Numbers and names: In-ring action from ranked competitors the week preceding July 30.
Numbers and names: In-ring action, For the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, MMA Junkie looks at the resumes of the best fighters from the best promotions around the world every week. Fighters who compete in the UFC, Bellator, PFL, and other significant events can be ranked in the global rankings. Every week, the best fighters put their rankings on the line when they enter the cage. Of course, this makes the fights just a little bit more noteworthy.
Check out the list below to see which ranked fighters will be fighting this week.
Flyweight
| Flyweight | ||
| Players | Alexandre Pantoja | Alex Perez |
| Ranking | No. 6 | No. 9 |
| MMA | 24 – 5 | 24 – 6 |
| UFC | 8 – 3 | 6 – 2 |
Details –
Pantoja is coming into UFC 277, having won his last two fights. In 2021, he beat Manel Kape with a unanimous decision and finished Brandon Royval with a rear-naked choke in the second round.
Perez gets back in the ring for his first fight since he replaced Figueiredo for a chance at the title at UFC 255. Before that, Perez beat Mark De La Rosa, Jordan Espinosa, and Jussier Formiga in a row.
Light heavyweight
| Light heavyweight | ||
| Players | Anthony Smith | Magomed Ankalaev |
| Ranking | No. 10 | No. 12 |
| MMA | 36 – 16 | 17 – 1 |
| UFC | 11 – 6 | 8 – 1 |
Details
Former title challenger Smith has won his last three fights by knockout. He beat Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute, and Ryan Spann in those three fights.
Ankalaev’s first fight in the UFC in 2018 was his only professional loss. Since then, he has won eight fights in a row, including wins by unanimous decision over Volkan Oezdemir and Thiago Santos, both of whom had been in the running for the title.
Heavyweight
| Heavyweight | ||
| Players | Derrick Lewis | HM Sergei Pavlovich |
| Ranking | No. 5 | – |
| MMA | 36 – 16 | 17 – 1 |
| UFC | 11 – 6 | 8 – 1 |
Details
Lewis, a former title contender, lost his last fight to Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271. Before losing, he knocked out Chris Daukaus in the first round of the main event at UFC Fight Night 199, breaking the UFC record for knockouts.
Pavlovich lost his first UFC fight to Alistair Overeem in 2018. Since then, he has stopped Marcelo Golm, Maurice Greene, and Shamil Abdurakhimov in the first round.
Flyweight
| Flyweight | ||
| Players | Brandon Moreno | Kai Kara-France |
| Ranking | No. 2 | No. 4 |
| MMA | 19 – 6 – 2 | 24 – 9 |
| UFC | 7 – 3 – 2 | 7 – 2 |
Details
This is a rematch from UFC 245, which took place in 2019. At the first meeting, everyone agreed that Moreno was the winner.
Moreno has just fought champion Deiveson Figueiredo three times in a row. Moreno used to be the champion. The first fight ended in a draw. Moreno won the second fight by having Figueiredo tap out in the third round.
Kara-France goes into his first chance to win a title, having won his last three fights. He knocked out Rogerio Bontorin and former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt in the first round. He also won a unanimous decision against Askar Askarov in March.
Women’s bantamweight
| Women’s bantamweight | ||
| Players | Julianna Peña | Amanda Nunes |
| Ranking | No. 1 | No. 2 |
| MMA | 11 – 4 | 21 – 5 |
| UFC | 7 – 2 | 14 – 2 |
Details
This fight is a repeat of UFC 269. Pea beat Nunes in the second round by making Nunes tap out. This made Pea the champion.
Pea wants to defend her title for the first time at UFC 277’s main event. She has won her last two fights. At UFC 257, she put Sara McMann to sleep with a rear-naked choke. At UFC 269, she beat Nunes with the same move.
Nunes still holds the title for the women’s featherweight division, and she will try to get back on track after her first loss since 2014. Before losing to Pea, Nunes won 12 straight fights, nine of which were for the title.