UFC Pound-for-Pound Fighter Rankings: Alexander Volkanovski moves up after another title defense

Aging like a fine wine, Alexander Volkanovski appears to be anything but on the finish line of his legendary MMA career. 

The two-time featherweight champion equaled Brazilian legend Jose Aldo's record for victories in 145-pound title bouts last Saturday at UFC 325 when he sent his hometown fans in Sydney, Australia, home happy following a second victory over Diego Lopes in nine months. 

The win was the first title defense of the second reign for Volkanovski (and his sixth overall) as he continues to put his 2024 knockout title loss to current lightweight king Ilia Topuria behind him. And unlike last year, when Volkanovski was hurt multiple times against Lopes at UFC 314, their rematch saw "Alexander the Great" produce a nearly flawless effort save for a flash knockdown he suffered in Round 3. 

With three wins over Max Holloway and a string of victories over a who's who in featherweight history over the last decade (including Aldo in 2019), it's becoming harder and harder to refer to Volkanovski as anything but the best featherweight fighter in UFC history. But what is just as remarkable as his longevity or his 18-1 career record in the division is the fact that Volkanovski has retained his speed and footwork at such an advanced age. 

After the fight, Volkanovski spoke about it being his responsibility to face the best competition in line for a title shot, one after another, which could've been a nod at the fact that some critics felt Lopes was getting a rematch too quickly when others were more deserving. But whether he faces Jean Silva next (who defeated Arnold Allen at UFC 324 in January) or the winner of the March 21 UFC London headliner between unbeatens Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy, one can bet that Volkanovski will remain the betting favorite heading in.

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Shakiel Mahjouri

Men's pound-for-pound rankings

1. Islam Makhachev -- Welterweight champion

Record: 28-1 | Previous ranking: No. 1

Makhachev turned UFC 322 in November into a night of historical conquest as the former lightweight champion dominated Jack Della Maddalena with his grappling over five rounds to become the 11th two-division champion in UFC history. The 34-year-old also equaled Anderson Silva's record for consecutive wins with 16. Makhachev now must deal with a hungry group of contenders in the sport's deepest division at 170 pounds.

2. Ilia Topuria -- Lightweight champion

Record: 17-0 | Previous ranking: No. 2

Topuria took a massive step forward in becoming the new face of the promotion by knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June to capture the vacant lightweight title. The first unbeaten, two-division champion in UFC history just might have the most technical and explosive boxing skills the Octagon has ever seen. Topuria announced he will take some time off to open 2026 in order to deal with personal issues.

3. Alex Pereira -- Light heavyweight champion

Record: 13-3 | Previous ranking: No. 3

Talk about a comeback victory. The 37-year-old Brazilian slugger had looked sluggish in a decision loss against the technical Magomed Ankalaev in March. Vowing to return at full health after competing at just 40% of himself, Pereira wasted no time in finishing Ankalaev in their October rematch at UFC 320 to regain the title and call for a much-anticipated move up to heavyweight and a third title in as many divisions.

4. Khamzat Chimaev -- Middleweight champion

Record: 15-0 | Previous ranking: No. 4

Despite years of inactivity due to injury, illness and bad luck, Chimaev proved at UFC 319 in August just how dangerous he truly is when fully healthy. He also shut up any critics wondering if he possessed five-round cardio by utterly dominating Dricus du Plessis on the ground in a shutout decision. While many fans referred to the gameplan that Chimaev executed against DDP as boring, the performance sent a stern message to the rest of the pack at 185 pounds that Chimaev is ready to begin a new era.

5. Petr Yan -- Bantamweight champion

Record: 20-5 | Previous ranking: No. 5

The former 135-pound champion completed an incredible comeback after losing three of four fights from 2021 to 2023. Yan brought a three-fight win streak into his UFC 323 rematch against Merab Dvalishvili in December and outright dominated the defending champion in every aspect to claim a unanimous decision (and retribution). At 32, the native of Russia appears reborn and even more well-rounded than his first title run, which began in 2020 and lasted only eight months. 

6. Alexander Volkanovski -- Featherweight champion

Record: 28-4 | Previous ranking: No. 7

Now a two-time featherweight king, the 37-year-old Volkanovski continues to put his 2024 knockout title loss to Topuria in the rearview mirror. At UFC 325 in January, Volkanovski returned home to Australia to defeat Diego Lopes for the second time in nine months, making it look even easier in the rematch. "Alexander the Great" improved to 18-1 as a pro at 145 pounds and said he has no plans to retire as he welcomes the next contender in line. 

7. Alexandre Pantoja -- Flyweight

Record: 30-6 | Previous ranking: No. 6

In what amounted to nothing more than a case of bad luck at the wrong time, Panotja badly injured his left elbow just 26 seconds into his UFC 323 title defense in December against Joshua Van when he put his arm down to catch himself after being thrown and immediately lost his flyweight title due to the fight being called off because of the gruesome injury. At 35, with a long layoff likely in his future, it's hard to say exactly where Pantoja goes from here and whether he will return to his previous stature. 

8. Merab Dvalishvili -- Bantamweight

Record: 21-5 | Previous ranking: No. 10

In hindsight, was "The Machine" overly ambitious in attempting to become the first UFC champion to make four title defenses in a calendar year? It's hard to say. What we can say is that Dvalishvili was thoroughly dominated by Petr Yan in their UFC 323 rematch in December, which cost the native of Georgia not just 135-pound title and fighter of the year honors, but it also brought an end to his 14-fight win streak. After the loss, Dvalishvili called for an immediate trilogy.

9. Umar Nurmagomedov -- Bantamweight

Record: 20-1 | Previous ranking: NR

Although his second shot at the 135-pound title will have to wait due to the likelihood that Dvalishvili gets an immediate trilogy against Yan, the 30-year-old Nurmagomedov continues to prove he's among the most skilled fighters on the planet. Nurmagomedov, who broke his hand in Round 1 and lost a competitive decision to Dvalishvili at in 2025, rebounded from the title loss with clear victories over a red-hot Mario Bautista and a dominant grappling performance against former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.

10. Tom Aspinall -- Heavyweight champion

Record: 15-3 (1 NC) | Previous ranking: No. 9

The 32-year-old British slugger with some of the fastest hands the division has seen finally earned undisputed champion status when Jon Jones vacated his title and briefly retired earlier this year. Aspinall, who previously defended his interim title last summer, returned in October to defend the belt against Cyril Gane at UFC 321. Unfortunately, a double eye poke late in Round 1 compromised Aspinall's vision and led to a no contest. His return remains uncertain after recovery from surgery on both eyes. 

Dropped out: Dricus du Plessis
Just missed: Shavkat Rakhkmonov, du Plessis, Magomed Ankalaev, Jack Della Maddalena, Joshua Van (c)

Women's pound-for-pound rankings

1. Valentina Shevchenko -- Flyweight champion

Record: 26-4-1 | Previous ranking: No. 1

If there was any lingering debate as to who was most deserving of being called the pound-for-pound queen, Shevchenko reminded us of her greatness at UFC 322 in November by relying on her grappling to completely neutralize two-time strawweight champion Weili Zhang. The only question now for the 37-year-old is whether she will move back up to 135 pounds to seek a second UFC title and deeper consideration within the G.O.A.T. debate.

2. Kayla Harrison -- Bantamweight champion

Record: 19-1 | Previous ranking: No. 2

Despite enduring an insane cut to make championship weight of 135 pounds, Harrison dominated two-time champion Juianna Pena at UFC 316 in June to capture the women's bantamweight title. A showdown against former champion (and former teammate) Amanda Nunes in January was delayed when Harrison pulled out just weeks before after injuring her neck and undergoing surgery. 

3. Zhang Weili -- Strawweight/Flyweight

Record: 26-4 | Previous ranking: No. 3

After two title reigns at strawweight, the 35-year-old Chinese star vacated her title in search of cementing her legacy by moving up to flyweight. Unfortunately for Zhang, her attempt to capture a world title in a second division came up definitively short in a wide 5-round decision loss to Valentina Shevchenko. Zhang was soundly dominated by the grappling and defensive skills of her larger foe and now must decide whether to stay at 125 pounds or move back down. 

4. Manon Fiorot -- Flyweight

Record: 13-2 | Previous ranking: No. 4

The 35-year-old native of France snapped an impressive 7-0 start to her UFC career by coming up just short in a close decision loss to champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 315 in June. But, to Fiorot's credit, her October return against a streaking Jasmine Jasudavicius was a stark reminder at how talented and title-ready she remains. Fiorot recorded a first-round TKO in a showcase of her explosive boxing skills.

5. Natalia Silva -- Flyweight

Record: 20-5-1 | Previous ranking: No. 5

Unbeaten in eight trips to the Octagon, Silva appeared to secure the next shot at the 125-pound title by edging out former two-time strawweight queen Rose Namajunas at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. Although the decision was somewhat disputed, Silva rallied in the final round thanks to her volume striking after being outgrappled in the early going. 

Dropped out: None
Just missed: Maycee Barber, Erin Blanchfield, Mackenzie Dern (c), Julianna Pena, Tatiana Suarez