Doubt Alexander Volkanovski at your own peril. At 36 years old, “Volk” did something that’s rarely seen in the UFC, which is to bounce back from consecutive knockout losses to reclaim a title. After a five-round masterclass at UFC 314 against Diego Lopes, all roads to gold once more go through Australia.
Was it enough for one of the greatest champions of all-time to crack back into the men’s top 10 pound-for-pound rankings? Ah-ha, see, now that’s the trick! It turns out we’re going to have to see more from “Volk” in his second title reign for that to happen. Several voters included him on their lists this month, but some did not. You can scroll down to see who the main offenders are.
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Meanwhile Virna Jandiroba is this month’s pound-for-pound debutante on the women’s side of the ledger, after sweeping the scorecards against Yan Xiaonan in Miami. She not only has a solid claim for the next shot at the women’s strawweight title, she now finds herself in rarified company in Uncrowned’s MMA pound-for-pound rankings.
The panel of Ben Fowlkes, Chuck Mindenhall, Shaheen Al-Shatti, Petesy Carroll, Drake Riggs, Eric Jackman and Conner Burks have ranked both the men’s and women’s pound-for-pound best, one through 10, using a weighted points system to determine the final rankings (being voted No. 1 equals 10 points, No. 2 equals nine points, down to No. 10 equaling one point).
Our only criterion for these monthly rankings is that a fighter has competed within at least a calendar year of the publication date or has at least had a fight booked within that window. If a fighter hasn’t competed in a year and books a fight after that time, he or she is once again eligible to be voted back in. Fighters who retire are no longer eligible for the rankings.
Though most of the best fighters are currently in the UFC, these rankings are not UFC exclusive. We take into consideration all the major promotions, from Bellator/PFL conglomerate to ONE Championship.
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Without further ado, the MMA pound-for-pound rankings for April!
Islam Makhachev still reigns supreme. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
(USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Islam Makhachev — UFC lightweight champion (Prev: 1)
In the history of the UFC you won’t find another example of a champion holding the matchmaking world in such suspense as Makhachev. He is reportedly waiting to see what happens with next month’s UFC 315 welterweight title fight between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena to determine his next move. Should his friend Muhammad win, he’ll defend the lightweight title. If “JDM” wins? He might be moving on up. Meanwhile, two divisions are twisting in the wind.
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2. Ilia Topuria — UFC Featherweight Champion (Prev: 2)
People just assumed that when Topuria vacated his featherweight title for a move to lightweight that a clash with Makhachev was forthcoming. Turns out there’s more to it. Who will the Spaniard fight when the dust settles? Is it possible that he and Charles Oliveira end up fighting for the vacant belt if Makhachev goes up? Maybe somebody else? Stay tuned…
3. Merab Dvalishvili — UFC Bantamweight Champion (Prev: 3)
There won’t be as much heat on Dvalishvili’s second fight with Sean O’Malley, as the two have been seen sharing the same jacuzzi while smiling for the camera. Even their press conference this past weekend in Miami lacked venom. Still, you have to like Dvalishvili’s chances against the lanky “Suga Show,” as the first fight at UFC 306 wasn’t all that close.
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4. Alexandre Pantoja — UFC Flyweight Champion (Prev: 4)
For a second there it looked like Pantoja would be fighting Kai Kara-France in his next title defense, yet that was cancelled, postponed, delayed and/or pushed aside, nobody is quite sure. Did Manel Kape leapfrog the field when he beat Asu Almabayev in early March? What’s the deal with Kyoji Horiguchi? Might somebody else be jumping into the discussion? We should find out soon what’s on deck for the “Cannibal.”
5. Dricus du Plessis — UFC Middleweight Champion (Prev: 5)
When asked if Du Plessis might be in line to defend the 185-pound title against Khamzat Chimaev at International Fight Week in late June, Dana White smiled a devilish little smile. That could mean anything, but if the UFC is hard-up for a compelling title fight, that one would fit the bill. Besides, South Africa versus Russia is plenty international, and honestly … imagine that fight.
6. Tom Aspinall — UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion (Prev: 6)
Back when Jon Jones beat Stipe Miocic some five months ago in New York, pundits wondered how long we’d have to wait to see the unification title. We here at Uncrowned said that if things were at a standstill by the London card in March, we might be in trouble. Well, March came and went, and no date has been circled. The good news? No less of an authority than Aspinall himself seems to believe the Jones fight will happen, so we should all bask in his faith.
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7. Jon Jones — UFC Heavyweight Champion (Prev: 8)
Jon Jones is sitting in the catbird seat. He wants a lot of money by UFC standards to fight Aspinall, which is fine. UFC should have to open its pocketbook to take care of its consensus GOAT. Meanwhile, the seasons are changing. Dominick Reyes, who five long years ago took Jones to the wire at UFC 247, has had a complete career collapse and resurrection in the time it’s taken Jones to have two fights. Not ideal.
