The latest UFC rankings update sees Asu Almabayev enter the flyweight top ten at number seven. Ikram Aliskerov has broken into the middleweight top 15, while Rafael Fiziev has returned to the lightweight top ten.
The UFC's latest rankings update, released June 30, reshuffles three divisions as Asu Almabayev breaks into the flyweight top ten, Ikram Aliskerov earns his first middleweight top-15 placement, and Rafael Fiziev makes his return to the lightweight top ten.
Almabayev, the 32-year-old Kazakhstani known as "Zulfikar," climbs to eighth in the flyweight division carrying a 24-3 record. Competing out of DAR Pro Team, the orthodox five-foot-four grappler is one of the more relentless takedown artists in the 125-pound class, averaging 4.46 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing submission attempts at a rate of 1.5 per 15 minutes. He also strikes at 50 percent accuracy, making him a well-rounded threat on both feet and on the mat.
Aliskerov enters the middleweight rankings picture at 18-2 overall. The 33-year-old Russian southpaw trains out of KHK MMA and stands six feet tall with a 76-inch reach. He is among the sharper strikers in the 185-pound division, posting a striking accuracy of 64 percent and landing 6.86 significant strikes per minute — numbers that make his ranking arrival difficult to argue against.
No verified data for Fiziev was included in the current update, though the Azerbaijani lightweight's return to the top ten is confirmed as part of this rankings cycle.
Why it matters
- Almabayev's top-ten entry at flyweight immediately places him in contention for ranked opposition and potential title-eliminator conversations.
- Aliskerov's middleweight debut in the rankings at 18-2 signals the division is beginning to take notice of his finishing ability and striking efficiency.
- Fiziev's return to the lightweight top ten restores one of the division's most dynamic strikers to ranked status, tightening an already competitive 155-pound picture.
