PFL Rankings Update: Habirora Jumps Three, McKee to #2
PFL's mid-season rankings carry the fingerprints of a Belgian welterweight who knocked out Benson Henderson in twenty seconds. Patrick Habirora's jump from #8 to #5 is the biggest single movement in this week's update, and it points directly back to PFL Brussels: Habirora vs. Henderson on May 23.
Habirora hit Henderson with a leaping left hook inside the first minute of the opening round. Henderson entered at 30-13 and remains one of the most recognized names in the sport. The finish was not close. Twenty seconds, one punch, three spots in the welterweight rankings.
PFL's full divisional rankings are updated as of June 23. This week's movements span bantamweight, featherweight, welterweight, and middleweight, while the lightweight and heavier divisions establish their contender picture alongside the sitting champions.
Biggest Movers
| Fighter | Division | Old Rank | New Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Habirora | Welterweight | #8 | #5 | +3 |
| Mitchell McKee | Bantamweight | #4 | #2 | +2 |
| Thad Jean | Welterweight | #5 | #3 | +2 |
| Boris Mbarga Atangana | Middleweight | #7 | #5 | +2 |
| Asaël Adjoudj | Featherweight | #9 | #7 | +2 |
| Raufeon Stots | Bantamweight | #3 | #5 | -2 |
| Gadzhi Rabadanov | Lightweight | #2 | #1 | +1 |
Habirora: Twenty Seconds, Three Spots
Habirora is 9-0 with eight finishes. The jump from #8 to #5 in welterweight is what twenty seconds against a thirty-fight veteran looks like on a rankings sheet. The Belgian prospect has been climbing methodically through PFL's welterweight division, and the Henderson performance put his case in front of anyone who had not been paying attention.
Thad Jean also moves up two spots to #3 in welterweight. His rise alongside Habirora's jump reflects an active upper end of the 170-pound division. Abdoul Abdouraguimov climbs one position to #4.
The welterweight champion slot is not formally held under PFL's seasonal format in the same way as a traditional title. The contender pool is producing fighters at a rate that makes the division one of the most competitive in PFL.
Mitchell McKee to Bantamweight #2
Mitchell McKee's jump from #4 to #2 follows his decision win over Sergio Pettis at PFL Chicago in April. Pettis, a former UFC bantamweight champion, enters the updated rankings at #1 despite the loss — his overall standing in the division earning the top spot. McKee at #2 reflects what a win over Pettis does for a career trajectory.
Raufeon Stots falls from #3 to #5. Stots at 21-4 is not a fighter who has fallen off; the division around him has simply moved. Renat Khavalov holds #3 with a spotless record. Taylor Lapilus climbs one position to #4. Magomed Magomedov rises to #6.
Featherweight: The Top Tier Sets
Featherweight sees Timur Khizriev enter at #1 and A.J. McKee at #2. Both rank among the best 145-pound fighters in the sport. Jesus Pinedo enters at #3. Asaël Adjoudj's two-spot climb to #7 reflects consistent work across the featherweight division.
The Champions
PFL's champions across the tracked divisions:
- Usman Nurmagomedov — Lightweight (#1 pound-for-pound)
- Costello van Steenis — Middleweight
- Corey Anderson — Light Heavyweight (#2 P4P)
- Vadim Nemkov — Heavyweight (#3 P4P)
Usman Nurmagomedov at lightweight is one of the dominant forces in contemporary MMA. His 19-0 record and uninterrupted run as champion make his division the most stable in PFL. Gadzhi Rabadanov climbs to the #1 contender spot at lightweight.
In middleweight, van Steenis holds the title. Johnny Eblen is the #1 contender, Fabian Edwards at #2, and Impa Kasanganay at #3. Boris Mbarga Atangana's climb to #5 in middleweight reflects the division's active contender base.
What the Rankings Say
PFL's mid-season landscape is defined by finishers. Habirora knocked out Henderson in twenty seconds. McKee earned a decision over a former champion. The rankings reflect both. The Belgian welterweight and the American bantamweight are the two fighters whose trajectories shifted most sharply in this update, and both moves point to performances that were hard to ignore.
At the top, Nurmagomedov, Nemkov, and Anderson hold their positions as the organization's most established champions. The divisions below them are producing contenders at a pace that keeps PFL's competitive picture active heading into the second half of the season.