Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com Illustration
Dustin Poirier isn't quite ready to sideline for the next generation of lightweight talent.
After struggling in the opening round, Poirier defeated Benoit St. Denis in the co-main event of UFC 299 with a second-round KO, ending the Frenchman's promotion win streak at five and taking his place as No. 4 in the Sherdog lightweight rankings. Maintained.
Gilbert Burns built an early lead on the main card of UFC 299, but the veteran guard didn't have much success at welterweight, losing a third-round TKO to Australian prospect Jacques Della Maddalena. As a result, there were major changes in the division rankings. Maddalena rose from 15th to 6th place, while Burns fell from 4th to 8th.
Another fighter who made a move at UFC 299 was Macy Barber, who snapped a six-fight win streak at the expense of former flyweight title challenger Katrin Cerminara. It wasn't pretty (Barbour's fights are rare), but her most significant win to date vaulted her into the No. 7 spot at 125 pounds.
In the main event of UFC 299, Sean O'Malley thoroughly demolished Marlon Vera to maintain his position at the top of the bantamweight rankings, while former titleholder Petr Yan earned a decision victory over Yadong Song. In another matchup between two ranked 135-pound fighters, he proved he still had a lot left in him. Ending a three-fight skid, “No Mercy” moves into fifth place at 135 pounds.
Elsewhere, Curtis Blaydes derailed the hype of Brazilian grappling ace Jailton Almeida in a preliminary heavyweight bout. By ending Almeida's winning streak at 15 fights, Blaydes remained firmly in fifth place in the rankings and prevented “Marazinho” from advancing any further in the heavyweight voting. In the end, Mateusz Gamlot held off a strong early charge from Rafael dos Anjos to earn a decision victory over the former lightweight champion. As a result, the “gamer” maintains his seventh place ranking in one of the most competitive divisions in the sports world.
Note: Previous rankings are listed in parentheses.
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