Jack Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 last weekend to unseat him as welterweight champion. In addition, Della Maddalena also replaced Muhammad in the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings.
The other fighter who used a victory on Saturday to earn a spot landed in an even more coveted position in the top 10. Natalia Silva, who beat former women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso, makes her rankings debut in the top five. Grasso drops out of the rankings.
The rest of the rankings remained mostly the same, even at the top spot among women. Valentina Shevchenko garnered added support from the voting panel after beating Manon Fiorot in the first title defense of her second reign with the flyweight belt, but it was not enough to boost Shevchenko over Zhang Weili, who remains No. 1.
For the ESPN divisional MMA rankings, click here.
Note: Results are current; rankings as of May 14. To be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed over the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Fighters who have been dropped for inactivity can be reinstated only after they compete.
Men’s pound-for-pound rankings
1. Islam Makhachev
UFC welterweight
Record: 27-1
Last: W (Sub1) vs. Renato Moicano, Jan. 18
Next: TBD vs. Jack Della Maddalena
Makhachev staked his claim as the greatest lightweight of all time by swiftly dispatching late-replacement opponent Moicano at UFC 311. It was his UFC-record fourth title defense and tied Kamaru Usman for the second-longest winning streak in UFC history at 15. Makhachev finally won over UFC CEO Dana White, who now agrees he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Next up for Makhachev will be a move up to welterweight to challenge new champion Della Maddalena, with date and venue to be determined. — Andreas Hale
2. Ilia Topuria 
UFC lightweight
Record: 16-0
Last: W (KO3) vs. Max Holloway, Oct. 26, 2024
Next: June 28 vs. Charles Oliveira
After knocking out two of the greatest featherweights in UFC history (Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway) in 2024, it was going to be tough for Topuria to top that in 2025. He moved up to lightweight with the goal of challenging Islam Makhachev, but with Makhachev moving up a division himself, Topuria instead will go for the vacant title against Oliveira, a former lightweight champ. — Hale
3. Jon Jones
UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 28-1, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO3) vs. Stipe Miocic, Nov. 16, 2024
Next: TBD
He has ceded his place as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world to Islam Makhachev, but the only thing preventing Jones from reclaiming the spot is activity. Should “Bones” finally accept Tom Aspinall’s challenge, he will have the opportunity to silence the doubters and prove again why he has been called the greatest MMA fighter of all time. — Hale
4. Merab Dvalishvili
UFC bantamweight champion
Record: 19-4
Last: W (UD) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, Jan. 18
Next: June 7 vs. Sean O’Malley
Dvalishvili’s stellar performance defending his bantamweight title against Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 vaulted the cardio machine into the top five. His endless endurance broke Nurmagomedov and made oddsmakers look like fools for having the champion as a significant underdog. He might not be the best bantamweight in UFC history yet, but his run of beating José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, Sean O’Malley and Nurmagomedov is one of the best stretches we’ve seen in the division. — Hale
5. Tom Aspinall
UFC heavyweight interim champion
Record: 15-3
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Curtis Blaydes, July 27, 2024
Next: TBD
If you’re going by the eye test, you can make a case that Aspinall is the most dynamic, skillful, naturally talented heavyweight the sport has seen. He is dominating opponents in a way that is unmatched. No one can last a round with him. Now, will we see him fight Jon Jones? — Brett Okamoto
