The MMA Pound-for-Pound rankings have seen a shakeup following the recent UFC events, UFC 315 and UFC 314. Two key victories significantly impacted the lists: Jack Della Maddalena`s title win and Alexander Volkanovski reclaiming championship gold.
Jack Della Maddalena successfully dethroned welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, while Alexander Volkanovski secured a hard-fought victory over Diego Lopes at UFC 314 to become a two-time featherweight champion by claiming the vacant belt.
These results directly influenced the latest update to MMA Fighting’s Men’s Pound-for-Pound rankings. Belal Muhammad, who was ranked No. 5 before UFC 315, dropped eight spots to No. 13 after his loss. Conversely, Jack Della Maddalena made a significant leap from being unranked all the way to the No. 9 position, marking his 18th consecutive win. Della Maddalena hasn`t lost a professional bout since starting his career 0-2 in 2016 and is now positioned for potentially even greater ranking climbs with a possible matchup against Islam Makhachev later this year.
Alexander Volkanovski also saw a substantial rise, moving from No. 13 to No. 8. This is his highest ranking since a date in July (likely referring to a previous year, post-UFC 298). Following his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, Volkanovski`s ranking understandably fell, and many expected him to continue dropping. However, his inspiring performance against Lopes not only reinstated him as a UFC champion but also solidified his position within the top 10 for the foreseeable future.
In other notable movements since the previous update in March, former champion Leon Edwards suffered a one-sided defeat against Sean Brady. While this win wasn`t enough to immediately place Brady in the rankings (though he received votes), it caused Edwards to fall completely out of the top 15 from his No. 12 spot. Jon Jones continues to drop as well, seemingly due to inactivity.
The women`s rankings also saw considerable movement thanks to the impressive performances of Natalia Silva and Virna Jandiroba. These Brazilian fighters are strengthening their case for title opportunities, potentially influencing the timeline for a possible Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili superfight. Silva secured a clear decision win over former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso at UFC 315, while Jandiroba extended her winning streak to five with a decision victory over recent strawweight title challenger Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314.
Although a Zhang vs. Shevchenko bout remains a possibility, Silva and Jandiroba have proven themselves worthy contenders and rocketed up the Pound-for-Pound list. Silva soared 11 spots into a tie for No. 5 with Manon Fiorot, who recently put on a spirited performance against Shevchenko. Jandiroba rose seven spots to No. 11.
Below are the updated lists summarizing recent results, upcoming bouts, and fighters receiving votes or falling out of the rankings.
Men`s Rankings Update Highlights
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown):
- Jack Della Maddalena def. No. 5 Belal Muhammad
- No 13 (tied) Alexander Volkanovski def. Diego Lopes
- Sean Brady def. No. 12 Leon Edwards
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters:
- No. 2 Ilia Topuria vs. No. 18 Charles Oliveira (UFC 317, June 28)
- No. 3 Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France (UFC 317, June 28)
- No. 4 Merab Dvalishvili vs. No. 19 Sean O’Malley (UFC 316, June 7)
- No. 5 Dricus du Plessis vs. No. 15 Khamzat Chimaev (UFC 319, Aug. 16)
- No. 12 Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier (UFC 318, July 19)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown):
- Sean Brady (4)
- Movsar Evloev (2)
- Francis Ngannou (2)
- Jiri Prochazka (2)
- Brandon Moreno (1)
- Usman Nurmagomedov (1)
Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown):
- No. 12 Leon Edwards
Women`s Rankings Update Highlights
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown):
- No. 2 Valentina Shevchenko def. No. 5 Manon Fiorot
- No. 16 Natalia Silva def. No. 3 Alexa Grasso
- No. 18 Virna Jandiroba def. No. 11 Yan Xiaonan
- Jasmine Jasudavicius def. No. 19 Jessica Andrade
- No. 20 Liz Carmouche def. Ilara Joanne
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters:
- No. 4 Kayla Harrison vs. No. 13 Julianna Peña (UFC 316, June 7)
- No. 7 Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber (UFC Vegas 107, May 31)
- No. 8 (tied) Dakota Ditcheva vs. Sumiko Inaba (PFL Africa, July 26)
- No. 14 Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick (UFC Atlanta, June 14)
- No. 19 Liz Carmouche vs. Elora Dana (PFL 6, June 20)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown):
- Maycee Barber (3)
- Jessica Andrade (2)
- Norma Dumont (2)
- Macy Chiasson (1)
- Amanda Lemos (1)
- Gillian Robertson (1)
Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown):
- No. 19 Jessica Andrade
