Volkov Jumps Pereira to No. 2 in Updated UFC Meta Rankings

Alexander Volkov is now No. 2 at heavyweight in the UFC Meta Rankings. The update followed UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, where he beat fellow ranked contender Rizvan Kuniev. He moved past Alex Pereira.

Volkov did not get a straight answer from UFC CEO Dana White. The win over Kuniev may have answered his own question.

The heavyweight top five

Tom Aspinall stays at No. 1. Volkov is second, up two places, and Pereira is third. Sergei Pavlovich drops two spots to fourth. Josh Hokit climbs one place to fifth, and Curtis Blaydes also gains one to sit sixth. Kuniev falls two places to seventh.

Ciryl Gane meets Hokit at UFC 334 next month in New York City. The outcome could shape what matchmakers do with Volkov in 2027. The winner of that fight will also be in the mix.

Moves in other divisions

At flyweight, Lone'er Kavanagh and Kyoji Horiguchi each gain one place, to fifth and seventh. Asu Almabayev slips to sixth. Amir Albazi and Brandon Moreno also rise one spot, to eighth and ninth. Ramazan Temirov falls three places to tenth.

Aaron Pico climbs four places to tenth at featherweight. At lightweight, Grant Dawson goes up three to eleventh. At middleweight, Abus Magomedov rises four to ninth.

At light heavyweight, Dominick Reyes gains three places and is fourth. Azamat Murzakanov drops five to fourteenth. In the women's strawweight list, Iasmine Lucindo rises two to seventh, and Loopy Godinez goes up three to ninth.

The rankings are expected to change again around this time next week, particularly at lightweight. UFC Vegas 123 takes place on Saturday, October 31, at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Renato Moicano meets Tom Nolan on the card.

Source: MMA Mania