Sherdog’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10 Rankings

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It was all part of the plan.

Islam Makhachev fulfilled Khabib Nurmagomedov’s prophecy in the UFC 280 headliner, as he outclassed Charles Oliveira in a second-round submission victory at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. In addition to bringing the lightweight championship back to Dagestan, Makhachev makes his debut in Sherdog’s pound-for-pound rankings thanks to a dominant win over the previously fourth-ranked Oliveira. It appears that he’ll have a chance to climb even higher in the near future, because a showdown with No. 1 pound-for-pound stalwart Alexander Volkanovski could be next on the agenda.

Elsewhere, Aljamain Sterling overwhelmed a compromised T.J. Dillashaw, retaining the bantamweight strap with a second-round technical knockout victory in the UFC 280 co-main event. It isn’t Sterling’s fault that his opponent elected to compete with an injury that occurred months prior to their bout, and the fact remains that the “Funk Master” has eight consecutive bantamweight victories in UFC competition — a division record — and two title defenses to his credit.

Finally, it seems as though we’ve been waiting on the UFC to book Stipe Miocic vs. Jon Jones for months now. As of this weekend, it still hasn’t happened, so Miocic has been removed from the pound-for-pound rankings due to inactivity. If the Jones fight ever does come to fruition — and there’s still no guarantee it does — that will give the former heavyweight champ a golden opportunity to reclaim his place.

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 [2]

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 [3]

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

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.”

5. Islam Makhachev (23-1) | UFC [NR]

If there were any doubts regarding Makhachev’s championship worthiness prior to UFC 280, there aren’t any now. Makhachev outclassed Charles Oliveira on the feet and on the ground en route to a second-round submission victory to claim lightweight gold at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, carrying on a legacy started by retired ex-champ and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov. Now the owner of a 10-fight winning streak at 155 pounds, Makhachev can look forward to a potential first title defense against reigning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski, who met the Dagestani in the cage following his UFC 280 triumph.

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

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 (34-5) | Bellator [7]

Freire turned back yet another determined challenger, nullifying the normally explosive Adam Borics on his way to a unanimous decision in the main event of Bellator 286 on Oct. 1. “Pitbull” is now the first Bellator fighter to successfully defend titles in three separate reigns, and his 12 title fight wins are twice as many as any other fighter in promotional history can claim. Having avenged his only featherweight loss in nearly a decade in his April rematch with A.J. McKee, Freire looks close to running out of challenges at 145 pounds. A rubber match with McKee, who moved up to lightweight and won at Bellator 286, might not be far off.

8. Charles Oliveira (33-9, 1 NC) | UFC [4]

Oliveira entered UFC 280 with the confidence of someone on an 11-fight winning streak, but in the end he simply had no answers for Islam Makhachev. The Brazilian was outgunned on the feet and outgrappled on the canvas en route to a second-round submission loss in the evening’s main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 22. The setback doesn’t diminish all that Oliveira has accomplished, most notably a complete turnaround from a middling featherweight to one of the top talents in the sport at 155 pounds. The defeat didn’t dampen his resolve, as “do Bronx” was already plotting his climb back to the top in the fight’s immediate aftermath.

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

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 is set for UFC 283.

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

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. Up next, a showdown with Michael Chandler has been booked for UFC 281 in New York.

Other Contenders: Jiri Prochazka, Aljamain Sterling, A.J. McKee, Justin Gaethje, Demetrious Johnson.

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.