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Rankings Shakeup: Mackenzie Dern undisputed No. 1 with Zhang Weili exit, blue-chip contender closing in

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Rankings Shakeup: Mackenzie Dern undisputed No. 1 with Zhang Weili exit, blue-chip contender closing in

And you know what? She's right.

It's August 2026. Zhang Weili hasn't fought at 115 pounds since February 2025. 18 months. And, as far as we know, she doesn't have a booking on the horizon.

By the MMA Fighting Rankings Committee by-laws, it's official: Due to inactivity, Zhang must be removed from the divisional rankings. Rules rule.

In actuality, the timing couldn't work out better because Dern just recorded her first successful title defense with a convincing decision win over Gillian Robertson in this past Saturday's UFC 330 co-main event. No, Dern didn't beat Zhang to win the title, instead capturing it by beating Virna Jandiroba after Zhang moved up to flyweight to chase Valentina Shevchenko, but she is now a reigning and defending champion and Zhang is nowhere to be seen.

Our own Jed Meshew already had Dern ranked above Zhang, but with Zhang ineligible to receive votes at strawweight, the panel has no choice but to follow Jed's lead and crown Dern as the unanimous No. 1 fighter in her division. Look, we'd all love to see Zhang—still No. 2 in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings—come back and give Dern a chance to properly take the torch. Until that happens, Dern has earned her spot.

Even if Zhang doesn't come back, there are several intriguing challengers in line to test Dern. There's Tatiana Suarez, who previously fought for the title, and then there are up-and-comers Fatima Kline and Alexia Thainara, both of whom make big jumps with their recent wins.

Kline is 10-1 with her lone loss coming to Jasmine Jasudavicius in a short-notice contest at 125 pounds. In her natural weight class, Kline has never lost, and she's coming off of two impressive wins over Tabatha Ricci and Angela Hill that have her up eight spots on the charts since our June update.

Thainara—who moves from No. 12 to No. 7—is on a 13-fight win streak since her last loss in 2019, a stretch of success that includes a 4-0 UFC mark. Either her or Kline could be next for Dern if the Zhang matchup isn't meant to be.

Check out the latest MMA Fighting strawweight rankings below.

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Mackenzie Dern def. No. 6 Gillian Robertson, No. 14 Fatima Kline def. No. 10 Tabatha Ricci, No. 12 Alexia Thainara def. No. 7 Amanda Lemos

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Yan Xiaonan vs. No. 13 Denise Gomes (UFC Shanghai, Aug. 29)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Talita Alencar (1), Piera Rodriguez (1)

Falling out of the rankings: No. 1 Zhang Weili (inactivity at 115 pounds)

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Jean Silva thinks Movsar Evloev will dethrone Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333

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Jean Silva thinks Movsar Evloev will dethrone Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333

UFC featherweight contender Jean Silva has backed Movsar Evloev to dethrone Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 333 main event.

At UFC 333, Movsar Evloev will finally get the opportunity he has been waiting for when he challenges Alexander Volkanovski, one of the greatest featherweights of all time, for the title.

RELATED: Movsar Evloev issues a warning to Alexander Volkanovski heading into UFC 333

A lot of fans and pundits believe Movsar Evloev stands a real chance of beating ‘The Great'. He certainly isn't the most exciting fighter on the roster, but when it comes to championship bouts at this level, all that matters is getting the job done.

In a recent interview, Jean Silva, who faces Jose Delgado in the main event of Noche UFC this weekend, had the following to say about Movsar Evloev's chances.

Silva backs Movsar Evloev at UFC 333

“Is there someone else to fight instead of me?†Silva told MMA Fighting. “Then I'm next.â€

“I think Evloev wins,†Silva said. “It'll be me and him. But if Evloev pulls out, then it's me and Volkanovski [at UFC 333]. It doesn't matter. I'm next.â€

“He's (Volkanovski) not 100 percent in everything, but what he does is absurd,†Silva said. “He sticks to a strategy, sticks to the game plan. He knows how to fight, he knows what needs to be done, and he has knockout power. Evloev doesn't have knockout power. The first hand that gets in, he's going down.â€

Quotes via MMA Fighting

Movsar may not be the most exciting fighter in the world, but he definitely has a solid chance of becoming the new champion at 145 pounds when you consider his style and his unbeaten run in the promotion.

