Middleweight (185)
[#5] Ronaldo Souza (26-6-0, -190) vs. [#11] Jack Hermansson (19-4-0, +158)
Ronaldo Souza is the All-Time #8 ranked Middleweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Ronaldo Souza (2-1-0)
2018-11-03: W vs. [#8MW] Chris Weidman (14-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:46 of round 3
2018-05-12: L vs. [#6MW] Kelvin Gastelum (15-4-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2018-01-27: W vs. [#12MW] Derek Brunson (18-7-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:50 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Jack Hermansson (3-0-0)
2019-03-30: W vs. [#19MW] David Branch (22-6-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:49 of round 1
2018-12-15: W vs. [#46MW] Gerald Meerschaert (28-11-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 4:25 of round 1
2018-05-12: W vs. [*] Thales Leites (28-9-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:10 of round 3

Odds Favorite (Implied): Ronaldo Souza – Win%: 62.83
Elo Favorite (Standard): Ronaldo Souza (2117.41) [+136.14] – Win%: 65.07
Elo Favorite (Modified): Ronaldo Souza (2171.74) [+190.72] – Win%: 69.74
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ronaldo Souza 175, Jack Hermansson 28
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (265)
[#213] Greg Hardy (3-1-0, -271) vs. [#238] Dmitry Smoliakov (9-2-0, +220)

Last 3 Fights: Greg Hardy (2-1-0)
2019-01-19: L vs. [#128HW+] Allen Crowder (10-3-0) via DQ (Illegal Knee to Grounded Fighter) in 2:28 of round 2
2018-09-29: W vs. [NA] Ray Jones (0-1-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:53 of round 1
2018-08-07: W vs. [#373HW+] Tebaris Gordon (3-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:17 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Dmitry Smoliakov (1-2-0)
2019-01-25: W vs. [#324HW+] Evgeniy Bova (7-9-1) via SUB in of round 1
2017-01-15: L vs. [#193HW+] Cyril Asker (9-4-0) via TKO (Punches and Elbows) in 2:41 of round 1
2016-07-23: L vs. [#147HW+] Luis Henrique Barbosa de (11-5-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:58 of round 2

Odds Favorite (Implied): Greg Hardy – Win%: 70.03
Elo Favorite (Standard): Dmitry Smoliakov (1280.55) [+78.74] – Win%: 58.90
Elo Favorite (Modified): Greg Hardy (1470.17) [+145.40] – Win%: 65.40
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Greg Hardy 98, Dmitry Smoliakov 92
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#23] Alex Oliveira (20-6-1, -193) vs. [#30] Mike Perry (12-4-0, +161)

Last 3 Fights: Alex Oliveira (2-1-0)
2018-12-08: L vs. [#19WW] Gunnar Nelson (17-4-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:17 of round 2
2018-09-22: W vs. [#153WW] Carlo Pedersoli Jr. (11-3-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:39 of round 1
2018-04-14: W vs. [#61WW] Carlos Condit (30-13-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 3:17 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Mike Perry (1-2-0)
2018-11-10: L vs. [#4LW] Donald Cerrone (35-11-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:46 of round 1
2018-07-07: W vs. [#11LW] Paul Felder (16-4-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2018-02-24: L vs. [#55WW] Max Griffin (15-6-0) via UD (30-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Alex Oliveira – Win%: 63.22
Elo Favorite (Standard): Alex Oliveira (1865.71) [+147.13] – Win%: 66.20
Elo Favorite (Modified): Alex Oliveira (1869.89) [+167.53] – Win%: 67.55
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Alex Oliveira 140, Mike Perry 168
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.

Heavyweight (265)
[#8] Alistair Overeem (44-17-0, -244) vs. [#10] Alexey Oleynik (59-11-1, +198)
Alistair Overeem is the All-Time #14 ranked Heavyweight and #44 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Alistair Overeem (1-2-0)
2018-11-24: W vs. [#38HW+] Sergei Pavlovich (12-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:21 of round 1
2018-06-09: L vs. [#7HW+] Curtis Blaydes (11-2-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 2:56 of round 3
2017-12-02: L vs. [#3HW+] Francis Ngannou (13-3-0) via KO (Punch) in 1:42 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Alexey Oleynik (2-1-0)
2018-09-15: W vs. [#15HW+] Mark Hunt (13-14-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:26 of round 1
2018-05-12: W vs. [#59HW+] Junior Albini (14-5-0) via Submission (Ezekiel Choke) in 1:45 of round 1
2017-11-04: L vs. [#7HW+] Curtis Blaydes (11-2-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 1:56 of round 2

