USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Dec. 19: Champ Leon Edwards maintains No. 1

The UFC’s final event of 2023 in Las Vegas produced a few moves in this week’s rankings update.

At UFC 296, two champions put their titles on the line, and walked out of T-Mobile Arena with the belts around their waist.

In the main event, Leon Edwards successfully defended the welterweight title against Colby Covington in a forgetful unanimous decision. The champion pressed the action for the majority of the bout, but the challenger never got going until it was too late. Edwards maintains the No. 1 spot in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings, while Covington falls just one spot to No. 5.

Flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja defended for the first time against Brandon Royval, winning by unanimous decision. Pantoja maintains his position at No. 2 behind Demetrious Johnson, while Royval tumbles to No. 8.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.