1 week ago
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ESPN
Jun 11, 2025, 08:28 AM ET
Merab Dvalishvili's triumph implicit Sean O'Malley to retain the UFC men's bantamweight title shook up the MMA satellite and ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings.
With a 2nd ascendant triumph implicit the erstwhile champion, Dvalishvili further cemented himself arsenic 1 of the humanities greats successful a part loaded with endowment and secured a determination up successful the rankings. Dvalishvili has present passed statement MMA GOAT Jon Jones to assertion the No. 3 spot. Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall besides passed Jones, who drops to No. 5.
Another combatant besides cracked the apical 3 connected the women's side, arsenic caller UFC women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison bushed Julianna Peña by second-round submission to walk PFL Super Fights champ Cris Cyborg to instrumentality the No. 3 spot.
Peña's nonaccomplishment caused a large displacement successful the women's rankings, arsenic she falls from No. 7 retired of the apical 10 and PFL women's flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva enters the rankings astatine No. 10.
For the ESPN divisional MMA rankings, click here.
Note: Results are current; rankings arsenic of June 11. To beryllium eligible for the rankings, a combatant indispensable person competed implicit the past 12 months oregon indispensable person an upcoming combat booked. Fighters who person been dropped for inactivity tin beryllium reinstated lone aft they compete.
Men's pound-for-pound rankings
1:58
Merab Dvalishvili stops Sean O'Malley successful ascendant manner to clasp belt
Merab Dvalishvili celebrates aft a monolithic triumph implicit Sean O'Malley successful a rematch of their bout to clasp the rubric astatine UFC 316.
UFC welterweight
Record: 27-1
Last: W (Sub1) vs. Renato Moicano, Jan. 18
Next: TBD vs. Jack Della Maddalena
Makhachev staked his assertion arsenic the top lightweight of each clip by swiftly dispatching late-replacement hostile Moicano astatine UFC 311. It was his UFC-record 4th rubric defence and tied Kamaru Usman for the second-longest winning streak successful UFC past astatine 15. Makhachev yet won implicit UFC CEO Dana White, who present agrees helium is the champion pound-for-pound combatant successful the world. Next up for Makhachev volition beryllium a determination up to welterweight to situation caller champion Della Maddalena, with day and venue to beryllium 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 retired 2 of the top featherweights successful UFC past (Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway) successful 2024, it was going to beryllium pugnacious for Topuria to apical that successful 2025. He moved up to lightweight with the extremity of challenging Islam Makhachev, but with Makhachev moving up a part himself, Topuria alternatively volition go for the vacant rubric against Oliveira, a erstwhile lightweight champ. -- Hale
UFC bantamweight champion
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 20-4
Last: W (TechSub3) vs. Sean O'Malley, June 7
Next: TBD
Dvalishvili is connected 1 of the astir awesome runs done the UFC's bantamweight part ever. Not lone did helium decision O'Malley for the 2nd clip successful 9 months astatine UFC 316, helium showcased a caller portion of his game, finishing O'Malley aboriginal with a third-round guillotine. Since August 2022, Dvalishvili has beaten José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, O'Malley (twice) and Umar Nurmagomedov, and helium has said helium wants to combat doubly much earlier the extremity of this year.