6. Alexandre Pantoja 
UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 29-5
Last: W (TechSub2) vs. Kai Asakura, Dec. 7, 2024
Next: June 28 vs. Kai Kara-France
The UFC’s flyweight king has racked up three title defenses, including two in pay-per-view main events in 2024. He will ride a seven-fight winning streak into his next title defense against Kara-France at UFC 317. Pantoja is quickly taking laps around the 125-pound division. — Okamoto
7. Magomed Ankalaev 
UFC light heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 6
Record: 20-1-1, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Alex Pereira, March 8
Next: TBD
Ankalaev dethroned Pereira at UFC 313 for his 14th consecutive fight without a loss, a run that began after his UFC debut in 2018. — Okamoto
8. Dricus Du Plessis
UFC middleweight champion
Record: 23-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Sean Strickland, Feb. 8
Next: Aug. 16 vs. Khamzat Chimaev
No one receives as many backhanded compliments as Du Plessis, but as long as the wins keep coming, who cares? The UFC’s middleweight champ is known for breaking all of the technical rules of MMA and making it work. He has taken out some of the biggest names of his division’s history and has an opportunity to add another when he faces Chimaev at UFC 319. Du Plessis is on his way to becoming one of those big names himself if it keeps up. — Okamoto
9. Alex Pereira
UFC light heavyweight
Previous ranking: Tied for 8
Record: 12-3
Last: L (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, March 8
Next: TBD
A stellar 2024 cemented Pereira’s place as a star in the UFC, but he faced arguably his toughest test as light heavyweight champion when he stepped into the Octagon with Ankalaev at UFC 313. Pereira had dealt with strikers, but the question was whether he could get the job done against a talented grappler. Pereira kept the fight standing but fell short by unanimous decision. — Hale
10. Jack Della Maddalena
UFC welterweight champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 18-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Belal Muhammad, May 10
Next: TBD vs. Islam Makhachev
Della Maddalena seemingly came from nowhere to make his debut on the pound-for-pound list, but that’s what happens when you win a UFC championship and snap Muhammad’s 11-fight win streak. Della Maddalena has had some close calls in the UFC, but at the end of the day he’s always found a way to win, going 8-0 inside the Octagon. Can he keep it going against Makhachev? — Okamoto
Other fighters receiving votes: Francis Ngannou, Alexander Volkanovski and Khamzat Chimaev.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Islam Makhachev; 2. Ilia Topuria; 3. Tom Aspinall; 4. Merab Dvalishvili; 5. Jon Jones; 6. Alexandre Pantoja; 7. Dricus Du Plessis; 8. Magomed Ankalaev; 9. Alex Pereira; 10. Alexander Volkanovski.
Andreas Hale: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Topuria; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Aspinall; 6. Ankalaev; 7. Pantoja; 8. Jack Della Maddalena; 9. Volkanovski; 10. Pereira.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Topuria; 4. Pereira; 5. Pantoja; 6. Dvalishvili; 7. Du Plessis; 8. Ankalaev; 9. Volkanovski; 10. Della Maddalena.
Ian Parker: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Du Plessis; 5. Ankalaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. Della Maddalena; 8. Aspinall; 9. Pereira; 10. Jones.
Andrew Davis: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Topuria; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Aspinall; 6. Ankalaev; 7. Du Plessis; 8. Pantoja; 9. Della Maddalena; 10. Pereira.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Aspinall; 4. Jones; 5. Dvalishvili; 6. Francis Ngannou; 7. Pantoja; 8. Ankalaev; 9. Khamzat Chimaev; 10. Pereira.
Women’s pound-for-pound rankings
1:03
Valentina Shevchenko dominates on her way to retaining belt in co-main event
Valentina Shevchenko dominates her match vs. Manon Fiorot in the co-main event of UFC 315 to retain the title.
