UFC released rankings on Feb 24 after UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez in Houston on Feb 21. Key moves: Uroš Medić enters welterweight #12 after KO'ing Geoff Neal; Colby Covington up to #13; Sean Strickland holds #3 in middleweight; Serghei Spivac up to heavyweight #6, Derrick Lewis returns at #8 (tied). Women's bantamweight sees Joselyne Edwards jump to #11. These shifts reshape title contenders in multiple divisions ahead of UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Kavanagh on Feb 28. Impacts contention paths, with passive rises for inactive stars like Covington.[3]
The UFC's post-event rankings update, released February 24 following UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez in Houston three days earlier, has produced notable movement across several divisions, with Uroš Medić's welterweight debut in the top 15 headlining the shuffle.
Medić cracked the welterweight rankings at number 12 after knocking out Geoff Neal, a result that also pushed Colby Covington up to number 13 through the passive ripple effect that follows a ranked fighter's loss. Neal, who entered the bout sitting at number 15, now drops out of the rankings picture entirely. The 35-year-old Texan carries a 16-8 record and trains out of Fortis MMA. Despite landing significant strikes at a rate of 5.02 per minute with a 50 percent striking accuracy, he could not survive Medić's finishing power on the night.
At middleweight, Sean Strickland holds firm at number 3. The 35-year-old orthodox fighter out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and owns a 31-7 record. He remains one of the division's most active strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy, and continues to sit comfortably among the title contenders despite the card bearing his name.
In the heavyweight division, Derrick Lewis returns to the rankings at number 8 in a tie. The 41-year-old, known as The Black Beast, stands six-foot-three with a 79-inch reach and holds a 29-14 record. Serghei Spivac climbs to number 6 in the same weight class. Elsewhere, Joselyne Edwards jumps to number 11 in women's bantamweight.
Why it matters
- Medić's entry at welterweight number 12 immediately places him on a contention path in one of the UFC's deepest divisions
- Covington's passive rise to number 13 keeps him relevant despite inactivity, a dynamic that continues to draw attention to the ranking methodology
- Strickland at middleweight number 3 keeps his title shot credentials intact heading into a busy spring schedule
- Lewis back inside the top 10 at heavyweight restores a marquee name to the divisional pecking order