8. Magomed Ankalaev — UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Prev: 7)
A month removed from winning the title, things are quiet on the eastern front. Ankalaev muted the buzz over Alex Pereira by winning a hard-fought, if lackluster decision at UFC 313, and right now it’s all about the rematch. People keep talking about Pereira not putting his best foot forward in the initial meeting, but — let’s be real here — Ankalaev feels he can do better, too.
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9. Francis Ngannou — PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Champion (Prev: 10)
What’s next for Ngannou, one of the greatest heavyweights going? Boxing? MMA? Acting? It’s like a broken record, but your guess is as good as ours. He’ll turn 39 years old in exactly five months. The clock is ticking louder and louder every day.
10. Alex Pereira — Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Prev: 9)
It’s not that 205 pounds lost all its fun when “Poatan” coughed up his belt to Ankalaev, but … it lost a mega-ton of imagination. Had Pereira beat “Big Ank” in March, we would’ve been talking about Pereira facing off with everyone from Tom Aspinall to Jon Jones to Oleksandr Usyk, but as it stands we’ll just have to settle for the mulligan fight at some point later this year.
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(Others receiving votes: Alexander Volkanovski, Belal Muhammad, Khamzat Chimaev)
Zhang Weili continues to terrorize the women’s ranks. (SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
(SAEED KHAN via Getty Images)
WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Zhang Weili — UFC strawweight champion (Prev: 1)
It looks like it might be Virna Jandiroba next for Zhang. But you know what would be a sick fight, the kind of event that might rival Ilia Topuria taking on Islam Makhachev from the women’s side of the ledger? A fight with the flyweight champ, Valentina Shevchenko. Should Shevchenko get through Manon Fiorot, let’s talk.
2. Valentina Shevchenko — UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 2)
Not that she’s looking past Manon Fiorot! She’s not! We’re just saying a mega fight is potentially out there. Can you imagine if Shevchenko goes right through Fiorot then beats Zhang Weili to cap off the year? That would be Fighter of the Year worthy. Not that she’s looking past Fiorot! She’s not!
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3. Cris Cyborg — PFL super fights women’s featherweight champion (Prev: 3)
We’re less than three months out from Cyborg’s 40th birthday. She has said she’ll retire at 40. Does she? She’s already won titles in something like 488 different promotions (actual number is five, including the PFL). Cyborg’s legacy is set. In March, we said a rematch with Larissa Pacheco would be fun, but at this point she could fight Maria LaHonkydonk and we’d be fine with it.
4. Kayla Harrison — UFC bantamweight contender (Prev: 4)
At least we know when Harrison is getting her crack at the 135-pound title. That will come on June 7 in Newark, at UFC 316. In the meantime, we can expect the bad blood to brew between her and current champion Julianna Peña, who is already making jokes about the severe rumbling in Harrison’s stomach. The two created some good tension in their initial press conference. The most hurtful/comical words exchanged so far? It might’ve been when Harrison said simply of Peña, “She’s pretty dumb.”
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5. Alexa Grasso — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 7)
As part of the women’s flyweight showcase that’s going on in May at UFC 315 in Montreal, Grasso will make her return against Natalia Silva, who’s won a dozen fights in a row, including six in the UFC. A thankless task, that, but it’s what she has to do to stay in earshot of Shevchenko, who is also fighting on that card. The road back to contention begins in the 514.
6. Julianna Peña — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 5)
There’s an admirable defiance to Peña that you can’t help but appreciate. She has been installed as a massive underdog for her first title defense against Harrison, and this is the kind of thing that pisses her the hell off. The sass factor has kicked up a notch, and it’s her against the world. But you know what? She might be onto something. Peña did beat Amanda Nunes a few years ago to win the belt the first time, and Nunes is considered the GOAT. Should she pull off a win over Harrison? We might have to arrange for a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame for “The Venezuelan Vixen.”
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7. Manon Fiorot — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 6)
Not that she’s the Magomed Ankalaev of the women’s flyweight division, but she can certainly relate to the ol’ lug. Should Fiorot overthrow Shevchenko at UFC 315 in May, the possibility of a Zhang vs. Shevchenko superfight goes out the window. Then again, you know what? That’s not her problem. Her job is to swing the narrative over to herself and bring the title back to France.
8. Dakota Ditcheva — PFL women’s 2024 flyweight tournament champion (Prev: 9)
There should be a song, “Where O’ Where Has Our Dakota Gone?” She was one of the breakout stars of 2024, and she’s perhaps the most-talked about PFL fighter on roster — yet right now we’re left to spot her in cameo roles. We got a peek of her at UFC London, which was a little bittersweet. On the one hand, imagine her in the UFC. On the other, can we at least see her fight somewhere?
