Impressive Performances Power Debutants To Crack ONE Championship's Divisional Rankings

The aftermath of ONE Championship's back-to-back events last week has seen major developments in the respective rankings of four different weight classes.

The most notable of them all is the unsurprising Top Five entries of promotional newcomers Ilya Freymanov and Halil Amir in the featherweight and lightweight mixed martial arts (MMA) divisions respectively.

Both men made their statement-making promotional debuts on the main card of ONE on Prime Video 2 over the weekend against high-profile opposition.

Freymanov turned heads in his maiden appearance under the organization's banner, defeating former two-division titleholder Martin Nguyen in emphatic fashion.

The Russian debutant connected with a solid knee to the jaw and a straight right that dropped Nguyen, and he followed that up with a relentless barrage of punches to force the stoppage.

Freymanov's stunning performance against Nguyen catapulted him to No. 3 in the featherweight rankings, standing just behind recently-dethroned champion Thanh Le and Kim Jae Woong.

Like Freymanov, Amir also authored a highlight-reel victory at the expense of ex-world lightweight title challenger Timofey Nastyukhin.

Both men figured in a war of attrition for the first five minutes of action before Nastyukhin's signature aggression backfired on him in the second round as Amir made him pay with a pair of flush right hands and then he wrapped it up with a flurry of punches along the cage fence.

By singlehandedly dispatching a respected veteran in the lightweight division, Amir netted him the No. 3 spot, which puts him in a pole position to face a highly-ranked foe in his next outing.

Nearly 48 hours before Amir demolished Nastyukhin, Saygid Izagakhmaev mounted a workmanlike effort to put down UFC veteran Zhang Lipeng by way of unanimous decision at ONE 161.

Izagakhmaev combined powerful takedowns with effective ground-and-pound to keep Zhang's back glued to the mat for the majority of the bout, which was acknowledged by the three judges at cageside by awarding him with the win on their scorecards.

The protege of Russian MMA superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov moved from No. 5 to No. 4 in the talent-laden lightweight bracket of ONE Championship courtesy of his latest exploit.

Meanwhile, a familiar face has entered the Top Five of the women's atomweight MMA division as former two-time strawweight title contender Tiffany Teo stole Jihin Radzuan's No. 5 rating.

Teo made her atomweight debut at ONE 161, looking strong and dangerous as she submitted Ritu Phogat with a deep rear-naked choke in the first round.

On the other hand, Radzuan bowed to No. 1-ranked Stamp Fairtex by way of unanimous decision at ONE on Prime Video 2.

The bantamweight Muay Thai division has likewise experienced a significant shakeup as Alaverdi Ramazanov leaped to No. 2 through his hard-fought split decision win over Thai rival Capitan Petchyindee in their rematch at ONE 161.

ONE Championship's official athlete rankings are determined by an independent panel of sports media members and industry experts, which include International Business Times sports editor and combat sports analyst Nissi Icasiano.

Following each live event, the panel ranks the fighters based on their most recent performances and the quality of competition.