The UFC 328 card delivered not one, but two championship matches on Saturday night. In the night’s co-main event, flyweight king Joshua Wan silenced some skeptics about his UFC 323 title victory by defeating Tatsuro Taira in a back-and-forth battle to retain his title with a big fifth-round score.

In the evening’s headliner, Sean Strickland proved the oddsmakers wrong when he was able to slow down the wrestling game of Khamzat Chimaev to begin his second reign as UFC middleweight champion. After those two big fights, let’s see where Strickland and Vann land in our new UFC pound-for-pound rankings.

10. Tom Aspinall (15-3)

Englishman Tom Aspinall is the best heavyweight in the UFC. It became official when MMA GOAT Jon Jones decided to step away from the sport earlier this year. The Englishman has defeated many of the best fighters in the division over the past three years and is the undisputed leader in the eyes of most UFC fans.

After definitively avenging the only defeat of his UFC career in the summer of 2024, he made his first defense of the undisputed title in October. Unfortunately, a nasty blow from opponent Cyril Game ended the UFC 321 main event after just a few minutes. An immediate rematch in early 2026 appears likely.

9.Joshua Vann (16-2)

Joshua Vann has quietly put in an impressive performance in the Octagon. At UFC 317, he got his big opportunity in a clash with top-five veteran Brandon Royval and earned a hard-fought career-defining decision victory. The win earned the Myanmar native a championship opportunity at UFC 323.

In the card’s co-main event, he became the second youngest champion, but it was bittersweet when Pantoja suffered a non-contact injury to his elbow, leading to an immediate end to the fight in Round 1. He’s the new king of the division, but he didn’t earn the top spot in that fight.

8. Charles Oliveira (36-11)

Charles Oliveria holds several UFC records and is considered one of the greatest Brazilian MMA fighters of all time. There’s a lot to like about his fighting style, and his resume is full of big wins. But age catches up with everyone, and it has taken its toll on “Du Bronx” over the years as he has split his last four fights.

Since he is out of the title picture, the former lightweight king decided to pursue the BMF title in March instead. At UFC 326, Oliveira had the best performance of his career, as he completely dominated fellow future Hall of Famer Max Holloway to win his second championship in the company.

7. Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Davlishvili is truly “The Machine”. His tenacity and wrestling have turned him into one of the best bantamweights on the planet. If there were any doubts after his 2024 win over Sean O’Malley, he silenced them with an even more decisive rematch victory at UFC 316.

Following that fight, the champ put his gold on the line against fan-favorite Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320, and like his previous 13 fights, he dominated with his wrestling and cardio. He seems invincible at this time.

6. Shawn Strickland (31-7)

Wildman Sean Strickland may not be the brightest fighter in UFC middleweight history, but he has consistently proven to be a tough test for the world’s best, which is why he proved many doubters wrong by winning UFC gold in 2023.

While he lost in his first defense two years ago, “Tarzan” battled back for a title opportunity at UFC 328 in May, and shocked the MMA world when he ended Khamzat Chimaev’s dominance to become a two-time UFC middleweight champion.

5.Petr Yan (20-5)

The three consecutive losses led many to wonder if Petr Yan’s days as a top five bantamweight were over. However, his recent wins over Yadon Song, Deiveson Figueiredo and Marcus McGhee helped rebuild his title contender status. Earning a title shot at UFC 323.

In a rematch with a man who had defeated him two years earlier, the Russian was the greatest version of himself as he decisively defeated Merab Dvalishvili to become a two-time bantamweight champion. “No Mercy” proved that he is fully back to being an elite fighter in the world.

4. Alexander Volkanovski (28-4)

Alexander Volkanovski has solidified his place as the best featherweight of all time. However, a move up in weight for a second title shot and the rise of Ilya Topuria led to “The Great” suffering three consecutive losses and speculation that his best days were behind him.

However, he has bounced back from those setbacks to establish his dominance at 145 pounds with back-to-back wins over Diego Lopes. Most recently appearing in front of his countrymen at UFC 325. Although he did not get the finish, he once again proved that he is a cut above the Brazilian native.

3. Alex Pereira (12-3)

Alex Pereira’s UFC story is legendary. After nine fights, he became a two-division champion and scored devastating victories over some of the best fighters of the era at middleweight and light heavyweight. The 38-year-old has been a revelation for the company and has connected with the MMA fanbase with a fighting approach similar to cage fighting icon Fedor Emelianenko.

After being on the wrong side of a disappointing decision loss in March, the Brazilian returned with a vengeance at UFC 320. He came out of the gate in his rematch with Magomed Ankalev and blew him away in a matter of minutes to regain his place at the top of the division.

2. Ilya Topuria (17-0)

Ilya Topuria will go down as one of the greatest featherweights of all time. But instead of further enhancing his 145-pound resume, “El Matador” moved to lightweight in search of history. Well, he achieved the feat in June by becoming just the 10th fighter to win gold in two divisions. Crushing former 155 pound champion Charles Oliveria and adding him to his hit list of veterans.