Who are you backing for success in the UFC 333 main event? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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Dana White claims Ilia Topuria is 'ready' to fight after UFC Freedom 250 defeat

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Dana White claims Ilia Topuria is 'ready' to fight after UFC Freedom 250 defeat

UFC boss Dana White has claimed that Ilia Topuria is ready to fight, just months on from his devastating loss at UFC Freedom 250.

Earlier this summer, Ilia Topuria suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Justin Gaethje. He lost the UFC lightweight championship, he lost his undefeated record in mixed martial arts, and many believe he lost a lot of his aura.

RELATED: Justin Gaethje vs Ilia Topuria rematch could be ‘disaster' for UFC, says Eddie Alvarez

Now, though, Ilia Topuria could be shaping up for an immediate rematch against the champion, and even if that doesn't happen, there are a few other interesting ideas out there – including a grudge match against Paddy Pimblett.

In a recent interview, Dana White had the following to say about Ilia Topuria's future.

White's big claim about Ilia Topuria

“Topuria's ready to fight,†White said Wednesday on The Jim Rome Show. “We're ready for him.â€

“Both sound good to me (Gaethje rematch or Pimblett),†White said. “They're both great. We don't lose with either one of those fights. They're both great fights. I don't know. Listen, anything I say on this show, there's going to be 100 of these goofy Instagram guys like, ‘Dana White just announced Paddy Pimblett.' They're both great. We don't have anything set. … I don't really have the answer to that question (of who Topuria is fighting). Obviously the rematch with Gaethje is incredible. And a Paddy Pimblett fight is amazing. As bad as those two hate each other.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Regardless of which fight comes to fruition, there's no denying that things are really starting to heat up at the top of the lightweight division – and Topuria is a huge part of the conversation.

Which fight would you rather see out of the two presented? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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Justin Gaethje vs Ilia Topuria rematch could be 'disaster' for UFC, says Eddie Alvarez

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Justin Gaethje vs Ilia Topuria rematch could be 'disaster' for UFC, says Eddie Alvarez

MMA legend Eddie Alvarez has said that he believes Justin Gaethje vs Ilia Topuria 2 could turn out to be a disaster for the UFC.

Ever since Ilia Topuria's loss to Justin Gaethje, many have been wondering what's next for him. An immediate rematch seemed out of the question given the beating he took, but recent reports are suggesting that this is exactly the direction the UFC is heading in.

RELATED: Justin Gaethje doubts Arman Tsarukyan injured his back prior to nixed 2025 title shot: “He wasn't gonna make weightâ€

For Gaethje, this won't be too much of a concern given how the first fight played out, but it's certainly a risk when you consider that Topuria did have him hurt on a few occasions.

In a recent interview, Eddie Alvarez, a former foe of Justin Gaethje, had the following to say about the idea.

Alvarez's view on Justin Gaethje vs Ilia Topuria 2

“No (there shouldn't be a rematch),†Alvarez told MMA Junkie. “He beat the sh*t out of him. If someone beats the sh*t out of you, you don't get a rematch. It needs to be close. He beat the sh*t out of him. You don't get a rematch. You have to at least fight another guy. That was bad. I could see the UFC wanting to crown Topuria. They want that whole market. The guy's a big deal and he makes a lot of money and he can make a lot of money for the company. But it could be a disaster for the UFC. Giving him that other shot, Justin and Trevor (Wittman) kind of got his number, and he's not just going to go in and forget about what just happened.

“His brain is still going to suffer a form of PTSD where it's not going to be able to go. There's going to be a governor on certain things like, ‘Woah, wait a minute.' He's not going to be that same exact Ilia Topuria he was before Justin beat the sh*t out of him. I think he needs to take on a lesser opponent, build up that confidence again and come back and renew his faith in what he can do. Don't just go away. Even if he thinks, ‘I'm over that.' Your brain is still heavily on that especially considering the amount of damage.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Do you agree with Eddie? Let us know in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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