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Top UFC Fighters of 2026: Power Rankings

The 2026 UFC season is reaching its climax, and the battle for Fighter of the Year is heating up. This year has seen a mix of championship wins, standout performances, and breakthrough moments, making it tough to pick just one fighter above the rest.

These rankings cover the top 15 fighters competing for the 2026 Fighter of the Year title. They reflect each competitor’s fights, victories, and overall impact inside the Octagon during the year.

We considered the level of opponents, importance of wins, title achievements, finishing moves, and consistency. Fighters who faced multiple top contenders have an edge over those with only one big win. Winning a title certainly helps, but strong performances and surprising upsets also count. These rankings focus purely on what happened in 2026, not a fighter’s entire career or reputation.

Fighters Ranked 15 to 11

  • 15. Aaron Pico: Victories over Patricio Pitbull and Losene Keita boosted his standing.
  • 14. Sean O'Malley: Beat Song Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi this year.
  • 13. Ciryl Gane: Claimed a win against Alex Pereira.
  • 12. Mackenzie Dern: Took down Gillian Robertson.
  • 11. Islam Makhachev: Defeated Ian Machado Garry.

Key Moments in 2026

  • May: Sean Strickland upset Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328.
  • June: Mauricio Ruffy knocked out Michael Chandler in round one.
  • September: Joshua Van retained flyweight title by outpointing Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 331.
  • October: Jasmine Jasudavicius outpointed Erin Blanchfield at UFC Fight Night Edmonton.
  • October: Alexander Volkanovski stopped Movsar Evloev; Petr Yan edged Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333.

Rankings 10 to 1

  • 10. Lone’er Kavanagh: Started strong with a unanimous decision win over Brandon Moreno, stumbled against Brandon Royval via submission, then bounced back with a first-round KO over Ramazan Temirov. His striking and finishing power stand out.
  • 9. Josh Hokit: Heavyweight prospect who knocked out Denzel Freeman, beat Curtis Blaydes by decision, and stopped Derrick Lewis by TKO, showing both power and endurance.
  • 8. Jasmine Jasudavicius: Solidified her place among women's flyweights with wins over Karine Silva and top contender Erin Blanchfield, proving her wrestling and control skills.
  • 7. Carlos Ulberg: Became UFC light heavyweight champion by knocking out Jiri Prochazka in the first round at UFC 327, marking a career highlight.
  • 6. Mauricio Ruffy: Started with impressive knockouts over Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler but was knocked out by Arman Tsarukyan later, showing his aggressive style and finishing ability.
  • 5. Sean Strickland: Returned to form with a TKO over Anthony Hernandez and a narrow split-decision win against Khamzat Chimaev, reinforcing his middleweight credentials.
  • 4. Joshua Van: Defended his flyweight title twice, including a fifth-round TKO over Tatsuro Taira and a decision win over former champ Alexandre Pantoja, showcasing endurance and pace.
  • 3. Petr Yan: Defended bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Merab Dvalishvili, adapting well under pressure and showing tactical skill.
  • 2. Alexander Volkanovski: At 38, defended featherweight title with wins over Diego Lopes by decision and Movsar Evloev by second-round TKO, continuing to prove his elite status.
  • 1. Justin Gaethje: Delivered a defining year by winning interim lightweight title over Paddy Pimblett and then stopping Ilia Topuria to claim undisputed lightweight gold, highlighting his relentless pressure and striking.

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