Which Ranked Fighters Are Competing This Weekend? UFC 242 Rankings Tracker

The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 242 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Abu Dhabi for the first time in five years this Saturday for UFC 242. A number of ranked fighters are competing on the main card, so let’s take a look at them and the possible implications their fights could have on the rankings.

In the main event, Khabib Nurmagomedov will look for a second defense of his lightweight belt when he meets Dustin Poirier in a title unification fight. Nurmagomedov (27-0) last competed at UFC 229 where he submitted Conor McGregor in their big grudge match. That career-defining win along with the fact that he’s still unbeaten means “The Eagle” is not only rated as the best lightweight in the world but also as a pound-for-pound great. Sherdog rates him as the third-best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, while ESPN and the UFC rankings have him at second.

Poirier (25-5, 1 NC) meanwhile is coming off a huge unanimous decision victory over Max Holloway that saw him win interim lightweight gold. In total, “The Diamond” is on a four-fight winning streak and has only lost once in his last 11 outings. He is currently rated as the third-best lightweight in the world by Sherdog, the second-best according to ESPN and the No. 1 contender in the UFC rankings. Because of his win over Holloway, Poirier is also among the pound-for-pound ranks. Sherdog have him as the eighth-best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, ESPN have him ninth and the UFC rankings have him at No. 8. A win over Nurmagomedov would not only place Poirier as the best lightweight in the world, but also potentially see him soar up the pound-for-pound ranks.

In the co-main event, ranked lightweights look to make an impression as Edson Barboza and Paul Felder meet in a rematch. Barboza (20-7) is coming off a knockout defeat to Justin Gaethje and with three losses in his last four fights, has dropped down the ranks. Barboza is unranked in Sherdog’s top 10 but is still rated as the ninth-best lightweight in the world by ESPN and is the No. 7 contender in the UFC rankings.

As for Felder (16-4), he will look to get the biggest win of his career while avenging his first-ever professional defeat which came at the hands of Barboza. “The Irish Dragon” is coming off a unanimous decision win over James Vick and has won in four of his last five outings. He is currently ranked No. 10 in the UFC rankings and a win on Saturday could see him rise closer to the top five.

Islam Makhachev is also in action as he takes on Davi Ramos on the main card. Makhachev (17-1) is on a five-fight winning streak and is 6-1 with the UFC. Despite his credentials, he is still yet to get a ranked opponent. Although ranked No. 15 in the UFC rankings, it is unlikely that the Dagestan native would move up with a win on Saturday, but it would certainly improve his chances of getting a higher-ranked opponent.

Ramos (10-2) will be looking to prevent that, however. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has been calling for a fight with Nurmagomedov as he believes he benefits from the style matchup. He will get the next best option in Makhachev and a win could see him break into the top 15.

Finally, Curtis Blaydes will collide with Shamil Abdurakhimov in a ranked heavyweight affair. Blaydes (11-2, 1 NC) bounced back from his second TKO defeat to Francis Ngannou with a dominant unanimous decision win over Justin Willis earlier this year. That victory took him to five wins in his last six as he remains at the top of the heavyweight ranks. Sherdog have him as the seventh-best heavyweight in the world, ESPN have him as the fourth-best while he is also the No. 4 contender in the UFC rankings. Another dominant display could see him overtake Junior dos Santos in the rankings who is coming off a loss.

Abdurakhimov (20-4) on the other hand will be looking to make it four wins in a row. The Dagestan native last knocked out Marcin Tybura at UFC Saint Petersburg and rose in the rankings as a result. Although unranked in Sherdog and ESPN’s top 10, he is ranked No. 9 in the UFC rankings. A win over Blaydes could see him leapfrog a whole pack of contenders and potentially push for a title shot with another win.