Reinier de Ridder Breaks into UFC Middleweight Top 10: Analysis and Rise

Reinier de Ridder has had a meteoric rise in less than a year. After leaving One Championship, where he was a double champion, he signed with the UFC in September. His octagon debut was in November, submitting Gerald Meerschaert. This was followed by three more victories, including a win over the undefeated Bo Nickal.But De Ridder’s most impressive victory came on Saturday, obtaining a split decision over former UFC champion Robert Whittaker.With a 4-0 record in the UFC, De Ridder has quickly established himself as a top contender in the 185-pound division. He now holds a spot in the middleweight rankings, relegating Whittaker.This is the only change in the most recent rankings.

MMA Pound-for-Pound Ranking and Current UFC Champions

Here are the pound-for-pound MMA rankings and a list of the current UFC champions in all weight classes.The results are current; the rankings are as of July 29th. To be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed in the last 12 months or have a scheduled fight. Fighters who have been removed for inactivity can only be reinstated after competing.

Weight Categories

• Heavy
• Semi-heavy
• Middle
• Welter
• Light
• Feather
• Male Bantam
• Male Fly
• Female Bantam
• Female Fly
• Straw

Tom Aspinall was already the number 1 heavyweight, but now the UFC belt he wears no longer has the “interim” label.HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 265 pounds)

1. Tom Aspinall
   • Promotion: UFC Champion
   • Record: 15-3
   • Last: Victory (TKO1) vs. Curtis Blaydes, July 27, 2024
   • Next: October 25 vs. Ciryl Gane
2. Francis Ngannou
   • Promotion: PFL Super Fights Champion
   • Record: 18-3
   • Last: Victory (KO1) vs. Renan Ferreira, October 19, 2024
   • Next: To be determined
3. Ciryl Gane
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 13-2
   • Last: Victory (SD) vs. Alexander Volkov, December 7, 2024
   • Next: October 25 vs. Tom Aspinall
4. Curtis Blaydes
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 19-5, 1 NC
   • Last: Victory (TKO1) vs. Rizvan Kuniev, June 21
   • Next: To be determined
5. Alexander Volkov
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 38-11
   • Last: Defeat (SD) vs. Ciryl Gane, December 7, 2024
   • Next: October 25 vs. Jailton Almeida
6. Sergei Pavlovich
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 19-3
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik, February 1
   • Next: August 23 vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
7. Jailton Almeida
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 22-3
   • Last: Victory (TKO1) vs. Serghei Spivac, January 18
   • Next: October 25 vs. Alexander Volkov
8. Renan Ferreira
   • Promotion: PFL Champion
   • Record: 13-4, 3 NC
   • Last: Defeat (KO1) vs. Francis Ngannou, October 19, 2024
   • Next: To be determined
9. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 14-1
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Serghei Spivac, June 7
   • Next: August 23 vs. Sergei Pavlovich
10. Marcin Tybura
    • Promotion: UFC
    • Record: 27-9
    • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Mick Parkin, March 22
    • Next: September 6 vs. Ante Delija

Magomed Ankalaev rose to the top of the light heavyweight division at UFC 313.LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 205 pounds)

1. Magomed Ankalaev
   • Promotion: UFC Champion
   • Record: 21-1-1, 1 NC
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Alex Pereira, March 8th
   • Next: October 4th vs. Alex Pereira
2. Alex Pereira
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 12-3
   • Last: Defeat (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, March 8th
   • Next: October 4th vs. Magomed Ankalaev
3. Jirí Procházka
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 31-5-1
   • Last: Victory (TKO3) vs. Jamahal Hill, January 18th
   • Next: October 4th vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
4. Carlos Ulberg
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 13-1
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Jan Blachowicz, March 22nd
   • Next: September 27th vs. Dominick Reyes
5. Khalil Rountree Jr.
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 14-6, 1 NC
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Jamahal Hill, June 21st
   • Next: October 4th vs. Jirí Procházka
6. Aleksandar Rakić
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 14-5
   • Last: Defeat (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, October 26th, 2024
   • Next: October 25th vs. Azamat Murzakanov
7. Dominick Reyes
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 15-4
   • Last: Victory (KO1) vs. Nikita Krylov, April 12th
   • Next: September 27th vs. Carlos Ulberg
8. Jamahal Hill
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 12-4, 1 NC
   • Last: Defeat (UD) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., June 21st
   • Next: To be determined
9. Volkan Oezdemir
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 20-8
   • Last: Defeat (UD) vs. Carlos Ulberg, November 23rd, 2024
   • Next: To be determined
10. Corey Anderson
    • Promotion: PFL
    • Record: 19-6-1
    • Last: Victory (TKO2) vs. Denis Goltsov, July 19th
    • Next: To be determined

Dricus du Plessis tightened his grip on the middleweight belt at UFC 312.AVERAGE WEIGHT (up to 185 pounds)

