The UFC rankings have been updated with several changes across divisions. Aaron Pico entered the featherweight top 15 at number 13, while Patricio Pitbull dropped to 15th. Josh Hokit made a significant jump to number 5 in the heavyweight division, with Curtis Blaydes moving to 6th. Paulo Costa entered the light heavyweight rankings at number 7 following his victory, while Azamat Murzakanov dropped to number 8. The updates reflect recent fight results and divisional shifts.
The UFC's latest rankings update, released on April 14, 2026, brings notable movement across three divisions, with Aaron Pico cracking the featherweight top 15 and Josh Hokit landing immediately at number five in the heavyweight rankings.
Pico, 29, enters the featherweight rankings at number 13 after making his divisional push under the Jackson-Wink MMA banner. The American carries a 14-5 record and brings an aggressive wrestling-based game, averaging an impressive 8.96 takedowns per 15 minutes. Standing five-foot-eight with a 70-inch reach, Pico operates from an orthodox stance and lands 3.88 significant strikes per minute. His arrival pushes Patricio Pitbull down one spot to 15th. Pitbull, the 38-year-old Brazilian veteran fighting out of Pitbull Brothers, holds a 37-9 record and brings considerable championship pedigree to the division. He averages 2.68 significant strikes per minute and has recorded 0.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes throughout his career.
In the heavyweight division, Josh Hokit debuts at number five, bumping Curtis Blaydes down to sixth in the process — a significant shift near the top of one of the UFC's most competitive rankings.
At light heavyweight, Paulo Costa enters the rankings at number seven following a recent victory, displacing Azamat Murzakanov to eighth. Costa, 35, is listed in the UFC database as a middleweight at 16-4, but his light heavyweight win has earned him a foothold in a second division. The Brazilian orthodox fighter stands six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach and is among the sport's most prolific strikers, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate.
Why it matters
- Pico's entry signals the UFC's recognition of his featherweight potential at just 29 years old
- Costa's dual-division ranking presence adds intrigue at 205 pounds
- Hokit debuting at heavyweight number five immediately places him in contender conversations
- Blaydes and Murzakanov both slip one spot, tightening the logjam behind the heavyweight and light heavyweight title pictures
