In the ever-shifting MMA landscape, ranking the world's greatest fighters might seem like a fool's errand, but that's exactly what we've set out to do with the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Here, our esteemed panel sorts out the movers and shakers from every division to provide you with the most definitive list of the best fighters on the planet.
Updated pound-for-pound rankings can be found here.
Sean O'Malley is no longer UFC bantamweight champion. How long does he stay near the top after such a humbling loss?
According to our panel, O'Malley's defeat at the hands of Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 not only cost him his belt, he also slides down to No. 3 in the latest edition of the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, one spot behind the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov. Add in the fact that O'Malley has stated he plans to take a considerable amount of time off to deal with an injury, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if O'Malley falls even further in the fast-moving 135-pound division.
In the UFC 306 co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko reminded everyone why she's one of the best to ever do it.
With a grinding, workwomanlike effort this past Saturday, "Bullet" hit the mark once more to finally earn a win over Alexa Grasso and regain the flyweight title. The series sits at 1-1-1, but given the controversial split draw of the second fight that Shevchenko arguably won, and her sheer dominance in the trilogy bout, you get the sense this rivalry has been put to bed for the time being.
Though Shevchenko, 36, is approaching the twilight of her career, her most recent effort showed she's more than capable of still competing at an elite level so it's not unreasonable to think she could add a few more championship rubies to her collection before it's all said and done. Standing in her way are a number of worthy contenders, including UFC 306 co-main event backup Manon Fiorot and the fast-rising Natalia Silva, neither of whom has tasted defeat in the octagon yet.
Silva is one of several contenders to make major jumps in the latest MMA Fighting Global Rankings update, with Caio Borralho, Sean Brady, Diego Lopes, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Norma Dumont all picking up significant victories.
One important note, we had two GOATS depart from our rankings this month (Jon Jones, temporarily, due to 18 months of inactivity, Demetrious Johnson due to retirement) as well as one panelist, so if you're wondering why there are so many shakeups up and down the board, that should help explain it.
If you need any more explanation, make sure to check out the latest edition of the MMA Fighting Rankings show.
Check out the complete September rankings below.
Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Jon Jones (inactivity)
Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Anthony Hernandez
Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Demetrious Johnson (retired)
Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A
A refresher on the ground rules: