women’s bantamweight title challenger
Irene
Aldana exits the rankings, having not fought since a brutal
loss to Norma
Dumont at UFC 306 in September 2024. That allows for
highly-touted submission specialist Beatriz
Mesquita to join the bantamweight poll at No. 15.
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