The UFC is home to some of the best mixed martial artists on the planet, so it is no surprise that fans often debate how the elite fighters compare to one another.
Alongside its weekly-updated rankings for each weight class, the UFC has its own pound-for-pound rankings, containing 15 names – as with each list for every division.
Here, The Independent has constructed its own top 10, pound-for-pound rankings for men’s UFC fighters, to be updated after each pay-per-view-event.
While there is no exact science to putting together lists such as this, a number of factors have been considered in making the rankings, including each fighter’s overall record, recent record, level of activity and calibre of opposition.
Without further ado... Here are our rankings after UFC 297 in January:
Top 10
10. Tom Aspinall (14-3, interim heavyweight champion) 🆕
Tom Aspinall is crowned interim UFC heavyweight champion— (Getty Images)
Aspinall almost entered our rankings in November, when he demolished Sergei Pavlovich to win the interim heavyweight title, but he finally got the nod this January, as a couple of other fighters fell out of the list. The Briton could do with a few more big names on his resume, but that is not in his control – much as he is trying to secure bouts with regular champion Jon Jones and divisional great Stipe Miocic. The 30-year-old’s resume will improve with time, but what cannot be disputed is his talent. Aspinall is the future of heavyweight MMA: a remarkable athlete who moves like a lightweight while hitting like his predecessors. He also holds the record for the shortest average fight time for an athlete with five or more UFC bouts (and barring his early injury a fight with Curtis Blaydes, he has won them all).
9. Aljamain Sterling (23-4, bantamweight) ➖1️⃣
Aljamain Sterling recorded three successful title defences at bantamweight, all against ex-champions— (Getty Images)
The Jamaican-American, 34, was mocked by some fans after winning the bantamweight title via DQ in 2021, when Petr Yan landed an illegal knee while leading the bout. In a rematch one year later, Sterling silenced some doubters and irked others by winning a narrow decision. He then dominated TJ Dillashaw en route to a TKO in October 2022, as the challenger battled a dislocated shoulder, and went on to beat Henry Cejudo this May, defeating the American – who had not fought in three years – via split decision. Some observers attach asterisks to each of Sterling’s title defences, but all three came against former world champions, before he dropped the gold to Sean O’Malley with a TKO loss in August. Now Sterling will move up to featherweight to face Calvin Kattar at UFC 300.
8. Dricus Du Plessis (21-2, middleweight champion) 🆕
Dricus Du Plessis, moments after winning the UFC middleweight title— (Getty Images)
It is funny to think that the South African was derided not long ago, with many fans saying his bulldozing, almost ungainly style would derail him against the best fighters in the middleweight division. Instead, that style – as well as gradual improvements and investment in better cardio, partly through nasal surgery – have led Du Plessis to the title. The 30-year-old won a narrow decision in a battle with Sean Strickland in January, making him South Africa’s first UFC champion, and that followed a surprise TKO of ex-champ Robert Whittaker in July. “Stillknocks” also holds wins over Darren Till, Derek Brunson and Brad Tavares, is unbeaten in the UFC, and has secured 19 of his 21 wins via stoppage – with a near-even split of KOs and submissions. Next up? Quite possibly the next man on this list...
7. Israel Adesanya (24-3, middleweight) ↔️
Israel Adesanya ahead of his fight with Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September— (Getty Images)
One of the most exciting fighters to watch in the history of the sport. The former kickboxer often produces striking masterclasses against his opponents, proving too slick and too clever for them. Adesanya has beaten a who’s-who of 185lbers and twice reigned as champion. The “Last Stylebender” suffered his first defeat in pro MMA in 2021, but there was even merit in that, as the Nigerian-born New Zealander moved up in weight to challenge then-champion Jan Blachowicz at light-heavyweight.
While Adesanya began to “lap the opposition” at middleweight with back-to-back rematch wins against Marvin Vettori and Whittaker, prior to a decision victory over Jared Cannonier, he has since hit a sticky patch. He suffered his first defeat at 185lbs in losing the title to old kickboxing foe Alex Pereira in November 2022, when the Brazilian scored a late TKO. Although Adesanya regained the belt with a stunning KO of Pereira in April 2023, he lost it again in his next bout: a decision defeat by Strickland – one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
6. Alex Pereira (9-2, light-heavyweight champion) ↔️
Alex Pereira beat Jiri Prochazka via TKO to win a UFC title in a second weight class— (Getty Images)
The Brazilian kickboxing extraordinaire enjoyed a rapid rise through the middleweight rankings after transitioning to MMA, culminating in a knockout victory of his old rival Israel Adesanya in November 2022 to take the title. Although Pereira was stopped by Adesanya to lose the gold in a rematch last April, he bounced back with a swift move up to light-heavyweight, where he outpointed former champion Jan Blachowicz. In his next fight, Pereira fought for the vacant 205lbs title, beating another ex-champion in Jiri Prochazka to secure two-weight-champion status in record time. Pereira, 36, sealed that feat with a second-round TKO. He also holds a knockout win over former middleweight champion Strickland.
