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In an emotional return to mixed martial arts, Ngannou scored a first-round knockout victory against Renan Ferreira in the PFL “Battle of the Giants” headliner in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. After the victory, an emotional Ngannou dedicated the win to his late son Kobe, who died tragically at 15 months old earlier this year. While it’s unclear what the future might hold for “The Predator,” he was a pound-for-pound stalwart before his hiatus from MMA, and by dispatching Ferreira — the defending PFL heavyweight champ — with ease, Ngannou proved that he still belongs on this list. With his seventh consecutive triumph, the Cameroonian-born Frenchman rejoins the pound-for-pound poll at No. 13.
While Ngannou’s available options for opponents in the PFL and Bellator talent pool appear limited, it’s important to remember some of the other talent he’s dispatched in recent years: Ciryl Gane, Stipe Miocic, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Curtis Blaydes (twice) and Alistair Overeem — all at one point in time among the best the heavyweight division has to offer. Even if Ngannou were to never fight again in MMA, he’d leave an impressive legacy behind.
Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.
1. Islam Makhachev (26-1) | UFC [1]
It was far from an easy night at the office for Makhachev at UFC 302, but the reigning lightweight champion weathered a spirited test from Dustin Poirier, ultimately submitting his opponent with a brabo choke in the fifth round of their encounter at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 1. Makhachev’s winning streak currently sits at 14, the third-longest in UFC history. While another lightweight title defense looms in the form of a rematch against top contender Arman Tsarukyan, the Dagestani standout has repeatedly expressed interest in a two-division championship bid at 170 pounds.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 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. Jones vs. Miocic has officially been rebooked for UFC 309 on Nov. 16.3. Alex Pereira (12-2) | UFC [3]
In the headliner of UFC 307 on Oct. 5, “Poatan” added another chapter to his remarkable story, weathering a stern challenge from Khalil Rountree before destroying him with an onslaught of punches in Round 4. With the win, Pereira ran his record to 5-0 at light heavyweight and set a new UFC record for the fastest run to three successful title defenses. The towering Brazilian has taken the sport by storm over the last three years, and while he understandably called for some time off after his latest win, he appears to have quite a bit left in the tank.4. Ilia Topuria (15-0) | UFC [4]
Topuria ushered in a new era in the featherweight division with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 headliner at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. “El Matador” ended what had been a competitive bout with a clean right hook at the 3:32 mark of Round 2, showcasing his frightening fight altering power in the process. Topuria has all the makings of a massive star, capable of spearheading the promotion’s first-ever card in his home country of Spain. Before that happens, Topuria will top UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi against former title holder Max Holloway.5. Alexander Volkanovski (26-4) | UFC [5]
Volkanovski couldn’t overcome Father Time at UFC 298, as the 35-year-old Aussie suffered a second-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in the evening’s main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Regardless of what the future holds, Volkanovski will go down as one of the sport's all-time great featherweights and given his previously perfect record at 145 pounds, he has a solid case for a title shot in his next Octagon appearance.6. Alexandre Pantoja (28-5) | UFC [6]
Pantoja’s second successful title defense wasn’t sealed until the fifth round at UFC 301, when he assumed top position late in the frame against Steve Erceg to clinch a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph in Rio de Janeiro on May 4. Pantoja’s ability to mix up his attacks proved crucial against Erceg, who often got the better of exchanges with crisp boxing and elbows to the head. In less than a year, “The Cannibal” has captured flyweight gold and defended it twice — all in five-round battles — so some time off could be in store for the 34-year-old Brazilian.7. Max Holloway (26-7) | UFC [7]
Concerns for Holloway’s health against Justin Gaethje proved to be misguided, as “Blessed” authored an all-time classic knockout victory to claim the BMF belt at UFC 300 on April 13. Options abound for the Hawaiian, who remains a top contender at 145 pounds and is now also a person of interest at lightweight after vanquishing Gaethje, who would have been in line for a title shot with a victory. Holloway has won five of his last six Octagon appearances, with victories over the likes of Gaethje, Chan Sung Jung, Arnold Allen, Yair Rodriguez and Calvin Kattar adding to his considerable resume. Next, Holloway will attempt regain championship gold when he faces Ilia Topuria in the UFC 308 headliner on Oct. 26.8. Belal Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) | UFC [8]
Muhammad’s patience paid off, as his 10-fight, four-and-a-half-year unbeaten streak culminated in a chance to challenge Leon Edwards for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 304. Whereas their first meeting had been trending in favor of Edwards before ending due to an untimely eye poke, in the rematch Muhammad was the superior fighter in the cage from start to finish. Despite his long and meandering road to the top, the 36-year-old newly crowned champ has no shortage of suitable contenders on the horizon, including undefeated prospects Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry, or Edwards himself.9. Leon Edwards (22-4, 1 NC) | UFC [9]
Given the chance to defend his UFC welterweight title in front of an arena packed with his countrymen, Edwards came up short, as he was soundly outwrestled and outstruck by Belal Muhammad over five rounds in the main event of UFC 304 in Manchester, England. With the unanimous decision loss, Edwards sees his division-leading 13-fight unbeaten streak come to an end. While there may not be much clamor for an immediate rematch, the 32-year-old does not figure to fall far from the title picture, and with undefeated young guns such as Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry scaling the ladder behind him, there should be no shortage of chances to prove he is still among the top fighters in the sport.10. Dricus Du Plessis (22-2) UFC [10]
Despite an unorthodox style that often borders on ugly, Du Plessis continues to prove the doubters wrong. “Stillknocks” successfully defended his middleweight title for the first time at UFC 305, as he submitted Israel Adesanya with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round of their headlining encounter at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Du Plessis’ UFC winning streak now sits at eight, and future opponent options include Sean Strickland, the Robert Whittaker-Khamzat Chimaev winner and even Alex Pereira.Other Contenders: Tom Aspinall, Merab Dvalishvili, Francis Ngannou, Vadim Nemkov, Sean O’Malley.
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, Rob Sargent and Sayan Nag.