There’s a change at the top of ESPN’s men’s pound-for-pound rankings, and also a new No. 1 in the women’s top 10.
Those movements occurred under different circumstances.
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski now stands alone at the top of the men’s rankings, a spot he previously shared with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Volkanovski claimed the top position for himself with a masterful performance last Saturday at UFC 290, where he fended off a challenge from Yair Rodriguez with a third-round TKO.
In the women’s rankings, Zhang Weili claimed the No. 1 spot, even though she hasn’t fought since November. The UFC strawweight champion moved up from No. 2 because the previous highest-ranked woman, Amanda Nunes, retired and vacated her bantamweight and featherweight championships. Zhang has a chance to cement her position at the top when she defends her belt against ninth-ranked Amanda Lemos on August 19.
Two fighters are recently ranked in these bottom 10: Alexandre Pantoja, who won the men’s flyweight title at UFC 290, and Liz Carmouche, owner of the Bellator women’s flyweight belt.
To view the ESPN MMA Divisional Rankings, click here.
Note: Results are current; rankings as of July 11. To be eligible for rankings, a fighter must have competed within the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Boxers who have been discharged for inactivity may be reinstated only after competing.
Men’s pound-for-pound ranking
1. Alexander Volkanovsky
UFC Featherweight Champion
Record: 26-2
Last: W (TKO3) Yair Rodriguez, July 8, 2023
Next: Determined
2. Islam Makhachev 
ufc lightweight champion
Previous classification: tied for 1
Record: 24-1
Last: W (UD) Alexander Volkanovski, February 11, 2023
Next: Determined
3.Jon Jones 
UFC Heavyweight Champion
Record: 27-1, 1 NC
Last: W (U1) Ciryl Gane, March 4, 2023
Next: November 11 vs. Stipe Miocic
4. Israel Adesanya
UFC Middleweight Champion
Record: 24-2
Last: G (TKO2) Alex Pereira, April 8, 2023
Next: TBD vs. Dricus Du Plessis
5. Leon Edwards
UFC welterweight champion
Record: 21-3, 1 NC
Last: W (MD) Kamaru Usman, March 18, 2023
Next: Determined
6. Carlos Oliveira
ufc lightweight
Record: 34-9, 1 NC
Last: G (TKO1) Beneil Dariush, June 10, 2023
Next: Determined
7.Aljamain Sterling
UFC Bantamweight Champion
Record: 22-3
Last: W (SD) Henry Cejudo, May 6, 2023
Next: August 19 vs. Sean O’Malley
8. Kamaru Usman
ufc welterweight
Record: 20-3
Last: L (MD) Leon Edwards, March 18, 2023
Next: Determined
9. Alejandro Pantoja
UFC Flyweight Champion
Previous classification:unclassified
Record:26-5
Last:W (SD) Brandon Moreno, Jul 8, 2023
Next:Determined
10. Dustin Poirier
ufc lightweight
Previous classification: unclassified
Record: 29-7, 1 NC
Last: W (U3) Michael Chandler, Nov. 12, 2022
Next: July 29 vs. Justin Gaethje
Other wrestlers who received votes: Brandon Moreno, Alex Pereira, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and Max Holloway.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto : 1. Alexander Volkanovsky; 2. Islam Makhachev; 3.Jon Jones; 4. Israel Adesanya; 5. Leon Edwards; 6. Carlos Oliveira; 7.Aljamain Sterling; 8. Kamaru Usman; 9. Dustin Poirier; 10. Alejandro Pantoja.
Marc Raimondi : 1.Jones; 2. Makhachev; 3. Volkanovsky; 4. Adesanya; 5. Pound sterling; 6. Edwards; 7. Oliveira; 8. Pantoja; 9. Usman; 10. Brandon Moreno.
megan anderson : 1.Jones; 2. Volkanovsky; 3. Makhachev; 4. Adesanya; 5.Edwards; 6. Oliveira; 7. Usman; 8. Sterling; 9. Pantoja; 10. Brown.