5. Charles Oliveira (34-9, 1 NC; lightweight) ↔️
Charles Oliveira has the most finishes and submissions in UFC history— (Getty Images)
The Brazilian’s 2010 debut in the UFC gave way to an inconsistent record with numerous failed weight-cuts along the way, but the former featherweight then turned his career around. An 11-fight win streak over five years saw Oliveira claim and retain the lightweight title then submit Justin Gaethje in May 2022 – one day after being stripped of the belt for a narrow weight-miss. That win positioned him as No 1 contender as he looked to regain the gold. However, he was submitted by Islam Makhachev in October 2022 as the Russian won the vacant title.
Oliveira bounced back in June, though, with a TKO win over Beneil Dariush in the first round. That result extended Oliveira’s records for most finishes (20) and most submissions (16) in UFC history. Oliveira was then set for a rematch with Makhachev but suffered a severe cut over his eye, leading him to be replaced on short notice by the next man on this list... Next time out, Oliveira faces rising contender Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300.
4. Alexander Volkanovski (26-3, featherweight champion) ↔️
Alexander Volkanovski unified the UFC featherweight titles by beating Yair Rodriguez— (Getty Images)
After suffering the first defeat of his professional career in 2013, Volkanovski won a stunning 22 fights in a row. In fact, his only pro losses have come against a welterweight champion and a lightweight champion.
Two of those defeats came in 2023, with Volkanovski losing a narrow decision to Islam Makhachev in February while challenging for the 155lbs belt, then suffering a shock, early knockout against the Russian in their October rematch. Those results have seen the Australian, 35, drop from No 1 to No 4 here, but he still receives significant credit for stepping in to fight Makhachev on 11 days’ notice on the latter occasion – and for his phenomenal, ongoing featherweight title run.
Volkanovski outpointed Max Holloway to win the belt in 2019 and has twice repeated that trick against the former champion, while also recording successful defences against Brian Ortega, Chan Sung Jung and Yair Rodriguez. Volkanovski has been unbeatable at featherweight, and impressively active. Next up, as he looks to get back to winning ways, is a fight with Ilia Topuria in February.
3. Leon Edwards (22-3, 1 No Contest; welterweight champion) ↔️
Leon Edwards after beating Colby Covington in December 2023— (Getty Images)
Edwards became Britain’s second UFC champion with a stunning, last-gasp knockout of Kamaru Usman in August 2022. After taking down the Nigerian-American – something no fighter had ever done in the UFC – in round one, Edwards continually rose to his feet amid an onslaught of grappling pressure from the champion over the next few frames, keeping himself in the fight. Then, with a minute left on the clock, Edwards knocked Usman out cold with a perfect head kick to take his gold.
Then, in March 2023, Edwards outpointed Usman in London to solidify his status as champion, before further cementing that status by beating Colby Covington in December. Edwards put on clinical displays in both decision wins, showing just how well rounded he is – one of the best examples of the modern mixed martial artist.
The Jamaican-born southpaw has won 12 fights in a row since a points loss to Usman in 2015, save for a No Contest against Belal Muhammad in 2021. And Muhammad looks set to be Edwards’s next challenger, possibly at UFC 300.
2. Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC; heavyweight champion) ↔️
Jon Jones returned to the UFC in March to collect a title in a second division— (Getty Images)
When Jones returned to the UFC in March after a three-year absence, winning the heavyweight title by submitting Ciryl Gane in the first round, many believed that the American confirmed himself as the greatest of all time. A lot of fans also felt that he should go straight to the top of any and all pound-for-pound lists. And Jones’s victory certainly was impressive, particularly due to the manner in which it was achieved and the factors around the 36-year-old’s heavyweight debut.
It was also enough for the former two-time light-heavyweight champion to shoot straight into our rankings at No 2. However, his lack of activity keeps him below our No 1, and that has not been helped by his injury in October, which will keep him out for around eight months – and which derailed his planned clash with heavyweight ‘GOAT’ Stipe Miocic. That fight might get rebooked later this year, but a unification bout with interim champion Aspinall could also be on the cards...
1. Islam Makhachev (25-1, lightweight champion) ↔️
Islam Makhachev silenced the doubters with his knockout of Alexander Volkanovski— (AFP via Getty Images)
Some used to question the Russian’s credentials, given a lack of top-tier opponents on his record, though that was arguably due to highly-ranked fighters’ tentativeness to risk their spots against a dangerous up-and-comer. Others accused Makhachev of benefiting from his connection to Khabib – his childhood friend and now one of Makhachev’s coaches. Regardless, the 31-year-old banished any doubt in October 2022 when he submitted Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight title, suggesting that he would have done the same to most contenders at 155lbs.
Makhachev then made it 13 wins in a row by beating Volkanovski twice in eight months, retaining his title against the featherweight champion on both occasions. In February, Makhachev outpointed the Aussie in Perth, then in October, he knocked out “Alexander The Great” with a head kick in round one, stunning those in attendance. Volkanovski had stepped in on short notice, but Makhachev was also affected by the late replacement – after Oliveira, his original opponent, suffered a cut over his eye. Those victories saw Makhachev rise to No 1 in our rankings.
