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UFC 324 Aftermath: Ranking Updates Following Gaethje vs. Pimblett

UFC 324 delivered meaningful movement across several divisions, highlighted by a decisive lightweight reshuffle and notable surges from emerging contenders. These are the most important updates in the Fight Minds rankings.

Lightweight: Gaethje surges to #1

Justin Gaethje jumps four places to become the #1 contender at lightweight. His performance at UFC 324 was enough for the algorithm to elevate him above Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Arman Tsarukyan, all of whom slide down one position each.

Despite the loss, Paddy Pimblett remains ranked at #11, reflecting strong prior results but a clear ceiling exposed at the elite level.

Featherweight: Jean Silva makes a statement

The biggest climb of the event belongs to Jean Silva, who rockets up six spots to #9. His surge forces a compression in the lower half of the division, with Arnold Allen, Pat Sabatini, and Nathaniel Wood all moving down as Silva establishes himself as a serious contender.

Bantamweight: Depth adjustments and a new entry

At bantamweight, Marcus McGhee, Vinicius Oliveira, and David Martinez all climb after incremental performance gains across the division. Farid Basharat enters the rankings at #15, reflecting updated activity metrics and displacement near the cutoff.

Flyweight: New blood joins the mix

While the top remains stable under champion Joshua Van, the lower rankings shift as Alex Perez enters at #13. This causes minor upward movement for Allan Nascimento, Kai Kara-France, Rafael Estevam, and Andre Lima.

Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight: Gradual recalibration

At light heavyweight, Jiri Prochazka overtakes Magomed Ankalaev for the #1 contender spot behind champion Alex Pereira. Lower down, Billy Elekana debuts at #15.

In heavyweight, Mick Parkin and Mario Pinto both rise after algorithmic rebalancing, while Josh Hokit enters the rankings at #15.

Women’s Strawweight: A new name emerges

The most visible movement in the women’s divisions comes at strawweight, where Alexia Thainara enters the rankings at #15. This pushes the entire bottom half up one position, reflecting depth changes rather than a single defining performance.

Explore the Full Rankings

While these were the most notable changes from UFC 324, the event contributed to adjustments across many divisions. For a detailed look at all updates, visit: Fight Minds UFC Rankings

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