Odds Favorite (Implied): Alistair Overeem – Win%: 67.88
Elo Favorite (Standard): Alistair Overeem (1922.87) [+106.87] – Win%: 61.97
Elo Favorite (Modified): Alistair Overeem (1933.03) [+84.88] – Win%: 59.19
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Alistair Overeem 147, Alexey Oleynik 217
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#19] Islam Makhachev (16-1-0, -490) vs. [#104] Arman Tsarukyan (13-1-0, +373)

Last 3 Fights: Islam Makhachev (3-0-0)
2018-07-28: W vs. [#51LW] Kajan Johnson (23-13-1) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:43 of round 1
2018-01-20: W vs. [#69LW] Gleison Tibau (33-13-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:57 of round 1
2017-02-11: W vs. [#21LW] Nik Lentz (30-9-2) via UD (30-25, 30-27, 30-25)

Last 3 Fights: Arman Tsarukyan (3-0-0)
2018-08-22: W vs. [#774LW] Felipe Olivieri (15-7-0) via KO (Head kick) in 1:25 of round 3
2018-05-26: W vs. [#504LW] Junior Assuncao (16-7-0) via UD ()
2018-03-24: W vs. [#428LW] Haotian Wu (24-14-2) via TKO (Spinning Back Kick to the Body and Punches) in 0:31 of round 3

Odds Favorite (Implied): Islam Makhachev – Win%: 79.71
Elo Favorite (Standard): Islam Makhachev (1969.92) [+269.04] – Win%: 77.37
Elo Favorite (Modified): Islam Makhachev (1926.07) [+209.02] – Win%: 71.40
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Islam Makhachev 266, Arman Tsarukyan 241
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.

Heavyweight (265)
[#38] Sergei Pavlovich (12-1-0, -306) vs. [#182] Marcelo Golm (6-2-0, +242)

Last 3 Fights: Sergei Pavlovich (2-1-0)
2018-11-24: L vs. [#8HW+] Alistair Overeem (44-17-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:21 of round 1
2017-11-19: W vs. [#145HW+] Kirill Sidelnikov (11-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:45 of round 1
2017-06-02: W vs. [#60HW+] Mikhail Mokhnatkin (11-3-2) via UD ()

Last 3 Fights: Marcelo Golm (1-2-0)
2018-10-27: L vs. [#96HW+] Arjan Singh Bhullar (8-1-0) via UD (29-28, 29-27, 29-28)
2018-02-03: L vs. [#48HW+] Timothy Johnson (12-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2017-10-28: W vs. [#262HW+] Christian Colombo (8-4-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:08 of round 1

Odds Favorite (Implied): Sergei Pavlovich – Win%: 72.04
Elo Favorite (Standard): Sergei Pavlovich (1703.30) [+432.44] – Win%: 87.82
Elo Favorite (Modified): Sergei Pavlovich (1739.34) [+414.34] – Win%: 85.98
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Sergei Pavlovich 147, Marcelo Golm 175
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.

There ARE an increasing number of fighters lining up for a shot of the welterweight belt
Photo by  Andrius Petrucenia / CC BY 2.0

There are several weights in both the women’s and men’s divisions that can be described as being on fire at the moment. The one that has been turned on its head the most in recent weeks though is the men’s 170lb division. If you had asked fans and so called experts 12 months ago to sketch the likely top 10, very few, if any would have come up with anything resembling the current rankings.

The biggest Losers

Without doubt, the two fighters who have gone backwards the most in recent months are Darren Till and Stephen Wonderboy Thompson. Just 8 months ago, it looked like Till was going to be a genuine contender for the Welterweight belt and becoming the next star of the UFC. That is where the problem lay. The UFC and, crucially, WME-IMG and ESPN are desperate for a star name. Ronda Rousey was that name for a while, Conor McGregor stepped up at the perfect time to take on the mantle. The heads in their respective boardrooms are looking around desperately for the next person to step up. The mouthy Scouser looked like a perfect fit. Two back to back defeats have derailed his and their plans, however.

