Top 10 Pound-For-Pound List – Three Tier Rankings
July 15th, 2025, 9:00 AM ET
Written by Danny Varano
Complete list of rankings and tiers will be release progressively Sunday through Tuesday…Tune in each morning at 9AM!!!!!
Within the world of sports media, it has become commonplace to compare teams and individual athletes to their competitors through ranking lists. Unintimidated by contemporary trends, Club Underground has decided to embark on its own ranking endeavor. This venture will be carried out over the course of the next three days, in which we will reveal our list of the top ten pound-for-pound mixed martial arts currently active in the UFC. The fighters are categorized into three distinct tiers: Certified Killers, Ironclad Kings, and Mount Rushmore Mugs.
The initial grouping is the Certified Killers (8-10 on P4P list). These are newly crowned and future titleholders who are yet to sustain dominance. Additionally, UFC greats that have recently endured a loss will be placed in this third tier.
Ironclad Kings (5-7 P4P), the second group of the top ten rankings, are champions with multiple title defenses, but still must fend off some rising competitors within their divisions.
Lastly, the highly acclaimed Mount Rushmore Mugs (1-4 P4P) are inarguably the best in the business.
Tier 3 – Certified Killers (Day One)
Honorable Mention – Jack Della Maddalena
First off the pound-for-pound list, but still within the Certified Killers classification, is current welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena. At UFC 315 in May, JDM joined featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski as the second Australian fighter to be fitted for gold straps this year. On the night of his championship bout this past spring, the underdog Maddalena outclassed former welterweight title holder Belal Muhammad in a methodical unanimous decision victory. The champ from Down Under has always differentiated himself with his slick and tactical boxing, and his superior expertise was once again on full display in the win over Muhammad.
Despite sitting in rare company as a UFC champion and one of the elite strikers in the sport, Maddalena has held UFC gold for the least amount of time of any current champ. Furthermore, over the last couple of years, his division has garnered a reputation as the least electrifying of all the weight classes. At Club Underground, we often refer to the welterweights as the “Decision Division.” Having reigned as champion for just two months in perhaps the least lethal weight class, Maddalena finds himself on the outside looking in on the top ten fighter rankings.
As announced by Dana White at the UFC 315 post-fight press conference, Maddalena’s first title defense will welcome former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to the welterweight division. The bout will likely come to fruition later this year, and sportsbooks will lean heavily in favor of Makhachev. Spoilers aside, the former lightweight is undoubtedly a face on the current UFC Mount Rushmore. Yet, for Maddalena, the mightier the dragon, the more fruitful the pot of gold. A win over Makhachev would catapult JDM up the pound-for-pound list.
10. Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev
Upon entering the promotion in 2020, Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev was immediately regarded as a top prospect and future title contender. On August 16th, at UFC 319 in Chicago, the middleweight Chimaev will challenge for his first undisputed championship. However, many fans and pundits anticipated this day would come much sooner.
The majority of the Emirati phenom’s stint in the UFC has been plagued by adversity. Chimaev has never suffered a loss in competition, but he has repeatedly battled with illness outside the octagon. Back in 2020, coming off consecutive finishes in his first three UFC bouts, Borz was sidelined for over a year with long-term side effects of the coronavirus. After stringing together a few healthy years, last summer, Chimaev was forced to withdraw from another fight with former middleweight champion Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker. When announcing the cancellation, UFC CEO Dana White described Chimaev as being “violently ill.” Once again, the Emirati sensation was forced to cease training, and even grappled with the idea of a potential retirement.
Fortunately for fans, and the fighter himself, Borz managed to return to competition in October 2024. At UFC 308, in a rescheduled bout with Whittaker, Chimaev reminded the UFC brass and fanbase that he is an absolute assassin. Before the end of the first round, Whittaker tapped due to a rear naked choke. Fans would learn after the fight that the submission was so robust that it broke and displaced Whittaker’s jaw.
The stellar victory over Whittaker precisely exemplifies the talent of Chimaev. He is in the conversation for the best freestyle wrestler the sport has ever seen, and he fights with an unparalleled aggression and ferocity that stifles his competitors. Don’t be surprised if at the end of the summer Borz is holding a gold belt, and finds himself a tier higher in these power rankings.
9. Alex “Poatan” Pereira
The 2024 UFC year will be remembered as the era of Alex Pereira. Over the course of just six months, Poatan amassed three knockout victories in three title defenses. With each spectacular finish, his stardom was elevated to new heights. By the end of 2024, Pereira was named the Fighter of the Year, and appeared to the UFC audience as more legend than human athlete.
In the buildup to each of his contests, Pereira would repetitively say “chama,” a Portuguese word translating to “flame.” The term soon became a part of the working vocabulary of all UFC fanatics, who began overusing the remark to conclude even the most ordinary sentences. Fellow fighters humorously speculated that Poatan’s success in 2024 could be attributed to the use of dark magic, and “chama” was some sort of spell the Brazilian fighter casted onto his opponents.
Yet, in 2025, the flame and folklore would die out. His fourth title defense would mark the end of his reign as light heavyweight champion. At UFC 313 in March, Russian Magomed Ankalaev stripped the Brazilian champ of his belt in a unanimous decision win.
Some may be quick to criticize this pound-for-pound list for including Pereira after a loss. However, let’s not be shortsighted. Poatan is one of just ten double-champs in the history of the UFC. The former champion is a historically dominant striker with a unique stalking approach and thunderous power.
It is also important to note that overactivity could have played a role in the lesser performance against Ankalaev. Although Poatan was praised for fighting four times in less than a year, perhaps allocating more time to recovery would have been a wiser plan. Nonetheless, a rematch between Pereira and Ankalaev is expected to be booked for the near future. For now, Pereira remains on the list. A defeat could boot him out of the top ten, but if he regains his belt, Poatan’s stock will certainly bounce back up.
8. Magomed Ankalaev
Highest ranked of the Certified Killers is, who else but the man who outdid Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev. At UFC 313, Ankalaev joined Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev as the third Dagestani fighter in history to attain UFC gold. Akin to his fellow Russian champions, Magomed maintains a quiet and stoic demeanor. Despite providing few headlines outside the cage, within the octagon Ankalaev poses a difficult puzzle for even the most formidable challengers.
Many of the prospects originating from the mountains of Dagestan have relied heavily on their high-level wrestling. Yet, Ankalaev seems to have spent most of his time studying the vast history of Russian boxing. The reigning champ is a crafty southpaw with superb standup technique and footwork. All six of his finishes in the UFC have come by knockout.
However, when watching him fight, it is clear Ankalaev has spent much of his time training against talented wrestlers. He possesses excellent takedown defense. In fact, in his last eight fights, none of Ankalaev’s opponents scored a successful takedown. Not only is the Dagestani champion tricky on the feet, but it is also a tall task to steer the fight with him away from a pure striking match.
Having worn the light heavyweight belt around his waist for only a few months, Ankalaev seems best fit for the third tier within the top ten. All indications are Magomed will be tasked with replicating his impressive victory over Pereira in a pending rematch. Accumulate another win against the superstar Pereira, and Ankalaev enters the conversation as perhaps one of the five most dangerous fighters on the planet. Until then, he wears the badge of Certified Killer.
Tier 2 – Ironclad Kings (Day Two)
7. Tom Aspinall
Coming in at seventh in the overall rankings, and sneaking into the Ironclad Kings classification, is the heavyweight from Manchester, Tom Aspinall. After holding the interim belt in the UFC’s heaviest division for nearly 20 months, in June, Aspinall was finally dubbed the UFC heavyweight champ. The news came after former heavyweight title holder Jon Jones decided to retire from mixed martial arts.
As of late, much of the media coverage surrounding Aspinall has been tied to his saga with Jones. The English champ had been advocating for a title fight with Jonny Bones to unify their belts for almost a year prior to his retirement. Jones exhibited all five D’s of dodgeball, dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging the talented Aspinall at all costs.
Even still, the potential matchup prevails in popular discourse. Last week, upon Donald Trump’s announcement that a UFC fight night will be held at the White House next July Fourth, Jones reentered the USADA testing pool for active fighters. Fans and media outlets immediately pinned Jones vs. Aspinall as the ideal headliner for an event at the US Capital. Like many other platforms covering the MMA world, we have already allocated too much bandwidth to the Jones-Aspinall discussion. The running dialogue from the past year has entirely overshadowed Aspinall’s skills as a mixed martial artist.
Along with Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev, the English heavyweight champion epitomizes what it means to be a fighter in 2025. The man from Manchester is impeccably adept in all aspects of the game. He is a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and has demonstrated an ability to finish fights on the ground and on the feet. In nine UFC contests, Aspinall has secured two submission victories and six knockouts. His fight IQ is outstanding. He is excellent in mixing in takedowns between his standup attacks. Perhaps most impressive is the combination of Aspinall’s huge frame and lightning quick agility. He has the footwork and hand speed of a welterweight, but stands at 6’5” and weighs 251 pounds.
In the heavyweight division, it only takes one strike to end the night. With exceptional elusiveness, clever head movement, and a durable chin, the Englishman is capable of weathering his competitors’ blows until landing a devastating shot of his own.
It appears God perfectly designed Tom Aspinall to reign atop the heavyweight division for an extended period of time. That being said, there is no other choice but to name him an Ironclad King.
6. Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski
For the last half decade, one truth in the UFC has remained nearly unchanged: Alexander Volkanovski wears the featherweight belt. The Australian fighter effectively defended featherweight gold on five occasions. A casual fan scanning over Volk’s resume may assume his competition was simply subpar, but that is far from the case.
En route to his world title, Volkanovski defeated UFC hall-of-famer Jose Aldo by unanimous decision at UFC 237. After slaying one UFC great, the promotion threw Volkanovski to another legend for a title shot. At UFC 245, Volk earned a unanimous decision victory over Max Holloway to collect his first world title belt. The initial contest with Holloway would only be chapter one of an epic trilogy. In all three fights, Volkanovski came out on top.
Unlike much of his career, the last couple of years would present some roadblocks to the pride of Australia. Having disposed of the all legitimate contenders within his weight class, the UFC allowed Volk to move up a division to challenge for a second belt. In February 2023, the featherweight faced Islam Makhachev for the undisputed lightweight title. Unfortunately, the Australian champ came up short, and he would lose again to Makhachev in a subsequent rematch. Volkanovski would also be stripped of his featherweight belt after Ilia Topuria knocked him out in February 2024.
It may seem odd that Volkanovski still lands a top six placement in the pound-for-pound rankings despite his recent defeats. However, his latest performance at UFC 314 merits the ranking. After Topuria vacated the featherweight title, Volk was granted the opportunity to reclaim his old belt against a youthful Diego Lopes. Not only would the Aussie display the same twitchiness and inexhaustible cardio he possessed as a younger fighter, but he also demonstrated unshakable heart and mental fortitude in a win to recapture his gold strap.
The steepest hill to climb in the UFC is bouncing back after a skid. For that alone, Volk deserves his flowers. His only losses in competition were dealt by two men who will be discussed later in the list. Alexander Volkanovski is a future hall-of-famer, and absolutely an Ironclad King.
5. Dricus “Stillknocks” Du Plessis
Current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has barrelled his way to the top of one of the sport’s most talented divisions. In a weight class filled with fan-favorites, the South African fighter has often posed as an enemy to the UFC fanbase. Throughout his time in the organization, Stillknocks has overpowered beloved opponents such as Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya. Du Plessis’s supreme confidence, and occasional unhinged statements, enhance his persona as a fighting villain.
Love him or hate him, DDP knows how to grasp the attention of the UFC audience. Yet, he always executes in the cage. The South African fighter is extremely explosive. He slingshots himself into both wrestling attacks and powerful striking. As exhibited in his title defense against Adesanya, Stillknocks tends to batter his opponents with forceful punches and kicks, then relies on his grappling to end the fight.
At UFC 312 in February, Du Plessis separated himself from the rest of the UFC pack. The night was headlined by a much anticipated rematch between DDP and fellow middleweight contender Sean Strickland. A little over a year prior to the sequel bout, Du Plessis barely squeezed by Strickland to claim UFC gold for the first time. Many fans and media members objected, claiming the judges would have been right to crown Strickland in the split decision bout.
However, in the rematch, DDP showed up and showed out. The bout was not particularly close. Stillknocks controlled the majority of the duel with his striking, specifically his left kick to the body and head. Following the dominant victory, Du Plessis’ doubters wisely kept quiet.
