MMA divisional rankings: Strickland rises and Chim...
Key takeaways
- Strickland first won the title in 2023 by dethroning Israel Adesanya, but he lost the belt four months later to Dricus du Plessis.
- With Strickland moving up three positions to take over the No. 1 spot, Chimaev drops one spot to No. 2.
- The only other rankings movement is at welterweight, where Sean Brady moves up one spot to No. 7 after defeating ninth-ranked Joaquin Buckley at UFC 328.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Sean Strickland reigns in the middleweight division for a second time after beating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCBrett Okamoto May 12, 2026, 08:00 AM ETClose 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 Mc Gregor, 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.Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintSean Strickland earned a second reign as middleweight champion on Saturday with a split-decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. As a result, he takes over the top spot at 185 pounds in the latest ESPN divisional rankings.
Strickland first won the title in 2023 by dethroning Israel Adesanya, but he lost the belt four months later to Dricus du Plessis. He fell short in a title fight rematch with du Plessis last year. But against Chimaev, Strickland's volume punching -- more than 80 strike attempts in each of the last three rounds -- got the job done.
With Strickland moving up three positions to take over the No. 1 spot, Chimaev drops one spot to No. 2.