The past weekend delivered a torrent of action across the boxing rings and MMA cages, leading to significant shifts in fighter rankings and the crowning of new champions. From masterful performances to controversial outcomes and surprise retirements, the combat sports landscape has been thoroughly reshaped.
Boxing: Foster Shines Amidst Ranking Reshuffles
A busy weekend in boxing saw notable movements in the men's rankings. O'Shaquie Foster delivered a masterclass performance, achieving a near shutout victory against former two-division champion Stephen Fulton. This dominant win propelled Foster to the No. 2 spot in the junior lightweight rankings. The bout, originally slated for Foster's WBC title defense, became an interim WBC lightweight title fight after Fulton missed weight, positioning Foster as the next challenger for champion Shakur Stevenson. Foster's superior jab and range management controlled Fulton for all 12 rounds, leading to Fulton's removal from the featherweight rankings and leaving him unranked at lightweight.
In other significant matchups, Lamont Roach Jr. and Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz battled to a majority draw, the second for Roach this year. Despite Roach appearing to gain momentum in the later rounds, two judges scored the fight as a draw, with a third favoring Cruz. Both fighters remain outside the top 10 following the result.
Veteran Erislandy Lara successfully defended his WBA middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over late replacement Johan Gonzalez, marking his re-entry into the rankings at No. 3 after a period of inactivity. Hot on his heels at No. 4 is Jesus Ramos, who secured a unanimous decision win against a determined Shane Mosley Jr.
MMA: Yan Reclaims Bantamweight Gold, Flyweight Sees Controversial Change at UFC 323
UFC 323 delivered a whirlwind of outcomes, dramatically altering the ESPN divisional rankings. Petr Yan once again ascended to the top, dethroning Merab Dvalishvili to reclaim the men's bantamweight championship. Yan's definitive victory sees him rise to the top of the ESPN men's bantamweight rankings as a second-time champion.
The co-main event, however, had a less clear-cut resolution. Joshua Van was declared the new men's flyweight champion after Alexandre Pantoja suffered an elbow injury less than half a minute into his title defense, leading to the bout being waved off and leaving questions about who truly stands as the top 125-pounder in the ESPN universe.
Rising star Tatsuro Taira made a significant impact in the flyweight division, knocking out former champion Brandon Moreno to enter the top five. Meanwhile, veteran Henry Cejudo confirmed his retirement following his fight at UFC 323, leading to his removal from the men's bantamweight rankings. Inactivity also saw several fighters drop out, including welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov, featherweight Movsar Evloev, and women's flyweight Taila Santos, who had not competed in over a year.