The UFC has released updated rankings with several notable changes. Arman Tsarukyan moved up two spots in the pound-for-pound rankings due to his victories in wrestling and grappling tournaments outside of MMA. Roman Dolidze surpassed Paulo Costa in the middleweight rankings after successfully debuting at light heavyweight with a win over #6-ranked Azamat Murzakanov. Costa himself entered the light heavyweight rankings at #7 following his division debut. Aaron Pico has entered the top 15 at featherweight, while Josh Hockit debuts directly at #5 in the heavyweight rankings.
The UFC's latest rankings update, released April 14, brings movement across multiple divisions, headlined by Arman Tsarukyan climbing two spots in the pound-for-pound standings and a pair of middleweights making their marks at light heavyweight.
Tsarukyan's rise in the pound-for-pound list comes on the back of success in wrestling and grappling competitions outside of MMA, a recognition of his broader combat sports activity rather than a UFC bout result.
Roman Dolidze, 37, has now leapfrogged Paulo Costa in the middleweight rankings following a successful light heavyweight debut that saw the Georgian earn a victory over previously sixth-ranked Azamat Murzakanov. The six-foot-two Xtreme Couture product carries a 15-5 record and brings a well-rounded game to the table, averaging 1.16 takedowns and 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside a 76-inch reach. He currently sits at number 12 in the middleweight division.
Costa, meanwhile, has entered the light heavyweight rankings at number seven after making his own debut in the division. The Brazilian, now 35 years old with a 16-4 record, has long been one of middleweight's most dangerous strikers, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy across his career. He remains ranked 13th at middleweight following Dolidze's move past him.
At featherweight, Aaron Pico has broken into the top 15. The 29-year-old American out of Jackson-Wink MMA holds a 14-5 record and is a formidable wrestling-based threat, averaging an extraordinary 8.96 takedown attempts per 15 minutes. He stands five-foot-eight with a 70-inch reach.
Why it matters
- Dolidze's win over a top-ten light heavyweight simultaneously reshuffled both the 185 and 205-pound divisional pictures
- Costa's entry at light heavyweight at number seven immediately makes him a contender in a new weight class
- Pico's featherweight ranking arrival signals growing recognition of his development as a title-level prospect
- Josh Hockit's direct entry at number five in the heavyweight rankings marks one of the more striking debut placements in recent memory
