Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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The UFC’s welterweight division is looking more dangerous by the day.

Michael Morales added his name to the division’s list of under-30 talent to watch with a first-round shellacking of former title challenger Gilbert Burns in the UFC Vegas 106 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The 25-year-old Ecuadorian has won six consecutive Octagon appearances, a streak that puts him within shouting range of the likes of Jack Della Maddalena and Shavkat Rakhmonov. While Islam Makhachev is going to skip the line at 170 pounds, Morales has put himself on the short list of contenders to watch in the months to come. On the basis of his latest work, the Entram Gym standout checks in at No. 12 in Sherdog’s latest rankings update. Burns, meanwhile, has lost four consecutive outings and exits the welterweight poll entirely.

Elsewhere, No. 6 flyweight Askar Askarov hasn’t competed since a unanimous decision victory against Alan Gomes de Castro at ACA 166 in November 2023, so the former UFC contender exits the rankings due to inactivity. He’s replaced by the up-and-coming Joshua Van, who has won six of his seven UFC appearances.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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