MMA fans had a lot to digest last weekend as two major promotions organized high-stature events in desert settings: UFC Vegas 113 and PFL Dubai. While PFL Dubai featured Usman Nurmagomedov, who remained undefeated, it was UFC Vegas 113 that caught everyone’s attention and shook up the rankings. According to veteran MMA journalist John Morgan, Kyoji Horiguchi has entered the UFC flyweight top five at No. 5 following his unanimous decision victory over Amir Albazi (30–27 twice, 29–28) in the co-main event.

According to official rankings, it’s a deserved placement, but the speed of the climb is what struck everyone.

That rapid rise stands in sharp contrast to Mario Bautista, who remains stuck at No. 8 in the bantamweight rankings despite being on the UFC roster since 2019. Kyoji has taken the difficult path almost exclusively, sharing the Octagon with elite competition such as Umar Nurmagomedov, Cory Sandhagen, and Jose Aldo. He even owns a win over Patchy Mix, yet those resume builders haven’t translated into meaningful ranking movement.

UFC Rankings Update: Jacoby Surges, Bautista Stuns

In a major update in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, Dustin Jacoby enters the ranking sitting at no. 14. Following three consecutive knockout victories, including a Round 2 TKO over Julius Walker on February 7, which caused Menifield to exit the ranking list. Although Menifield has won with a unanimous decision against Jacoby in December 2023, the recent turn of events for Jacoby has changed, as he has a recent finishing streak against Vitor Petrino (2024) and Bruno Lopes (2025). Jacoby’s recent ranking suggests that potential future bouts like Jacoby vs. Dominick Reyes might be on the card.

Meanwhile, on the main card, Bautista handed

Vinicius Oliveira his first Octagon loss when Mario got a quick rear-naked choke submission in the second round. Oliveira previously had said he planned on ridding the bantamweight division of the “boring” Bautista. But former UFC fighter Paul Felder thought otherwise, saying, “There was absolutely nothing boring about that. Listen, I think we all thought it was going to be a bit more back-and-forth in this main event between these two bantamweights, but Bautista proved why he’s in the top 10.”

Felder added, “His wrestling and his jiu-jitsu were absolutely on point. We knew that he was a fantastic grappler coming into this fight, but the fact that he was able to get crucifix, batter him with elbows, then seamlessly take the back after that beautiful sweep that he landed – I mean, he looked like championship material out there tonight.”

Bautista is just behind former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at #7, sparking debate among fans who argue Bautista’s recent eight-fight win streak before his October 2025 loss warrants a higher spot ahead of Figueiredo and others like Song Yadong.

The biggest upset probably happened in the heavyweight division, which made top-ranked UFC Heavyweight

Jailton Almeida officially head back to 205 pounds following his awful performance at UFC Vegas 113 against Rizvan Kuniev, a fight that drew heavy criticism due to its lack of urgency and offense. Kuniev marks his UFC debut win, earning him a No. 6 spot in the heavyweight rankings due to his dominant grappling control in a lackluster bout.

UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa gets removed from the rankings after Vegas 113

This past Saturday at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia,  a heartbreaking moment unfolded as fan-favorite heavyweight Tai Tuivasa suffered his sixth consecutive loss, falling to Brazilian Tallison Teixeira. The defeat marked a new low in Tuivasa’s career, extending his skid to the longest losing streak in UFC heavyweight history, with his last win coming nearly four years ago.

Despite many expecting a retirement announcement to come soon, the Aussie doesn’t seem to have any such plans at the moment. In his first words since the loss, the 32-year-old has expressed a desire to fight again. After his 6 consecutive losses in the UFC, he has been emotional and is ready to adapt to something new. Tuivasa might just get that opportunity to get back into the rankings after all, as Almeida has dropped to No. 8 after the loss, his second straight defeat, and announces a return to light heavyweight, citing weight management issues, potentially opening opportunities for other heavyweights like Tai Tuivasa to re-enter the rankings.

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