1. Islam Makhachev (28-1)

Islam Makhachev has solidified his place as one of the greatest UFC lightweights of all time with his wins over Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski (twice) and Charles Oliveira. Not only is he a dominant wrestler, but he has one of the most underrated standup games in the game.

At UFC 322, he made his mark in UFC history when he moved up in weight and became the latest fighter to win titles in two divisions, as he became the new welterweight king with a dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The Detroit Red Wings’ season is over. On Wednesday night, Detroit was defeated by the Florida Panthers by a score of 8–1, finishing the season with 92 points. Despite a late-season collapse, the Red Wings finished the campaign with the most points since making the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs (93 points).

This was shaping up to be a special season for the Red Wings. On January 25, the organization awoke to the leadership of the Eastern Conference. It didn’t last long, as Detroit struggled to win down the stretch. It was a historic collapse that raises many questions heading into the 2026 NHL offseason.

However, there were some surprising developments for the Red Wings this year. Alex DeBrincat scored 40 goals for the third time in his career. In fact, Detroit had not seen a 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa during the 2008–09 season. DeBrincat was sensational after a slow start.

Meanwhile, Mo Sider emerged as arguably the best defenseman in the NHL. Seider’s defensive rating was the highest of any NHL defenseman contending for the Norris Trophy. The 25-year-old was also spectacular offensively, becoming the first Detroit defenseman to reach 50 assists in a season since Nicklas Lidstrom in 2008–09.

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin also earned an Olympic gold medal after the United States defeated Canada in the gold medal game. While Larkin and Detroit were not able to reach the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, several personal accomplishments were still achieved.

The Red Wings hope their star player gets even better during the 2026-27 NHL season. With some new additions, Detroit hopes to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs next season after a poor showing in 2026.

READ MORE: Detroit Red Wings front office drama – Are big changes coming?

Austin Konensky is a writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and more. His work may also…More about Austin Konensky

So, last night was an encouraging win for the New Jersey Devils, right?

This isn’t me saying, “Maybe they’ll make the playoffs!” They won’t.

But, the style of play that New Jersey showed last night – more open ice and a little more loose play – clearly showed that this team has the ability to compete. It will just have to happen next year. And with the right change.

And, of course, it all depends on Jack Hughes. Below is more about him and New Jersey’s impressive win.

Elsewhere, Jason Robertson’s next contract, ex-Blueshirts coach on NYR clash, more.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: Well, who saw this coming? The Dallas Stars are a bit of a bummer. However, it is still impressive that the Devils stunned them, scoring four first period goals to give Dallas a 6–4 victory. Jack Hughes, man. The Devils really are as good as they’ve been with a record of 8-3-0 in their last 11 games.

Speaking of shocking, this goal by Jake on Team USA teammate Jake Oettinger is downright nasty:

📺 devil’s rink report: One of the ironic things about the Devils’ struggles this season are the Maple Leafs parallels. Zach Phillip joins Devils Rink Report to explain why Toronto has struggled this year, which is similar to the loss to New Jersey, which is ironic when you consider who is behind each bench.

Full episode here 👇🏼 Watch the full Devils Rink report here:

Please like and subscribe our Youtube channel And turn on those notifications when we go live every Friday! At 1K subscribers, we’ll start publishing on your favorite podcast platform!

Too! Devil’s Rink Report is now on TikTok – follow us here.

sign up for new jersey hockey now Newsletter for daily Devils intel straight to your inbox.

NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Forever Blueshirts: That’s why former New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette says last season was a much tougher battle than the Blueshirts’ current struggles.

TSN: It’s interesting to see how the Pittsburgh Penguins went from a team that everyone probably considered a bottom feeder, to where they are today. However, the result is even more fascinating. Because, for a while, Eric Carlson was a top trade candidate as Pence was declining for years. Now, there are no plans to move on from the Swedish defenseman this summer.

Pittsburgh hockey now: Speaking of the Pittsburgh Penguins, did the NHL send them any message in last night’s 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche? Dan Kingerski dives.

Athletic ($): Shayna Goldman takes a look at Jason Robertson’s next contract and how the Stars could make it worth their while. If not, maybe the devils should be banging down Jim Neal’s door.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Most recently, Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo etched his name in the NBA record books with an 83-point performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. This stellar performance put Adebayo past Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors two decades ago, and he now trails only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point output for the highest-scoring game in NBA history.

Of course, Bryant had his fair share of high-scoring games throughout his Hall of Fame career, including the final game of his run in LA, in which he scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz. One player on the court for the Jazz that night was Gordon Hayward, and recently, the former NBA wing talked about why Bryant’s 60-point game needs a little context.

“That game was different than any game I’ve ever been a part of… I think he took 50 shots, something like that, so that wasn’t even a legitimate game. Both teams were out. We knew we weren’t getting to the playoffs, they knew they weren’t getting to the playoffs,” Hayward, formerly of SiriusXM, said on Twitter, according to SiriusXM NBA Radio.

