Merab Dvalishvili Climbs the Rankings After Victory at UFC 316
Merab Dvalishvili’s victory over Sean O’Malley at UFC 316, where he retained the bantamweight title, shook the mixed martial arts world and caused significant changes in the UFC rankings.
With a second dominant victory over the former champion, Dvalishvili solidifies himself as one of the greats in a division full of talent, allowing him to move up in the rankings. Dvalishvili surpassed Jon Jones, considered by many to be the best MMA fighter of all time, and positioned himself in the number 3 spot.
Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall also moved ahead of Jones, who now holds fifth place.
In the women’s category, the new UFC bantamweight champion, Kayla Harrison, defeated Julianna Peña by submission in the second round, surpassing Cris Cyborg and securing third place.
Peña’s defeat generated a significant change in the women’s ranking, falling out of the top 10, while PFL flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva entered at number 10.
Men’s Pound-for-Pound Ranking
Makhachev solidified his position as the best lightweight of all time by quickly defeating Renato Moicano at UFC 311. It was his fourth title defense, matching Kamaru Usman’s record. Makhachev now has the support of UFC CEO Dana White, who considers him the best pound-for-pound fighter. His next challenge will be to move up to welterweight to face the new champion Jack Della Maddalena, with the date and location to be confirmed.
After knocking out two of the best featherweights in UFC history (Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway) in 2024, Topuria is looking for a new challenge. He moved up to lightweight with the goal of facing Islam Makhachev, but, since Makhachev will move up a division, Topuria will compete for the vacant title against Oliveira.
Dvalishvili is having an impressive career in the UFC bantamweight division. Not only did he defeat O’Malley for the second time in nine months at UFC 316, but he also showed a new facet of his game, finishing O’Malley in the third round. Since August 2022, Dvalishvili has defeated José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, O’Malley (twice), and Umar Nurmagomedov, and has expressed his desire to fight two more times before the end of the year.
Aspinall is considered the most dynamic, skilled, and talented heavyweight the sport has seen. His dominance over his opponents is unmatched, and no one has managed to withstand a full assault against him. The question is whether we will see him face Jon Jones.
Jones has relinquished his place as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but his return to activity could allow him to regain that position. If he accepts Aspinall’s challenge, he will have the opportunity to prove his worth and reaffirm why he is considered the best MMA fighter of all time.
Ankalaev dethroned Pereira at UFC 313, extending his undefeated streak to 14 consecutive fights, an achievement that began after his UFC debut in 2018.
The UFC flyweight king has defended his title on three occasions, including two pay-per-view main events in 2024. Pantoja is preparing for his next title defense against Kara-France at UFC 317.
Du Plessis, UFC middleweight champion, is known for breaking the technical rules of MMA and still achieving victories. He has defeated big names in his division and will have the opportunity to add another triumph when he faces Chimaev at UFC 319. Du Plessis could become one of the great names in history if he continues his performance.
Della Maddalena quickly climbed the pound-for-pound list by winning the UFC championship and breaking Muhammad’s 11-win streak. He has had difficult moments in the UFC, but has always found a way to win, with a record of 8-0 inside the octagon. Will he be able to maintain his streak against Makhachev?
2024 consolidated Pereira as a UFC star, but he faced his toughest test as light heavyweight champion against Ankalaev at UFC 313. Although he kept the fight standing, Pereira lost by unanimous decision.
Other fighters who received votes: Francis Ngannou, Alexander Volkanovski, and Khamzat Chimaev.
Women’s Pound-for-Pound Ranking
Zhang has filled the void left by Amanda Nunes, who announced her retirement in 2023.
Shevchenko had a dominant performance against Fiorot, improving her record to 10-1-1 in UFC title fights.
Harrison is quickly becoming the leading figure in the UFC women’s divisions. With a dominant victory over Pena at UFC 316, Harrison now has a 4-0 record in the UFC and has proven her worth with two Olympic gold medals. However, her first title defense will not be easy, as Nunes returns with the belt in her sights.
Cyborg, one of the pioneers of women’s MMA, continues to prove her worth. She defeated Pacheco, a two-weight PFL champion, and remains strong.
Silva is showing the potential to be a future UFC champion, with a dominant performance over Grasso at UFC 315. Her “hit and move” style has frustrated even the highest-level opponents.
Fiorot, after defeating Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield in her previous fights, has shown that she has the tools to become a champion.
Pacheco deserves her place on the list for being the only woman to have defeated Kayla Harrison and for being close to defeating Cyborg. However, the lack of quality opponents in PFL could prevent her from rising further. At 30 years old, Pacheco is still improving.
Blanchfield demonstrated his potential and has shown new skills in his game.
Jandiroba positioned herself as a title contender by dominating Yan at UFC 314, extending her winning streak to five. With strawweight champion Zhang Weili awaiting her next opponent, Jandiroba is in a position to take that spot.
Ditcheva won the PFL flyweight season in spectacular fashion, with a technical knockout over Santos, who once competed for the UFC title. She will open her 2025 campaign against Sumiko Inaba in the co-main event of the first PFL Champions Series card on July 26 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Other fighters who received votes: Rose Namajunas and Julianna Peña.
