MMA Divisional Rankings: Which dominant UFC champion is most at risk of losing their title?

UFC 312: Du Plessis v Strickland 2 — Dricus du Plessis | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

UFC gold has never held more weight.

That’s not exactly a revelation given that for the better part of the past two decades, it was widely accepted that being UFC champion means you’re the No. 1 fighter in your weight class. But when promotions like PRIDE, Bellator, and even ONE Championship were actively promoting MMA, there was at least room for debate.

Fedor Emelianenko was long viewed as the king of the heavyweights despite never stepping foot inside the octagon. When Demetrious Johnson was sent from UFC to ONE, he took the title of world’s greatest flyweight with him. Homegrown Bellator products like Johnny Eblen, Patchy Mix, and Patricio Pitbull all made strong cases to be considered as worthy opposition to their UFC counterparts. And long before Dana White even considered promoting women’s fights, legends like Cris Cyborg, Megumi Fujii, and Ronda Rousey were doing there damage elsewhere.

Now, check out those charts below. All but one division features a No. 1-ranked fighter unanimously voted in, with the exception being heavyweight, where Francis Ngannou garnered one vote of support. Ngannou never lost his UFC title before making the jump to PFL and he’s actually fought more recently than current UFC champion Tom Aspinall, but one gets the sense Aspinall is just one undisputed title defense away from claiming that last ballot.

So the question has to be asked, is there an argument for any fighter that they should be No. 1 instead? Perhaps the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov, who missed out on his chance to challenge Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title and now sits on the sidelines with an injury watching new champion Jack Della Maddalena line up a fight with Pound-for-Pound No. 1 Islam Makhachev?

Or could it Movsar Evloev, also without a loss and also seemingly having to compete again to earn a championship opportunity? Evloev was left out in the cold when Ilia Topuria vacated the featherweight title, with his 8-0 UFC record not swaying the matchmakers, who instead booked Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes to fight for the vacant belt.

One could even argue Topuria isn’t the rightful lightweight ruler after his win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 (though good luck having that discussion after one of the most stunning knockouts of the year). After all, Arman Tsarukyan also recently defeated Oliveira, and he has a much more impressive body of work at 155 pounds.

As you can see, you have to reach to make a case that the 11 current UFC champions aren’t the clear-cut best of their divisions, but that doesn’t mean these chart-toppers are locked in. Dricus du Plessis could lose his spot at UFC 319 in August when he fights Khamzat Chimaev. Kayla Harrison has to fend off a returning Amanda Nunes, only the greatest women’s champion ever. And Della Maddalena will soon have his day in court with the seemingly indomitable Makhachev.

At the halfway point of 2025, it’s entirely possible we are looking at the same names at No. 1 by year’s end; on the other hand, no one will be surprised if the calendar year gives us a few more rankings twists before it’s all said and done.

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 7 Curtis Blaydes def. Rizvan Kuniev, Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. No. 9 Serghei Spivac, No. 12 Phil De Fries def. Arkadiusz Wrzosek

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Sergei Pavlovich vs. No. 8 Waldo Cortes-Acosta (UFC Shanghai, Aug. 23), No. 12 Marcin Tybura vs. Ante Delija (UFC Paris, Sept. 9), No. 15 (tied) Derrick Lewis vs. Tallison Teixeira (UFC Nashville, July 12)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Anatoly Malykhin (2), Rizvan Kuniev (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 3 Jon Jones (retirement)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 8 Khalil Rountree def. No. 7 Jamahal Hill, No. 13 Azamat Murzakanov def. Brendson Ribeiro

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Corey Anderson vs. Denis Goltsov (heavyweight bout) (PFL Africa, July 19), No. 13 Nikita Krylov vs. No. 15 Bogdan Guskov (UFC Abu Dhabi, July 26), No. 14 Johnny Walker vs. Zhang Mingyang (UFC Shanghai, Aug. 23)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Anatoly Malykhin (2), Phil Davis (1), Roman Dolidze (1), Dovlet Yagshimuradov (1), Zhang Mingyang (1)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Fabian Edwards def. Josh Silveira

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Dricus du Plessis vs. No. 2 Khamzat Chimaev (UFC 319, Aug. 16), No. 3 Nassourdine Imavov vs. No. 6 Caio Borralho (UFC Paris, Sept. 9), No. 7 Robert Whittaker vs. No. 10 Reinier de Ridder (UFC Baku, July 26), No. 8 Anthony Hernandez vs. No. 13 Roman Dolidze (UFC Vegas 109, Aug. 9), No. 9 Johnny Eblen vs. Costello van Steenis (PFL Africa, July 26), No. 11 Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page (UFC 319, Aug. 16), No. 12 Brendan Allen vs. Marvin Vettori (UFC 318, July 19), No. 14 Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov (UFC 317, June 28), No. 15 Fabian Edwards vs. Dalton Rosta (PFL 10, Aug. 21)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Roman Kopylov (2), Abus Magomedov (2), Gregory Rodrigues (1), Michael Page (1), Marvin Vettori (1)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): Kamaru Usman def. No. 7 Joaquin Buckley, Thad Jean def. No. 10 Jason Jackson

