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The lightweight and welterweight divisional rankings saw major changes this week as Conor McGregor fell out of the lightweight top 10. Shavkat Rakhmonov and Mateusz Gamrot are the biggest movers.
Shavkat Rakhmonov faced his toughest competition in the UFC so far when he stepped into the octagon with veteran and then No.10-ranked welterweight Neil Magny. Rakhmonov wasted no time and submitted Magny via guillotine choke in the second round. The win for the 27-year-old sees him crack the welterweight division's top 10 for the first time, climbing a stunning five places.
The Kazakh fighter's new position has meant that Neil Magny has dropped two places and is now at No.12. Geoff Neal (No.13), Li Jingliang (No.14) and Michael Pereira (No.15) have all dropped one place.
Mateusz Gamrot's Fight of the Night against Arman Tsarukyan has made serious waves in the lightweight division. The Polish fighter's dominance in the clinch and grappling abilities were on full display last week and has seen the 31-year-old move an impressive four places up the rankings. Gamrot is the new No.8-ranked lightweight, replacing UFC megastar Conor McGregor, who is now No.12.
The Irishman's 1-3 record in his last four appearances and his recovery from a serious leg injury has meant 'Notorious' drops out of the 155lbs top 10 for the first time since 2016. Dana White recently confirmed Conor McGregor will be returning to the octagon by the end of the year or early 2023.
Elsewhere, Pedro Munhoz climbs one place to No.9 in the bantamweight rankings as Song Yadong drops to No.10 and Ricky Simon falls one place to No.12. Meanwhile, in the featherweight division, British fighter Arnold Allen is at a career-high No.6, switching places with 'The Korean Zombie' who's now at No.7.
Injury to flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo has meant multiple changes in the 125lbs rankings. Askar Askarov jumps one place above Alexandre Pantoja to become the No.3-ranked flyweight, whereas every fighter between No.8 and No.14 has climbed one spot in the rankings.
Lastly, the women's flyweight rankings have seen multiple changes as Viviane Araujo and Manon Fiorot swap places and are now at No.6 and No.7, respectively. Elsewhere in the division, Jessice Eye climbed two places to find herself the new No.10-ranked fighter. Cynthia Cavillo, Casey O'Neill, Maycee Barber and Erin Blanchfield have all moved up one place.
Conor McGregor could defeat Charles Oliveira for title, says Michael Chandler
Conor McGregor's UFC returns are some of the biggest occasions in the sport. The latest rankings update likely means McGregor cannot simply walk into a title opportunity, instead needing at least one win over a high-ranked opponent first. Back at UFC 274, Michael Chandler cut one of the best promos in UFC history and called out the Irishman.
Since then, many other fighters in the division have thrown their names into the hat to fight 'Notorious'. However, both Dana White and Michael Chandler seem confident that the American lightweight will fight 'Notorious'.
'Iron' has even admitted that if the 33-year-old can beat him, he could also see McGregor defeating former champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant title.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Chandler said:
"Conor is the guy. He beats me, he goes right into a title shot. I'm the guy who has fought for the title. I'm the guy who's knocking on the door, chomping at the bit right there... Conor, he can get himself in a position to win that title, which I think he's very, very capable of beating Oliveira."
Watch Michael Chandler discuss fighting Conor McGregor here:
