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By edging Strickland via split decision in Saturday’s headliner at the Scotiabank Center in Toronto, Du Plessis claimed the UFC middleweight belt and extended his winning streak to nine in the process. That’s enough for the newly crowned South African champion to make his debut in the pound-for-pound rankings at No. 15. If he can extend his reign in what has been an increasingly volatile middleweight division, there will certainly be an opportunity for upward movement in the future.
Strickland, meanwhile, was an unlikely entrant to the pound-for-pound poll this past September, when he shocked the world by vanquishing Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. While the controversial American was competitive enough to earn the nod from more than a few observers, the official result says otherwise, which means “Tarzan” exits these rankings after a short-lived stint.
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 either Charles Oliveira, who pulled out of UFC 294 due to a cut, or Justin Gaethje, who has been lobbying hard for a title shot in interviews and on social media.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. Alexander Volkanovski (26-3) | UFC [3]
No one was surprised when Volkanovski agreed to a short-notice rematch with Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, but the City Kickboxing product couldn’t replicate his efforts from the first meeting, when he pushed the reigning lightweight champ to the brink of defeat. The rematch ended in much more emphatic fashion, as Volkanovski fell victim to a Makhachev head kick in the opening stanza. A featherweight title defense is next for Volkanovski, who will lock horns with top contender Ilia Topuria in the UFC 298 headliner.4. 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.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. In the aftermath of his latest triumph, the Brazilian encouraged longtime rival Israel Adesanya to move up to light heavyweight for an MMA trilogy.6. 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 294.7. 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 300.8. Alexandre Pantoja (27-5) | UFC [9]
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.9. Vadim Nemkov (16-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [8]
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. 24.10. Sean O’Malley (17-1, 1 NC) UFC [10]
O’Malley silenced the doubters in emphatic fashion at UFC 292, as he finished Aljamain Sterling with an exquisite right hand and follow-up ground-and-pound in their bantamweight championship clash at TD Garden in Boston. “Sugar” already had all the makings of the promotion’s next big superstar, and now he has the hardware to go with it. Next up is a rematch with Marlon Vera — the only man to defeat him — in the UFC 299 headliner.Other Contenders: Aljamain Sterling, Israel Adesanya, Max Holloway, Tom Aspinall, Dricus Du Plessis.
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.