The UFC has updated its official rankings with several notable changes. Roman Dolidze has moved ahead of Paulo Costa in the middleweight rankings following Dolidze's successful light heavyweight debut. Costa defeated the sixth-ranked light heavyweight Azamat Murzakanov in his 205-pound debut and immediately entered the light heavyweight rankings at number seven. Arman Tsarukyan also rose two spots in the pound-for-pound rankings, humorously noted as being due to victories in wrestling and grappling tournaments. Aaron Pico has entered the top 15 at featherweight, and Josh Hewitt debuts directly at number five in the heavyweight rankings.
The UFC's latest official rankings update, released on April 14, 2026, reshuffled several divisions, with Roman Dolidze moving past Paulo Costa at middleweight among the most notable changes.
Dolidze, a 37-year-old Georgian fighter out of Xtreme Couture, now sits at No. 12 in the middleweight division following a successful transition to light heavyweight. The six-foot-two, 193 cm fighter carries a 15-5 record and brings a well-rounded game, averaging 1.16 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making him a consistent grappling threat despite a striking accuracy of 41 percent.
Costa, meanwhile, has made his own divisional move. The Brazilian known as "The Eraser" defeated Azamat Murzakanov, who held the No. 6 ranking at light heavyweight, in his 205-pound debut and immediately entered the light heavyweight rankings at No. 7. At 35 years old, Costa now holds a 16-4 record and drops to No. 13 in the middleweight standings following Dolidze's advancement. His striking output at 185 pounds was among the most prolific in the division, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy.
Elsewhere in the update, Arman Tsarukyan climbed two spots in the pound-for-pound rankings, a rise the UFC humorously attributed to his success in wrestling and grappling competitions outside the cage. Aaron Pico, the 29-year-old American from Jackson-Wink MMA with a 14-5 record and a remarkable 8.96 takedown attempts per 15 minutes, has entered the featherweight top 15. Josh Hewitt also made an immediate impact on the heavyweight rankings, debuting directly at No. 5.
Why it matters
- Dolidze surpassing Costa at middleweight shifts the logjam near the bottom of the top 15 in a stacked division.
- Costa's instant entry at No. 7 in light heavyweight signals he is already a relevant threat at 205 pounds after only one fight there.
- Pico's featherweight ranking debut adds a dangerous grappler to a top 15 that will now have to account for his nearly nine takedown attempts per 15 minutes.
