In the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), a change in the rankings can be a big event. Normally, a number one ranked fighter descends to the top 10 after a defeat or a mediocre performance. However, this has not been the case for Islam Makhachev. Makhachev, with an impressive record of 27-1 and a streak of 15 consecutive victories, has proven to be one of the best in MMA. But, Ilia Topuria, who previously held the second position, did not let himself be defeated. His impressive knockout in the first round against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 earned him the lightweight title that Makhachev vacated to seek another championship at welterweight. Topuria had also vacated a featherweight title to pursue a belt in a second division. Topuria’s victory catapulted him to first place in ESPN’s pound-for-pound ranking. Makhachev will have the opportunity to regain his position when his fight against the 170-pound champion, Jack Della Maddalena, is confirmed. Until then, he will have to settle for second place.
Men’s Pound-for-Pound Ranking
1. Ilia Topuria
UFC Lightweight Champion Previous ranking: 2 Record: 17-0 Last fight: Victory (KO1) vs. Charles Oliveira, June 28th Next fight: To be defined After knocking out two of the best featherweights in UFC history (Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway) in 2024, it was difficult for Topuria to surpass that in 2025. He moved up to lightweight with the goal of challenging Makhachev, but with Makhachev moving up a division, Topuria captured the vacant title by knocking out Oliveira at UFC 317.2. Islam MakhachevUFC WelterweightPrevious ranking: 1
Record: 27-1 Last fight: Victory (Submission 1) vs. Renato Moicano, January 18th Next fight: To be defined vs. Jack Della Maddalena Makhachev solidified himself as the best lightweight of all time by quickly defeating Moicano in the main event of UFC 311. It was his fourth title defense, tying Kamaru Usman for the second-longest winning streak in UFC history with 15 victories. The next step for Makhachev will be to move up to welterweight to challenge the new champion Della Maddalena, with the date and location to be determined.3. Merab Dvalishvili
UFC Bantamweight Champion Record: 20-4 Last fight: Victory (Technical Submission 3) vs. Sean O’Malley, June 7th Next fight: To be defined Dvalishvili is on one of the most impressive streaks 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 with a guillotine in the third round. Since August 2022, Dvalishvili has defeated José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, O’Malley (twice), and Umar Nurmagomedov, and has said he wants to fight two more times before the end of this year.4. Tom Aspinall
UFC Heavyweight Champion Record: 15-3 Last fight: Victory (TKO1) vs. Curtis Blaydes, July 27, 2024 Next fight: To be defined If we go by observation, it can be argued that Aspinall is the most dynamic, skilled, and talented heavyweight the sport has seen. He is dominating his opponents in an unparalleled way. Nobody can last a round with him. He hoped to prove his supremacy against Jon Jones, but Jones chose to withdraw, elevating Aspinall from interim champion.5. Alexandre Pantoja
UFC Flyweight Champion Record: 30-5 Last fight: Victory (Submission 3) vs. Kai Kara-France, June 28th Next fight: To be defined vs. Joshua Van The UFC flyweight king has amassed four title defenses, including two in pay-per-view main events in 2024. He extended his winning streak to eight in his UFC 317 victory over Kara-France, whom he had already defeated before. Pantoja is rapidly turning heads in the 125-pound division.6. Magomed Ankalaev
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Record: 20-1-1, 1 NC Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Alex Pereira, March 8th Next fight: To be defined Ankalaev dethroned Pereira at UFC 313, achieving his fourteenth consecutive fight without losing, a streak that began after his UFC debut in 2018. The Russian champion is enjoying his time at the top, taunting potential challengers online. He’s an incredibly difficult puzzle to solve, and that’s unlikely to get easier given his growing confidence.7. Dricus Du Plessis
UFC Middleweight Champion Record: 23-2 Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Sean Strickland, February 8th Next fight: August 16 vs. Khamzat ChimaevNobody gets as many backhanded compliments as Du Plessis, but as long as the wins keep coming, who cares? The UFC middleweight champion is known for breaking all the technical rules of MMA and making it work. He has defeated some of the biggest names in the history of his division and has the opportunity to add another when he faces Chimaev at UFC 319. Du Plessis is on his way to becoming one of those big names if he continues like this.
