Islam Makhachev and Valentina Shevchenko Reach the Top in MMA Rankings
On Saturday morning, Islam Makhachev and Valentina Shevchenko woke up in second place in their respective pound-for-pound rankings on ESPN. However, at the end of the day, both athletes rose to number one after demonstrating absolute dominance in their fights at UFC 322.
Although their days were not identical, both achieved significant victories. Shevchenko, as the women’s flyweight champion, defended her title with a unanimous decision over Zhang Weili, who had previously vacated her strawweight championship to compete in a higher weight class. For his part, Makhachev, former lightweight champion, had no problem dethroning Jack Della Maddalena at welterweight.
Another key difference was the level of Shevchenko’s opponent, Zhang, who at that time held the top spot in the ESPN rankings, making their matchup a clash between the top two women in MMA. Makhachev’s rival, Della Maddalena, was positioned eighth among men. This disparity in the rankings could explain why one voter kept Makhachev in second place, below the current lightweight champion, Ilia Topuria. Shevchenko, on the other hand, was unanimously considered number one.
Men’s Pound-for-Pound Ranking
UFC Welterweight Champion. Previous ranking: 2. Record: 28-1. Last fight: Win (Unanimous Decision) vs. Jack Della Maddalena, November 15. Next fight: To be determined.
Makhachev fulfilled his promise to become a two-division champion by neutralizing Della Maddalena’s striking threat with relative ease at UFC 322. This victory tied him with Anderson Silva for the longest winning streak in UFC history, with 16 consecutive wins, and places him on the list of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. With an impressive number of talented welterweight contenders, he will not lack opponents. However, the fight everyone wants to see is a showdown with the current lightweight champion, Ilia Topuria.
UFC Lightweight Champion. Previous ranking: 1. Record: 17-0. Last fight: Victory (KO1) vs. Charles Oliveira, June 28. Next fight: To be determined.
After knocking out two of the best featherweights in UFC history (Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway) in 2024, surpassing that in 2025 would be difficult for Topuria. 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.
UFC Bantamweight Champion. Record: 21-4. Last fight: Win (Unanimous Decision) vs. Cory Sandhagen, October 4th. Next fight: December 6th vs. Petr Yan.
Dvalishvili is having one of the most impressive careers in the UFC bantamweight division. Not only did he defeat Sean O’Malley for the second time in nine months at UFC 316, but he also demonstrated a new facet of his game, finishing O’Malley with a guillotine in the third round. Since August 2022, Dvalishvili has beaten José Aldo, Yan, Henry Cejudo, O’Malley (twice), Umar Nurmagomedov, and Sandhagen. Furthermore, he will defend his title again in a rematch against Yan in December, becoming the only champion in UFC history to defend a title four times in a year.
UFC Heavyweight Champion. Record: 15-3, 1 NC. Last fight: NC1 vs. Ciryl Gane, October 25. Next fight: To be determined.
It could 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 against him. He was hoping to prove his supremacy against Jon Jones, but Jones decided to withdraw, elevating Aspinall from interim champion. His first defense of the undisputed belt ended anticlimactically, as an eye poke resulted in his UFC 321 match against Gane being declared a no-contest.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Record: 13-3. Last fight: Victory (TKO1) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, October 4th. Next fight: To be determined.
A stellar 2024 consolidated Pereira as a star in the UFC, but he faced his toughest test as a light heavyweight champion when he entered the octagon with Ankalaev at UFC 313. Pereira had faced strikers, but the question was whether he could make it against a talented grappler. Pereira kept the fight standing, but did not achieve victory by unanimous decision. He changed that result violently when he faced Ankalaev in a rematch at UFC 320.
UFC Middleweight Champion. Record: 15-0. Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Dricus Du Plessis, August 16. Next fight: To be determined.
After five years of anticipation, Chimaev finally fought for a championship at UFC 319, and the result was one of the most dominant title fight performances in UFC history. Chimaev did not manage to finish, but completely demolished Du Plessis in their five-round fight and answered questions about his endurance in the process. If Chimaev can stay healthy and compete frequently, he still has plenty of time to climb to the top of this list.
UFC Flyweight Champion. Record: 30-5. Last fight: Victory (Submission3) vs. Kai Kara-France, June 28. Next fight: December 6 vs. Joshua Van.
The UFC flyweight king has accumulated four title defenses, including two in pay-per-view main events in 2024. He built his winning streak to eight in his victory at UFC 317 over Kara-France, whom he had already defeated before. He will defend the belt against Yan at UFC 323. Pantoja is quickly making his way around the 125-pound division.
