Valentina Shevchenko has not fought since September, but the UFC women's flyweight champion nonetheless has moved to the No. 1 spot in the latest ESPN pound-for-pound rankings.
That's because the previous No. 1, Amanda Nunes, was upset at UFC 269, dropping her bantamweight championship. Nunes still is the featherweight champ, and she did not fall very far in the top 10.
The fighter who dethroned Nunes on Dec. 11, Julianna Peña, makes her debut in the new women's rankings.
A UFC 269 performance also played a role in changing the men's top 10, where Charles Oliveira moved up on the strength of his first lightweight title defense, a submission of Dustin Poirier.
Making his rankings debut is Glover Teixeira, who at age 42 won the UFC light heavyweight belt in October.
Departing the rankings were Poirier and Germaine de Randamie, the latter for inactivity. De Randamie has not competed -- or even been booked for a fight -- in over a year. Coincidentally, her most recent bout, in October 2020, was a submission victory over Peña.
SOURCE : espn
