Winning top-four matchup elevates Ailin Perez in MMA divisional rankings

Bad blood between UFC women’s bantamweight title contenders Norma Dumont and Ailin Perez boiled over during their faceoff a day ahead of Saturday’s fight, with matchmaker Sean Shelby forced to keep the fighters separated from each other.

The next night, when the fight concluded with Perez announced as the winner, Dumont appeared shocked by the unanimous decision and Perez turned her back on Dumont and twerked in her direction. The fighters had to be separated again before being escorted from the cage.

The fight that happened in between those fiery moments? It was not nearly as fierce. It began with a Round 1 in which Dumont landed eight significant strikes and Perez only four. And while the action picked up a little in the two rounds that followed, the women mostly circled each other.

But Perez got the win, and as a result, she moved up two spots to No. 2 in the ESPN women’s bantamweight rankings, bumping Dumont down to No. 3.

That is the only movement in the latest rankings.

Here are the ESPN pound-for-pound MMA rankings and a list of current UFC champions in all weight classes.

Results are current; rankings as of Sept. 29. To be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed over the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Fighters who have been dropped for inactivity can be reinstated only after they compete.

HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 265 pounds)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 205 pounds)

MIDDLEWEIGHT (up to 185 pounds)

WELTERWEIGHT (up to 170 pounds)

LIGHTWEIGHT (up to 155 pounds)

FEATHERWEIGHT (up to 145 pounds)

MEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT (up to 135 pounds)

MEN’S FLYWEIGHT (up to 125 pounds)

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT (up to 135 pounds)

WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT (up to 125 pounds)

STRAWWEIGHT (up to 115 pounds)