MMA divisional rankings - Little movement as Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier nears

May 21, 2024, 08:19 AM ET

MMA fights can be volatile, and the same goes for the rankings that sort out the hierarchy of fighters.

Just last week, ESPN’s Jeff Wagenheim wrote a feature in which Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix confidently proclaimed himself the best 135-pounder in the world. He aimed to prove it Friday against Magomed Magomedov, whom he had quickly submitted less than two years earlier. But this time it was tougher going for Mix, who retained his belt via split decision.

It wasn’t an alarming result, but it did drop Mix down one spot in Brett Okamoto’s latest divisional rankings.

The only other movement in these rankings came at strawweight, where Angela Hill’s win over Luana Pinheiro at UFC Fight Night on Saturday enabled Hill to move back into the top 10 — at Pinheiro’s expense.

These rankings will hold steady until the beginning of June, when UFC 302 features a lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier. Will we see more serious volatility then?

For the ESPN pound-for-pound MMA rankings, click here. For a list of current UFC champions in all weight classes, click here.

Note: Results are current; rankings as of May 21. 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.

Heavyweight – Light heavyweight – Middleweight – Welterweight
Lightweight – Men’s featherweight – Men’s bantamweight
Men’s flyweight – Women’s bantamweight – Women’s flyweight – Strawweight

HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 265 pounds)

1. Tom Aspinall

Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-3
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Sergei Pavlovich, Nov. 11, 2023
Next: July 27 vs. Curtis Blaydes

2. Sergei Pavlovich

Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-2
Last: L (TKO1) vs. Tom Aspinall, Nov. 11, 2023
Next: June 22 vs. Alexander Volkov

3. Ciryl Gane

Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-2
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Serghei Spivac, Sept. 2, 2023
Next: TBD

4. Curtis Blaydes

Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-4, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Jailton Almeida, March 9, 2024
Next: July 27 vs. Tom Aspinall

5. Alexander Volkov

Promotion: UFC
Record: 37-10
Last: W (Sub2) vs. Tai Tuivasa, Sept. 9, 2023
Next: June 22 vs. Sergei Pavlovich

6. Renan Ferreira

Promotion: PFL champion
Record: 13-3, 3 NC
Last: W (KO1) vs. Ryan Bader, Feb. 24, 2024
Next: TBD

7. Serghei Spivac

Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-4
Last: L (TKO2) vs. Ciryl Gane, Sept. 2, 2023
Next: TBD

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HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 265 pounds)

1. Tom Aspinall

2. Sergei Pavlovich <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

3. Ciryl Gane <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

4. Curtis Blaydes <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

5. Alexander Volkov <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

6. Renan Ferreira <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

7. Serghei Spivac <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

8. Jailton Almeida <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

9. Vadim Nemkov <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

10. Tai Tuivasa <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (up to 205 pounds)

1. Alex Pereira <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

2. Jirí Procházka <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

3. Magomed Ankalaev <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

4. Jamahal Hill <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

5. Jan Blachowicz <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

6. Corey Anderson <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

7. Aleksandar Rakić <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

8. Khalil Rountree Jr. <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

9. Johnny Walker <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

10. Anthony Smith <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

MIDDLEWEIGHT (up to 185 pounds)

1. Dricus du Plessis <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

2. Israel Adesanya <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

3. Robert Whittaker <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

4. Jared Cannonier <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

5. Sean Strickland <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

6. Marvin Vettori <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

7. Johnny Eblen <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

8. Khamzat Chimaev <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

9. Brendan Allen <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

10. Jack Hermansson <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

WELTERWEIGHT (up to 170 pounds)

1. Leon Edwards <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

2. Kamaru Usman <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

3. Belal Muhammad <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

4. Shavkat Rakhmonov <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

5. Jack Della Maddalena <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

6. Gilbert Burns <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

7. Colby Covington <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

8. Jason Jackson <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

9. Sean Brady <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

10. Ian Machado Garry <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

LIGHTWEIGHT (up to 155 pounds)

1. Islam Makhachev <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

2. Arman Tsarukyan <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

3. Charles Oliveira <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

4. Justin Gaethje <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

5. Dustin Poirier <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

6. Beneil Dariush <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

7. Mateusz Gamrot <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

8. Rafael Fiziev <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

9. Dan Hooker <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

10. Jalin Turner <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

MEN’S FEATHERWEIGHT (up to 145 pounds)

1. Ilia Topuria <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

2. Alexander Volkanovski <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

3. Max Holloway <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

4. Brian Ortega <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

5. Yair Rodriguez <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

7. Josh Emmett <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

8. Movsar Evloev <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

9. Arnold Allen <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

10. Aljamain Sterling <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

MEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT (up to 135 pounds)

1. Sean O’Malley <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

2. Merab Dvalishvili <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

3. Cory Sandhagen <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

4. Petr Yan <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

5. Henry Cejudo <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

6. Jose Aldo <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/sportsnation/gn-arrow.png" width="17" />

7. Patchy Mix <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/sportsnation/rd-arrow.png" width="17" />

8. Marlon Vera <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

9. Deiveson Figueiredo <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

10. Sergio Pettis <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

MEN’S FLYWEIGHT (up to 125 pounds)

1. Alexandre Pantoja <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

2. Brandon Royval <img data-lazy-fallback="1" decoding="async" alt="" src="https://a.espncdn.com/i/nba/misc/sw_ye_40.png" width="17" />

2. Sergei Pavlovich

3. Ciryl Gane

4. Curtis Blaydes

5. Alexander Volkov

6. Renan Ferreira

7. Serghei Spivac

8. Jailton Almeida

9. Vadim Nemkov

10. Tai Tuivasa

1. Alex Pereira

2. Jirí Procházka

3. Magomed Ankalaev

4. Jamahal Hill

5. Jan Blachowicz

6. Corey Anderson

7. Aleksandar Rakić

8. Khalil Rountree Jr.

9. Johnny Walker

10. Anthony Smith

1. Dricus du Plessis

2. Israel Adesanya

3. Robert Whittaker

4. Jared Cannonier

5. Sean Strickland

6. Marvin Vettori

7. Johnny Eblen

8. Khamzat Chimaev

9. Brendan Allen

10. Jack Hermansson

1. Leon Edwards

2. Kamaru Usman

3. Belal Muhammad

4. Shavkat Rakhmonov

5. Jack Della Maddalena

6. Gilbert Burns

7. Colby Covington

8. Jason Jackson

9. Sean Brady

10. Ian Machado Garry

1. Islam Makhachev

2. Arman Tsarukyan

3. Charles Oliveira

4. Justin Gaethje

5. Dustin Poirier

6. Beneil Dariush

7. Mateusz Gamrot

8. Rafael Fiziev

9. Dan Hooker

10. Jalin Turner

1. Ilia Topuria

2. Alexander Volkanovski

3. Max Holloway

4. Brian Ortega

5. Yair Rodriguez

7. Josh Emmett

8. Movsar Evloev

9. Arnold Allen

10. Aljamain Sterling

1. Sean O’Malley

2. Merab Dvalishvili

3. Cory Sandhagen

4. Petr Yan

5. Henry Cejudo

6. Jose Aldo

7. Patchy Mix

8. Marlon Vera

9. Deiveson Figueiredo

10. Sergio Pettis

1. Alexandre Pantoja

2. Brandon Royval

3. Brandon Moreno

5. Kai Kara-France

6. Steve Erceg

7. Manel Kape

8. Muhammad Mokaev

9. Alex Perez

10. Matheus Nicolau

1. Raquel Pennington

2. Kayla Harrison

3. Ketlen Vieira