Gaethje claims interim title, Silva rockets to #1

The UFC's first official rankings update of 2026 followed 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 ahead of their UFC 326 rematch for the BMF title. Natalia Silva rose to #1 flyweight contender after beating Rose Namajunas, positioning her for a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko. Waldo Cortes-Acosta held #5 heavyweight despite stopping Derrick Lewis, who fell to #10. Umar Nurmagomedov stayed #2 bantamweight post-win over Deiveson Figueiredo; Jean Silva jumped four spots to featherweight #3 after beating Arnold Allen. These shifts reshape title pictures across multiple divisions, setting up major 2026 matchups like Topuria vs Gaethje and Holloway vs Oliveira.