By Daily Sports Nigeria on March 22, 2023

Former welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, has dropped out of the UFC pound-for-pound Top 5 for the first time since he won the belt in 2019.

Edwards’ majority decision win over Usman in their trilogy on Saturday at UFC 286 at the 02 Arena in London, England, shook up the MMA men’s pound-for-pound rankings and saw Usman suffer the drop.

There were no exits from the lists, nor are their any newcomers, but while some in the list moved up, others moved down.

Edwards moved up a spot from number five to claim the fourth spot after his impressive victory over Usman, his second win in a row over the former pound-for-pound king.

Usman, who fought well in the defeat, dropped from number four to number six after his second loss in a row, while unbeaten UFC welterweight and middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev moved up a spot from number six to number five.

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones (27-1) remains in pole position in the rankings, followed by lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev (24-1), in second place and in third, the featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski (25-2).

With Usman now in sixth, he is folllowed by the former middleweight champion, Charles Oliveira (33-9), and in the eight place, is Israel Adesanya (23-2) who will be fighting to reclaim his belt from Alex Pereira on April 9 at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida.

Usman was very respectful in his post-fight interview after the loss to Edwards but noted that he thought he had done enough to get the win and promises to face him again.

“I think I did enough to win the fight but I knew it was close,” Usman told BT Sports.

“He had a great gameplan. I always said from the start we’d meet again and I’m not done. We will see each other again. I always gave him props for what he’s accomplished. He’s a brother like myself and great respect. London you’ve got yourself a great champion.”

Source Punch Ng

Posted March 22, 2023

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