MMA Divisional Rankings: How far does Sean O’Malley fall after UFC 306 title fight loss?

Sean O’Malley | Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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.

Heavyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 10 Serghei Spivac def. No. 8 Marcin Tybura, No. 15 Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. No. 9 Tai Tuivasa

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Alexander Volkov vs. No. 3 Ciryl Gane (UFC 308, Oct. 26), No. 9 Renan Ferreira vs. Francis Ngannou (PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants, Oct. 19), No. 10 Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reug Reug (ONE 169, Nov. 8), No. 14 Derrick Lewis vs. Jhonata Diniz (UFC Edmonton, Nov. 2)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Linton Vassell (4), Oleg Popov (3), Ryan Bader (2)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Jon Jones (inactivity)

Light Heavyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Azamat Murzakanov def. Alonzo Menifield

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Alex Pereira vs. No. 10 Khalil Rountree (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 3 Magomed Ankalaev vs. No. 7 Aleksandar Rakic (UFC 308, Oct. 26), No. 8 Nikita Krylov vs. No. 15 Azamat Murzakanov (UFC 309, Nov. 16), No. 9 Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reug Reug (heavyweight bout) (ONE Fight Night 28, Nov. 8),

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Roman Dolidze (2), Bogdan Guskov (2), Impa Kasanganay (2), Anthony Smith (1)

Middleweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Dricus du Plessis def. No. 3 Israel Adesanya

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Robert Whittaker vs. No. 12 Khamzat Chimaev (UFC 308, Oct. 26), No. 7 Nassourdine Imavov vs. No. 8 (tied) Brendan Allen (UFC Paris, Sept. 28), No. 14 Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 15 Michel Pereira vs. Anthony Hernandez (UFC Fight Night, Oct. 19)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Anthony Hernandez (4), Fabian Edwards (1), Jack Hermansson (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Anthony Hernandez

Welterweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 9 Sean Brady def. No. 6 Gilbert Burns

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 10 Stephen Thompson vs. No. 15 Joaquin Buckley (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 13 Geoff Neal vs. Rafael dos Anjos (UFC 308, Oct. 26)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Michael Morales (2), Colby Covington (1), Rinat Fakhretdinov (1), Vicente Luque (1), Magomed Magomedkerimov (1), Shamil Musaev (1), Magomed Umalatov (1)

Lightweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 7 Usman Nurmagomedov def. Alexander Shabliy, No. 12 Dan Hooker def. No. 9 Mateusz Gamrot

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 3 Max Holloway vs. Ilia Topuria (featherweight bout) (UFC 308, Oct. 26), No. 12 Renato Moicano vs. No. 14 Benoit Saint Denis (UFC Paris, Sept. 28), No. 13 A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes (PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants, Oct. 19)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Paddy Pimblett (3), Jalin Turner (1), Matt Frevola (1), Tofiq Musayev (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Paddy Pimblett

Featherweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 11 Diego Lopes def. No. 5 Brian Ortega

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Ilia Topuria vs. No. 3 Max Holloway (UFC 308, Oct. 26), No. 15 Dan Ige vs. Lerone Murphy (UFC 308, Oct. 26)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Lerone Murphy (2), Chihiro Suzuki (2), Movlid Khaybulaev (1), Bryce Mitchell (1), Adam Borics (1)

Bantamweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Merab Dvalishvili def. No. 1 Sean O’Malley, No. 8 Umar Nurmagomedov def. No. 4 Cory Sandhagen, No. 9 (tied) Deiveson Figueiredo def. No. 12 Marlon Vera

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Patchy Mix vs. Leandro Higo (Bellator Paris, Nov. 16), No. 7 Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 14 Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips (UFC Vegas 99, Oct. 19)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Magomed Magomedov (3), Jonathan Martinez (2), Kai Asakura (1), Mario Bautista (1), Kyler Phillips (1)

Flyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 7 (tied) Kai Kara-France def. No. 11 Steve Erceg

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 (tied) Brandon Royval vs. No. 8 Tatsuro Taira (UFC Vegas 98, Oct. 12), No. 4 Brandon Moreno vs. No. 6 Amir Albazi (UFC Edmonton, Nov. 2), No. 7 Adriano Moraes vs. Danny Kingad (ONE 169, Nov. 8), No. 13 Matheus Nicolau vs. No. 15 Asu Almabayev (UFC Vegas 99, Oct. 19)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Hiromasa Ougikubo (2), Askar Akarov (1), Kairat Akhmetov (1), Jafel Filho (1), Tagir Ulanbekov (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Demetrious Johnson (retired)

Women’s Bantamweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 12 Norma Dumont def. No. 6 Irene Aldana, No. 8 Karol Rosa def. No. 10 Pannie Kianzad, No. 9 Yana Santos def. Chelsea Chandler

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Kayla Harrison vs. No. 4 Ketlen Vieira (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 2 Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 13 (tied) Nora Cornolle vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti (UFC Paris, Sept. 28), No. 15 Ailin Perez vs. Darya Zheleznyakova (UFC Paris, Sept. 28)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Tainara Lisboa (2), Melissa Mullins (2), Lucie Pudilova (1), Julia Avila (1)

Women’s Flyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Valentina Shevchenko def. No. 1 Alexa Grasso, No. 5 Taila Santos def. No. 6 Liz Carmouche, No. 10 Natalia Silva def. No. 14 Jessica Andrade, No. 15 Jennifer Maia def. Mayra Cantuaria

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Erin Blanchfield vs. No. 9 Rose Namajunas (UFC Edmonton, Nov. 2), No. 12 Amanda Ribas vs. Mackenzie Dern (strawweight bout) (UFC Tampa, Dec. 14), No. 13 Viviane Araujo vs. Karine Silva (UFC 309, Nov. 16)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Karine Silva (3), Dakota Ditcheva (2), Ariane da Silva (2)

Strawweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): Natalia Silva def. No. 4 Jessica Andrade (flyweight bout), No. 8 Mackenzie Dern def. No. 10 Loopy Godinez, No. 12 Tabatha Ricci def. No. 11 Angela Hill

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Tatiana Suarez vs. No. 5 Virna Jandiroba (UFC 310, Dec. 7), No. 7 Marina Rodriguez vs. No. 14 Iasmin Lucindo (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 8 Mackenzie Dern vs. No. 9 Amanda Ribas (UFC Tampa, Dec. 14), No. 13 Gillian Robertson vs. No. 15 Luana Pinheiro (UFC Vegas 100, Nov. 9)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Loma Lookboonmee (3), Tecia Pennington (2), Karolina Kowalkiewicz (1), Danni McCormack (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

A refresher on the ground rules:

• The six-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, E. Casey Leydon, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
• Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout. Updates to the rankings are typically completed following each month’s UFC pay-per-view.
• Should a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will decide whether that fighter should immediately be removed from the rankings or maintain their position until further notice. (Let’s put it this way: We’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings a lot quicker than the UFC did.)
• Holding a promotion’s title does not guarantee that fighter will be viewed as the best in their promotion. Additionally, fighters who regularly compete or hold titles in multiple weight classes are eligible to be ranked in multiple lists.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.