8. Alex Pereira
UFC Light Heavyweight Record: 12-3 Last fight: Loss (Unanimous Decision) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, March 8th Next fight: To be defined A stellar 2024 consolidated Pereira’s place as a star in the UFC, but he faced perhaps his most difficult test as light heavyweight champion when he stepped into the octagon with Ankalaev at UFC 313. Pereira had dealt with strikers, but the question was whether he could do the job against a talented grappler. Pereira kept the fight standing, but fell short by unanimous decision.9. Jack Della Maddalena
UFC Welterweight Champion Record: 18-2 Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Belal Muhammad, May 10 Next fight: To be defined vs. Islam Makhachev Della Maddalena seemingly came out of nowhere to make his debut on the pound-for-pound list, but that’s what happens when you win a UFC championship and interrupt Muhammad’s 11-win streak. Della Maddalena has had some difficult moments in the UFC, but in the end he has always found a way to win, with an 8-0 record inside the octagon. Will he be able to keep it up against Makhachev?10. Alexander Volkanovski
UFC Featherweight Champion Record: 27-4 Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Diego Lopes, April 12th Next fight: To be defined It seemed that the sport had begun to write Volkanovski’s eulogy after his knockout loss to Topuria in February 2024. Volkanovski noticed this and set out to prove to everyone that he still has a lot to give by reclaiming the featherweight belt at UFC 314. His age (36) will likely remain a pre-fight topic, which is fine because Volkanovski enjoys proving people wrong. Other fighters who received votes: Francis Ngannou and Khamzat Chimaev. This is how our panel votedBrett Okamoto: 1. Ilia Topuria; 2. Islam Makhachev; 3. Merab Dvalishvili; 4. Tom Aspinall; 5. Alexandre Pantoja; 6. Dricus Du Plessis; 7. Magomed Ankalaev; 8. Alex Pereira; 9. Alexander Volkanovski 10. Jack Della Maddalena.Andreas Hale: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Aspinall; 5. Pantoja; 6. Ankalaev; 7. Della Maddalena; 8. Volkanovski; 9. Pereira; 10. Du Plessis.
Ian Parker: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Du Plessis; 5. Ankalaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. Della Maddalena; 8. Aspinall; 9. Pereira; 10. Volkanovski.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Pantoja; 5. Du Plessis; 6. Pereira; 7. Ankalaev; 8. Aspinall; 9. Volkanovski; 10. Della Maddalena.Andrew Davis: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Aspinall; 5. Ankalaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. du Plessis; 8. Della Maddalena; 9. Pereira; 10. Volkanovski.Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Aspinall; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Pantoja; 6. Francis Ngannou; 7. Ankalaev; 8. Khamzat Chimaev; 9. Pereira; 10. Du Plessis.Women’s Pound-for-Pound Ranking
1. Zhang Weili
UFC Strawweight Champion Record: 26-3 Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Tatiana Suarez, February 8th Next fight: To be defined Amanda Nunes left a big void in women’s MMA when she announced her retirement in 2023, but Zhang has filled that void in terms of a dominant presence.2. Valentina Shevchenko
UFC Flyweight Champion Record: 25-4-1 Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Manon Fiorot, May 10th Next fight: To be defined Shevchenko capped off the trilogy with Alexa Grasso in 2024 with a dominant performance that dispelled any doubts about that rivalry. Then she followed up with a complete performance against Fiorot to improve to 10-1-1 in UFC title fights.3. Kayla Harrison
UFC Bantamweight Champion Record: 19-1 Last fight: Victory (Technical Submission 2) vs. Julianna Peña, June 7 Next fight: To be defined The face of PFL for a long time is also quickly becoming the face of the UFC women’s divisions. With a dominant victory over Peña at UFC 316, Harrison now has a 4-0 record in the UFC and has the hardware to add to her two Olympic gold medals. However, she won’t have it easy in her first title defense, as Nunes returns with the belt in her sights.4. Cris CyborgPFL Super Fights Featherweight Champion Record: 28-2, 1 NC Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Larissa Pacheco, October 19, 2024 Next fight: To be defined It had been a while since Cyborg had faced an elite opponent in MMA until she met Pacheco in 2024. That was a legitimate fight, and many within the industry predicted Cyborg’s downfall. Instead, she eliminated the PFL two-weight champion, reversing all of Pacheco’s momentum. One of the original pioneers of women’s MMA somehow remains strong.5. Natalia Silva
