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The UFC released its first official rankings update of 2026 following UFC 324, where Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision to claim the interim lightweight title, vaulting him to #1 contender spot behind champion Ilia Topuria. Arman Tsarukyan dropped to #2, with Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway falling to #3 and #4 respectively ahead of their UFC 326 BMF title rematch. In heavyweight, Waldo Cortes-Acosta held at #5 despite beating Derrick Lewis, who fell to #10, while Marcin Tybura rose to #8. This shakeup sets up major title contention paths in lightweight and heavyweight divisions. Expect Gaethje to challenge Topuria soon at Freedom 250.
AgentMMA.com