Lightweight Championship (155)
[#1FW/#2DD/#4P4P] Max Holloway (20-3-0, -220) vs. [#3/#10DD] Dustin Poirier (24-5-0, +177)
Max Holloway is the All-Time #27 ranked Absolute fighter.
Dustin Poirier is the All-Time #18 ranked Lightweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Max Holloway (3-0-0)
2018-12-08: W vs. [#3FW] Brian Ortega (14-1-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 4
2017-12-02: W vs. [#2FW/#8DD] Jose Aldo (28-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:51 of round 3
2017-06-03: W vs. [#2FW/#8DD] Jose Aldo (28-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:13 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Dustin Poirier (3-0-0)
2018-07-28: W vs. [#27WW] Eddie Alvarez (29-7-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:05 of round 2
2018-04-14: W vs. [#5LW] Justin Gaethje (20-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:33 of round 4
2017-11-11: W vs. [#5WW] Anthony Pettis (22-8-0) via Submission (Body Triangle) in 2:08 of round 3

Odds Favorite (Implied): Max Holloway – Win%: 65.56
Elo Favorite (Standard): Max Holloway (2365.53) [+141.35] – Win%: 65.61
Elo Favorite (Modified): Max Holloway (2317.61) [+172.34] – Win%: 68.01
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Max Holloway 126, Dustin Poirier 259
Previous Match-up Record: Dustin Poirier leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Max Holloway leads 3-2
.

Middleweight Championship (185)
[#4] Kelvin Gastelum (15-3-0, +142) vs. [#7] Israel Adesanya (16-0-0, -170)
Israel Adesanya is the All-Time #50 ranked Middleweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Kelvin Gastelum (2-1-0)
2018-05-12: W vs. [#5MW] Ronaldo Souza (26-6-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2017-11-25: W vs. [*] Michael Bisping (30-9-0) via KO (Punch) in 2:30 of round 1
2017-07-22: L vs. [#8MW] Chris Weidman (14-4-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 3:45 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Israel Adesanya (3-0-0)
2019-02-09: W vs. [#15MW] Anderson Silva (34-9-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2018-11-03: W vs. [#12MW] Derek Brunson (18-7-0) via TKO (Knees and Punches) in 4:51 of round 1
2018-07-06: W vs. [#16MW] Brad Tavares (17-5-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Israel Adesanya – Win%: 60.37
Elo Favorite (Standard): Kelvin Gastelum (2165.77) [+90.64] – Win%: 60.21
Elo Favorite (Modified): Kelvin Gastelum (2135.94) [+77.95] – Win%: 58.45
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Kelvin Gastelum 336, Israel Adesanya 63
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.

Light Heavyweight (205)
[#47] Eryk Anders (11-3-0, -194) vs. [#79] Khalil Rountree (7-4-0, +160)

Last 3 Fights: Eryk Anders (1-2-0)
2018-12-08: L vs. [#18MW] Elias Theodorou (16-2-0) via SD (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
2018-09-22: L vs. [#7LHW] Thiago Santos (21-6-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 5:00 of round 3
2018-08-25: W vs. [#108MW] Tim Williams (15-5-0) via KO (Soccer Kick) in 4:42 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Khalil Rountree (1-2-0)
2018-11-17: L vs. [#20LHW] Johnny Walker (17-3-0) via KO (Elbow) in 1:57 of round 1
2018-07-07: W vs. [#114LHW] Gokhan Saki (1-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:36 of round 1
2017-12-30: L vs. [#33LHW] Michal Oleksiejczuk (15-2-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Odds Favorite (Implied): Eryk Anders – Win%: 63.17
Elo Favorite (Standard): Eryk Anders (1612.03) [+228.58] – Win%: 73.97
Elo Favorite (Modified): Eryk Anders (1708.15) [+271.94] – Win%: 76.68
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Eryk Anders 126, Khalil Rountree 147
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Since this has came up again recently, here’s a link back to our original post on this issue:

One Championship – Weight Division Confusion

Sabina Mazo is a Colombian fighter with a 6-0 record making her UFC debut vs. Maryna Moroz on April 30th, 2019. She has already fought the full 25 minutes twice in her career and her opponents have a combined record of 29-10. That is an unusually strong strength of competition for the still developing regional women’s MMA scene.

She first made headlines with back to back headkick knockouts:https://youtu.be/Vor6987oBO0 and has since become LFA Champion.

Quick stats: