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MMA Pound-for-Pound Rankings October 2026: Volkanovski and Yan Clash After UFC 333

Alexander Volkanovski, at 38, showed no signs of slowing down with a dominant second-round TKO over Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. This victory propelled him up to No. 2 on the Uncrowned MMA pound-for-pound list, just behind the reigning leader, Islam Makhachev.

The rankings consider fighters active within the past year or with scheduled fights, and include athletes from major promotions beyond UFC such as PFL/MVP, RIZIN, ONE Championship, and Ki MMA.

  • 1. Islam Makhachev – UFC welterweight champion (Prev: 1). Despite wanting a fight before Ramadan, Makhachev will likely wait as an interim title bout is set between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales.
  • 2. Alexander Volkanovski – UFC featherweight champion (Prev: 3). Volkanovski cleverly pushed for Evloev’s title shot and then convincingly beat him. His future matchups may include lightweight champ Justin Gaethje.
  • 3. Petr Yan – UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 2). Coming off back surgery, Yan looked strong in his trilogy win over Merab Dvalishvili, solidifying his undisputed status.
  • 4. Joshua Van – UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 4). The young star recently defended his title twice and has a fight scheduled against Manel Kape in January at UFC 336.
  • 5. Justin Gaethje – UFC lightweight champion (Prev: 5). Many contenders are eyeing Gaethje’s belt, but he remains patient; Arman Tsarukyan looks like his next challenger despite recent scuffles outside the octagon.
  • 6. Ilia Topuria – Former UFC two-division champion (Prev: 7). Surprised by Dvalishvili’s loss, Topuria’s path forward is uncertain but a return is expected possibly in February.
  • 7. Sean Strickland – UFC middleweight champion (Prev: 8). After calming down following pay disputes, he seems set for five more fights, with Nassourdine Imavov likely next.
  • 8. Arman Tsarukyan – UFC lightweight contender (Prev: 10). Known for his fiery temperament, Tsarukyan’s altercation with Dillon Danis signals a looming title shot.
  • 9. Merab Dvalishvili – Former UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 6). After losing a close decision to Yan at UFC 333, questions remain about his future in the division.
  • 10. Carlos Ulberg – UFC light heavyweight champion (Prev: NR). Ulberg earned his spot after a ten-fight winning streak and title win in April. Expected to return mid-2027 following ACL recovery.

Others receiving votes include Alexandre Pantoja, Ciryl Gane, Alex Pereira, Max Holloway, and Khamzat Chimaev.

Women's Pound-for-Pound Rankings

Though neither holds a current belt, Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili maintain top spots. Jasmine Jasudavicius impressed at UFC Edmonton but narrowly missed the top 10.

  • 1. Valentina Shevchenko – Former UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 1). As the division moves on, with Natalia Silva winning the belt Shevchenko vacated, her future role remains unclear.
  • 2. Zhang Weili – Former UFC strawweight champion (Prev: 3). Enjoying time away from UFC, her possible return could feature a fight with Mackenzie Dern.
  • 3. Kayla Harrison – UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 2). Harrison is set to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden.
  • 4. Cris Cyborg – PFL women’s featherweight champion (Prev: 4). Not done yet, Cyborg plans to compete with upcoming promotions but faces challenges finding worthy opponents.
  • 5. Natalia Silva – UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 5). Still adjusting to champion life, she could face Shevchenko or new contenders like Alexa Grasso or Jasudavicius.
  • 6. Dakota Ditcheva – PFL flyweight contender (Prev: 6). Her rematch with Jena Bishop could be significant after Bishop upset Liz Carmouche.
  • 7. Mackenzie Dern – UFC strawweight champion (Prev: 7). Defending her belt will be challenging with potential opponents like Zhang, Tatiana Suarez, or Fatima Kline.
  • 8. Amanda Nunes – UFC bantamweight contender (Prev: 8). Returning to competition aiming to cement her legacy, her upcoming bout against Harrison will be telling.
  • 9. Alexa Grasso – UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 9). After bouncing back with impressive wins, Grasso might be close to another title shot.
  • 10. Seika Izawa – Former RIZIN super atomweight champion (Prev: 10). Currently on maternity leave, Izawa’s submission skills remain remarkable.

Others receiving votes include Tatiana Suarez, Erin Blanchfield, Fatima Kline, Virna Jandiroba, and Liz Carmouche.

Voting Panel Selections

Shaheen Al-Shatti

  • Men: Islam Makhachev, Petr Yan, Alexander Volkanovski, Justin Gaethje, Sean Strickland, Joshua Van, Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, Arman Tsarukyan, Merab Dvalishvili
  • Women: Valentina Shevchenko, Kayla Harrison, Zhang Weili, Amanda Nunes, Cris Cyborg, Seika Izawa, Natalia Silva, Mackenzie Dern, Alexa Grasso, Dakota Ditcheva

Conner Burks

  • Men: Islam Makhachev, Petr Yan, Alexander Volkanovski, Joshua Van, Carlos Ulberg, Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria, Sean Strickland, Khamzat Chimaev, Arman Tsarukyan
  • Women: Valentina Shevchenko, Kayla Harrison, Cris Cyborg, Zhang Weili, Dakota Ditcheva, Natalia Silva, Mackenzie Dern, Manon Fiorot, Seika Izawa, Fatima Kline

Petesy Carroll

  • Men: Islam Makhachev, Alexander Volkanovski, Petr Yan, Sean Strickland, Joshua Van, Justin Gaethje, Ciryl Gane, Ilia Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, Merab Dvalishvili
  • Women: Valentina Shevchenko, Zhang Weili, Kayla Harrison, Amanda Nunes, Dakota Ditcheva, Cris Cyborg, Mackenzie Dern, Natalia Silva, Alexa Grasso, Jasmine Jasudavicius

Ben Fowlkes

  • Men: Islam Makhachev, Alexander Volkanovski, Petr Yan, Joshua Van, Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, Max Holloway, Sean Strickland, Alexandre Pantoja
  • Women: Valentina Shevchenko, Zhang Weili, Kayla Harrison, Cris Cyborg, Natalia Silva, Dakota Ditcheva, Alexa Grasso, Amanda Nunes, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Fatima Kline

Eric Jackman

  • Men: Islam Makhachev, Joshua Van, Petr Yan, Alexander Volkanovski, Arman Tsarukyan, Sean Strickland, Merab Dvalishvili, Ilia Topuria, Ciryl Gane, Khamzat Chimaev
  • Women: Valentina Shevchenko, Kayla Harrison, Zhang Weili, Cris Cyborg, Natalia Silva, Mackenzie Dern, Alexa Grasso, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Tatiana Suarez, Dakota Ditcheva

Chuck Mindenhall

  • Men: Islam Makhachev, Alexander Volkanovski, Joshua Van, Petr Yan, Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, Sean Strickland, Merab Dvalishvili, Alexandre Pantoja
  • Women: Valentina Shevchenko, Kayla Harrison, Zhang Weili, Cris Cyborg, Alexa Grasso, Dakota Ditcheva, Natalia Silva, Amanda Nunes, Fatima Kline, Jasmine Jasudavicius

Drake Riggs

  • Men: Islam Makhachev, Alexander Volkanovski, Justin Gaethje, Joshua Van, Petr Yan, Ilia Topuria, Alexandre Pantoja, Carlos Ulberg, Merab Dvalishvili, Sean Strickland
  • Women: Valentina Shevchenko, Seika Izawa, Cris Cyborg, Zhang Weili, Natalia Silva, Mackenzie Dern, Kayla Harrison, Virna Jandiroba, Dakota Ditcheva, Alexa Grasso

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