The UFC has issued updated rankings with several notable changes across divisions. Arman Tsarukyan moved up two spots in the pound-for-pound rankings, reportedly due to victories in wrestling and grappling tournaments outside the octagon. Roman Dolidze overtook Paulo Costa in the middleweight rankings following Dolidze's successful light heavyweight debut where he defeated sixth-ranked Azamat Murzakanov. Costa himself entered the light heavyweight rankings at number seven after that loss. Aaron Pico made his entry into the top 15 featherweights, while Josh Hokit debuted directly at number five in the heavyweight division. These movements reflect both octagon results and cross-divisional activity.
The UFC released a fresh set of rankings on April 14, 2026, producing movement across multiple divisions, headlined by Arman Tsarukyan climbing two spots in the pound-for-pound standings and Roman Dolidze leapfrogging Paulo Costa in the middleweight rankings.
Tsarukyan's rise in the pound-for-pound list is attributed to victories in wrestling and grappling tournaments outside the octagon, an unusual but recognized factor in the UFC's ranking criteria.
Dolidze, now ranked twelfth at middleweight, made the jump after a successful light heavyweight debut in which he defeated sixth-ranked Azamat Murzakanov. The 37-year-old Georgian, who fights out of Xtreme Couture, carries a 15-5 record and brings a physical frame of six-foot-two with a 76-inch reach to his bouts. He averages 1.16 takedowns per fifteen minutes and attempts 0.7 submissions in the same span, making him a genuine grappling threat across weight classes.
Costa, meanwhile, drops to thirteenth in the middleweight division following his loss to Dolidze and simultaneously enters the light heavyweight rankings at number seven. The Brazilian striker, now 35, holds a 16-4 record and remains one of the more active offensive fighters in the division, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate.
Aaron Pico, the 29-year-old American prospect out of Jackson-Wink MMA, broke into the featherweight top fifteen with his 14-5 record. Standing five-foot-eight with a 70-inch reach, Pico is a notable wrestling-based fighter, averaging 8.96 takedowns per fifteen minutes. Josh Hokit made an immediate impact on the heavyweight landscape, debuting directly at number five in that division.
Why it matters
- Dolidze's cross-divisional win reshuffles the middleweight picture and establishes him as a dual-division threat
- Costa entering the light heavyweight top ten opens potential new matchups for him at 205 pounds
- Pico's top-fifteen featherweight entry sets up ranked competition for one of MMA's more decorated young prospects
- Hokit landing at number five in heavyweight on debut signals significant expectations for his divisional ceiling
