Justin Gaethje has surged to the top of the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie fighter rankings after a statement victory at UFC Freedom 250.
Gaethje became the new UFC lightweight champion and moved to the No. 1 ranking following a fourth-round corner stoppage win over Ilia Topuria in an event billed for its major divisional importance.
UFC Freedom 250 consisted of seven fights and delivered broad movement across the rankings. Topuria dropped one slot in the pound-for-pound list after the loss to Gaethje.
At the top end of the heavier divisions, Alex Pereira also slid one spot in the pound-for-pound rankings after a second-round TKO defeat to Ciryl Gane.
Heavyweight Josh Hokit made one of the biggest climbs of the week, moving significantly up the rankings after a dominant win over Derrick Lewis.
The updated USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings reflect a series of major shakeups sparked by the results at UFC Freedom 250.
