1. Josh Taylor: Taylor is the last man standing at 140lbs, the king of the mountain. He’s finally the unified champion at junior welterweight after taking Jose Carlos Ramirez’s WBC and WBO championships, putting him on the canvas twice, and handing him his first career professional loss.
2. Rob Font: That makes four in a row for Font, and those four are the current Bellator bantamweight champion, a fighter who is 18-3 and has won three in a row, a former WSOF bantamweight title contender and UFC bantamweight challenger, and the former UFC bantamweight champion. It seems that ladder is trending towards gold.
3. Alesha Zappitella: Still the reigning and defending Invicta atomweight champion, after getting the better of Jessica Delboni by one judges point by split-decision.
4. Karina Rodriguez: In a battle for the vacant Invicta Flyweight championship, it was Rodriguez getting the better of Daiana Torquato on the scorecards in the main event of Invicta’s debut on AXS.
5. Cris Cyborg: Well, it was a symbolic win for Smith, as she was nine seconds shy of lasting all 25 minutes with her previous first-round vanquisher in challenging for the Bellator Women’s Featherweight championship, but at the end, it was still Cyborg that reigned supreme.
6. Carla Esparza: That makes five in a row for Esparza, snapping Yan Xiaonan’s eleven-fight win-streak and handing Xioanan’s first UFC defeat by second-round TKO.
7. Mason Fowler: Another Submission Underground card, another Mason Fowler Absolute title defense. Once again, the big cheese of SUG reigned supreme and submitted yet another challenger. In this case, it was Kyle Chambers by rear-naked choke in the main event of Submission Underground 23.
8. Jose Zepeda: Took care of business in the co-main of the Taylor-Ramirez card, defeating Henry Lundy to retain his WBC secondary title at 140lbs.
9. Michal Turynski: The New King of Kings Heavyweight champion after claiming the vacant title over Reinis Porozovs by decision, even though, according to Turynski, he injured his hand in training.
10. Kenneth Sims Jr.: In the biggest upset of the weekend, Sims, as a +1000 underdog, handed Elvis Rodriguez his first career loss on the Taylor-Ramirez undisputed card.
11. Anthony Birchak/Deon Clash: The new Submission Underground TAAAAG TEEAAAM CHAMPIONSSSS OF THE WOOOORRRLLDD!!, knocking off Team SAC of Cris Lencioni and Owen Papworth in the co-main event of Submission Underground 23.
12. Leandro Higa: Would’ve been higher if he didn’t miss weight, but nevertheless, took care of business, defeating former Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell in the co-main of Bellator 259.
13. Sam Eggington: Is the WBC Silver Middleweight Championship, defeating fellow hard-nosed veteran Carlos Molina, potentially staying in the mix in 160lbs.
14. KAZUMA: 47 seconds into the main event of RISE 149 and KAZUMA is getting his hand raised after knocking out Norasing Sit.Muangsi.
15. Carlos Condit: Submitted fellow UFC veteran Jake Ellenberger with a heel hook in about a minute at SUG 23.
Honorable Mention:
Gregory Rodrigues
Lowrant-T Nelson/Jake Mackenzie
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