UFC Featherweight Champion. Previous ranking: 9. Record: 27-4. Last fight: Win (Unanimous Decision) vs. Diego Lopes, April 12. Next fight: To be determined.
It seemed that the sport had begun to write Volkanovski’s eulogy after his knockout loss to Topuria in February 2024. Volkanovski took notice and made a point of showing everyone that he still has a lot to give by recapturing the featherweight belt at UFC 314. His age (36) will likely continue to be a pre-fight topic, which is fine because Volkanovski likes to prove people wrong.
UFC welterweight. Previous ranking: 8. Record: 18-3. Last fight: Loss (Unanimous Decision) vs. Islam Makhachev, November 15. Next fight: To be determined.
Holding a top 10 spot for Della Maddalena might be a surprise, but it speaks to a few things. One, of course, is that there’s no shame in losing to Makhachev. And two, this might be the deepest welterweight division in MMA history. Della Maddalena’s eight-fight win streak in this division still means a lot. And while Della Maddalena had a tough night at UFC 322, the perception of his talent hasn’t changed drastically because of it.
UFC middleweight. Record: 23-3. Last fight: Loss (Unanimous Decision) vs. Khamzat Chimaev, August 16. Next fight: To be determined.
Before being submitted by Chimaev and losing the belt, Du Plessis was dominating the middleweight division with 11 consecutive victories, including four in a row over champions or former champions (Sean Strickland twice, Israel Adesanya, and Robert Whittaker). Can he rebuild for another opportunity against Chimaev?
UFC lightweight. Record: 27-8. Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Dustin Poirier, July 19. Next fight: To be determined.
Holloway has won four of his last five fights, alternating between lightweight and featherweight. The only defeat was against Ilia Topuria, who now reigns in Holloway’s current division, lightweight.
Other fighters who received votes: Magomed Ankalaev, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Arman Tsarukyan.
How our panel voted- Brett Okamoto: 1. Islam Makhacgev; 2. Ilia Topuria; 3. Merab Dvalishvili; 4. Tom Aspinall; 5. Alex Pereira; 6. Alexandre Pantoja; 7. Khamzat Chimaev; 8. Alexander Volkanovski 9. Max Holloway; 10. Umar Nurmagomedov.
- Andreas Hale: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Aspinall; 5. Pereira; 6. Chimaev; 7. Pantoja; 8. Volkanovski; 9. Dricus Du Plessis; 10. Holloway.
- Ian Parker: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Chimaev; 5. Pereira; 6. Pantoja; 7. Jack Della Maddalena; 8. Aspinall; 9. Volkanovski; 10. Holloway.
- Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Pereira; 5. Pantoja; 6. Chimaev; 7. Aspinall; 8. Volkanovski; 9. Della Maddalena; 10. Arman Tsarukyan.
- Andrew Davis: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Chimaev; 5. Aspinall; 6. Pereira; 7. Pantoja; 8. Volkanovski; 9. Magomed Ankalaev; 10. Du Plessis.
- Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Aspinall; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Chimaev; 6. Pereira; 7. Pantoja; 8. Volkanovski; 9. Du Plessis; 10. Holloway.
Women’s Pound-for-Pound Ranking
UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion. Previous ranking: 2. Record: 26-4-1. Last fight: Win (Unanimous Decision) vs. Zhang Weili, November 15. Next fight: To be determined.
Shevchenko’s supremacy was questioned in 2022 and 2023, when she had a 1-1-1 record in a trilogy with Alexa Grasso. Now, that seems like a long time ago. Shevchenko has reaffirmed her position as the best flyweight in the world, and has now positioned herself as number 1 in the world, period. It wasn’t surprising that she beat Zhang, but it was surprising how easy it seemed.
UFC flyweight / strawweight. Previous ranking: 1. Record: 26-4. Last fight: Loss (Unanimous Decision) vs. Valentina Shevchenko, November 15. Next fight: To be determined.
It’s difficult to gain weight, especially at the highest level. That sounds obvious, but Zhang had dominated the 115-pound division for so long that some of us might have taken for granted how big the challenge of moving to 125 would be. UFC 322 was a bad night for Zhang, but she doesn’t have many of those. And if she decides to stay at 125, it certainly seems reasonable that she’ll do better in the future.
UFC Bantamweight Champion. Record: 19-1. Last fight: Victory (Technical Submission2) vs. Julianna Peña, June 7. Next fight: To be determined.
