Whoever wins the middleweight title unification bout between champion Robert Whittaker and interim titleholder Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 is going to hear footsteps from one of the sport’s hottest fighters.
Jared Cannonier’s breakthrough year continued at UFC on ESPN+ 18 on Saturday, as he scored an impressive victory over another hot fighter in Jack Hermansson in the main event of the UFC’s Denmark debut.
That’s three big wins in as many fights for the MMA Lab competitor since dropping down to 185 pounds. And that’s enough to move him up to the No. 5 spot in this week’s MMA Junkie/USA Today middleweight rankings.
UFC on ESPN+ 18 was just one of several major events held over the weekend, which also included Bellator 227/Bellator Europe 4 in Ireland and Bellator 228 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
That meant repercussions at several weight classes, most notably featherweight, where Bellator champion Patricio Freire built on a resume that has many calling him the best fighter in company history; and an undeniable up-and-comer in A.J. McKee, who earned an eight-second knockout of Georgi Karakhanyan.
So where did your favorite — or least favorite — fighters end up after a frenetic weekend of fisticuffs? Check out all the latest updates in the current edition of the USA Today/MMA Junkie rankings, which are linked above.
