Sherdog’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10 Rankings

Ilia Topuria proved to be a man of his word.

“El Matador” made it look relatively easy against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, when he rendered his opponent unconscious with an exquisite right hook 3:32 into the second round of their headlining clash at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Saturday night. With that, Topuria claimed championship gold and improved to 15-0, signaling the beginning of a new era in the UFC’s featherweight division. The Spain-based Georgian oozes star potential, and at 27 years old could just be entering his peak years as a mixed martial artist. As a result, Topuria makes his debut in Sherdog’s pound-for-pound rankings at No. 4.

While his exact standing is a matter of perspective, there’s no question that Alexander Volkanovski — along with Jose Aldo and Max Holloway — has earned his place among the pantheon of the sport’s all-time great featherweights. The Aussie’s championship reign spanned a whopping 1,526 days — the fifth longest ever for a male UFC champion. However, three losses in four outings come with a price, and Volkanovski drops to No. 6 in the pound-for-pound poll.

Note: Previous ranking in brackets.

1. Islam Makhachev (25-1) | UFC [1]

Makhachev made a statement at UFC 294, knocking out featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick and follow-up punches in the opening round of their lightweight title clash at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The Dagestani standout has won 13 straight fights in the Octagon and thanks to consecutive title defenses against Volkanovski, can close the book on his rivalry with the Australian star. Makhachev’s next assignment could come against the winner of the lightweight title eliminator between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan scheduled for UFC 300.

2. Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC) | UFC [2]

After a three-year absence, Jones looked as strong as ever in a new division, authoring a first-round submission triumph against Ciryl Gane in the UFC 285 headliner on March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The longtime light heavyweight king was scheduled for a UFC 295 showdown with ex-heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden for his first title defense before a torn pectoral forced him to withdraw from the bout. The hope is that Jones vs. Miocic can be rebooked at some point in 2024.

3. Leon Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) | UFC [4]

For all the sound and fury promised by the public build-up between Edwards and challenger Colby Covington, the actual fight was a straightforward affair, lacking any of the eye-popping drama of Edwards’ pair of fights against Kamaru Usman. Instead, the champ forced Covington into the sort of mid-paced kickboxing match that characterized Edwards’ long rise to the top of the division, on his way to winning the first four rounds on all judges’ scorecards. While Edwards’ second title defense is unlikely to have earned him many new fans, it was a dominant showing against a veteran challenger. Whether Edwards’ next defense comes in the form of unfinished business against Belal Muhammad or a meeting with a streaking contender like Shavkat Rakhmonov, his place as one of the top fighters in the sport is secure for the moment.

4. Ilia Topuria (15-0) | UFC [NR]

Topuria ushered in a new era in the featherweight division with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 headliner at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. “El Matador” ended what had been a competitive bout with a clean right hook at the 3:32 mark of Round 2, showcasing his frightening fight altering power in the process. Topuria has all the makings of a massive star, capable of spearheading the promotion’s first-ever card in his home country of Spain. At just 27 years old, the future appears to be bright indeed for Topuria.

5. Alex Pereira (9-2) | UFC [5]

Pereira has proven to be a quick study in MMA, as he became the ninth two-division champion in promotion history by virtue of a second-round stoppage of Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 295 headliner. It only took “Poatan” seven UFC appearances to capture gold at 185 and 205 pounds after conquering two divisions in Glory Kickboxing, making him one of the most accomplished combat sport athletes in recent memory. Next, the Brazilian will defend his title against former champ Jamahal Hill in the UFC 300 headliner.

6. Alexander Volkanovski (26-4) | UFC [3]

Volkanovski couldn’t overcome Father Time at UFC 298, as the 35-year-old Aussie suffered a second-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in the evening’s main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Regardless of what the future holds, Volkanovski will go down as one of the sports all-time great featherweights and given his previously perfect record at 145 pounds, he has a solid case for an immediate rematch with Topuria. Whether that happens remains to be seen.

7. Charles Oliveira (34-9, 1 NC) | UFC [6]

After relinquishing his belt to Islam Makhachev in October 2022, Oliveira made an emphatic statement in his return, as he defeated top contender Beneil Dariush via first-round technical knockout in the UFC 289 co-main event. “Do Bronx” held his own with Dariush on the canvas, but it was on the feet that he did his best work, rattling the Kings MMA product with head kicks and heavy punches before sealing his victory with ground-and-pound. Unfortunately, a cut suffered in training forced Oliveira to pull out of a rematch against Makhachev at UFC 294. He’ll now collide with Arman Tsarukyan in a title eliminator bout at UFC 300.

8. Justin Gaethje (25-4) | UFC [7]

Gaethje picked up a statement win — and the UFC’s BMF belt — in style at UFC 291, getting the better of Dustin Poirier for six minutes before flattening him with a head kick. In avenging his 2018 loss to Poirier, “The Highlight” reaffirmed his status as a top contender in the UFC lightweight division. While Gaethje was angling for a lightweight title shot after that victory, he will instead defend his BMF belt against former 145-pound king Max Holloway at UFC 300.

9. Alexandre Pantoja (27-5) | UFC [8]

Pantoja put on a dominant performance in the co-main event of UFC 296, grounding Brandon Royval seemingly at will and doing grimy work from top position for most of five rounds. While the result was not the frenetic fireworks show fans may have hoped for, “The Cannibal” effectively denied Royval any chance to employ his hyper-aggressive kickboxing and grappling, retaining his belt while facing next to no real danger. One danger Pantoja does face is a dearth of ready contenders, as he is now 2-0 against Royval and 3-0 against Brandon Moreno, counting their meeting on “The Ultimate Fighter.” As such, Pantoja will have to hope that someone like Amir Albazi or Manel Kape puts on an impressive performance in their upcoming outings—and emerges healthy enough to fight again soon.

10. Vadim Nemkov (16-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [9]

Nemkov was largely dominant in his latest title defense, as he earned a clear-cut unanimous verdict over former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero in the Bellator 297 main event. The Russian standout is unbeaten in his last 12 professional outings, a stretch that also includes a victory in the Bellator 205-pound grand prix. Nemkov vacated his Bellator 205-pound belt ahead of his transition to heavyweight against Bruno Cappelozza at the PFL vs. Bellator event on Feb. 24.

Other Contenders: Sean O’Malley, Aljamain Sterling, Israel Adesanya, Max Holloway, Tom Aspinall.

Sherdog’s divisional and pound-for-pound rankings are compiled by a panel of Sherdog.com staff members and contributors: Tristen Critchfield, Mike Fridley, Brian Knapp, Ben Duffy, Jay Pettry, Marcelo Alonso, Keith Shillan, Tyler Treese and Rob Sargent.