4. Tom Aspinall 
UFC heavyweight interim champion
Previous ranking: 5
Record: 15-3
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Curtis Blaydes, July 27, 2024
Next: TBD
If you're going by the oculus test, you tin marque a lawsuit that Aspinall is the astir dynamic, skillful, people talented heavyweight the athletics has seen. He is dominating opponents successful a mode that is unmatched. No 1 tin past a circular with him. Now, volition we spot him combat Jon Jones? -- Brett Okamoto
5. Jon Jones 
UFC heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 3
Record: 28-1, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO3) vs. Stipe Miocic, Nov. 16, 2024
Next: TBD
He has ceded his spot arsenic the champion pound-for-pound combatant successful the world, but the lone happening preventing Jones from reclaiming the spot is activity. Should "Bones" yet judge Aspinall's challenge, helium volition person the accidental to soundlessness the doubters and beryllium again wherefore helium has been called the top MMA combatant of each time. -- Hale
UFC airy heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 20-1-1, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Alex Pereira, March 8
Next: TBD
Ankalaev dethroned Pereira astatine UFC 313 for his 14th consecutive combat without a loss, a tally that began aft his UFC debut successful 2018. -- Okamoto
UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: 6
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 3 rubric defenses, including 2 successful pay-per-view main events successful 2024. He volition thrust a seven-fight winning streak into his adjacent rubric defence against Kara-France astatine UFC 317. Pantoja is rapidly taking laps astir the 125-pound division. -- Okamoto
UFC middleweight champion
Record: 23-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Sean Strickland, Feb. 8
Next: Aug. 16 vs. Khamzat Chimaev
No 1 receives arsenic galore backhanded compliments arsenic Du Plessis, but arsenic agelong arsenic the wins support coming, who cares? The UFC's middleweight champ is known for breaking each of the method rules of MMA and making it work. He has taken retired immoderate of the biggest names of his division's past and has an accidental to adhd different when helium faces Chimaev astatine UFC 319. Du Plessis is connected his mode to becoming 1 of those large names himself if it keeps up. -- Okamoto
UFC welterweight champion
Previous ranking: 10
Record: 18-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Belal Muhammad, May 10
Next: TBD vs. Islam Makhachev
Della Maddalena seemingly came from obscurity to marque his debut connected the pound-for-pound list, but that's what happens erstwhile you win a UFC championship and drawback Muhammad's 11-fight triumph streak. Della Maddalena has had immoderate adjacent calls successful the UFC, but astatine the extremity of the time he's ever recovered a mode to win, going 8-0 wrong the Octagon. Can helium support it going against Makhachev? -- Okamoto
10. Alex Pereira
UFC airy heavyweight
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 12-3
Last: L (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, March 8
Next: TBD
A stellar 2024 cemented Pereira's spot arsenic a prima successful the UFC, but helium faced arguably his toughest trial arsenic airy heavyweight champion erstwhile helium stepped into the Octagon with Ankalaev astatine UFC 313. Pereira had dealt with strikers, but the question was whether helium could get the occupation done against a talented grappler. Pereira kept the combat lasting but fell abbreviated by unanimous decision. -- Hale
Other fighters receiving votes: Francis Ngannou, Alexander Volkanovski and Khamzat Chimaev.
How our sheet voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Islam Makhachev; 2. Ilia Topuria; 3. Merab Dvalishvili; 4. Tom Aspinall; 5. Alexandre Pantoja; 6. Dricus du Plessis; 7. Magomed Ankalaev; 8. Alex Pereira; 9. Alexander Volkanovski 10. Jack Della Maddalena.
Andreas Hale: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Topuria; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Aspinall; 6. Ankalaev; 7. Pantoja; 8. Maddalena; 9. Volkanovski; 10. Pereira.
Ian Parker: 1. Makhachev; 2. Dvalishvili; 3. Topuria; 4. du Plessis; 5. Ankalaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. Della Maddalena; 8. Aspinall; 9. Pereira; 10. Jon 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. Dvalishvili; 5. Jones; 6. Francis Ngannou; 7. Pantoja; 8. Ankalaev; 9. Khamzat Chimaev; 10. Pereira.
Women's pound-for-pound rankings
1:11
Kayla Harrison submits Julianna Pena to go caller UFC bantamweight champ
Kayla Harrison taps retired Julianna Pena successful Round 2 astatine UFC 316 to go the caller women's bantamweight champion.
1. Zhang Weili
UFC strawweight champion
Record: 26-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Tatiana Suarez, Feb. 8
Next: TBD
Amanda Nunes near a large spread successful women's MMA erstwhile she announced her retirement successful 2023, but Zhang has filled that void successful presumption of a ascendant presence. -- Okamoto
UFC flyweight champion
Record: 25-4-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Manon Fiorot, May 10
Next: TBD
Shevchenko enactment a headdress connected the Alexa Grasso trilogy successful 2024 with a ascendant show that enactment to furniture immoderate remaining questions astir that rivalry. She followed that up with a well-rounded show against Fiorot to amended to 10-1-1 successful UFC rubric fights. -- Okamoto
UFC bantamweight
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 19-1
Last: W (TechSub2) vs. Julianna Peña, June 7
Next: TBD
The longtime look of the PFL is rapidly becoming the look of the UFC's women's divisions arsenic well. With a ascendant triumph implicit Peña astatine UFC 316, Harrison is present 4-0 successful the UFC and has the hardware to adhd to her 2 Olympic golden medals. She won't person it casual successful her archetypal rubric defense, though, due to the fact that Nunes is coming backmost for the belt.