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 11 Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates (UFC 319, Aug. 16), No. 12 Michael Page vs. Jared Cannonier (middleweight bout) (UFC 319, Aug. 16), No. 14 Thad Jean vs. Logan Storley (PFL 8, Aug. 1)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Carlos Prates (4), Stephen Thompson (3), Kevin Holland (2), Jason Jackson (2), Shamil Musaev (2), Rinat Fakhretdinov (1)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): Ilia Topuria def. No. 3 Charles Oliveira, No. 9 (tied) Beneil Dariush def. No. 14 Renato Moicano, No. 9 (tied) Mateusz Gamrot def. Ludovit Klein, No. 11 Rafael Fiziev def. Ignacio Bahamondes

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Max Holloway vs. No. 7 Dustin Poirier (UFC 318, July 19), No. 15 A.J. McKee vs. Akhmed Magomedov (featherweight bout) (PFL Africa, July 19)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Gadzhi Rabadanov (3), Benoit Saint Denis (1), Jalin Turner (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Islam Makhachev (moving to welterweight)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Movsar Evloev vs. No. 10 Aaron Pico (UFC Abu Dhabi, July 26), No. 3 Diego Lopes vs. No. 7 Jean Silva (Noche UFC, Sept. 13), No. 4 Brian Ortega vs. No. 8 Aljamain Sterling (UFC Shanghai, Aug. 23), No. 12 Patricio Pitbull vs. No. 14 Dan Ige (UFC 318, July 19), No. 15 (tied) Jesus Pinedo vs. Movlid Khaybulaev (PFL 8, Aug. 1)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Movlid Khaybulaev (2), Razhabali Shaydullaev (2), Calvin Kattar (1), Chepe Mariscal (1)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Merab Dvalishvili def. No. 3 Sean O’Malley, No. 10 Mario Bautista def. No. 5 Patchy Mix, No. 11 Sergio Pettis def. Raufeon Stots, No. 15 Magomed Magomedov def. Sarvarjon Khamidov

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee (UFC Abu Dhabi, July 26)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Montel Jackson (3), Magomed Magomedov (2), Henry Cejudo (1), Marcus McGhee (1)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Alexandre Pantoja def. No. 6 Kai Kara-France, Joshua Van def. No. 2 (tied) Brandon Royval), No. 9 Muhammad Mokaev def. Thomas Assis

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 8 Amir Albazi vs. No. 9 Tatsuro Taira (UFC Vegas 108, Aug. 2), No. 11 Alex Perez vs. No. 12 Steve Erceg, No. 13 Asu Almabayev vs. No. 15 Ramazan Temirov (UFC Abu Dhabi, July 26)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Kai Asakura (2), Matheus Nicolau (2), Charles Johnson (1), Hiromasa Ougikubo (1), Tagir Ulanbekov (1)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Kayla Harrison def. No. 2 Julianna Peña, No. 4 Ketlen Vieira def. No. 5 (tied) Macy Chiasson

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 10 Karol Rosa vs. Nora Cornolle (UFC Vegas 108, Aug. 2)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Joselyne Edwards (2), Nora Cornolle (1)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 8 Liz Carmouche def. Elora Dana, No. 10 Rose Namajunas def. No. 15 Miranda Maverick, Tracy Cortez def. No. 13 Viviane Araujo

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Dakota Ditcheva vs. Sumiko Inaba (PFL Africa, July 19), No. 8 Liz Carmouche vs. Jena Bishop (PFL 9, Aug. 15), No. 13 Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci (strawweight bout) (UFC Abu Dhabi, July 26)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Jena Bishop (2), Jessica Andrade (1), Karine Silva (1), Ariane da Silva (1)

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown):

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Jessica Andrade vs. No. 11 Loopy Godinez (UFC 319, Aug. 16), No. 8 Iasmin Lucindo vs. No. 13 Angela Hill (UFC Vegas 109, Aug. 9), No. 10 Amanda Ribas vs. No. 12 Tabatha Ricci (UFC 318, July 19)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Luana Pinheiro (3)

A refresher on the ground rules:

The six-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, E. Casey Leydon, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout in a given weight class. Updates to the rankings are typically completed following each month’s UFC pay-per-view.
Should a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will decide whether that fighter should immediately be removed from the rankings or maintain their position until further notice. (Let’s put it this way: We’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings a lot quicker than the UFC did.)
Holding a promotion’s title does not guarantee that fighter will be viewed as the best in their promotion. Additionally, fighters who regularly compete or hold titles in multiple weight classes are eligible to be ranked in multiple lists.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.

MMA Divisional Rankings: Which dominant UFC champion is most at risk of losing their title?

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