TLDR
- Islam Makhachev reclaimed the top spot in UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings after defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322
- The Russian won the welterweight title via unanimous decision, becoming the 11th two-division champion in UFC history
- His victory extended his winning streak to 16 consecutive fights, tying Anderson Silva’s UFC record
- Ilia Topuria dropped to second place after previously holding the top ranking
- Paddy Pimblett moved up to fifth in the lightweight rankings after Makhachev vacated that division
Islam Makhachev has returned to the number one position in the UFC’s pound-for-pound men’s rankings. The Russian fighter achieved this after winning the welterweight championship at UFC 322 in New York last week.
The 34-year-old dominated Jack Della Maddalena over five rounds to claim a unanimous decision victory. With this win, Makhachev became only the 11th two-division champion in UFC history.
Makhachev previously held the lightweight belt before vacating it in June. He has now replaced Ilia Topuria at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.
Topuria currently holds the lightweight championship that Makhachev gave up. The Georgian-Spanish fighter moved down to second place in the updated rankings.
The victory extended Makhachev’s winning streak to 16 consecutive UFC fights. This achievement ties Anderson Silva’s all-time UFC record for longest win streak.
Makhachev controlled the fight against Della Maddalena for all five rounds. His performance at 170 pounds answered questions about his ability to compete in the welterweight division.
Pound-for-Pound Rankings Update
Following the UFC 322 results, Makhachev jumped from second place back to the top spot. Topuria dropped to second while Merab Dvalishvili holds third position.
Khamzat Chimaev sits at fourth in the rankings. Alexandre Pantoja rounds out the top five with Alex Pereira in sixth place.
In the women’s pound-for-pound rankings, Valentina Shevchenko remains at the top. She successfully defended her flyweight title against Zhang Weili at the same event.
Weili had vacated her strawweight belt in October to challenge for the flyweight title. She has fallen to third place behind bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison.
Changes in Division Rankings
The lightweight division saw changes after Makhachev was removed from those rankings. British fighter Paddy Pimblett moved up to fifth place in the lightweight rankings.
Pimblett is currently on a seven-fight win streak in the UFC. He has been calling for a title shot against Topuria.
The welterweight division also saw movement in the rankings. Leon Edwards dropped five places to ninth after being knocked out by Carlos Prates.
The defeat was Edwards’ third consecutive loss. The 34-year-old British fighter now sits well outside the top title contenders.
Michael Morales made the biggest jump in the welterweight rankings. The Ecuadorian fighter stopped Sean Brady in the first round and moved up to third place.
Ian Machado Garry sits at sixth in the welterweight rankings. He faces Belal Muhammad in Qatar on Saturday in a bout that could determine the next title contender.
Arman Tsarukyan, ranked first in the lightweight division, also fights in Qatar this Saturday. He faces Dan Hooker in a match that will help clarify the next challenger for Topuria’s title.
Makhachev posted on Instagram three days after his victory with a message that read: “A bit of a perfectionist – I love it when everything is in its place.” The post acknowledged his return to the top ranking.
