The men’s UFC pound for pound rankings is the cream of the crop when it comes to MMA top-10 lists. It is a rundown of the very best fighters on planet Earth today and it features the competitors who best mix power, speed, athleticism, and fight IQ into an absolutely destructive cage fighting force.
It’s also a list that is heavily debated and as subjective a topic as there is in the MMA community. With that said, here are the official Sportsnaut.com men’s UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
10. Kamaru Usman (20-4)
For six straight years, Kamaru Usman set a legendary standard of excellence as he created a resume that will guarantee him a spot in the UFC Hall-of-Fame. He will go down as one of the greatest welterweight fighters of all time and one of the best pound-for-pound competitors of his era. However, all good things come to an end and his fall down the rankings coincides with his fall from the top of the 170-pound mountain.
9. Sean O’Malley (18-1-1)
Sean O’Malley has been a divisive talent in the UFC since he first entered the company. Many have questioned his rise by claiming he received favorable matchups and avoided certain competition. Nevertheless, “Sugar” worked his way up to a title fight and took home the gold. He is a pressure player who rises to the occasion and is one of the best snipers in the business.
He showed that again at UFC 299 when he was able to pummel uber-tough challenger Marlon Vera for five straight rounds in their main event title fight.
8. Alex Pereira (9-2)
In a short amount of time, Alex Pereira stamped his place as one of the best middleweight MMA fighters on the planet. His knockout win over former champion Israel Adesanya forever stamped his spot in division lore but when he moved up to light heavyweight and became the fastest fighter ever to win titles in two divisions he pushed himself into legend status.
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7. Charles Oliveira (34-9)
Charles Oliveira was dominantly defeated by Islam Makhachev in 2022 but he remains one of the best fighters on the planet. While he did not get an immediate rematch, he proved his place as one of the 155-pound division’s elite when he easily dispatched contender Beniel Dariush at UFC 298. He may not be the current champion but Oliveria is a lightweight legend.
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6. Israel Adesanya (24-3)
Israel Adesanya is not only one of the best UFC middleweights ever, but when all is said and done, he will be viewed as one of the greatest to ever compete in the Octagon in general. However, his case to be called the greatest 185-pounder of all time was effectively closed with his shocking loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Nevertheless, he is still viewed as an elite fighter in the sport today.
5. Alexander Volkanovski (26-4)
Featherweight great Alexander Volkanovski is one of the most complete fighters in the sport. There is little he can’t do in the cage, and he has the fight IQ to back it up. However, being a champion at lightweight is not a goal he will achieve during his career after falling to lightweight king Islam Makhachev in two opportunities.
He is also no longer the king at featherweight and is no longer among the three best fighters in the world. Nevertheless, he is still a must-have on any UFC pound for pound rankings.
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4. Ilia Topuria (15-0)
After five straight wins to start his UFC career, Ilia Topuria became one of the new rising stars at 145 pounds. Then big wins over Bryce Mitchell and former interim championship challenger Josh Emmett cemented his place as not just an impressive talent but a true world title contender. Now he can be called champion after toppling featherweight legend Alexander Volkanovski to kick off his 2024 schedule.
3. Alexandre Pantoja (21-5)
Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja has had a long hard road to becoming the new UFC flyweight king. He has toiled away inside the division for five years before he was finally able to earn a title fight at UFC 290. In his first chance at being champion, he made good by scoring a second (third unofficial) win over division king Brandon Moreno. In his first defense of his thrown, he took part in another rematch — this time against Brandon Royval — and again proved he was the better man and still the best 125 pound fighter on the planet.
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2. Leon Edwards (22-3)
The UFC has its second-ever champion who fights out of the UK and the first Jamaican-born titlist. Edwards shook up the MMA world with his last-minute knockout of the best fighter of his generation, Kamaru Usman, at UFC 278.
At UFC 286 he got a chance to prove his win wasn’t a fluke after being beaten in most of the previous seven rounds the duo had. And he did exactly that with an improved wrestling game, smart strategy, and a well-placed cage grab to win the rematch. In his most recent defense, Edwards again showed he is a complete package when he definitively turned away the challenge of former interim champ and two-time title challenger Colby Covington.
1. Islam Makhachev (23-1)
Many doubted how good Islam Makhachev truly was, but over the last few years he has proven how spectacular of a fighter he is with definitive wins over Charles Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski (twice). While his wrestling is his strength, he has a very underrated striking game and really has no clear weaknesses in his fight style and approach to the game.
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