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Although the UFC divisional rankings have often been ridiculed by fighters and fans alike, it is still a major component in determining true contenders of different weight classes.
A quick rise to UFC stardom may even give you an opportunity to lay claim to the title. Take Marvin Vettori, for instance, who jumped eight places in just over a year and is now set to challenge Israel Adesanya for the middleweight belt.
However, Vettori's jump fades into insignificance when we compare his rankings timeline with some of the brightest UFC prospects. In this article, we will take a look at five of the biggest ranking jumps in recent UFC history.
It must be noted that the rankings here are evaluated by Fight Matrix, and we're only considering the jumps that occurred within a year.
#5 UFC middleweight Paulo Costa (From 73 to 10)
According to Fight Matrix, Paulo Costa took a massive leap of 63 places in the UFC middleweight division after his wins over Garreth McLellan, Oluwale Bamgbose and Johnny Hendricks.
The Brazilian fighter made his UFC debut in March 2017 against McLellan, whom he defeated via TKO. He then registered two more victories within a year that soared his stock in the promotion. He is currently the No.2 ranked middleweight.
'Borrachinha' was expected to fight Jared Cannonier in August, but he ended up withdrawing from the fight. Costa claimed he was not convinced by the money that UFC offered him.
Prior to that, the 30-year-old was scheduled to fight Robert Whittaker in April but was forced to pull out owing to a "severe" case of flu.
Costa's last fight was against Israel Adesanya at UFC 253 in October 2020. He lost the bout via TKO in the second round.
#4 UFC light heavyweight Jamahal Hill (From 91 to 18)
Jamahal Hill is a promising prospect in the UFC's light heavyweight division. The 30-year-old fighter made his UFC debut in January 2020 after a stunning TKO win in Dana White's Contender Series 21.
Following a successful promotional debut, Hill finished Klidson Abreu (later ruled no-contest after Hill failed a marijuana test) and Ovince Saint Preux. By January 2021, 'Sweet Dreams' had jumped 73 places and was on the cusp of breaking into the top 15. As of June 2021, Hill comfortably sits in 15th position in the light heavyweight rankings.
At UFC 263, he will go up against Paul Craig, who is considered one of the best grapplers in the UFC.
#3 UFC flyweight Brandon Moreno (From 99 to 6)
Brandon Moreno's defeats to Sergio Pettis and Alexandre Pantoja ousted him from the UFC in 2018. Before that, however, 'The Assassin Baby' had a rapid rise in the promotion.
Victories against the likes of Louis Smolka and Ryan Benoit in 2016 helped Moreno skyrocket straight into the divisional rankings. Making a jump of 93 places, he was the No.6 ranked lightweight by the end of the year, thanks to the lack of depth in the 125-pound weight class.
The UFC rehired Moreno in 2019 following his title triumph at Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA). In his second UFC run, the 27-year-old is still undefeated. He is set to fight Deiveson Figueiredo in a rematch at UFC 263, with the flyweight championship on the line.
#2 UFC heavyweight Chris Daukaus (From 113 to 10)
Despite competing for the Cage Fury FC heavyweight championship in 2019, Chris Daukaus was a relatively unknown name when he signed with the UFC. The 31-year-old made his UFC debut in August 2020 against Parker Porter. He defeated Porter via TKO in the first round.
Six months later, Daukaus jumped 103 places and secured a place in the top 10 of UFC heavyweight rankings. His big wins over Rodrigo Nascimento and Aleksei Oleinik have made him one of the brightest heavyweight prospects.
Daukaus' professional MMA record stands at 11-3. 10 of his 11 wins have come by way of KO/TKO.
#1 UFC welterweight and middleweight Khamzat Chimaev (From 149 to 15)
Khamzat Chimaev sent shockwaves across the MMA community when he broke the record for the quickest turnaround between UFC wins in the modern era. 'Borz' won two consecutive fights in the span of ten days, making him a global superstar.
Two months later, he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert inside 17 seconds of the first round. On the back of a three-fight winning streak, Chimaev earned a spot in the welterweight division rankings, taking a humongous leap of 134 places.
The Swedish fighter is expected to make his UFC comeback this year. He plans to return in August and step into the octagon three more times in the subsequent months.
