Image: John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
Ilia Topuria called his shot, and then he delivered.
As his star continues to grow, so do the available options for the Georgian-Spaniard. In addition to title defenses against Volkanovski, who greeted Topuria in the Octagon on Saturday, and Diego Lopes, “El Matador” has raised his profile to the level where a pursuit of two-division dominance in the very near future seems like a reasonable goal.
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. Ilia Topuria (16-0) | UFC [4]
Topuria added another significant feather to his cap in the UFC 308 headliner, as he became the first person to knock out Max Holloway in 34 professional fights at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. With back-to-back knockouts of Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski on his ledger — and eight consecutive triumphs in the UFC overall — “El Matador” is the unquestioned king of the featherweight division. A rematch with Volkanovski, who was in attendance at UFC 308, could be on the horizon for the Georgian-Spaniard.3. 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. 16.4. 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.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. 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.8. Max Holloway (26-8) | UFC [7]
Holloway looked sharp for two rounds against Ilia Topuria, but “Blessed” ultimately succumbed to his opponent’s otherworldly power at the 1:34 mark of Round 3 in the UFC 308 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26. Holloway is now winless in his last four bids for featherweight gold, but his status as perpetual fan favorite and reigning BMF champ likely means there will be no shortage of interesting matchups in the future for the Hawaiian star.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, Khamzat Chimaev 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.