Bellator rankings: Cris Cyborg retains top pound-for-pound spot as Linton Vassell jumps up heavyweight rankings
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Bellator 271: Cris Cyborg KO's Sinead Kavanagh to retain featherweight championship
Cris Cyborg retains her position as Bellator's pound-for-pound best female fighter in the latest round of rankings from the MMA promotion.
The featherweight champion knocked out Sinead Kavanagh in a spectacular one-round war with the Irish fighter at Bellator 271 last Friday and remains ahead of undefeated flyweight champion Juliana Velasquez in the women's pound-for-pound rankings.
Linton Vassell also jumped up the heavyweight rankings to No.4 after his dominant victory over Tyrell Fortune.
The British fighter beat Fortune on points to move to 22-8 and will have ambitions of challenging for the heavyweight title in the near future.
American Aaron Pico also enjoyed a boost in the featherweight rankings to No.5 after his assured win over fellow top 10 fighter Justin Gonzales.
There was also slight movement in the men's pound-for-pound with Patricio Pitbull moving above light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov into second, while Corey Anderson - who will challenge Nemkov for the title in 2022 - and Ryan Bader moved ahead of bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis.
Pettis will finish off an exciting year for Bellator in a thrilling encounter with former bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi on 3 December, who rejoins Bellator after becoming bantamweight champion in Japanese promotion Rizin.
Full Bellator rankings:
Men's pound-for-pound |
|---|
1. AJ McKee (18-0) |
2. Patricio Pitbull (32-5) |
3. Vadim Nemkov (15-2) |
4. Gegard Mousasi (48-7-2) |
5. Yaroslav Amosov (26-0) |
6. Corey Anderson (16-5) |
7. Ryan Bader (28-7) |
8. Sergio Pettis (21-5) |
9. Michael Page (20-1) |
10. Valentin Moldavsky (11-1) |
Women's pound-for-pound |
|---|
1. Cris Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) |
2. Juliana Velasquez (12-0) |
3. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) |
4. Liz Carmouche (16-7) |
5. Denise Kielholtz (6-3) |
6. Arlene Blencowe (15-8) |
7. Cat Zingano (12-4) |
8. Kana Watanabe (10-1-1) |
9. Leah McCourt (6-1) |
10. Leslie Smith (12-9-1) |
Men's heavyweight |
|---|
Champion: Ryan Bader (28-7) |
Interim champion: Valentin Moldavsky (11-1) |
2. Cheick Kongo (31-11-2) |
3. Fedor Emelianenko (40-6) |
4. Linton Vassell (22-8) |
5. Tim Johnson (15-8) |
6. Tyrell Fortune (11-2) |
6. Steve Mowry (10-0) |
8. Said Sowma (8-2) |
8. Davion Franklin (4-0) |
10. Gokhan Saricam (6-1) |
Men's light heavyweight |
|---|
Champion: Vadim Nemkov (15-2) |
1. Corey Anderson (16-5) |
2. Phil Davis (23-6) |
3. Ryan Bader (28-7) |
4. Anthony Johnson (23-6) |
4. Julius Anglickas (10-2) |
6. Lyoto Machida (26-11) |
7. Karl Albrektsson (13-3) |
8. Alex Polizzi (9-1) |
9. Grant Neal (6-1) |
10. Melvin Manhoef (32-15-1) |
Men's middleweight |
|---|
Champion: Gegard Mousasi (48-7-2) |
1. Austin Vanderford (11-0) |
2. John Salter (18-5) |
3. Costello van Steenis (13-2) |
4. Fabian Edwards (9-2) |
5. Johnny Eblen (9-0) |
6. Anatoly Tokov (30-2) |
7. Charlie Ward (9-4) |
8. Mike Shipman (14-3) |
9. Romero Cotton (5-0) |
10. Dalton Rosta (5-0) |
Men's welterweight |
|---|
Champion: Yaroslav Amosov (26-0) |
1. Michael Page (20-1) |
2. Douglas Lima (32-10) |
3. Jason Jackson (15-4) |
4. Neiman Gracie (11-2) |
5. Logan Storley (12-1) |
6. Derek Anderson (17-4) |
7. Paul Daley (43-18-2) |
8. Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) |
9. Joey Davis (8-0) |
10. Oliver Enkamp (10-2) |
Men's lightweight |
|---|
Champion: Patricky Pitbull (24-10) |
1. Sidney Outlaw (16-4) |
2. Brent Primus (11-2) |
3. Usman Nurmagomedov (14-0) |
4. Goiti Yamauchi (26-5) |
5. Peter Queally (13-6-1) |
6. Benson Henderson (28-11) |
7. Islam Mamedov (20-1-1) |
8. Myles Jury (19-6) |
9. Aviv Gozali (6-0) |
10. Adam Piccolotti (12-4) |
Men's featherweight |
|---|
Champion: AJ McKee (18-0) |
1. Patricio Pitbull (32-5) |
2. Mads Burnell (16-3) |
2. Adam Borics (17-1) |
4. Emmanuel Sanchez (20-6) |
5. Aaron Pico (9-3) |
6. Pedro Carvalho (12-5) |
7. Daniel Weichel (41-13) |
8. Justin Gonzales (12-1) |
9. Jeremy Kennedy (16-3) |
10. Darrion Caldwell (15-5) |
Men's bantamweight |
|---|
Champion: Sergio Pettis (21-5) |
1. Juan Archuleta (25-3) |
2. Raufeon Stots (17-1) |
3. Patchy Mix (15-1) |
4. Magomed Magomedov (18-2) |
5. Leandro Higo (21-5) |
6. James Gallagher (11-2) |
7. Josh Hill (20-4) |
8. Jornel Lugo (7-0) |
9. Cass Bell (5-2) |
10. Darrion Caldwell (15-5) |
Women's featherweight |
|---|
Champion: Cris Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) |
1. Arlene Blencowe (15-8) |
2. Cat Zingano (12-4) |
3. Leslie Smith (12-9-1) |
4. Leah McCourt (6-1) |
5. Janay Harding (6-5) |
6. Sinead Kavanagh (7-5) |
7. Pam Sorenson (9-4) |
7. Jessy Miele (9-5) |
9. Talita Nogueira (8-2) |
10. Jessica Borga (3-4) |
Women's flyweight |
|---|
Champion: Juliana Velasquez (12-0) |
1. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) |
2. Liz Carmouche (16-7) |
3. Denise Kielholtz (6-3) |
4. Kana Watanabe (10-1-1) |
5. Kate Jackson (11-5-1) |
6. Veta Arteaga (6-4) |
7. Alejandra Lara (9-5) |
8. DeAnna Bennett (11-7-1) |
9. Vanessa Porto (23-9) |
10. Diana Avsaragova (4-0) |