UFC Flyweight Record: 19-5-1 Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Alexa Grasso, May 10th Next fight: To be defined Silva is seen as the future UFC champion after a dominant performance over Grasso at UFC 315. Her striking and movement style has frustrated even the highest-level opponents, and she has youth on her side, as she won’t turn 30 until 2027.6. Manon Fiorot
UFC Flyweight Record: 12-2 Last fight: Defeat (Unanimous Decision) vs. Valentina Shevchenko, May 10 Next fight: To be defined Fiorot did not succeed in her challenge against Shevchenko, the champion, at UFC 315. But by defeating Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield in her two previous fights, Fiorot has shown that she has the tools to become a champion.7. Larissa Pacheco
PFL Featherweight Champion Record: 23-5 Last fight: Defeat (Unanimous Decision) vs. Cris Cyborg, October 19, 2024 Next fight: To be defined As the only woman who defeated Kayla Harrison and after being close to beating Cyborg in October, Pacheco deserves her place on this list. Unfortunately, the lack of quality opponents in the PFL will prevent her from climbing higher. At 30 years old, Pacheco is still improving, but it will be interesting to see who the PFL finds to face her next.8. Erin Blanchfield
UFC Flyweight Record: 13-2 Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Rose Namajunas, November 2, 2024 Next fight: To be defined Blanchfield emerged from a hole to beat Namajunas in November, and was scheduled to have the opportunity to generate more momentum in a meeting with another young prospect, until Maycee Barber withdrew from her May 31st fight on fight night. Blanchfield has immense potential and has shown new nuances in her game since she lost by decision to Manon Fiorot last year.9. Virna Jandiroba
UFC Strawweight Record: 22-3 Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Yan Xiaonan, April 12th Next fight: To be defined Jandiroba propelled herself into title contention by dominating Yan at UFC 314, neutralizing the title challenger’s striking threat and forcing Yan into her world: a grappling match. With the victory, Jandiroba extended her winning streak to five. With champion Zhang Weili awaiting her next challenger, Jandiroba is in a position to fill the void.10. Dakota Ditcheva
PFL Flyweight Champion Record: 14-0 Last fight: Victory (TKO2) vs. Taila Santos, November 29, 2024 Next fight: June 26 vs. Sumiko Inaba Ditcheva not only won last year’s PFL flyweight season, but she also did it spectacularly: a TKO finish over Santos, who once competed for a UFC title. She will open her 2025 campaign against Inaba (8-1) 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, Alexa Grasso, and Julianna Peña.This is how our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Zhang Weili; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Kayla Harrison; 4. Cris Cyborg; 5. Manon Fiorot; 6. Natalia Silva; 7. Rose Namajunas; 8. Erin Blanchfield; 9. Larissa Pacheco; 10. Virna Jandiroba.
Andreas Hale: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Zhang; 3. Harrison; 4. Cyborg; 5. Silva; 6. Pacheco; 7. Fiorot; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Jandiroba; 10. Dakota Ditcheva.
Ian Parker: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Harrison; 4. Silva; 5. Cyborg; 6. Jandiroba; 7. Fiorot; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Ditcheva; 10. Pacheco.Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Harrison; 3. Zhang; 4. Cyborg; 5. Julianna Peña; 6. Alexa Grasso; 7. Pacheco; 8. Ditcheva; 9. Fiorot; 10. Silva.Andrew Davis: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Harrison; 4. Cyborg; 5. Silva; 6. Fiorot; 7. Pacheco; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Ditcheva; 10. Peña.Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Fiorot; 6. Pacheco; 7. Silva; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Jandiroba; 10. Ditcheva.