1. Dricus du Plessis
   • Promotion: UFC Champion
   • Record: 23-2
   • Last: Win (UD) vs. Sean Strickland, February 8th
   • Next: August 16th vs. Khamzat Chimaev
2. Khamzat Chimaev
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 14-0
   • Last: Win (Sub1) vs. Robert Whittaker, October 26th, 2024
   • Next: August 16th vs. Dricus Du Plessis
3. Sean Strickland
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 29-7
   • Last: Loss (UD) vs. Dricus Du Plessis, February 8th
   • Next: To be determined
4. Nassourdine Imavov
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 16-4, 1 NC
   • Last: Win (KO2) vs. Israel Adesanya, February 1st
   • Next: September 6th vs. Caio Borralho
5. Israel Adesanya
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 24-5
   • Last: Loss (KO2) vs. Nassourdine Imavov, February 1st
   • Next: To be determined
6. Caio Borralho
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Previous Ranking: 7
   • Record: 17-0, 1 NC
   • Last: Win (UD) vs. Jared Cannonier, August 24th, 2024
   • Next: September 6th vs. Nassourdine Imavov
7. Reinier de Ridder
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Previous Ranking: Unranked
   • Record: 21-2
   • Last: Win (SD) vs. Robert Whittaker, July 26th
   • Next: To be determined
8. Robert Whittaker
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Previous Ranking: 6
   • Record: 26-9
   • Last: Loss (SD) vs. Reinier de Ridder, July 26th
   • Next: To be determined
9. Jared Cannonier
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Previous Ranking: 8
   • Record: 18-8
   • Last: Win (TKO4) vs. Gregory Rodrigues, February 15th
   • Next: August 16th vs. Michael “Venom” Page
10. Roman Dolidze
    • Promotion: UFC
    • Previous Ranking: 9
    • Record: 15-3
    • Last: Win (UD) vs. Marvin Vettori, March 15th
    • Next: August 9th vs. Anthony Hernandez

Jack Della Maddalena holds the welterweight belt in his hand after dethroning Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.WELTERWEIGHT (up to 170 pounds)

1. Jack Della Maddalena
   • Promotion: UFC Champion
   • Record: 18-2
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Belal Muhammad, May 10th
   • Next: To be determined vs. Islam Makhachev
2. Belal Muhammad
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 24-4, 1 NC
   • Last: Defeat (UD) vs. Jack Della Maddalena, May 10th
   • Next: To be determined
3. Shavkat Rakhmonov
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 19-0
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Ian Machado Garry, December 7th, 2024
   • Next: To be determined
4. Sean Brady
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 18-1
   • Last: Victory (Sub4) vs. Leon Edwards, March 22nd
   • Next: To be determined
5. Leon Edwards
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 22-5, 1 NC
   • Last: Defeat (Sub4) vs. Sean Brady, March 22nd
   • Next: To be determined
6. Kamaru Usman
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 21-4
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Joaquin Buckley, June 14th
   • Next: To be determined
7. Ian Machado Garry
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 16-1
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Carlos Prates, April 26th
   • Next: To be determined
8. Michael Morales
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 18-0
   • Last: Victory (TKO1) vs. Gilbert Burns, May 17th
   • Next: To be determined
9. Joaquin Buckley
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 21-7
   • Last: Defeat (UD) vs. Kamaru Usman, June 14th
   • Next: To be determined
10. Geoff Neal
    • Promotion: UFC
    • Record: 16-6
    • Last: Victory (TKO1) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos, October 26th, 2024
    • Next: August 16th vs. Carlos Prates

Ilia Topuria had vacated the featherweight title before UFC 317, but winning the lightweight belt provided a glorious photo session.LIGHTWEIGHT (up to 155 pounds)

1. Islam Makhachev
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 27-1
   • Last: Victory (Sub1) vs. Renato Moicano, January 18th
   • Next: To be determined vs. Jack Della Maddalena
2. Ilia Topuria
   • Promotion: UFC Champion
   • Record: 17-0
   • Last: Victory (KO1) vs. Charles Oliveira, June 28th
   • Next: To be determined
3. Charles Oliveira
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 35-11, 1 NC
   • Last: Defeat (KO1) vs. Ilia Topuria, June 28th
   • Next: To be determined
4. Max Holloway
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 27-8
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Dustin Poirier, July 19th
   • Next: To be determined
5. Justin Gaethje
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 26-5
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Rafael Fiziev, March 8th
   • Next: To be determined
6. Paddy Pimblett
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 23-3
   • Last: Victory (TKO3) vs. Michael Chandler, April 12th
   • Next: To be determined
7. Dan Hooker
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 29-12
   • Last: Victory (SD) vs. Mateusz Gamrot, August 17th, 2024
   • Next: To be determined
8. Usman Nurmagomedov
   • Promotion: Bellator Champion
   • Record: 19-0, 1 NC
   • Last: Victory (MD) vs. Paul Hughes, January 25th
   • Next: To be determined
9. Beneil Dariush
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 23-6-1
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Renato Moicano, June 28th
   • Next: To be determined
10. Mateusz Gamrot
    • Promotion: UFC
    • Record: 25-3, 1 NC
    • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Ludovit Klein, May 31st
    • Next: To be determined

Alexander Volkanovski regained the featherweight belt by defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 314.FEATHERWEIGHT (up to 145 pounds)

1. Alexander Volkanovski
   • Promotion: UFC Champion
   • Record: 27-4
   • Last: Victory (UD) vs. Diego Lopes, April 12th
   • Next: To be determined
2. Yair Rodriguez
   • Promotion: UFC
   • Record: 16-