All articles tagged with #pound for pound rankings
Alex Pereira re-entered the MMA pound-for-pound rankings at No. 7 after an impressive 80-second victory over Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320, bouncing back from a previous title loss. The rankings, compiled by a panel of experts, consider fighters' recent performances across major promotions, with Pereira's win solidifying his position among the elite.
Jon Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters, expressed satisfaction with being ranked No. 2 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings after his successful heavyweight title defense at UFC 309. At 37, Jones appreciates the recognition, contrasting with UFC CEO Dana White's opinion that Jones should be No. 1. Jones's only career loss was a disqualification, and he returned to the sport as a heavyweight after a three-year hiatus, winning the title vacated by Francis Ngannou. Islam Makhachev holds the top spot in the rankings.
Following UFC 309, controversy surrounds the UFC pound-for-pound rankings as Jon Jones, despite a significant win over Stipe Miocic, remains second behind Islam Makhachev. UFC CEO Dana White, frustrated with the rankings, has criticized the media panel and suggested using AI to address the issue. Alex Pereira, who dropped to third, expressed support for Jones taking the top spot.
Despite Islam Makhachev's impressive victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, UFC CEO Dana White maintains that Jon Jones remains the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. White praised Makhachev but emphasized Jones' undefeated record and dominance across weight classes, including his recent heavyweight title win. Jones appreciated White's recognition, reinforcing his status as the greatest fighter in any combat sport.
Islam Makhachev criticized Dana White for not considering him the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC despite his dominant win at UFC 302. White maintained that Jon Jones holds that title, citing Jones' undefeated record and success across weight classes. Makhachev, who earned bonuses for his performance, expressed his desire to move up to welterweight and become a double champion. Jon Jones also weighed in, questioning Makhachev's claim to the top spot.
Alex Volkanovski ties Jon Jones for the top spot in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings after unifying the featherweight titles by defeating Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. Dricus Du Plessis rockets to the No. 1 spot in the middleweight division following his win over Robert Whittaker. Alexandre Pantoja enters the pound-for-pound Top 10 after becoming the new flyweight champion. The rankings are determined by a voting panel of media members.
Despite winning against John Ryder, Canelo Alvarez drops two spots in the Yahoo Sports pound-for-pound rankings of the world’s 10 best boxers, going from fourth to sixth, with Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis leapfrogging him. Alvarez is the only fighter in the Yahoo Sports Top 10 to have lost and one of only two, along with 33-0-1 WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, not to have a perfect record.
Aljamain Sterling debuts at No. 7 in the Yahoo Sports pound-for-pound rankings after defeating Henry Cejudo at UFC 288. Cejudo also enters the rankings at No. 10 despite the loss. Two fighters are dropped due to inactivity. Amanda Lemos and Raquel Pennington replace Cris Cyborg and Rose Namajunas in the women's rankings.
Israel Adesanya moved up to fourth in the Yahoo Sports MMA pound-for-pound rankings after his devastating second-round knockout of former middleweight champion Alex Pereira. The men's order was shuffled a bit, with welterweight champion Leon Edwards moving down a spot to fifth and welterweight/middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev to sixth. The women's rankings remained unchanged, with Amanda Nunes retaining the top spot.
Leon Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman at UFC 286, causing Usman to plummet to No. 9 in the MMA Fighting pound-for-pound rankings. The women's pound-for-pound rankings see Holly Holm returning to the octagon at UFC San Antonio, while Larissa Pacheco defends her PFL women's lightweight championship against Julia Budd. Pound-for-pound rankings are subjective, and fighters will be removed if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout.