Sherdog’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10 Rankings

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The debate regarding pound-for-pound’s current top dog came to an end — at least temporarily — at UFC 278.

In recent months, it was widely acknowledged that Kamaru Usman and Alexander Volkanovski were 1. and 1a. in the pound-for-pound hierarchy, with the order depending upon one’s preference. After Usman’s shocking knockout loss to Leon Edwards in the fifth round of the UFC 278 headliner, Volkanovski becomes the undisputed No. 1, and the new welterweight champion Edwards joins the rankings at No. 5.

Even in defeat, Usman deserves praise for his dominance in compiling a 15-bout winning streak in UFC competition. He was impressive during his championship reign and were it not for a momentary lapse against Edwards, the Volkanovski vs. Usman debate would have raged on. All is not lost for “The Nigerian Nightmare,” however. Given his recent track record, which includes a 1-1 record against Edwards, it seems quite probable that a trilogy against the British champion could be in the offing.

Note: Previous ranking in brackets.

1. Alexander Volkanovski (25-1) | UFC [1]

Volkanovski was virtually flawless in his championship trilogy bout against Max Holloway at UFC 276, sweeping the scorecards by identical 50-45 counts in a lopsided unanimous decision triumph. The City Kickboxing stalwart has won 12 straight in UFC competition and a whopping 22 in a row overall, clearly establishing him as one of the top pound-for-pound talents in the sport. His rivalry with Holloway now clearly in the rearview mirror, Volkanovski has set his sights on a move to 155 pounds and two-division dominance.

2. Israel Adesanya (23-1) | UFC [3]

Adesanya was methodical and technical in his latest title defense, a five-round verdict over Jared Cannonier in the UFC 276 headliner, but it wasn’t the type of performance that’s going to make the Nigerian-born Kiwi appointment viewing. Adesanya’s 12-fight winning streak is the second-longest in 185-pound history, but it may take something spectacular to regain favor with the masses. He’ll have that opportunity in a championship clash with former kickboxing rival Alex Pereira at UFC 281.

3. Francis Ngannou (17-3) | UFC [4]

Ngannou displayed a significant step in his evolution at UFC 270, as he relied on takedowns and positional control to grind out a unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane to unify the heavyweight title at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 22. While it wasn’t the most thrilling performance, the effort speaks volumes about Ngannou’s resolve, when in previous fights he struggled to do anything of note when forced to go past the second round. “The Predator” now faces an uncertain future, as he is unhappy with the way he has been treated by the UFC and seems willing to sit out for a significant period of time unless the two sides are able to come to terms. Regardless of how that happens, Ngannou will be sidelined for much of the remainder of 2022 due to knee surgery.

4. Charles Oliveira (33-8, 1 NC) | UFC [5]

After missing weight by 0.5 pounds one day prior, Oliveira lost his lightweight crown as soon as his UFC 274 headlining bout against Justin Gaethje began. That didn’t prevent “Do Bronx” from putting together yet another masterful performance, as he survived some early adversity before rallying to drop and submit the former World Series of Fighting champion in the opening round of their bout at Footprint Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. The victory, which was Oliveira’s 11th straight, assures the Brazilian of a spot in the next 155-pound title fight. The Chute Boxe Diego Lima representative only seems to be getting better, with finishes of Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler in his last three promotional appearances. Oliveira will attempt to regain the 155-pound belt when he meets Islam Makhachev in the UFC 280 headliner in Abu Dhabi.

5. Leon Edwards (20-3, 1 NC) | UFC [NR]

Edwards is living proof that a fight is never over until the final bell sounds. “Rocky” was well behind on the scorecards against Kamaru Usman with time winding down in the fifth round of their headlining bout at UFC 278 when he unleashed a head kick knockout that will go down in history. Edwards, who endured some hard luck at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, will carry an 11-fight unbeaten streak into his first 170-pound title defense. Considering he now has a 1-1 record against Usman, that defense could very well come in a trilogy against “The Nigerian Nightmare.”

6. Kamaru Usman (20-2) | UFC [2]

In MMA, all good things must come to an end, and that includes Usman’s 15-fight UFC winning streak. “The Nigerian Nightmare” was well on his way to a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph over Leon Edwards in the UFC 278 main event when his opponent shocked the world with a head-kick knockout late in the fifth round. The 35-year-old Usman didn’t show any signs of decline as he controlled most of the fight with Edwards, and his 1-1 record against the Englishman suggest that a trilogy could be in store.

7. Patricio Freire (33-5) | Bellator [6]

“Pitbull” earned arguably the most important win of his storied career on April 15, defeating A.J. McKee by unanimous decision in the main event of Bellator 277 to take back his featherweight belt. With the hard-fought rematch behind him, Bellator’s first ever four-time champion should will put the rivalry with McKee on hold and defend his belt against No. 1 contender Adam Borics at Bellator 286.

8. Deiveson Figueiredo (21-2-1) | UFC [7]

After relocating to Fight Ready in Arizona, Figueiredo evened the score with Brandon Moreno at UFC 270, winning a closely contested unanimous decision in the evening’s co-main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 22. In a bout where each round was difficult to score, Figueiredo’s more powerful offense might have made the difference and allowed him to regain the UFC flyweight crown. With the series against Moreno knotted up at 1-1-1, a fourth bout seems well within the realm of possibility, especially after the Mexican flyweight defeated Kai Kara France for interim flyweight gold.

9. Stipe Miocic (20-4) | UFC [8]

When his wrestling failed against Francis Ngannou in the UFC 260 headliner, so did Miocic’s bid to make another successful heavyweight championship defense. Miocic saw his reign end in a second-round KO defeat at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 27, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Ohio-based firefighter has already established himself as the organization’s most consistent heavyweight king with records for most victories in title bouts and consecutive title defenses. Miocic’s Octagon forays have become less frequent in recent years, though UFC president Dana White piqued the MMA community’s interest when he hinted at a potential meeting with Jon Jones. A date for that bout remains unknown, however.

10. Dustin Poirier (28-7, 1 NC) | UFC [9]

Poirier entered UFC 269 as the uncrowned lightweight champion in many people’s eyes, but he left the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas empty handed following a third-round submission loss to Charles Oliveira in the evening’s headliner. The American Top Team representative started well, as he landed powerful punches and floored his opponent in Round 1, but that momentum gradually faded as the bout progressed. Poirier was on the verge of a memorable 2021 campaign that could have included two wins over Conor McGregor and a championship belt, but instead “The Diamond” comes up short for the second consecutive time in a title bout. A showdown with Michael Chandler is rumored for late 2022, but the date and event have not been finalized.

Other Contenders: Jiri Prochazka, A.J. McKee Justin Gaethje, Aljamain Sterling, Glover Teixeira.

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, Edward Carbajal, Marcelo Alonso, Tudor Leonte, Keith Shillan, Tyler Treese and Lev Pisarsky.