However, he made sure to clarify that regardless of the shot attempt statistics, Bryant’s accomplishment was still impressive.

He said, “Obviously, we weren’t just letting him score… His last three minutes were completely different than the last three minutes of the Miami game. His last three minutes in that game were great. It was like old Kobe for three minutes.”

Many have taken issue with the Heat’s late-game strategy on Tuesday to get Adebayo more shot attempts and free throws, claiming that it does not fall into the “ethical” category of scoring records.

Still, no one will ever forget that monster game, or Bryant’s 60-point career finale.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – From the league’s investigation into starting the 2025-26 regular season to the shocking trades of James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the NBA trade deadline, this LA Clippers season has felt like two or three entire seasons rolled into one.

Elsewhere, the Clippers parted ways with a future Hall-of-Famer and the best player in franchise history in Chris Paul. Paul’s departure was a surprise to everyone in the league, drawing an outcry in support of Paul and heavy criticism for the Clippers, especially given the fact that it was his final season in the NBA.

After missing the NBA trade deadline and not being able to find a new home to finish the season, Chris Paul officially retired from the NBA at All-Star Weekend. This ended an illustrious 21-year NBA career and left only one member of the “Lob City Clippers”: DeAndre Jordan.

The center, playing in his 18th season in the NBA, is still going strong and is currently a starter for the New Orleans Pelicans.

In an exclusive interview following Paul’s retirement, Jordan told ClutchPoints that he is loyal to his former All-Star teammate.

“Oh, that’s my boy, man,” DeAndre Jordan says in an exclusive interview. “Chris helped my career tremendously, so no one can tell me anything bad about CP. He’s a Hall-of-Famer. He’s done a lot for this game. He’s helped a lot of young players, big guys, helped with IQ, you know. And then things off the court. He does a lot for kids and HBCU schools and everything. So it’s great to see him continue to be the same personality and life he has for people.”

Of the 243 teammates DeAndre Jordan shared the floor with during his 18-year NBA career, only Blake Griffin (543 games played) has played more games with Jordan than second-place Chris Paul (459 games played). The Jordan and Paul duo played in 406 regular season games in addition to 53 playoff games in six regular season games. The two had a .658 winning percentage, going 302–157 together in those 459 games.

Jordan is the player with whom Paul has played more games than anyone else in his 20-year NBA career, totaling 249 teammates.

With Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan all playing 338 games together, the Clippers compiled a 232–106 record (.686 winning percentage) while notching five consecutive 50-win seasons after the franchise had not recorded a single 50-win campaign in the previous 42 years.

That’s why stepping inside the Intuit Dome holds a special meaning for Jordan, who recognizes the enormity of the foundation laid by Paul, Griffin and himself from 2011-2017, despite never winning an NBA championship for the franchise.

Jordan said, “I mean, yes, obviously the three of us, but Steve Ballmer has done an amazing job with the organization, and the Clippers finally have their own arena, it’s good to see.” “It’s something we talked about for so long during my tenure here, spending 10 years here. But, you know, it’s cool, man. I love seeing Clippers Nation continue to grow and expand. That fan base that was amazing for my time here, and they continue to be amazing.”

Chris Paul joined the Clippers for his final season in the summer of 2025 with the understanding that he probably wouldn’t play much, but also that his tough leadership style would have to be reignited. The team struggled to start the season and, as they fell down the standings, league sources told ClutchPoints that Paul’s aggressive methods persisted to the extent that he got into a heated argument with assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy over changing the defensive scheme mid-game. Paul was later seen looking visibly upset during the team’s flight to Miami a day before being sent home by the Clippers.

The way the Clippers moved on from Paul — their franchise legend, in the middle of a night, on a multi-game East Coast road trip — set off a lot of alarms for people around the league.

DeAndre Jordan believes that Chris Paul’s leadership style is very specific, and it is that style that he finds essential to his career.

“I think he’s amazing,” DeAndre Jordan told ClutchPoints. “Yeah, he’s gonna push you, he’s gonna challenge you to be the best player. He’s gonna bark at you. And you know, it’s his Napoleon complex. But I mean, sh*t, for me, I needed it. And some players need it. Some guys don’t want to be challenged, and that’s OK. But I think if you ask any player, they’d want CP on their team.”

With Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan developed into an NBA All-Star in the 2016–17 season, completing his six-year tenure with Paul earning two All-Defensive First Team selections, two All-NBA Third Team selections, an All-NBA First Team selection and a two-time rebounding champion, while being voted in the top four in Defensive Player of the Year voting three years in a row.

Chris Paul finished his NBA career playing 21 seasons and exactly 425 regular season games for both the Clippers and New Orleans Hornets franchises. Despite the rough ending to this season, the Clippers are hopeful that time will heal all wounds and they will one day be able to retire the jerseys of DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin inside the Intuit Dome.

“I’m happy with his career,” Jordan said. “I wish her ending would have been a little different, selfishly, obviously, but I’m sure she’s at peace with it.”