Welterweight shakeup! Carlos Prates soars past Michael Morales in latest UFC rankings update
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 16: Carlos Prates of Brazil reacts after his first round victory via knockout against Geoff Neal of the United States, not pictured, during their welterweight bout in UFC 319 at the United Center on August 16, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently updated its official rankings in the wake of the UFC Perth mixed martial arts (MMA) event last weekend at RAC Arena in Western Australia. That’s where Carlos Prates made a serious statement at 170 pounds by blasting former welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena .
As a result, “The Nightmare” climbed three places to No. 2 in the division rankings, one spot ahead of welterweight wunderkind Michael Morales. Elsewhere on the charts, Quillan Salkilld debuted in the lightweight rankings by smashing longtime veteran Beneil Dariush in the UFC Perth co-main event.
Here’s how the rankings are compiled, at least until AI takes over : Rankings are generated by a voting panel made up of media members. The media members were asked to vote for who they feel are the top fighters in the UFC by weight-class and pound-for-pound. A fighter is only eligible to be voted on if they are in active status in the UFC.
A fighter can appear in more than one weight division at a time. The champion and interim champion are considered to be in the top positions of their respective divisions and therefore are not eligible for voting by weight-class. However, the champions can be voted on for the pound-for-pound rankings.
Take a look at what the latest rankings field looks like courtesy of UFC. com . Note: (+/- = movement in rankings, T = tie, *NR = Not previously ranked).
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