The UFC has released updated rankings with several notable changes. Arman Tsarukyan moved up two spots in the pound-for-pound rankings based on victories in wrestling and grappling tournaments. Roman Dolidze jumped ahead of Paulo Costa in the middleweight rankings after Costa's successful light heavyweight debut. Costa entered the light heavyweight rankings at number seven following his stoppage of sixth-ranked Azamat Murzakanov, who dropped to eighth. Aaron Pico cracked the top 15 at featherweight, while Josh Hockit debuted at number five in the heavyweight division.
The UFC's latest rankings update, released April 14, brings a handful of meaningful shifts across several divisions, headlined by Arman Tsarukyan climbing two positions in the pound-for-pound standings on the strength of recent wrestling and grappling tournament victories.
Paulo Costa made the most dramatic move of the cycle, crossing divisional lines to enter the light heavyweight top ten. The 35-year-old Brazilian, known as "The Eraser," stopped sixth-ranked Azamat Murzakanov to earn a number-seven placement in the 205-pound division. That victory came at a cost to his middleweight standing, however, as Roman Dolidze jumped ahead of him in that bracket. Costa carries a 16-4 record and brings one of the more productive striking outputs in the sport, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy — numbers that made the Murzakanov stoppage look entirely within character.
Dolidze, now ranked twelfth at middleweight ahead of Costa's thirteenth, holds a 15-5 record and represents Georgia out of Xtreme Couture. The six-foot-two fighter with a 76-inch reach offers a more balanced profile, averaging 1.16 takedowns and 0.7 submission attempts per fifteen minutes alongside his striking.
Aaron Pico cracked the featherweight top fifteen in the same update. The 29-year-old American from Jackson-Wink MMA owns a 14-5 record and an eye-catching 8.96 takedowns per fifteen minutes, a rare figure at 145 pounds. Standing five-foot-eight with a 70-inch reach, Pico brings both grappling volume and 3.88 significant strikes per minute. Josh Hockit also debuted in the rankings, entering the heavyweight division at number five.
Why it matters
- Costa's light heavyweight entry at number seven immediately places him in contention at 205 pounds while his middleweight stock slips.
- Murzakanov falling from sixth to eighth following the loss reshuffles the upper tier of light heavyweight.
- Pico's top-fifteen featherweight debut signals growing UFC recognition of his grappling-heavy, well-rounded skill set.
