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UFC Rankings: Men, Women & Pound-for-Pound

Zack Lane
Contributors
Updated: July 21, 2026, 11:26 AM ET
6 min read

The UFC pound-for-pound rankings remain the most debated hierarchy in combat sports, serving as a snapshot of absolute martial excellence regardless of weight class. Pound-for-pound rankings reflect a fascinating era of multi-division dominance and the rise of a new generation of champions.

  • In the UFC 329 on July 11, Max Holloway defeated Conor McGregor via a first-round TKO, as McGregor suffered a severe knee injury.

  • Former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis returned to the win column with a commanding unanimous decision victory over Kamaru Usman on July 18.

  • UFC 329 featured Paddy Pimblett scoring a statement co-main event victory by putting Benoît Saint Denis to sleep with a first-round D'arce choke.

Before diving into more details, be sure to check our guide on UFC Weight Classes.

UFC Rankings 2026

UFC Heavyweight Division - Champion: Tom Aspinall

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Ciryl GaneIC14-2
Alexander Volkov240-11
Sergei Pavlovich321-3
Alex Pereira413-4
Josh Hokit510-0
Waldo Cortes-Acosta617-3
Rizvan Kuniev713-3-1
Serghei Spivac818-6
Curtis Blaydes919-6
Vitor Petrino1014-2

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Heavyweight:

  • Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune - UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov, on July 25, 2026

  • Serghei Spivac vs. Vitor Petrino - UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues, on August 22, 2026

  • Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Shamil Gaziev - UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues, on August 22, 2026

UFC Light Heavyweight Division - Champion: Carlos Ulberg

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Alex Pereira113-4
Magomed Ankalaev220-2-1
Jiri Prochazka332-6-1
Paulo Costa416-4
Jamahal Hill512-4
Khalil Rountree Jr.614-7
Dominick Reyes716-5
Volkan Oezdemir821-8
Azamat Murzakanov916-1
Bogdan Guskov1018-3-1

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Light Heavyweight:

  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov - UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov, on July 25, 2026

  • Magomed Tuchalov vs. Brendson Ribeiro - UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov, on July 25, 2026

  • Jan Błachowicz vs. Navajo Stirling - UFC Fight Night: Medić vs. Rodriguez, on August 1, 2026

UFC Middleweight Division - Champion: Sean Strickland

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Khamzat Chimaev115-1
Dricus du Plessis224-3
Nassourdine Imavov317-4
Joe Pyfer416-3
Brendan Allen527-7
Caio Borralho618-2
Anthony Hernandez715-3
Israel Adesanya824-6
Gregory Rodrigues919-6
Ikram Aliskerov1018-2

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Middleweight:

  • Duško Todorović vs. Robert Valentin - UFC Fight Night: Medić vs. Rodriguez, on August 1, 2026

  • Anthony Hernandez vs. Gregory Rodrigues - UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues, on August 22, 2026

  • Roman Dolidze vs. Reinier de Ridder - UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues, on August 22, 2026

UFC Welterweight Division - Champion: Islam Makhachev

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Carlos Prates124-7
Ian Machado Garry217-1
Michael Morales319-0
Jack Della Maddalena418-4
Sean Brady519-2
Gabriel Bonfim620-1
Belal Muhammad724-6
Leon Edwards822-6
Joaquin Buckley921-8
Kamaru Usman1021-5

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Welterweight:

  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson - UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov, on July 25, 2026

  • Uroš Medić vs. Daniel Rodriguez - UFC Fight Night: Medić vs. Rodriguez, on August 1, 2026

  • Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry - UFC 330, on August 15, 2026

UFC Lightweight Division - Champion: Justin Gaethje

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Ilia Topuria117-1
Arman Tsarukyan223-3
Charles Oliveira337-11
Max Holloway428-9
Paddy Pimblett524-4
Mateusz Gamrot626-4
Renato Moicano721-7-1
Benoît Saint Denis817-4
Quillan Salkilld912-1
Mauricio Ruffy1014-2

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Lightweight:

  • Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola - UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov, on July 25, 2026

  • Mateusz Gamrot vs. Quillan Salkilld - UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld, on August 8, 2026

  • Edson Barboza vs. Esteban Ribovics - UFC 330, on August 15, 2026

UFC Featherweight Division - Champion: Alexander Volkanovski

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Movsar Evloev120-0
Diego Lopes228-8
Lerone Murphy317-1-1
Aljamain Sterling426-5
Arnold Allen521-4
Jean Silva617-3
Pat Sabatini722-5
Youssef Zalal818-6-1
Nathaniel Wood923-6
Kevin Vallejos1018-1

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Featherweight:

  • Dennis Buzukja vs. Bogdan Grad - UFC Fight Night: Medić vs. Rodriguez, on August 1, 2026

