MMA pound-for-pound rankings: Khamzat Chimaev has finally arrived where he was long expected to be

UFC lightweight champion
Record: 17-0
Last: W (KO1) vs. Charles Oliveira, June 28
Next: TBD

After knocking out two of the greatest featherweights in UFC history (Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway) in 2024, it was going to be tough for Topuria to top that in 2025. He moved up to lightweight with the goal of challenging Makhachev, but with Makhachev moving up a division, Topuria instead captured the vacant title by knocking out Oliveira cold at UFC 317. -- Andreas Hale

2. Islam Makhachev  

UFC welterweight
Record: 27-1
Last: W (Sub1) vs. Renato Moicano, Jan. 18
Next: TBD vs. Jack Della Maddalena

Makhachev staked his claim as the greatest lightweight of all time by swiftly dispatching late-replacement Moicano at UFC 311. It was his UFC-record fourth title defense and tied Kamaru Usman for the second-longest winning streak in UFC history at 15. Next up for Makhachev will be a move to welterweight to challenge new champion Della Maddalena, with the date and venue to be determined. -- Hale

3. Merab Dvalishvili  

UFC bantamweight champion
Record: 20-4
Last: W (TechSub3) vs. Sean O'Malley, June 7
Next: Oct. 4 vs. Cory Sandhagen

Dvalishvili is on one of the most impressive runs through the UFC's bantamweight division ever. Not only did he defeat O'Malley for the second time in nine months at UFC 316, but he showcased a new part of his game, finishing O'Malley with a third-round guillotine. Since August 2022, Dvalishvili has beaten José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, O'Malley (twice) and Umar Nurmagomedov, and he has said he wants to fight twice more before the end of this year. Next up is a UFC 320 matchup with Sandhagen. -- Brett Okamoto

T-4. Tom Aspinall  

UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 15-3
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Curtis Blaydes, July 27, 2024
Next: Oct. 25 vs. Ciryl Gane

If you're going by the eye test, you can make a case that Aspinall is the most dynamic, skillful, talented heavyweight the sport has seen. He is dominating opponents in a way that is unmatched. No one can last a round with him. He had hoped to prove his supremacy against Jon Jones, but Jones opted to retire, elevating Aspinall from interim champion. He makes his first defense of the undisputed belt against Gane at UFC 321. -- Okamoto

T-4. Khamzat Chimaev  

UFC middleweight champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 15-0
Last: W (UD) vs. Dricus Du Plessis, Aug. 16
Next: TBD

After five years of hype, 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 failed to record a finish but thoroughly demolished Du Plessis in their five-round bout and answered questions about his cardio along the way. If Chimaev can stay healthy and compete frequently, there is still plenty of time for him to rise to the very top of this list. -- Okamoto

6. Alexandre Pantoja  

UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: 5
Record: 30-5
Last: W (Sub3) vs. Kai Kara-France, June 28
Next: TBD vs. Joshua Van

The UFC's flyweight king has racked up four title defenses, including two in pay-per-view main events in 2024. He built his winning streak to eight in his UFC 317 win over Kara-France, whom he had already defeated before. Pantoja is quickly taking laps around the 125-pound division. -- Okamoto

7. Magomed Ankalaev  

UFC light heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 6
Record: 20-1-1, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Alex Pereira, March 8
Next: Oct. 4 vs. Alex Pereira

Ankalaev dethroned Pereira at UFC 313 for his 14th consecutive fight without a loss, a run 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 crack, and that's unlikely to get any easier given his growing sense of confidence. Pereira will take his shot in a rematch at UFC 320. -- Okamoto

8. Jack Della Maddalena  

UFC welterweight champion
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 18-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Belal Muhammad, May 10
Next: TBD vs. Islam Makhachev

Della Maddalena seemingly came from nowhere to make his debut on the pound-for-pound list, but that's what happens when you win a UFC championship and snap Muhammad's 11-fight win streak. Della Maddalena has had some close calls in the UFC, but at the end of the day he's always found a way to win, going 8-0 inside the Octagon. Can he keep it going against Makhachev? -- Okamoto

9. Alex Pereira  

UFC light heavyweight
Previous ranking: 8
Record: 12-3
Last: L (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, March 8
Next: Oct. 4 vs. Magomed Ankalaev

A stellar 2024 cemented Pereira's place as a star in the UFC, but he faced arguably his toughest 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 get the job done against a talented grappler. Pereira kept the fight standing but fell short by unanimous decision. Can Pereira change that outcome when meets Ankalaev in a rematch at UFC 320? -- Hale

10. Alexander Volkanovski  

UFC featherweight champion
Record: 27-4
Last: W (UD) vs. Diego Lopes, April 12
Next: TBD

It felt as if the sport had started to write Volkanovski's eulogy following his knockout loss to Topuria in February 2024. Volkanovski noticed and made a point of proving to everyone he still has plenty left by recapturing the featherweight belt at UFC 314. His age (36) will likely continue to be a prefight topic, which is fine because Volkanovski enjoys proving people wrong. -- Okamoto

Other fighters receiving votes: Francis Ngannou, Dricus Du Plessis and Max Holloway.

