TLDR
- Islam Makhachev returned to No. 1 in UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings after defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322
- Makhachev became the 11th fighter to win UFC titles in two weight classes with his welterweight championship victory
- The win extended Makhachev’s streak to 16 consecutive victories, matching Anderson Silva’s UFC record
- Ilia Topuria dropped to No. 2 after previously taking the top spot with his lightweight title win over Charles Oliveira
- Tom Aspinall moved up to No. 8 in pound-for-pound rankings while Michael Morales and Carlos Prates made big jumps in welterweight division
Islam Makhachev has reclaimed his position as the UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighter. The 34-year-old Dagestani fighter moved back to No. 1 in the official rankings on Tuesday following his victory at UFC 322.
Makhachev defeated welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena by unanimous decision on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The win gave Makhachev his second UFC title in a different weight class. He previously held the lightweight championship before moving up to 170 pounds.
The victory marked Makhachev’s 16th consecutive win dating back to 2016. This winning streak ties him with Anderson Silva for the longest in UFC history. Makhachev becomes only the 11th fighter in UFC history to capture titles in two different weight divisions.
Makhachev had held the pound-for-pound top spot for over 600 days before losing it in July 2025. He was ranked No. 1 from November 2023 until Ilia Topuria took over the position. Topuria captured the vacant lightweight title with a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
With Makhachev’s return to the top, Topuria has dropped to No. 2 in the rankings. The swap between the two champions will likely increase calls for a potential superfight between them. However, both fighters may need to defend their current titles first.
Other Rankings Changes
Tom Aspinall moved up one spot to No. 8 in the pound-for-pound rankings. The heavyweight champion switched places with Della Maddalena, who dropped to No. 9 after losing his welterweight title.
The welterweight division saw major movement following UFC 322. Michael Morales jumped five spots to No. 3 after knocking out Sean Brady. Carlos Prates moved up four places to No. 5 with his knockout win over Leon Edwards.
Prates now sits one spot ahead of Ian Machado Garry, his former opponent. Morales remains undefeated in his UFC career.
Lightweight and Women’s Divisions
The lightweight rankings also changed after UFC 322. Benoit Saint-Denis vaulted up five positions to No. 8 following his 16-second knockout of Beneil Dariush. Dariush fell three spots to No. 12.
The women’s flyweight rankings remained unchanged after the event. Valentina Shevchenko successfully defended her title against Weili Zhang in the co-main event. Zhang came up short in her attempt to win a second UFC title in a different weight class.
Kayla Harrison moved up to No. 2 in the women’s pound-for-pound rankings. The bantamweight champion pushed Zhang down to No. 3. Shevchenko continues to hold the top spot in the women’s rankings.
Merab Dvalishvili holds at No. 3 in the men’s pound-for-pound list. Khamzat Chimaev sits at No. 4, followed by Alexandre Pantoja at No. 5. Alex Pereira remains at No. 6, with Alexander Volkanovski at No. 7.
The rankings are determined by a voting panel of media members. They vote for the top fighters in each weight class and pound-for-pound. Champions are automatically placed at the top of their divisions but remain eligible for pound-for-pound voting.