Carlos Contreras Legazpi : 1. Volkanovsky; 2. Makhachev; 3.Jones; 4. Adesanya; 5.Edwards; 6. Oliveira; 7. Usman; 8. Sterling; 9. Alex Pereira; 10.Max Holloway.
Eddie Maisonet III : 1. Volkanovsky; 2. Makhachev; 3. Adesanya; 4.Jones; 5. Pound sterling; 6. Oliveira; 7. Edwards; 8.Poirier; 9. Usman; 10. Patrick “Pitbull” Freire.
jeff wagenheim : 1. Makhachev; 2. Volkanovsky; 3.Jones; 4. Adesanya; 5.Edwards; 6. Oliveira; 7. Sterling; 8. Pantoja; 9. Usman; 10. Brown.
1.Zhang Weili
UFC Strawweight Champion
Previous classification: 2
Record: 23-3
Last: W (Sub2) Carla Esparza, November 12, 2022
Next: August 19 vs. Amanda Lemos
2. Valentina Shevchenko
UFC Flyweight
Previous classification: 3
Record: 22-4
Last: L (Sub4) Alexa Grasso, March 4, 2023
Next: Determined
3.Alexa Grasso
UFC Flyweight Champion
Previous classification: 4
Record: 16-3
Last: W (U4) Valentina Shevchenko, March 4, 2023
Next: Determined
4. Juliana Pena
UFC Bantamweight
Previous classification: 5
Record: 11-5
Last: L (UD) Amanda Nunes, July 30, 2022
Next: Determined
5.Erin Blanchfield
UFC Flyweight
Previous classification: 6
Record: 11-1
Last: W (U2) Jessica Andrade, February 18, 2023
Next: Determined
6. Carla Esparza
ufc strawweight
Previous classification: 7
Record: 7-19
Last: L (U2) Zhang Weili, November 12, 2022
Next:Determined
7. Yan Xiaonan
ufc strawweight
Previous classification:tied form 8
Record:17-3
Last:W (KO1) Jessica Andrade, May 6, 2023
Next:Determined
8. Kayla Harrison
light PFL
Record:15-1
Last:L (UD) Larissa Pacheco, November 25, 2022
Next:Determined
9. Amanda Lemos
ufc strawweight
Previous classification:10
Record:13-2-1
Last:W (TKO3) Marina Rodriguez, November 5, 2022
Next:August 19 vs. Zhang Weili
10. Liz Carmouche
Bellator Flyweight Champion
Previous classification:unclassified
Record:7-19
Last:W (U4) DeAnna Bennett, April 21, 2023
Next:Determined
Other fighters who received votes: Jessica Andrade, Larissa Pacheco, Raquel Pennington, Seika Izawa, Manon Fiorot and Taila Santos.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2.Zhang Weili; 3.Alexa Grasso; 4. Julianna Pena; 5. Kayla Harrison; 6.Erin Blanchfield; 7. Carla Esparza; 8. Jessica Andrade; 9. Yan Xiaonan; 10. Amanda Lemos.
Marc Raimondi: 1. Shevchenko; 2.zhang; 3. Grasso; 4. Pena; 5.Blanchfield; 6. Spread; 7.yan; 8.Seika Izawa; 9. lemos; 10. Liz Carmouche.
megan anderson: 1.zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Grasso; 4. Spread; 5.Blanchfield; 6.yan; 7.Raquel Pennington; 8. Pena; 9. Manon Fiorot; 10. Taila Santos.
Carlos Contreras Legazpi: 1.zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Grasso; 4. Pena; 5.Harrison; 6. Spread; 7.Blanchfield; 8.yan; 9.Andrade; 10. Larissa Pacheco.
Eddie Maisonet III: 1.zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Pena; 5.Blanchfield; 6. lemos; 7. Pacheco; 8.Harrison; 9. Carmocho; 10. Izawa.
jeff wagenheim: 1.zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Grasso; 4. Pena; 5.Blanchfield; 6. Spread; 7. Cartridge; 8.yan; 9. lemos; 10. Pennington.
