SPORTS

Mighty Mouse now tops UFC pound-for-pound rankings

Neil Davidson The Canadian Press
Published Tuesday, December 15, 2015 12:48PM EST

Demetrious Johnson kicks John Dodson at UFC 191 on Sept. 5, 2015. (John Locher/AP)

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Flyweight champion Demetrious (Mighty Mouse) Johnson has replaced deposed featherweight title-holder Jose Aldo atop the UFC's pound-for-pound fighter rankings.

Newly crowned 145-pound champion (The Notorious) Conor MGregor, who knocked Aldo out in 13 seconds at UFC 194 on Saturday in Las Vegas, moved up nine places to No. 3. Aldo, who had not lost in 10 years, fell into a tie for No. 6.

Johnson, the 125-pound champion, had been No. 2.

Luke Rockhold, who was outside the top 15 prior to UFC 194, entered the rankings at No. 9 after stopping Chris Weidman on the weekend card to claim his middleweight title. The previously unbeaten Weidman fell eight places to No. 11.

Former light-heavyweight champion Jon (Bones) Jones climbed one spot to No. 2. Bantamweight champion T.J Dillashaw was No. 4 (up one), ahead of heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum (No. 5, up one) and welterweight champion (Ruthless) Robbie Lawler (tied with Aldo at No. 6, up one).

Light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cornier was unchanged at No. 8 and lightweight title-holder Rafael dos Anjos was No. 10 (down one).

The rest of the top 15 was Weidman, former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, former bantamweight champion (Rowdy) Ronda Rousey, strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and current women's bantamweight title-holder Holly Holm.

In the featherweight (145-pound) rankings, Aldo dropped from champion to No. 1 contender.

Yoel Romero moved to No. 2 in the middleweight rankings after his weekend win over Jacare Souza, who slipped one spot to No. 3.

Other movers of note were strawweight Tecia (The Tiny Tornado) Torres (No. 4, up on), bantamweight Urijah (The California Kid) Faber (No. 3, up one), featherweight Max (Blessed) Holloway (No. 4, up one), lightweight Tony (El Cucuy) Ferguson (No. 5, up two) and welterweight Demian Maia (No. 5, up one).

In Canadian ranking news, Victoria bantamweight Sarah Kaufman moved up one spot to No. 5 while strawweight Randa (Quiet Storm) Markos of Windsor, Ont., climbed one rung to No. 7.

The mixed martial arts rankings, decided by a panel of media voters, impact the fighters because their take of the UFC's sponsorship deal with bonuses depends on where they are on the list.