PFL’s face for a long time is also quickly becoming the face of the UFC’s women’s divisions. With a dominant victory over Peña at UFC 316, Harrison has a 4-0 record in the UFC and has the hardware to add to her two Olympic judo gold medals. However, she won’t have it easy in her first title defense, as Nunes returns with the belt in her sights.
PFL featherweight. Record: 28-2, 1 NC. Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Larissa Pacheco, October 19, 2024. Next fight: December 13 vs. Sara Collins.
It had been a while since Cyborg had faced an elite MMA opponent until she met Pacheco in 2024. That was a legitimate matchup, and many within the industry predicted Cyborg’s downfall. Instead, she eliminated the PFL two-weight champion, nullifying all of Pacheco’s momentum. One of the original pioneers of women’s MMA is still going strong somehow, and she will seek the vacant PFL title against Collins, an Australian with a 6-0 record but with little high-level experience.
UFC flyweight. Record: 13-2. Last fight: Victory (TKO1) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius, October 18. Next fight: To be determined.
Fiorot fell short 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.
UFC strawweight. Record: 16-5. Last fight: Win (Unanimous Decision) vs. Virna Jandiroba, October 25. Next fight: To be determined.
Dern’s ascent to the 115-pound throne was truly a changing of the guard. She is the division’s first-time champion since 2019, because the previous three champions (Zhang Weili, Carla Esparza, and Rose Namajunas) were in their second reigns. Dern, almost a decade into her MMA career after multiple world jiu-jitsu championships, has won three fights in a row.
UFC flyweight. Record: 19-5-1. Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Alexa Grasso, May 10. Next fight: To be determined.
Silva appears to be the candidate for future UFC champion after a dominant exhibition against Grasso at UFC 315. Silva’s hit-and-move style has frustrated even the highest-level opponent, and she has youth on her side, as she won’t turn 30 until 2027.
UFC flyweight. Record: 14-2. Last fight: Victory (Submission2) vs. Tracy Cortez, November 15th. Next fight: To be determined.
Blanchfield avenged her 2019 defeat to Cortez emphatically at UFC 322, submitting her in the second round of their rematch. At only 26 years old, Blanchfield continues to evolve with improved striking and suffocating grappling. She will have to wait her turn for a title shot, with Natalia Silva likely next, but Blanchfield’s turn is certainly coming.
PFL flyweight. Record: 14-0. Last fight: Victory (Unanimous Decision) vs. Sumiko Inaba, July 19. Next fight: February 7 vs. Denise Kielholtz.
Ditcheva not only won the PFL women’s flyweight season last year, but she did so in spectacular fashion: a TKO finish over Taila Santos, who once challenged for a UFC title. Ditcheva opened her 2025 campaign by dominating Inaba in the co-main event of the first PFL Champions Series card in Cape Town, South Africa. She will begin 2026 with a matchup against fellow kickboxer Kielholtz.
UFC bantamweight. Record: 12-6. Last fight: Loss (Submission2) vs. Kayla Harrison, June 7. Next fight: To be determined.
Peña is a two-time women’s bantamweight champion, with one of those reigns made possible by one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, her submission victory in 2021 over Amanda Nunes. Peña’s four most recent appearances have been in title fights, so she is made for big moments.
Other fighters who received votes: Alexa Grasso, Virna Jandiroba, Rose Namajunas, and Tatiana Suarez.
How our panel voted- Brett Okamoto: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Zhang Weili; 3. Kayla Harrison; 4. Cris Cyborg; 5. Manon Fiorot; 6. Mackenzie Dern; 7. Natalia Silva; 8. Erin Blanchfield; 9. Rose Namajunas; 10. Virna Jandiroba.
- Andreas Hale: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Zhang; 3. Harrison; 4. Cyborg; 5. Silva; 6. Fiorot; 7. Blanchfield; 8. Dakota Ditcheva; 9. Dern; 10. Namajunas.
- Ian Parker: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Zhang; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Dern; 6. Julianna Peña; 7. Fiorot; 8. Jandiroba; 9. Blanchfield; 10. Silva.
- Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Harrison; 3. Cyborg; 4. Zhang; 5. Ditcheva; 6. Dern; 7. Alexa Grasso; 8. Peña; 9. Fiorot; 10. Silva.
- Andrew Davis: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Harrison; 3. Zhang; 4. Cyborg; 5. Dern; 6. Silva; 7. Fiorot; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Ditcheva; 10. Peña.
- Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Zhang; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Fiorot; 6. Silva; 7. Blanchfield; 8. Tatiana Suarez; 9. Ditcheva; 10. Dern.
