Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Chris Daukaus is the only one who didn't see this KO coming a mile away pic.twitter.com/DU0xF2N9fA

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) December 19, 2021

There’s a pecking order in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight division.

While Derrick Lewis might not be a title holder, he made sure Chris Daukaus understood the concept of tiers in the UFC Fight Night 199 headliner, winning via first-round knockout on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In victory, “The Black Beast” bounced back from an interim title loss to Ciryl Gane in August, took sole possession of the promotion’s all-time knockout record and maintained his hold on the No. 4 position in Sherdog.com’s latest divisional rankings. Daukaus, meanwhile, sees a five-bout winning streak come to an end and is unable to break into the Top 10.

Meanwhile, Belal Muhammad solidified his status as a serious player in the welterweight division with a convincing three-round verdict over former title challenger Stephen Thompson in the UFC Fight Night 199 co-main event. “Remember the Name” is unbeaten in his last seven Octagon appearances, and his latest triumph allows him to debut in the 170-pound Top 10 at No. 6, one spot ahead of “Wonderboy.”

Elsewhere, Saturday’s final debut UFC card delivered a couple rankings newcomers to the bubble in their respective weight class. Former KSW champ Mateusz Gamrot enters the lightweight poll at No. 15 following his third straight triumph, a stoppage of Diego Ferreira, while Ricky Simon jettisons Raphael Assuncao from the bantamweight rankings with a second-round KO win, entering the 135-pound bubble in the process. Finally, Claudia Gadelha exits the strawweight rankings after announcing her retirement, clearing the way for One atomweight grand prix winner Stamp Fairtex to make her rankings debut at No. 15.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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