Knockout performance lands Mike Malott in MMA divisional rankings

          Mike Malott, right, knocked out Joaquin Buckley at UFC Fight Night from Edmonton, Canada, to shake up the welterweight rankings. Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC
          • Brett OkamotoOct 20, 2026, 02:00 PM
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          Mike Malott landed a jumping knee to the chin of Joaquin Buckley to bring Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event in Edmonton, Alberta, to an explosive conclusion. The flashy finish also knocked Buckley out of the ESPN divisional rankings, with Malott replacing him.

          Malott has won five fights in a row and is 8-1 in the UFC with six finishes. He takes over the No. 8 spot at welterweight.

          The winner of Saturday's co-main event, Jasmine Jasudavicius, was already ranked before beating Erin Blanchfield, but the dominant win elevates Jasudavicius three spots into the top five at women's flyweight. Blanchfield drops four positions to seventh.

          The 125-pound top 10 also welcomes Wang Cong, who fell short in her fight with Natalia Silva for the UFC belt earlier this month. Wang is No. 10, replacing Liz Carmouche, who lost to Jena Bishop on Friday in a fight for the vacant PFL title.

          Here are the ESPN pound-for-pound MMA rankings and a list of current UFC champions in all weight classes.

          Results are current; rankings as of Oct. 20. To be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed over the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Fighters who have been dropped for inactivity can be reinstated only after they compete.

          HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 265 pounds)

          LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 205 pounds)

          MIDDLEWEIGHT (up to 185 pounds)

          WELTERWEIGHT (up to 170 pounds)

          LIGHTWEIGHT (up to 155 pounds)

          FEATHERWEIGHT (up to 145 pounds)

          MEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT (up to 135 pounds)

          MEN'S FLYWEIGHT (up to 125 pounds)

          WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT (up to 135 pounds)

          WOMEN'S FLYWEIGHT (up to 125 pounds)

          STRAWWEIGHT (up to 115 pounds)