Ranking MMA fighters is a challenging task has taken on the challenge. Recently, the return of Henry Cejudo had the potential to shake up the bantamweight division rankings, however, Cejudo’s split decision loss to Aljamain Sterling means he remains outside the top five.

Sterling will now face off against No. 1 contender Sean O’Malley, while Belal Muhammad’s win over Gilbert Burns has put him in line for a title shot at welterweight, potentially against either Leon Edwards or Colby Covington.

Meanwhile, Yan Xiaonan’s first-round knockout of Jessica Andrade has earned her a place in the top five and a potential title shot against current strawweight champion Zhang Weili.

Our panel has also discussed the difficulties of ranking fighters like Cejudo, who have been retired for an extended period and have a shallow body of work in their specific UFC division. Our May rankings cover eight different weight divisions and include fighters from multiple promotions.