UFC 318 Fallout: Holloway Surges, Costa Returns, and Rankings Shift
UFC 318 was an emotional night, highlighted by Dustin Poirier’s retirement and Max Holloway’s triumphant return to lightweight. While the event delivered on action, it also caused significant ripple effects in the Fight Minds rankings, especially in the lightweight, featherweight, middleweight, and welterweight divisions.
Holloway climbs in two divisions
Max Holloway’s dominant win over Dustin Poirier propelled him up the lightweight ladder. He jumps from #4 to #2 in the division, leapfrogging Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, and now sits directly beneath champion Ilia Topuria and top contender Islam Makhachev. The performance also boosts Holloway in the featherweight division, where he reclaims the #2 spot, pushing Diego Lopes down one place.
While Poirier retires, he remains ranked at #6 in lightweight—for now.
Pantoja continues his climb in P4P
Alexandre Pantoja, still fresh off his dominant UFC 317 title defense, moves up to #3 in the pound-for-pound rankings. He surpasses both Merab Dvalishvili and Dricus Du Plessis, further validating his elite status in the sport.
Paulo Costa storms back
After a long layoff, Paulo Costa reminded fans of his striking prowess with a win over Roman Kopylov. That effort was enough to reintroduce him into the middleweight rankings at #13. He returns at the expense of Marvin Vettori, who drops four spots to #15 after losing to Brendan Allen. Allen’s strong performance moves him up one spot to #9.
Rodriguez debuts, Holland drops
Daniel Rodriguez delivered a gritty win over Kevin Holland, earning him a debut at #11 in the welterweight division. Holland drops three spots to #14, while Rinat Fakhretdinov slides down one position to accommodate the shuffle.
Vinicius Oliveira on the rise
Closing the prelims with an impressive comeback against Kyler Phillips, Vinicius Oliveira moves up two spots to #12 in the bantamweight rankings. He overtakes both Rob Font and Marcus McGhee in a competitive Top 15 shuffle.
The dust from UFC 318 leaves multiple divisions in flux, with emerging contenders gaining momentum and veterans reaffirming their place—or exiting on their terms. As always, Fight Minds rankings reflect the data-driven realities of a sport in constant motion.
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While these were the most notable changes from UFC 317, the event contributed to adjustments across many divisions. For a detailed look at all updates, visit:
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