How our panel voted

Brett Okamoto: 1. Ilia Topuria; 2. Islam Makhachev; 3. Merab Dvalishvili; 4. Tom Aspinall; 5. Alexandre Pantoja; 6. Khamzat Chimaev; 7. Magomed Ankalaev; 8. Alex Pereira; 9. Alexander Volkanovski 10. Jack Della Maddalena.

Andreas Hale: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Aspinall; 5. Chimaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. Ankalaev; 8. Della Maddalena; 9. Volkanovski; 9. Pereira.

Ian Parker: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Chimaev; 5. Ankalaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. Della Maddalena; 8. Aspinall; 9. Volkanovski; 10. Max Holloway.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Pantoja; 5. Chimaev; 6. Ankalaev; 7. Aspinall; 8. Pereira; 9. Volkanovski; 10. Della Maddalena.

Andrew Davis: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Aspinall; 5. Chimaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. Ankalaev; 8. Della Maddalena; 9. Pereira; 10. Dricus Du Plessis.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Aspinall; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Chimaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. Francis Ngannou; 8. Ankalaev; 9. Pereira; 10. Volkanovski.

Women's pound-for-pound rankings

1. Zhang Weili  

UFC strawweight champion
Record: 26-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Tatiana Suarez, Feb. 8
Next: TBD

Amanda Nunes left a big hole in women's MMA when she announced her retirement in 2023, but Zhang has filled that void in terms of a dominant presence. -- Okamoto

2. Valentina Shevchenko  

UFC flyweight champion
Record: 25-4-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Manon Fiorot, May 10
Next: TBD

Shevchenko put a cap on the Alexa Grasso trilogy in 2024 with a dominant performance that put to bed any remaining questions around that rivalry. She followed that up with a well-rounded performance against Fiorot to improve to 10-1-1 in UFC title fights. -- Okamoto

3. Kayla Harrison  

UFC bantamweight champion
Record: 19-1
Last: W (TechSub2) vs. Julianna Peña, June 7
Next: TBD

The longtime face of the PFL is quickly becoming the face of the UFC's women's divisions as well. With a dominant win over Peña at UFC 316, Harrison is now 4-0 in the UFC and has the hardware to add to her two Olympic gold medals. She won't have it easy in her first title defense, though, because Nunes is coming back with the belt in her sights. -- Okamoto

4. Cris Cyborg  

PFL Super Fights featherweight champion
Record: 28-2, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Larissa Pacheco, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD

It had been a while since Cyborg had fought an elite opponent in MMA until she met Pacheco in 2024. That was a legitimate matchup -- and many within the industry were predicting Cyborg's downfall. Instead, she took out the PFL's two-weight champion, upending all of Pacheco's momentum. One of the original pioneers of women's MMA is somehow still going strong. -- Okamoto

5. Natalia Silva  

UFC flyweight
Record: 19-5-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Alexa Grasso, May 10
Next: TBD

Silva is looking every bit the part of a future UFC champion following a dominant display over Grasso at UFC 315. Her stick-and-move style has frustrated even the highest level of opponent, and she's got youth on her side as she won't turn 30 until 2027. -- Okamoto

6. Manon Fiorot  

UFC flyweight
Record: 12-2
Last: L (UD) vs. Valentina Shevchenko, May 10
Next: Oct. 18 vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius

Fiorot fell short in her challenge of Shevchenko, the champ, at UFC 315. But by knocking off Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield in her previous two fights, Fiorot has shown she has the tools to become champion. -- Hale

7. Larissa Pacheco  

PFL featherweight champion
Record: 23-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Cris Cyborg, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD

As the only woman to defeat Kayla Harrison and after coming close to beating Cyborg in October, Pacheco deserves her spot on this list. Unfortunately, the lack of quality opponents in the PFL will prevent her from climbing higher. At 30, Pacheco is still improving, but it will be interesting to see who the PFL finds to face her next. -- Hale

8. Erin Blanchfield  

UFC flyweight
Record: 13-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Rose Namajunas, Nov. 2, 2024
Next: TBD

Blanchfield dug herself out of a hole to beat Namajunas in November, and she was scheduled to have a chance to build more momentum in a meeting with another young prospect -- until Maycee Barber pulled out of their May 31 bout on fight night. Blanchfield has immense potential and has shown new wrinkles in her game since dropping a decision to Fiorot last year. -- Hale

9. Dakota Ditcheva  

PFL flyweight champion
Record: 14-0
Last: W (UD) vs. Sumiko Inaba, July 19
Next: TBD

Not only did Ditcheva win the PFL'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. -- Okamoto

10. Virna Jandiroba  

UFC strawweight
Record: 22-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Yan Xiaonan, April 12
Next: TBD

Jandiroba thrust herself into title contention by dominating Yan at UFC 314, neutralizing the striking threat of the one-time title challenger and forcing Yan into her world -- a grappling bout. With the win, Jandiroba extended her winning streak to five. With champion Zhang awaiting her next challenger, Jandiroba is in position to fill the void. -- Hale

Other fighters receiving votes: Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso and Julianna Peña.

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. Ditcheva; 7. Alexa Grasso; 8. Pacheco; 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.