Ilia Topuria’s recent win at UFC 308 didn’t move him in the UFC’s rankings, which makes me wonder what changes I’d make if I had that kind of power.
Often determining matchups and used to debate legacies, the UFC rankings are always in the spotlight. I’ve ranked every champion in the UFC below, plus some non-champs I might add if I were to rank 15 fighters as the UFC does.
1. Islam Makhachev
Makhachev has firmly cemented his place as the UFC’s top fighter. With wins over Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier and two over Alexander Volkanovski, Makhachev is making a case as the greatest and most skilled fighter in UFC history. While his dominant wrestling echoes that of his coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev’s striking is often on display too — he knocked out Volkanovski in the first round and out-struck Poirier, an elite boxer. Makhachev appears poised to retain the lightweight and pound-for-pound crown for some time.
2. Ilia Topuria
I considered putting Topuria first after his win against Max Holloway at UFC 308, but I think he remains a close second until the super-fight happens or a contender stops one of them. Topuria made a statement in 2024 when he knocked out two of the greatest featherweights in history, Volkanovski and Holloway.
Don’t let his world-class boxing and power overshadow his upbringing in Greco-Roman wrestling and his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, which make him about as well-rounded as one can be. At 27 years old, if he wins the lightweight strap too, he’ll be in talks for the greatest of all time.
3. Alex Pereira
Pereira was firmly in my second spot until UFC 307 and UFC 308 took place. His fight with Khalil Rountree Jr. was his third this year, but it was the only one where Pereira looked beatable. However, you can’t deny he is the best kickboxer in the promotion currently –– or maybe ever.
He’s stepped up three times this year to put on main-event fights, and all three have ended with his opponent balled up on the canvas. Pereira’s left hook may be the single most dangerous punch in the world, giving him the power to end the fight at any moment. His ground game has gone untested thus far in his UFC career but likely will be against probable contender Magomed Ankalaev for Pereira’s fourth title defense at light heavyweight.
4. Tom Aspinall
Aspinall’s record for the shortest average fight time speaks for itself. He’s finished five of the top nine heavyweights within just one round. He’s never seen the third round in his career, and his striking and grappling are both top-notch.
He has the power to knock out massive Russians like Sergei Pavlovich and the ground game to submit the lanky Alexander Volkov. It’s only a matter of time before he becomes the undisputed title holder, and I think he has the potential to dominate a weak heavyweight division for some time.
5. Dricus Du Plessis
Du Plessis is undefeated in the UFC. His three most recent wins have all come against former middleweight champions, showing off his power against Robert Whittaker, his endurance against Sean Strickland and his submission skills against Israel Adesanya.
He hopes to bring the first UFC event to Africa, and he looks to prove that his controversial win over Strickland at UFC 297 was no fluke, likely in early 2025. The middleweight division has a plethora of rising contenders, all the more opportunity for Du Plessis to exhibit his well-rounded style.
6. Belal Muhammad
In my opinion, Muhammad is one of the most over-hated fighters in the UFC. People dislike his tendency to reach the final bell rather than finish his opponent, but his game plans have netted him wins over Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards.
With a significantly underrated resume, Muhammad’s elite ground game has propelled him to the top of the welterweight division. Though an injury will keep him out of his first planned title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, he can hopefully gain the respect of the fans when the fight does happen.
7. Alexandre Pantoja
Of the top nine ranked contenders at flyweight, Pantoja has beaten six of them. His grappling is top-tier, and he has multiple rear-naked choke submissions in the UFC to his name. He has also occasionally demonstrated his power with two knockouts back in 2019.
After a razor-close decision win over Steve Erceg at UFC 301, Pantoja will shockingly defend his belt against Kai Asakura, the Japanese promotion RIZIN’s bantamweight champ, in his UFC debut at UFC 310.
8. Merab Dvalishvili
“The Machine” has certainly earned his moniker recently. Dvalishvili’s cardio is unmatched — against Petr Yan, he attempted 49 takedowns, 16 more than the previous record, in one fight. His pace is unsustainable for almost every other fighter.
Against Sean O’Malley at Noche UFC, Dvalishvili held true to his wrestling background by securing the bantamweight title and extending his win streak to 11 fights. He managed to make an elite kickboxer like O’Malley look sluggish and defeated, so another interesting matchup awaits with Umar Nurmagomedov, likely in early 2025.
9. Jon Jones
Jones, the greatest light heavyweight of all time, had his reputation soured since his move to the heavyweight division. Accusations that he didn’t move up earlier in his career due to avoidance of Francis Ngannou, multiple failed drug tests and frequent run-ins with the law have led to his fall from grace. It’s hard to defend claims he is the greatest the UFC’s ever seen, but his capabilities inside the octagon are undeniable.
In all likelihood, his fight at UFC 309 against Stipe Miocic will be his last. Rather than fight interim champion Tom Aspinall –– who has more defenses of his belt than Jones has of the undisputed belt –– Jones chose to fight 42-year-old Miocic, who hasn’t won a fight since 2020. His legacy gets tarnished with every attempt at defending his choice online, but fight fans still shouldn’t expect to see the heavyweight belt unified within the Octagon.
Honorable Mentions:
Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, Sean O’Malley, Sean Strickland, Khamzat Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan.
