MMA pound-for-pound P4P rankings – how high for Alex Pereira

The staredown alone could have earned Alex Pereira a spot in the pound-for-pound rankings, but Pereira sewed up his place among the best when he followed Saturday night’s extended, no-blinking prefight staring contest with Jirí Procházka by knocking out the former champion in the UFC 295 main event to claim the light heavyweight title.

Pereira thus became the ninth fighter to win UFC championships in two weight classes. He has accomplished that in just 11 pro MMA fights, seven inside the Octagon.

The second-round TKO of Procházka elevates Pereira into the top five of the latest ESPN pound-for-pound rankings — after previously being unranked.

«No one else on the list other than Jon Jones has achieved two titles in different divisions, let alone in the short time frame Alex has done it,» ESPN betting expert Ian Parker said, in explaining why he ranked Pereira as highly as he did. «Some of the others haven’t defended a belt in one division, let alone compete in two and win in two. If that doesn’t scream P4P greatness, then I don’t know what does.»

The only other major movement in the men’s and women’s top 10s is that Carla Esparza drops out because of inactivity. The former UFC strawweight champ has not fought since last November.

For the ESPN divisional MMA rankings, click here.

Note: Results are current; rankings as of Nov. 13. In order to be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed over the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Fighters who have been dropped for inactivity can be reinstated only after they compete.

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Men’s pound-for-pound rankings

1. Islam Makhachev  

UFC lightweight champion
Record: 25-1
Last: W (KO1) vs. Alexander Volkanovski, Oct. 21, 2023
Next: TBD

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2. Jon Jones  

UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 27-1, 1 NC
Last: W (Sub1) vs. Ciryl Gane, March 4, 2023
Next: TBD

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3. Alexander Volkanovski  

UFC featherweight champion
Record: 26-3
Last: L (KO1) vs. Islam Makhachev, Oct. 21, 2023
Next: Feb. 17 vs. Ilia Topuria

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4. Leon Edwards  

UFC welterweight champion
Record: 21-3, 1 NC
Last: W (MD) vs. Kamaru Usman, March 18, 2023
Next: Dec. 16 vs. Colby Covington

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T-5. Charles Oliveira  

UFC lightweight
Record: 34-9, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Beneil Dariush, June 10, 2023
Next: TBD

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T-5. Alex Pereira  

UFC light heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 9-2
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Jirí Procházka, Nov. 11, 2023
Next: TBD

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7. Israel Adesanya  

UFC middleweight
Previous ranking: 6
Record: 24-3
Last: L (UD) vs. Sean Strickland, Sept. 9, 2023
Next: TBD

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8. Sean O’Malley  

UFC bantamweight champion
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 17-1, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Aljamain Sterling, Aug. 19, 2023
Next: TBD in March vs. Marlon Vera

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9. Alexandre Pantoja  

UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: 8
Record: 26-5
Last: W (SD) vs. Brandon Moreno, July 8, 2023
Next: Dec. 16 vs. Brandon Royval

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10. Sean Strickland  

UFC middleweight champion
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 28-5
Last: W (UD) vs. Israel Adesanya, Sept. 9, 2023
Next: Jan. 20 vs. Dricus Du Plessis

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Other fighters receiving votes: Kamaru Usman, Aljamain Sterling, Khamzat Chimaev, Max Holloway, Demetrious Johnson, Justin Gaethje and Brandon Moreno.

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How our panel voted

Brett Okamoto: 1. Islam Makhachev; 2. Alexander Volkanovski; 3. Jon Jones; 4. Leon Edwards; 5. Israel Adesanya; 6. Alex Pereira; 7. Charles Oliveira; 8. Alexandre Pantoja; 9. Max Holloway; 10. Brandon Moreno.

Marc Raimondi: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Edwards; 5. Oliveira; 6. Pereira; 7. Sean O’Malley; 8. Pantoja; 9. Sean Strickland; 10. Adesanya.

Megan Anderson: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Edwards; 5. Oliveira; 6. Adesanya; 7. Kamaru Usman; 8. Pereira; 9. Aljamain Sterling; 10. O’Malley.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Edwards; 5. Pereira; 6. Adesanya; 7. O’Malley; 8. Strickland; 9. Oliveira; 10. Holloway.

Ian Parker: 1. Jones; 2. Makhachev; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Pereira; 5. Edwards; 6. O’Malley; 7. Pantoja; 8. Strickland; 9. Demetrious Johnson; 10. Khamzat Chimaev.

Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Makhachev; 2. Volkanovski; 3. Jones; 4. Oliveira; 5. Adesanya; 6. Edwards; 7. Pantoja; 8. Chimaev; 9. Pereira; 10. Usman.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Edwards; 5. Oliveira; 6. O’Malley; 7. Pantoja; 8. Pereira; 9. Sterling; 10. Justin Gaethje.

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1. Zhang Weili  

UFC strawweight champion
Record: 24-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Amanda Lemos, Aug. 19, 2023
Next: TBD

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2. Alexa Grasso  

UFC flyweight champion
Record: 16-3-1
Last: Split draw vs. Valentina Shevchenko, Sept. 16, 2023
Next: TBD

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3. Valentina Shevchenko  

UFC flyweight
Record: 22-4-1
Last: Split draw vs. Alexa Grasso, Sept. 16, 2023
Next: TBD

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4. Cris Cyborg  

Bellator featherweight champion
Record: 27-2, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Cat Zingano, Oct. 7, 2023
Next: TBD

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5. Erin Blanchfield  

UFC flyweight
Record: 12-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Taila Santos, Aug. 26, 2023
Next: TBD

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6. Tatiana Suarez  

UFC strawweight
Previous ranking: Tied for 8
Record: 10-0
Last: W (Sub2) vs. Jessica Andrade, Aug. 5, 2023
Next: TBD

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7. Yan Xiaonan  

UFC strawweight
Previous ranking: 6
Record: 17-3
Last: W (KO1) vs. Jessica Andrade, May 6, 2023
Next: TBD

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T-8. Kayla Harrison  

PFL featherweight
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 15-1
Last: L (UD) vs. Larissa Pacheco, Nov. 25, 2022
Next: Nov. 24 vs. Aspen Ladd

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T-8. Larissa Pacheco  

PFL featherweight
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 22-4
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Olena Kolesnyk, Aug. 18, 2023
Next: Nov. 24 vs. Marina Mokhnatkina

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10. Manon Fiorot  

UFC flyweight
Previous ranking: Tied for 8
Record: 11-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Rose Namajunas, Sept. 2, 2023
Next: TBD

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Other fighters receiving votes: Seika Izawa, Raquel Pennington, Liz Carmouche, Amanda Lemos, Rose Namajunas and Julianna Peña.

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How our panel voted

Brett Okamoto: 1. Zhang Weili; 2. Alexa Grasso; 3. Valentina Shevchenko; 4. Cris Cyborg. 5. Erin Blanchfield; 6. Tatiana Suarez; 7. Manon Fiorot; 8. Rose Namajunas; 9. Kayla Harrison; 10. Yan Xiaonan.

Marc Raimondi: 1. Zhang; 2. Cyborg; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Grasso; 5. Blanchfield; 6. Yan; 7. Seika Izawa; 8. Suarez; 9. Fiorot; 10. Raquel Pennington.

Megan Anderson: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Cyborg; 5. Blanchfield; 6. Yan; 7. Pennington; 8. Fiorot; 9. Suarez; 10. Julianna Peña.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Cyborg; 5. Kayla Harrison; 6. Blanchfield; 7. Yan; 8. Larissa Pacheco; 9. Suarez; 10. Liz Carmouche.

Ian Parker: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Cyborg; 5. Blanchfield; 6. Suarez; 7. Pacheco; 8. Fiorot; 9. Harrison; 10. Namajunas.

Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Blanchfield; 5. Larissa Pacheco; 6. Cyborg; 7. Amanda Lemos; 8. Harrison; 9. Izawa; 10. Carmouche.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Cyborg; 4. Shevchenko; 5. Blanchfield; 6. Esparza; 7. Yan; 8. Carmouche; 9. Izawa; 10. Suarez.