If Ilia Topuria's breakthrough knockout of former champion and future Hall-of-Famer Max Holloway last weekend at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi wasn't enough to stimulate new debates regarding who is the best fighter in the sport today, the topic of who should be next for the Georgian-Spanish superstar is just as compelling.
The unbeaten Topuria, 27, became the first fighter to knock down and knock out Holloway in a resounding defense of his UFC featherweight title that greatly supported the idea that "El Matador" could be the breakout superstar the promotion has been clamoring for ever since Conor McGregor entered his current state of chronic inactivity.
The victory, just one fight removed from capturing the belt in February when he stopped Alexander Volkanovski, also helped Topuria make headroom in his ongoing race for both fighter of the year and pound-for-pound king, with the latter already involving an already crowded field consisting of Islam Makhachev, Alex Pereira and Jon Jones.
What bolsters Topuria's case over his last four fights (which date back to December 2022) has been the quality of competition and the destructive nature of his three stoppages wins in four fights, which include a submission of Bryce Mitchell and a hard-earned decision over five rounds against Josh Emmett.
It's who Topuria might fight next, however, that could dictate not just whether P4P kingship is in his future but also how far his star might reach in the short-term future (especially since UFC has plans to move aggressively into Topuria's adopted home of Spain sooner than later).
At the UFC 308 post-fight press conference, CEO Dana White appeared to prefer Topuria come back in a rematch against Volkanovski, citing the former champion's loyalty to the company and willingness to take big fights on short notice. But Volkanovski has said he doesn't wish to wait until the second half of 2025, when UFC might be able to get into its first Spanish venue.
That could either mean rising contender Diego Lopes gets the call, or that UFC might consider booking a Volkanovski-Lopes fight for an interim belt, possibly in the promotion's return to Sydney in February, with the winner unifying later in the year against Topuria.
But what about if UFC looks beyond the confines of the 145-pound division given how electrifying Topuria's recent fights have been in an effort to capitalize even quicker on his growing celebrity status?
Should that become the case, two other matchups are interesting.
From a commercial standpoint, Topuria could go directly into a fight against McGregor, himself, although the former two-division champion's fighting status remains in question after pulling out of a scheduled return in June only to show up repeatedly on camera since then in full party mode at various events (along the occasional retirement tease).
But from the standpoint of dropping everything to find out, inside the Octagon, who the actual P4P king is right now, there's always the option of allowing Topuria to move up to 155 pounds to challenge Makhachev for the lightweight title.
On one hand, this goes against a pair of tropes that MMA fans constantly argue against -- not just champions getting a shot at double-champ status without first cleaning out their division but also the fact that two of Makhachev's last three fights have come against a featherweight moving up one division (thanks to his two-fight series with Volkanovski). All of that is certainly valid.
What is also valid, however, is the idea of giving fans the biggest and most compelling fights possible, which certainly the idea of Makhachev-Topuria would be. Topuria has already declared publicly he will become the first fighter to submit Makhachev and since he finished both Volkanovski and Holloway with such dominant ease, the idea of seeing him have to contend with the dominant grappling style of Makhachev would be the perfect style contrast for the new featherweight king to have to figure out.
No matter which direction UFC ultimately goes, Topuria has become must-see TV of the highest order in global MMA as he appears poised to take his star to the next level while figuring out how great he can become in the process.
After the results of his last two fights, it's becoming harder and harder to try and put a ceiling on just how great he might turn out to be.
Men's pound-for-pound rankings
1. Islam Makhachev -- Lightweight champion
Record: 26-1 | Previous ranking: No. 1
A closer-than-expected victory over future Hall of Famer Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June did nothing to move Makhachev off of the top spot in the rankings. Despite suffering a cut over his left eye from an elbow, Makhachev held off a late rally and put Poirier to sleep in Round 5. Makhachev's win, which extends his streak to 14 (two shy of Anderson Silva's UFC record), also moves him into a tie for most title defenses (3) in lightweight history.
2. Ilia Topuria -- Featherweight champion
Record: 15-0 | Previous ranking: 4
A changing of the guard atop the 145-pound division at UFC 298 in February might have produced the next breakout star of the sport. Topuria did everything he said he would against Alexander Volkanovski, including finishing him in the first two rounds. So how did the Georgian sensation top that? He became the first fighter to knock down and knock out fellow P4P-ranked Max Holloway in October. Topuria is everything he says he is and that's a frightening reality.
3. Alex Pereira -- Light heavyweight champion
Record: 12-2 | Previous ranking: 2
The 37-year-old Brazilian slugger is unquestionably the most valuable fighter on the UFC roster. After saving the promotion by headlining three major cards on late notice dating back to last November, Pereira returned in October to defend his 205-pound crown against Khalil Rountree Jr. The win set a new UFC record with three title defenses in a span of just 175 days.
4. Jon Jones -- Heavyweight champion
Record: 27-1, 1 NC | Previous ranking: 3
Despite the emboldened pleas of UFC CEO Dana White, Jones' continued inactivity due to injury has prevented him from claiming the top spot, even with his status as MMA's reigning G.O.A.T. Jones' first title defense at heavyweight, scheduled for last November against former champion Stipe Miocic, was canceled after "Bones" suffered a pectoral tear in training. Jones, 37, will finally face Miocic this November but continues to tease retirement above unifying belts against interim champion Tom Aspinall.
