UFC Ranking: Paddy Pimblett enters the top 5 of the lightweight division after shining at UFC 329; Brazilian becomes a standout.

Paddy Pimblett promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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If there's one fighter who made the most of UFC 329 , it was Paddy Pimblett . At the event held last Saturday (11), in Las Vegas (USA), the Englishman needed only 52 seconds to finish Benoit Saint Denis and knocked him out in the octagon. As could not be otherwise, 'The Baddy' won one of the 'Performance of the Night' bonuses and, now, important positions in the lightweight (up to 70,3 kg) in the weekly update of the 'Meta UFC Rankings', released this Tuesday (14).

Before impressing at UFC 329 , Pimblett, who was defeated by Justin Gaethje in January, was ranked ninth in the highly competitive lightweight division. With his impressive performance at the event, the Englishman climbed four spots and moved into the top five. Now ranked fifth, the fighter, one of the organization's most popular, can dream of another title shot in the lightweight division.

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On the other hand, Saint Denis plummeted in the lightweight rankings. The Frenchman saw his four-fight winning streak come to an end and lost three positions, dropping to eighth place.

Brazilian in the elite

Nono makes weight and confirms fight in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Alessandro Costa is having a fantastic moment in his career. The Brazilian, friend and training partner of Diego Lopes , is simply unstoppable in 2026 and won his third consecutive fight of the season. By submitting Cody Durden in the second round, the athlete finally entered the top 15 of the flyweight division (up to 56,7 kg), taking 15th place.

Royval promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

In the same division, Brandon Royval asserted himself in the octagon and in the rankings. The American ended his two-fight losing streak by submitting Lone'er Kavanagh in the third round. Thus, the former title challenger gained one position in the rankings, becoming the third-ranked fighter. The Englishman, defeated, lost a spot and dropped out of the top 5. Now, the MMA prospect is number six.

Brazilian tormentor on the rise.

Bautista promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Mario Bautista is doing very well in the bantamweight division (up to 61,2 kg) . The American, who has important victories over José Aldo and Vinícius LokDog , secured his second consecutive win by defeating Cory Sandhagen , avenging his loss to his compatriot. As a result, he climbed from fifth to fourth place in the rankings of this highly competitive category. Meanwhile, the undefeated Farid Basharat , with his seventh consecutive UFC victory, also gained a position, becoming number nine.

Whittaker debuts in the top 15.

Whittaker promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Former middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg), Robert Whittaker has made a good start to his light heavyweight (up to 93 kg) career. The Australian knocked out Nikita Krylov in the third round and has thus entered the top 15 of the category, taking 13th place.

Joker impressed.

Cong celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Wang Cong also used UFC 329 to take her career to the next level. The Chinese fighter secured her fourth consecutive victory by easily defeating Tracy Cortez via unanimous decision. Enjoying a great run of form, the 'Joker' gained four positions in the flyweight rankings, becoming number six, and moved closer to a possible title shot. On the other hand, the American, with two consecutive losses, fell from eighth to tenth place.

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