Israel Adesanya has moved up to No 2 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings following his win over Robert Whittaker.
The Nigerian put on a striking master class to win a unanimous decision over his rival at UFC 271 over the weekend. He overtakes featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who slips back down to third but could move back up if he beats Chan Sung Jung on April 9.
Kamaru Usman remains in the top spot but the Nigerian allegiance between the welterweight king and Israel Adesanya means they are unlikely to fight.
Usman’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has talked up the chances of them facing off but both men who are good friends have distanced themselves from the clash.
Israel Adesanya remains undefeated at middleweight and his only defeat came when moving to light-heavyweight for a shot at then-champion Jan Blachowicz.
SEE THE UFC MEN’S POUND FOR POUND LIST BELOW;
1. Kamaru Usman
2. Israel Adesanya +1
3. Alexander Volkanovski -1
4. Francis Ngannou
5. Charles Oliveira
6. Max Holloway +1
7. Jon Jones -1
8. Dustin Poirier
9. Petr Yan
10. Glover Teixeira
11. Stipe Miocic -1
12. Deiveson Figueiredo
13. Brandon Moreno
14. Robert Whittaker
15. Jan Blachowicz