5. Dricus du Plessis -- Middleweight champion
Record: 22-2 | Previous ranking: 5
Say what you will about his lumbering and often raw style of forward pressure, the native of South Africa has achieved tremendous results throughout eight unbeaten trips to the Octagon. The defending 185-pound champion added Israel Adesanya to his hit list at UFC 305 in August, which also includes fellow former middleweight kings Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker. Simply put: DDP is on fire.
6. Merab Dvalishvili -- Bantamweight champion
Record: 18-4 | Previous ranking: 6
After losing his first two UFC bouts, the native of Georgia has run off an insane 11-fight win streak that culminated in a storybook victory over Sean O'Malley at UFC 306 to claim the title. The cardio king neutralized and outworked the defending bantamweight king on the ground and got the better of him in the striking before being forced to hold off a "Suga Show" rally in Round 5. Per UFC CEO Dana White, up next is unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov.
7. Belal Muhammad -- Welterweight champion
Record: 24-4, 1 NC | Previous ranking: 8
With an unbeaten streak that reached 11 fights when he upset Leon Edwards to capture the welterweight title at UFC 304 in July, the time to doubt or undermine Muhammad's world-class skills is no more. At 36, the proud Palestinian-American from Chicago also became the oldest fighter to win a UFC title at 170 pounds or below. His first title defense, set for UFC 310 in December, comes against the incredibly dangerous Shavkat Rakhmanov.
8. Khamzat Chimaev -- Middleweight
Record: 14-0 | Previous ranking: NR
The only thing previously stopping Chimaev from joining this list has been inactivity, largely due to a bad-luck mixture of illness and injury. But a healthy Chimaev is as dangerous as any in the sport, as evidenced by the 30-year-old's first-round destruction of Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in October, which left the former champion with a broken jaw. If anyone deserves to cut the line in the title picture at 185 pounds, it's the grappling savant from Chechnya.
9. Alexandre Pantoja -- Flyweight champion
Record: 28-5 | Previous ranking: 9
After relying much more on his iron will than his P4P skills to take the flyweight title from Brandon Moreno last summer, the Brazilian submission expert has stayed busy since with a pair of title defenses against Brandon Royval (in their rematch) and Steve Erceg. Pantoja's passion and dogged determination has become his calling card of late as his title reign continues to grow.
10. Leon Edwards -- Welterweight
Record: 21-4, 1 NC | Previous ranking: 10
Fighting in his adopted backyard of England provided few advantages for Edwards against the crisp boxing and relentless pressure of Belal Muhammad as the inspirational 170-pound title reign of "Rocky" came to an end at UFC 304. Edwards blamed the early morning start time for his flat performance despite rallying to cut Muhammad late in Round 5.
Dropped out: Max Holloway
Just missed: Sean O'Malley, Tom Aspinall, Sean Strickland, Umar Nurmagomedov, Magomed Ankalaev
Women's pound-for-pound rankings
1. Valentina Shevchenko -- Flyweight champion
Record: 24-4-1 | Previous ranking: No. 1
The future Hall of Famer cemented her legacy even further by becoming a two-time champion in her trilogy against Alexa Grasso at UFC 306. At 36, Shevchenko defied age and a one-year layoff to pitch a shutout of Grasso over five rounds thanks to her grappling and counterpunching. A lifelong student of martial arts, Shevchenko is only getting better.
2. Zhang Weili -- Strawweight champion
Record: 25-3 | Previous ranking: No. 2
Zhang improved to 9-0 in the UFC against everyone not named Rose Namajunas when she outlasted Chinese countrywoman Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 and did so by relying on her cardio, IQ and improved grappling after nearly scoring a pair of early finishes. Her toughest test may still be to come, however, in the form of Tatiana Suarez.
3. Manon Fiorot -- Flyweight
Record: 12-1 | Previous ranking: 3
A shutout, five-round decision over red-hot Erin Blanchfield looks to be the final hurdle that the 34-year-old native of France will have to clear en route to a title shot. Fiorot's takedown defense and ability to avoid danger on the ground set the perfect stage for her pinpoint striking to shine. Expect Fiorot to get the first shot at Shevchenko in her second title reign at 125 pounds.
4. Kayla Harrison -- Bantamweight
Record: 18-1 | Previous ranking: 5
Despite an insane weight cut down to 135 pounds that left her hospitalized and urinating blood just weeks before the fight, Harrison appears to have finally secured a shot at a UFC title with her October victory over No. 2-ranked Ketlen Vieira. Harrison was forced to overcome heavy swelling and blood after being cut for the first time in her career. While Harrison will be a heavy betting favorite against champion Julianna Pena, the real question comes down to whether she can continue to make the weight in this division after competing at 155 pounds in the PFL.
5. Tatiana Suarez -- Strawweight
Record: 10-0 | Previous ranking: 4
Despite losing nearly four years of her prime due to chronic injuries, Suarez is back on the scene in a big way. Her dominant submission of former champion Jessica Andrade last summer was a stark reminder of where she stands within 115-pound title contention. Few can match her grappling prowess alone and even less can equal the relentless competitive streak which fuels her resolve. After a lengthy break, a No. 1 contender's bout against Virna Jandiroba is set for December.
Dropped out: None
Just missed: Alexa Grasso, Erin Blanchfield, Rose Namajunas, Julianna Pena, Yan Xiaonan