The UFC's pound-for-pound list will remain a hot topic of debate until 2024, and with Jon Jones' return to the Octagon just around the corner, the conversations continue.
Ahead of his comeback at UFC 309 on November 16, Jon Jones may have a chance to return to the number one spot in the pound-for-pound rankings.
UFC CEO Dana White has been banging the 'Bones' drum all year, claiming that anyone who believes the 37-year-old isn't the current P4P number one is clueless.
The pound-for-pound list takes into account recent results, the manner in which the fighter won the fight and the level of opposition he has defeated. The top 10 male stars have been ranked.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
10. Alexander Volkanovsky
Despite no longer being the featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski is still just inside the top 10 of the pound-for-pound rankings.
'The Great' was previously in the top three of the pound-for-pound rankings, but recent losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria have seen him drop dramatically.
The 36-year-old will get another chance to break back into the top five when he next takes on featherweight champion Ilia Topuira in an attempt to regain his title.
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9. Leon Edwards
Another former champion who just cracked the top 10 of the pound-for-pound rankings is former welterweight king Leon Edwards.
The Brit is widely regarded as one of the most versatile fighters in the sport, with a great striking game and an underrated ground game.
Despite this, 'Rocky' lost his 170-pound belt earlier this year at UFC 304, succumbing to pressure from Belal Muhammad.
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8. Tom Aspinall
Tom Aspinall is widely regarded as the best heavyweight fighter in the world, despite only being interim heavyweight champion.
After Jones suffered an injury last year, the promotion introduced an interim title that was won by the British heavyweight, who knocked out Sergei Pavlovich.
Aspinall did what not many before him have done and then defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes earlier this year, beating him in the first two minutes of their rematch and cementing his place on the list.
7. Merab Dvalishvili
After becoming the UFC bantamweight champion at UFC 306 earlier this year, Merab Dvalishvili catapulted himself straight to seventh on the pound-for-pound rankings.
'The Machine' is a perfect nickname for the Georgian who possesses the biggest gas tank in MMA and has become one of the few fighters to successfully weaponize his amazing cardio.
Despite this, Dvalishvili is probably at the bottom of the top 10 because his skills are relatively one-dimensional and his wrestling is his bread and butter.
6. Dricus Du Plessis
Possibly the most unorthodox fighter in the top 10 of the pound-for-pound rankings is current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis.
After becoming the 185-pound champion earlier this year with a victory over Sean Strickland, the South African champion then defended his title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 with a huge submission win.
'Stillknocks' fighting style is considered by many to be 'sloppy' and unorthodox, but he continues to show that his clumsy style works and makes him an even bigger star.
5. Belal Mohammed
Probably one of the most surprising additions to this year's pound-for-pound rankings is Belal Muhammad.
'Remember The Name' debuted in the top five of the rankings after scoring a big win over Edwards at UFC 304 earlier this year, showing massive improvements to his overall MMA game.
The welterweight champion was scheduled to make his first defense of his title on December 7 at UFC 310, but withdrew from his fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov after breaking his toe.
4. Ilia Topuria
Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is the only undefeated fighter currently in the top 10 of the pound-for-pound rankings.
Widely regarded as one of the UFC's biggest and most exciting stars, 'El Matador' cemented his spot in the top five earlier this year after knocking out Alexander Volkanovski to become champion.
The 27-year-old went on to become the first fighter ever to defeat Max Holloway and catapulted himself to superstardom at UFC 308.
3. Jon Jones
Although he is undoubtedly the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, 'Bones' Jones currently sits at number three on the pound-for-pound rankings, which disgusts Dana White.
The current heavyweight champion will certainly rise to the top spot if he can get past Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, making the first and possibly final defense of his heavyweight title.
The reason why Jones isn't currently ranked number one is due to his recent inactivity, having only fought once in the last four years.
In terms of resume, no one in the sport has a more impressive resume than the 37-year-old who has dominated several former champions.
2. Alex Pereira
Despite only making his UFC debut three years ago, current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira finds himself just below the top spot.
'Poatan' is undoubtedly the promotion's biggest current star, having saved both UFC 300 and UFC 303 by accepting short-term fights to defend his title.
The Brazilian is a prime example of what it means to be on the pound-for-pound list, having won titles in two separate weight classes and even teasing a future move to the heavyweight division to potentially become the UFC's first-ever three become. -world weight champion.
1. Islam Makhachev
Despite defending his lightweight title just once in 2024, Islam Makhachev has retained his spot as the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the world.
Makhachev's skills are widely considered among the strongest in MMA. He is extremely dominant in the wrestling department and shows in his rematch against Alexander Volkanovski that his striking has come in leaps and bounds.
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