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Jun 29, 2026

Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings - Ata-Boy

Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Ata-Boy

Tristen Critchfield Jun 29, 2026 John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration

Rafael Fiziev reminded the world that he’s still capable of looking like one of the world’s most dangerous strikers.

After losing four of his last five Octagon appearances, “Ataman” returned to form in the UFC Baku headliner, vanquishing Rafael Torres with a spinning wheel kick and follow-up punches 15 seconds into Round 2 of their lightweight clash at National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Tiger Muay Thai standout’s difficult stretch included a knee injury suffered in a loss to Mateusz Gamrot that sidelined him for all of 2024 and a pair of defeats at the hands of current lightweight king Justin Gaethje. By stopping a surging contender in the previously 13th-ranked Torres, Fiziev showed he still belongs in the 155-pound rankings. He returns to the lightweight poll at No. 14.

Meanwhile, Asu Almabayev won his third straight outing, submitting Charles Johnson with a third-round kneebar in a featured flyweight affair at UFC Baku. Almabayev’s promotional resume includes a 7-1 overall record, with his lone loss coming against top contender Manel Kape. As a result of his latest effort, “Zulfikhar” climbs to 11th in the latest 125-pound poll, while Johnson drops to 15th.

Elsewhere, Liz Carmouche continues to age like a fine wine. “Girl-Rilla” submitted fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Viviane Araujo with a guillotine choke in the second round of the PFL San Diego co-main event. The 42-year-old former Bellator MMA title holder has won four straight under the Professional Fighters League banner and six of her last seven overall. She maintains her No. 8 ranking, one spot behind Taila Santos, the only person in the league to defeat her. A shot at the vacant flyweight title would make sense for Carmouche, though the veteran chose to instead lobby for the creation of a bantamweight division with her post-fight microphone time.

Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.

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