4. Cris Cyborg
Bellator featherweight and PFL Super Fights champion
Previous ranking: 3
Record: 28-2, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Larissa Pacheco, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
It had been a portion since Cyborg had fought an elite hostile successful MMA until she met Pacheco successful 2024. That was a morganatic matchup -- and galore wrong the manufacture were predicting Cyborg's downfall. Instead, she took retired the PFL's two-weight champion, upending each of Pacheco's momentum. One of the archetypal pioneers of women's MMA is someway inactive going strong. -- Okamoto
UFC flyweight
Record: 19-5-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Alexa Grasso, May 10
Next: TBD
Silva is looking each spot the portion of a aboriginal UFC champion, pursuing a ascendant show implicit Grasso astatine UFC 315. Her stick-and-move benignant has frustrated adjacent the highest level of opponent, and she's got younker connected her broadside arsenic she won't crook 30 until 2027. -- Okamoto
6. Manon Fiorot
UFC flyweight
Record: 12-2
Last: L (UD) vs. Valentina Shevchenko, May 10
Next: TBD
Fiorot fell abbreviated successful her situation of Shevchenko, the champ, astatine UFC 315. But aft knocking disconnected Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield successful her erstwhile 2 fights, Fiorot has shown she has the tools to go champion. -- Hale
PFL featherweight champion
Previous ranking: 8
Record: 23-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Cris Cyborg, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
As the lone pistillate to decision Kayla Harrison and aft coming adjacent to beating Cyborg past October, Pacheco deserves her spot connected this list. Unfortunately, the deficiency of prime opponents successful the PFL volition forestall her from climbing higher. At 30, Pacheco is inactive improving, but it volition beryllium absorbing to spot who the PFL finds to look her next. -- Hale
UFC flyweight
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 13-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Rose Namajunas, Nov. 2, 2024
Next: May 31 vs. Maycee Barber
Blanchfield dug herself retired of a spread to bushed Namajunas successful November, and adjacent up for the 25-year-old is simply a gathering with different young prospect. Blanchfield has immense imaginable and has shown caller wrinkles successful her crippled since dropping a determination to Manon Fiorot past year. -- Hale
UFC strawweight
Previous ranking: 10
Record: 22-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Yan Xiaonan, April 12
Next: TBD
Jandiroba thrust herself into rubric contention by dominating Yan astatine UFC 314, neutralizing the striking menace of the onetime rubric challenger and forcing Yan into her satellite -- a grappling bout. With the win, Jandiroba extended her winning streak to five. With strawweight champion Zhang Weili awaiting her adjacent challenger, Jandiroba is successful presumption to capable the void. -- Hale
10. Dakota Ditcheva
PFL flyweight champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 14-0
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Taila Santos, Nov. 29, 2024
Next: TBD
She upset the pome cart erstwhile once she bushed Amanda Nunes to go bantamweight champion, and became a two-time champion with a narrow divided determination triumph implicit Pennington successful October. She'll get the accidental to propulsion disconnected different upset erstwhile she defends her rubric against Harrison astatine UFC 316. Can she bash it again? -- Hale
Other fighters receiving votes: Rose Namajunas, and Julianna Peña.
How our sheet voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Zhang Weili; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Kayla Harrison; 4. Cris Cyborg; 5. Manon Fiorot; 6. Natalia Silva; 7. Rose Namajunas; 8. Erin Blanchfield; 9. Larissa Pacheco; 10. Virna Jandiroba.
Andreas Hale: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Zhang; 3. Harrison; 4. Cyborg; 5. Silva; 6. Pacheco; 7. Fiorot; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Jandiroba; 10. Dakota Ditcheva.
Ian Parker: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Harrison; 4. Silva; 5. Cyborg; 6. Jandiroba; 7. Fiorot; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Ditcheva; 10. Larissa Pacheco.
Andrew Davis: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Harrison; 4. Cyborg; 5. Silva; 6. Fiorot; 7. Pacheco; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Ditcheva; 10. Julianna Peña.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Fiorot; 6. Pacheco; 7. Silva; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Jandiroba; 10. Ditcheva.
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