1. Zhang Weili
UFC strawweight champion
Record: 26-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Tatiana Suarez, Feb. 8
Next: TBD
Amanda Nunes left a big hole in women’s MMA when she announced her retirement in 2023, but Zhang has filled that void in terms of a dominant presence. — Okamoto
2. Valentina Shevchenko
UFC flyweight champion
Record: 25-4-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Manon Fiorot, May 10
Next: TBD
Shevchenko put a cap on the Alexa Grasso trilogy in 2024 with a dominant performance that put to bed any remaining questions around that rivalry. She followed that up with a well-rounded performance against Fiorot to improve to 10-1-1 in UFC title fights. — Okamoto
3. Cris Cyborg
Bellator featherweight and PFL Super Fights champion
Record: 28-2, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Larissa Pacheco, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
It had been a while since Cyborg had fought an elite opponent in MMA until she met Pacheco in 2024. That was a legitimate matchup — and many within the industry were predicting Cyborg’s downfall. Instead, she took out the PFL’s two-weight champion, upending all of Pacheco’s momentum. One of the original pioneers of women’s MMA is somehow still going strong. — Okamoto
4. Kayla Harrison
UFC bantamweight
Previous ranking: 5
Record: 18-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Ketlen Vieira, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: June 7 vs. Julianna Peña
The longtime face of the PFL is quickly becoming the face of the UFC’s women’s divisions as well. Harrison has already defeated two of the best 135-pounders in the UFC, and she’ll be favored to win the belt when she faces current champion Peña in June. If she claims the belt, don’t be surprised if her first move is to demand Amanda Nunes come out of retirement. — Okamoto
5. Natalia Silva
UFC flyweight
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 19-5-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Alexa Grasso, May 10
Next: TBD
Silva is looking every bit the part of a future UFC champion, following a dominant display over Grasso at UFC 315. Her stick-and-move style has frustrated even the highest level of opponent, and she’s got youth on her side as she won’t turn 30 until 2027. — Okamoto
6. Manon Fiorot
UFC flyweight
Record: 12-2
Last: L (UD) vs. Valentina Shevchenko, May 10
Next: TBD
Fiorot fell short in her challenge of Shevchenko, the champ, at UFC 315. But after knocking off Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield in her previous two fights, Fiorot has shown she has the tools to become champion. — Hale
7. Julianna Peña
UFC bantamweight champion
Previous ranking: 8
Record: 12-5
Last: W (SD) vs. Raquel Pennington, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: June 7 vs. Kayla Harrison
She upset the apple cart once when she beat Amanda Nunes to become bantamweight champion, and became a two-time champion with a narrow split decision win over Pennington in October. She’ll get the chance to pull off another upset when she defends her title against Harrison at UFC 316. Can she do it again? — Hale
8. Larissa Pacheco
PFL featherweight champion
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 23-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Cris Cyborg, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
As the only woman to defeat Kayla Harrison and after coming close to beating Cyborg last October, Pacheco deserves her spot on this list. Unfortunately, the lack of quality opponents in the PFL will prevent her from climbing higher. At 30, Pacheco is still improving, but it will be interesting to see who the PFL finds to face her next. — Hale
9. Erin Blanchfield
UFC flyweight
Record: 13-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Rose Namajunas, Nov. 2, 2024
Next: May 31 vs. Maycee Barber
Blanchfield dug herself out of a hole to beat Namajunas in November, and next up for the 25-year-old is a meeting with another young prospect. Blanchfield has immense potential and has shown new wrinkles in her game since dropping a decision to Manon Fiorot last year. — Hale
10. Virna Jandiroba
UFC strawweight
Record: 22-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Yan Xiaonan, April 12
Next: TBD
Jandiroba thrust herself into title contention by dominating Yan at UFC 314, neutralizing the striking threat of the onetime title challenger and forcing Yan into her world — a grappling bout. With the win, Jandiroba extended her winning streak to five. With strawweight champion Zhang Weili awaiting her next challenger, Jandiroba is in position to fill the void. — Hale
Other fighters receiving votes: Rose Namajunas, Dakota Ditcheva and Maycee Barber.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Zhang Weili; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Cris Cyborg; 4. Manon Fiorot; 5. Natalia Silva; 6. Rose Namajunas; 7. Erin Blanchfield; 8. Kayla Harrison; 9. Larissa Pacheco; 10. Virna Jandiroba.
Andreas Hale: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Zhang; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Silva; 6. Pacheco; 7. Peña; 8. Fiorot; 9. Blanchfield; 10. Jandiroba.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Zhang; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Peña; 6. Grasso; 7. Pacheco; 8. Dakota Ditcheva; 9. Fiorot; 10. Silva.
Ian Parker: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Silva; 6. Peña; 7. Vandiroba; 8. Fiorot; 9. Blanchfield; 10. Maycee. Barber.
Andrew Davis: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Peña; 6. Silva; 7. Fiorot; 8. Pacheco; 9. Blanchfield; 10. Ditcheva.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Fiorot; 5. Pacheco; 6. Harrison; 7. Silva; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Peña; 10. Jandiroba.
