Arman Tsarukyan Climbs Lightweight Rankings After Victory

Arman Tsarukyan proved his worth as one of the best lightweights in the world by submitting Dan Hooker in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Doha, Qatar. The victory was crucial for Tsarukyan, who had not competed in more than a year and a half, and allowed him to regain a prominent place in the division’s ranking. Tsarukyan’s triumph secured his return to the top 2 of the lightweight rankings. Regarding the changes in the ranking, Ian Machado Garry moved up from number 5 to number 4 in welterweight, after his victory over Belal Muhammad. Muhammad, for his part, dropped three positions, placing himself in sixth place.

Below are the pound-for-pound MMA rankings and the list of current UFC champions in all weight classes.

Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed in the last 12 months or have a scheduled fight. Inactive fighters can only be reinstated after competing.

Heavyweights

Tom Aspinall’s first heavyweight title defense ended in a no contest at UFC 321.

1. Tom Aspinall

Promotion: UFC Champion Record: 15-3, 1 NC Last: NC1 vs. Ciryl Gane, Oct. 25 Next: To be determined

2. Ciryl Gane

Promotion: UFC Record: 13-2, 1 NC Last: NC1 vs. Tom Aspinall, Oct. 25 Next: To be determined

3. Curtis Blaydes

Promotion: UFC Record: 19-5, 1 NC Last: W (TKO1) vs. Rizvan Kuniev, June 21 Next: To be determined

4. Alexander Volkov

Promotion: UFC Record: 39-11 Last: W (SD) vs. Jailton Almeida, Oct. 25 Next: To be determined

5. Sergei Pavlovich

Promotion: UFC Record: 20-3 Last: W (UD) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Aug. 23 Next: To be determined

6. Jailton Almeida

Promotion: UFC Record: 22-4 Last: L (SD) vs. Alexander Volkov, Oct. 25 Next: To be determined

7. Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Promotion: UFC Record: 16-2 Last: W (KO1) vs. Shamil Gaziev, Nov. 22 Next: To be determined

8. Renan Ferreira

Promotion: PFL Record: 13-4, 3 NC Last: L (KO1) vs. Francis Ngannou, Oct. 19, 2024 Next: Dec. 13 vs. Vadim Nemkov

9. Serghei Spivac

Promotion: UFC Record: 17-6 Last: L (UD) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, June 7 Next: To be determined

10. Derrick Lewis

Promotion: UFC Record: 29-12, 1 NC Last: W (TKO1) vs. Tallison Teixeira, July 12 Next: To be determined

Light Heavyweight

Alex Pereira knocked out Magomed Ankalaev with a vengeance at UFC 320 to regain the light heavyweight title.

1. Alex Pereira

Promotion: UFC Champion Record: 13-3 Last: W (TKO1) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, Oct. 4 Next: To be determined

2. Magomed Ankalaev

Promotion: UFC Record: 21-2-1, 1 NC Last: L (TKO1) vs. Alex Pereira, Oct. 4 Next: To be determined

3. Jiøí Procházka

Promotion: UFC Record: 32-5-1 Last: W (KO3) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., Oct. 4 Next: To be determined

4. Carlos Ulberg

Promotion: UFC Record: 14-1 Last: W (KO1) vs. Dominick Reyes, Sept. 27 Next: To be determined

5. Khalil Rountree Jr.

Promotion: UFC Record: 14-7, 1 NC Last: L (KO3) vs. Jiří Procházka, Oct. 4 Next: To be determined

6. Azamat Murzakanov

Promotion: UFC Record: 16-0 Last: W (TKO1) vs. Aleksandar Rakić, Oct. 25 Next: To be determined

7. Dominick Reyes

Promotion: UFC Record: 15-5 Last: L (KO1) vs. Carlos Ulberg, Sept. 27 Next: To be determined

8. Aleksandar Rakić

Promotion: UFC Record: 14-6 Last: L (TKO1) vs. Azamat Murzakanov, Oct. 25 Next: To be determined

9. Jamahal Hill

Promotion: UFC Record: 12-4, 1 NC Last: L (UD) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., June 21 Next: To be determined

10. Corey Anderson

Promotion: PFL Champion Record: 20-6-1 Last: W (UD) vs. Dovlet Yagshimuradov, Oct. 3 Next: To be determined

Middleweight

Khamzat Chimaev is right where he long was expected to be: at the top of the UFC middleweight division.

