Coming off the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in the U.S., there was no major MMA action that took place. And so, that means no changes in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
That being said, the end of the year is packed with fights that undoubtedly will impact the rankings in the coming month. It starts with UFC on ESPN 7 this weekend before the massive UFC 245 card that features three title fights on Dec. 14. Then Bellator takes over the following week with a doubleheader in Hawaii on Dec. 20 (Bellator Salute) and Dec. 21 (Bellator 238), but you’ve also got UFC on ESPN+ 23 on Dec. 21. Then there’s a big Bellator card in Japan on Dec. 28 to close out the year.
Among the ranked fights that should be on your radar:
- Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington
- Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski
- Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine de Randamie
- Jose Aldo vs. Marlon Moraes
- Ilima-Lei MacFarlane vs. Kate Jackson
- Derek Campos vs. A.J. McKee
- Brian Ortega vs. Chan Sung Jung
- Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson
Be sure to check above for where these fighters and more stand in the current rankings before the inevitable shakeup this month.