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9. Larissa Pacheco — PFL featherweight contender (Prev: 8)
It was six months ago that Pacheco took on Cris Cyborg and did some serious damage to the MMA icon in a heroic loss. Now we’re not sure what comes next. It must sting to see the likes of Kayla Harrison — whom Pacheco beat in their third fight, the only fighter to hold such a distinction — at these UFC press conferences, on the verge of winning a title elsewhere, while she … just … languishes.
10. Virna Jandiroba — UFC strawweight contender (Prev: NR)
Not bad for 36 years young. The fun-loving Brazilian contender has now amassed five straight wins, including back-to-back dubs over former title challenges Yan Xiaonan and Amanda Lemos. Does she get a crack at Zhang next? That would appear to be the case, and you love to see it. She’s come a long way from that version of herself that lost to Mackenzie Dern in 2020. Today’s Jandiroba has a healthy dose of that zero-quit dawg in her. Say she can’t, and she will.
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(Others receiving votes: Tatiana Suarez, Raquel Pennington, Si Woo Park, Virna Jandiroba, Erin Blanchfield, Yan Xiaonan)
Here’s how we voted:
SHAHEEN AL-SHATTI
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Merab Dvalishvili
4. Alexandre Pantoja
5. Dricus du Plessis
6. Magomed Ankalaev
7. Alex Pereira
8. Francis Ngannou
9. Tom Aspinall
10. Alexander Volkanovski
WOMEN
1. Zhang Weili
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Alexa Grasso
4. Kayla Harrison
5. Cris Cyborg
6. Manon Fiorot
7. Larissa Pacheco
8. Seika Izawa
9. Dakota Ditcheva
10. Julianna Pena
CONNER BURKS
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3.Merab Dvalishvili
4. Jon Jones
5. Alexandre Pantoja
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6. Dricus Du Plessis
7. Tom Aspinall
8. Alexander Volkanovski
9. Magomed Ankalaev
10. Khamzat Chimaev
WOMEN
1. Zhang Weili
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Julianna Pena
5. Kayla Harrison
6. Manon Fiorot
7. Dakota Ditcheva
8. Alexa Grasso
9. Larissa Pacheco
10. Virna Jandiroba
PETESY CARROLL
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Merab Dvalishvili
4. Tom Aspinall
5. Alexandre Pantoja
6. Jon Jones
7. Magomed Ankalaev
8. Alex Pereira
9. Francis Ngannou
10. Dricus Du Plessis
WOMEN
1. Zhang Weili
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Kayla Harrison
5. Alexa Grasso
6. Julianna Pena
7. Manon Fiorot
8. Dakota Ditcheva
9. Larissa Pacheco
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10. Seika Izawa
BEN FOWLKES
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Merab Dvalishvili
4. Alexandre Pantoja
5. Dricus Du Plessis
6. Magomed Ankalaev
7. Alex Pereira
8. Francis Ngannou
9. Tom Aspinall
10. Alexander Volkanovski
WOMEN
1. Zhang Weili
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Kayla Harrison
5. Alexa Grasso
6. Raquel Pennington
7. Julianna Pena
8. Manon Fiorot
9. Virna Jandiroba
10. Dakota Ditcheva
ERIC JACKMAN
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Khamzat Chimaev
4. Merab Dvalishvili
5. Dricus du Plessis
6. Alexandre Pantoja
7. Jon Jones
8. Belal Muhammad
9. Tom Aspinall
10. Magomed Ankalaev
WOMEN
1. Zhang Weili
2. Valentina Shevchenko
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3. Cris Cyborg
4. Kayla Harrison
5. Larissa Pacheco
6. Julianna Peña
7. Virna Jandiroba
8. Manon Fiorot
9. Dakota Ditcheva
10. Tatiana Suarez
CHUCK MINDENHALL
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Merab Dvalishvili
3. Ilia Topuria
4. Tom Aspinall
5. Jon Jones
6. Magomed Ankalaev
7. Dricus du Plessis
8. Alexander Volkanovski
9. Francis Ngannou
10. Alexandre Pantoja
WOMEN
1. Zhang Weili
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Kayla Harrison
5. Manon Fiorot
6. Dakota Ditcheva
7. Tatiana Suarez
8. Julianna Pena
9. Virna Jandiroba
10. Erin Blanchfield
DRAKE RIGGS
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Merab Dvalishvili
3. Ilia Topuria
4. Belal Muhammad
5. Alexandre Pantoja
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6. Dricus du Plessis
7. Tom Aspinall
8. Francis Ngannou
9. Jon Jones
10. Magomed Ankalaev
WOMEN
1. Zhang Weili
2. Seika Izawa
3. Valentina Shevchenko
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Alexa Grasso
6. Virna Jandiroba
7. Larissa Pacheco
8. Kayla Harrison
9. Dakota Ditcheva
10. Julianna Pena
