Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration

Carlos Ulberg said it best in his post-fight interview: “I’m coming.”

“Black Jag” put the two men about to vie for light heavyweight gold on notice with an emphatic first-round knockout of the previously resurgent Dominick Reyes at UFC Perth on Saturday night. Ulberg floored his foe with a two-punch combination, then sealed his victory with a follow-up blow 4:27 into Round 1 to extend his promotional winning streak to nine. While the fourth-ranked City Kickboxing standout doesn’t move up in the 205-pound poll, he figures to be a looming presence in Las Vegas when Magomed Ankalaev defends the light heavyweight strap in a rematch with Alex Pereira at UFC 320. More importantly, Ulberg’s statement victory may very well have him in the driver’s seat to be the next No. 1 contender at 205 pounds — no matter who wins that fight.

Elsewhere, Rajabali Shaidullaev was in peak form at Rizin 51, where he defended his featherweight crown with a 33-second stoppage of Viktor Kolesnik in the evening’s co-main event in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan on Sunday. The 24-year-old Kyrgyzstan native is unbeaten in 15 professional outings — all inside the distance — and looks to be one of the sport’s most promising prospects at 145 pounds.

Finally, there was recently a shakeup in the atomweight division, where the previously ninth-ranked Saori Oshima took a unanimous decision against Moeri Suda in their rematch at Deep: 127 Impact on Sept. 15 in Tokyo. As a result, Oshima climbs to No. 7 in the atomweight poll, one spot ahead of Suda.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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