4 days ago
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Brett OkamotoFeb 24, 2026, 08:00 AM ET
- 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.
Combat sports tend to revolve around their heavyweight divisions to a certain extent, but that has simply not been possible for mixed martial arts in recent years.
The UFC heavyweight division is seriously lacking in depth and activity at the top. Jon Jones became champion three years ago, defended his title once, then retired. Tom Aspinall spent over a year and a half as interim champion before being elevated, and when he finally defended the undisputed title in October, the fight ended prematurely as a no-contest after he suffered eye pokes that required surgery and threaten to end his career.
And so it goes in a weight class that appears to have little going for it at the moment.
Things will come around. The heavyweight division won't stay in a valley forever. With the state it's currently in, though, MMA fans will await that day eagerly.
Saturday's UFC Fight Night in Houston featured a battle of ranked heavyweights, and Serghei Spivac's unanimous decision win over Ante Delija produced the only change in the ESPN divisional rankings. Spivac remains at No. 8, while Delija drops out of the top 10. Rizvan Kuniev, who defeated then-ranked Jailton Almeida on Feb. 7, enters the rankings at No. 9, and Derrick Lewis moves down a spot to 10th.
The UFC fight card's other meeting of ranked fighters, in which Sean Strickland beat Anthony Hernandez by third-round TKO, did not produce any changes in the middleweight top 10.
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 Feb. 24. 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.
