In the aftermath of the thrilling UFC 296 pay-per-view event, the official rankings have been updated by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The event, which took place on December 16, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, witnessed the welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, successfully defend his title against Colby Covington.

However, Covington's lackluster performance resulted in a drop of two places in the rankings, now sitting at No. 5. Making waves in the division is the undefeated rising star, Shavkat Rakhmonov, who secured a submission victory over former title challenger Stephen Thompson. His exceptional performance earned him a place at No. 3 in the welterweight rankings.

Meanwhile, Ariane Lipski burst onto the scene in the women's flyweight division with a memorable armbar finish over veteran Casey O'Neil. Lipski's impressive debut secured her a spot on the flyweight rankings.

It was not only the welterweight and flyweight divisions that saw movements. Brandon Royval experienced a slide, moving down one place to No. 3 after his unsuccessful attempt to capture the 125-pound title from Alexandre Pantoja.

In the world of pound-for-pound rankings, there was a significant shift as well. Sean Strickland, following his intense and captivating performance at UFC 296, climbed up the pound-for-pound rankings. Strickland's relentless display of skill and determination evidently caught the attention of the voting panel, composed of media members, who deemed him worthy of a higher position in the overall rankings.

According to UFC's methodology, rankings are determined through votes cast by a panel of media members. These members vote for the top fighters in each weight class and pound-for-pound. Only active UFC fighters are eligible for voting, and a fighter can be ranked in multiple weight divisions.

It should be noted that champions and interim champions hold top positions in their respective divisions, rendering them ineligible for voting in the weight-class rankings. However, they can still be considered for the pound-for-pound rankings.

As UFC fans eagerly await the next series of fights, the latest official rankings reflect the dynamic nature of the sport, where new contenders emerge, champions defend their titles, and rankings evolve based on thrilling performances in the Octagon.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is based solely on the provided text by the user, and additional details may be available on UFC.com.