USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA rankings, March 20: Alexander Volkov is a top-five heavyweight

Alexander Volkov was presented with a an opportunity to make a major jump in the heavyweight rankings, and he capitalized in a big way at UFC Fight Night 127.

Volkov (30-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) kept his UFC record perfect and pushed his overall winning streak to six with a knockout victory over former champion Fabricio Werdum (23-8-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC). More importantly, Volkov jumps a whopping nine spots in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings with the victory, from No. 14 to No. 5.

Following his victory, “Drago” stated he would like the next shot at the UFC title – in Russia, if possible. And with a legitimate ranking now to go with his 4-0 start in the UFC, the ex-Bellator champ’s case only gets stronger.

Also of note this week is the effect of Jan Blachowicz’s unanimous-decision win over Jimi Manuwa in the light heavyweight rankings. Blachowicz, now with three straight wins, enters the mix at No. 15, while Manuwa falls one spot to No. 9.

You can check out the complete MMA rankings above.

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Alexander Volkov def. Fabricio Werdum at UFC-London: Best photos

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