While Cage Warriors was able to slip in an event this past weekend in England, the global MMA schedule is now at a virtual standstill.
Concern over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led government bodies around the world to ban public gatherings, and travel restrictions have resulted in even more logistical challenges, leaving the sport’s biggest promotions unable to host events.
As such, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA rankings aren’t likely to change until April 18, and even then, only provided UFC president Dana White can make good on his promise of finding a location to host a much anticipated lightweight title fight between the top two 155-pounders in the world with undefeated current champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) and former interim titleholder [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC).
The contest is set to headline UFC 249, which was originally expected to take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Despite the challenges, White has repeatedly insisted the card will take place on that date.
In the meantime, take a look at the latest rankings, which still see UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) as the top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.