  • Nathaniel Wood vs. Mairon Santos - UFC Fight Night: Page vs. Ruziboev, on September 5, 2026

  • Trevor Peek vs. Kurtis Campbell - UFC Fight Night: Page vs. Ruziboev, on September 5, 2026

UFC Bantamweight Division - Champion: Petr Yan

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Merab Dvalishvili121-5
Umar Nurmagomedov220-1
Sean O’Malley320-3
Mario Bautista418-3
Cory Sandhagen518-7
Song Yadong623-8-1
David Martínez714-1
Raoni Barcelos822-5
Farid Basharat916-0
Marcus McGhee1011-2

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Bantamweight:

  • Mark Vologdin vs. Josias Musasa - UFC Fight Night: Medić vs. Rodriguez, on August 1, 2026

  • Qileng Aori vs. Kai Asakura - UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song, on August 29, 2026

  • Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong - UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song, on August 29, 2026

UFC Flyweight Division - Champion: Joshua Van

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Alexandre Pantoja130-6
Manel Kape223-7
Brandon Royval318-9
Tatsuro Taira418-2
Asu Almabayev524-3
Lone'er Kavanagh610-2
Kyoji Horiguchi736-6
Amir Albazi817-3
Brandon Moreno923-10-2
Kevin Borjas1011-5

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Flyweight:

  • Steve Erceg vs. Ramazonbek Temirov - UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov, on July 25, 2026

  • Charles Johnson vs. Jose Ochoa - UFC 330, on August 15, 2026

  • Rei Tsuruya vs. Kevin Borjas - UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song, on August 29, 2026

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Division - Champion: Kayla Harrison

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Joselyne Edwards118-6
Norma Dumont213-3
Luana Santos311-2
Ailin Perez413-2
Julianna Peña512-6
Yana Santos617-8
Jacqueline Cavalcanti710-2
Michelle Montague88-0
Melissa Croden98-3
Karol Rosa1019-8

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Women’s Bantamweight:

  • Hailey Cowan vs. Nina Milosevic - UFC Fight Night: Medić vs. Rodriguez, on August 1, 2026

  • Norma Dumont vs. Ailín Pérez - UFC Fight Night: Dumont vs. Pérez, on September 26, 2026

UFC Women’s Flyweight Division - Champion: Valentina Shevchenko

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Natalia Silva120-5-1
Manon Fiorot213-2
Alexa Grasso317-5-1
Erin Blanchfield414-2
Zhang Weili526-4
Wang Cong610-1
Jasmine Jasudavicius715-4
Rose Namajunas814-8
Maycee Barber915-3
Tracy Cortez1012-4

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Women’s Flyweight:

  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius - UFC 330, on August 15, 2026

  • Manon Fiorot vs. Alexa Grasso - UFC Fight Night 288, on September 12, 2026

  • JJ Aldrich vs. Regina Tarin - UFC Fight Night 288, on September 12, 2026

UFC Strawweight Division - Champion: Mackenzie Dern

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Zhang Weili126-4
Virna Jandiroba223-4
Tatiana Suarez312-1
Gillian Robertson417-8
Yan Xiaonan518-5
Piera Rodriguez612-2
Tabatha Ricci712-5
Denise Gomes812-3
Mizuki Inoue916-6
Alexia Thainara1014-1

Notable Upcoming Matchups at Women’s Strawweight:

  • Amanda Lemos vs. Alexia Thainara - UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld, on August 8, 2026

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson - UFC 330, on August 15, 2026

  • Carli Judice vs. Jeisla Chaves - UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues, on August 22, 2026

UFC Men’s Pound-for-Pound Rankings

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Islam Makhachev128-1
Alexander Volkanovski228-4
Petr Yan320-5
Justin Gaethje428-5
Ilia Topuria517-1
Tom Aspinall615-3
Sean Strickland731-7
Merab Dvalishvili821-5
Alex Pereira913-4
Ciryl Gane1014-2

UFC Women’s Pound-for-Pound Rankings

FIGHTERRANKINGRECORD
Valentina Shevchenko 126-4-1
Kayla Harrison219-1
Zhang Weili326-4
Natalia Silva420-5-1
Manon Fiorot513-2
Mackenzie Dern616-5
Alexa Grasso717-5-1
Erin Blanchfield814-2
Julianna Peña912-6
Tatiana Suarez1012-1

For more UFC content, feel free to check our list of the best UFC betting sites along with the UFC betting guide.

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Zack Lane WSN Contributor

Zack Lane

Sports Betting Analyst

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Zack is a lifelong football fan and writer from the UK, with a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. He’s followed Aston Villa through thick and thin and now channels that passion into sharp, insightful sports writing. He specialises in soccer betting content and match previews, with experience covering sportsbooks and casino platforms.
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