1. Khamzat Chimaev

Promotion: UFC Champion Record: 15-0 Last: W (UD) vs. Dricus Du Plessis, Aug. 16 Next: To be determined

2. Dricus du Plessis

Promotion: UFC Record: 23-3 Last: L (UD) vs. Khamzat Chimaev, Aug. 16 Next: To be determined

3. Nassourdine Imavov

Promotion: UFC Record: 17-4, 1 NC Last: W (US) vs. Caio Borralho, Sept. 6 Next: To be determined

4. Sean Strickland

Promotion: UFC Record: 29-7 Last: L (UD) vs. Dricus Du Plessis, Feb. 8 Next: To be determined

5. Israel Adesanya

Promotion: UFC Record: 24-5 Last: L (KO2) vs. Nassourdine Imavov, Feb. 1 Next: To be determined

6. Anthony Hernandez

Promotion: UFC Record: 15-2, 1 NC Last: W (Sub4) vs. Roman Dolidze, Aug. 9 Next: To be determined

7. Caio Borralho

Promotion: UFC Record: 17-2, 1 NC Last: L (UD) vs. Nassourdine Imavov, Sept. 6 Next: To be determined

8. Brendan Allen

Promotion: UFC Record: 26-7 Last: W (TKO4) vs. Reinier de Ridder, Oct. 18 Next: To be determined

9. Reinier de Ridder

Promotion: UFC Record: 21-3 Last: L (TKO4) vs. Brendan Allen, Oct. 18 Next: To be determined

10. Robert Whittaker

Promotion: UFC Record: 26-9 Last: L (SD) vs. Reinier de Ridder, July 26 Next: To be determined

Welterweight

Islam Makhachev vacated the lightweight title months ago, but winning the welterweight belt at UFC 322 made him a two-division champion.

1. Islam Makhachev

Promotion: UFC Champion Record: 28-1 Last: W (UD) vs. Jack Della Maddalena, Nov. 15 Next: To be determined

2. Jack Della Maddalena

Promotion: UFC Record: 18-3 Last: L (UD) vs. Islam Makhachev, Nov. 15 Next: To be determined

3. Shavkat Rakhmonov

Promotion: UFC Record: 19-0 Last: W (UD) vs. Ian Machado Garry, Dec. 7, 2024 Next: To be determined

4. Ian Machado Garry

Promotion: UFC Record: 17-1 Last: W (UD) vs. Belal Muhammad, Nov. 22 Next: To be determined

5. Michael Morales

Promotion: UFC Record: 19-0 Last: W (TKO1) vs. Sean Brady, Nov. 15 Next: To be determined

6. Belal Muhammad

Promotion: UFC Record: 24-5, 1 NC Last: L (UD) vs. Ian Machado Garry, Nov. 22 Next: To be determined

7. Kamaru Usman

Promotion: UFC Record: 21-4 Last: W (UD) vs. Joaquin Buckley, June 14 Next: To be determined

8. Sean Brady

Promotion: UFC Record: 18-2 Last: L (TKO1) vs. Michael Morales, Nov. 15 Next: To be determined

9. Carlos Prates

Promotion: UFC Record: 23-7 Last: W (KO1) vs. Leon Edwards, Nov. 15 Next: To be determined

10. Joaquin Buckley

Promotion: UFC Record: 21-7 Last: L (UD) vs. Kamaru Usman, June 14 Next: To be determined

Lightweight

Ilia Topuria had vacated the featherweight title before UFC 317, but winning the lightweight belt provided a glorious photo op.

1. Ilia Topuria

Promotion: UFC Champion Record: 17-0 Last: W (KO1) vs. Charles Oliveira, June 28 Next: To be determined

2. Arman Tsarukyan

Promotion: UFC Record: 23-3 Last: W (Sub2) vs. Dan Hooker, Nov. 22 Next: To be determined

3. Charles Oliveira

Promotion: UFC Record: 36-11, 1 NC Last: W (Sub2) vs. Mateusz Gamrot, Oct. 11 Next: To be determined

4. Max Holloway

Promotion: UFC Record: 27-8 Last: W (UD) vs. Dustin Poirier, July 19 Next: To be determined

5. Justin Gaethje

Promotion: UFC Record: 26-5 Last: W (UD) vs. Rafael Fiziev, March 8 Next: To be determined

6. Usman Nurmagomedov

Promotion: PFL Champion Record: 20-0, 1 NC Last: W (UD) vs. Paul Hughes, Oct. 3 Next: Feb. 7 vs. Alfie Davis

7. Paddy Pimblett

Promotion: UFC Record: 23-3 Last: W (TKO3) vs. Michael Chandler, April 12 Next: To be determined

8. Mateusz Gamrot

Promotion: UFC R