Gaethje claims interim lightweight title at UFC 324

UFC released its first official rankings update of 2026 following UFC 324, with Justin Gaethje claiming the interim lightweight title via unanimous decision over Paddy Pimblett, vaulting to #1 contender behind champion Ilia Topuria. Gaethje displaced Arman Tsarukyan to #2, while Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway dropped to #3 and #4. Natalia Silva earned the next women's flyweight title shot after beating Rose Namajunas. Jean Silva rose four spots to #3 in featherweight after defeating Arnold Allen. Waldo Cortes-Acosta held #5 in heavyweight despite stopping Derrick Lewis, who fell to #10. Umar Nurmagomedov stayed #2 in bantamweight post-win over Deiveson Figueiredo. This reshapes title pictures across multiple divisions, positioning Gaethje for a unification bout and Silva for gold.