For his next title defense coming up in August, DDP will have to warn off the very talented, Certified Killer, Khazmat Chimaev. The stakes will be sky high, as a win could potentially put Du Plessis in the discussion for the best fighter on the planet. For now, DDP tops the Ironclad Kings.
Tier 1 – Mount Rushmore Mugs (Day Three)
4. Alexandre Pantoja
First face carved into the Black Hills of South Dakota, if in fact Mount Rushmore depicted the UFC’s current pound-for-pound kings, is flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja. Just a few weeks ago, at UFC 317, the Brazilian brawler once again upheld his champion status with a second round submission victory over Kai Kara-France. The early stoppage win extended Pantoja’s unbeaten streak to eight consecutive dubs, the last four of which are title defenses.
A pressuring approach and elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has always been the bread and butter for the flyweight leader. As of late, Pantoja has further improved in exerting his grappling advantages over opponents. In a narrow decision win over Steve Erceg at UFC 301, the champ from Brazil seemed hesitant to steer the battle to the ground. Perhaps such an observation is a testament to Erceg’s takedown defense. Nevertheless, in his following bout against Kai Asakura, Pantoja aggressively sought out wrestling exchanges. The clash with Kara-France would play out similarly, with Pantoja maintaining ground control for seven of the fight’s eight-minute run time.
Put simply, the flyweight phenom no longer toys with his food before devouring it. Pantoja has stumbled upon the winning formula, and, with each new fight, continues to improve his execution. The next contender invited to the flyweight dance with the long-time titleholder is up-and-coming talent Joshua Van. Directly after handing a loss to Kara-France at UFC 317, Pantoja faced off with Van in the octagon. Club Underground sides with the champ in the potential bout, but let’s reserve any analysis for when the fight is announced.
As the UFC landscape stands currently, Pantoja simply has too many title defenses, and too many impressive victories, to not be grouped in the top stratosphere of elite fighters.
3. Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili
No man in the UFC has a more fitting nickname than bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. The Georgian sensation is an absolute machine. His stamina is freakish and unprecedented, and he is undoubtedly the best conditioned fighter the sport has ever witnessed. Allow this statistic to serve as sufficient evidence to such a claim: Dvalishvili holds the record for the most takedowns in UFC history. The next five runners-up for the achievement are all basking in the sun of retirement, while Merab is still in his fighting prime.
Perhaps the only justifiable comparison to the pressure of Dvalishvili is that of UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov. Though, even for Khabib, there were moments over the span of his career in which his endurance appeared to fade a bit. Merab’s gas tank, on the other hand, is never in need of a refill.
This year, The Machine has already stacked two title defenses. In June, at UFC 316, Dvalishvili spoiled Suga Sean O’Malley’s hopes for redemption in their sequel bout. In the third round of the contest, Merab put an end to the Suga Show by a guillotine choke. Prior to the submission, O’Malley looked as if to have no business being in the cage with Dvalishvili.
Despite his dismantling of Suga, the more notable victory of Merab’s 2025 campaign came against Umar Nurmagomedov this past January. A cousin of former lightweight champion, and the greatest wrestler in UFC history, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Umar was touted as the answer to the unworkable puzzle of Dvalishvili. Yet, on the night of the highly anticipated fight, the perplexing problems presented by The Machine remained unsolved. Dvalishvili exhausted Nurmagomedov. Even on the feet, an area favoring his competitor, Merab was the one landing the more significant strikes.
No matter who is thrown his way, Merab overwhelms them. He is an enigma, and his face certainly deserves to be up smiling on the pound-for-pound Mount Rushmore.
2. Islam Makhachev
Early in his UFC career, Islam Makhachev quietly crept up the ranks, hiding in the shadow of his teammate and friend, Khabib. Makhachev claimed lightweight gold nearly two years to the day after Nurmagomedov retired and vacated the strap himself. Despite being the perfect successor, Islam has forged his own legacy detached from the accomplishments of his predecessor.
Pairing the patented Dagestani wrestling with a well-equipped striking arsenal, Makhachev is flawlessly well-rounded. The southpaw has knocked out and submitted a slew of UFC greats. Names such as Alexander Volkanovski, Charles Oliveira, and Dustin Poirier stand out in particular.
Having retained the lightweight belt for close to three years, Makhachev has essentially cleared out all the imposing talent in the division. Just a few months ago, Dana White informed the UFC fanbase that Makhachev has vacated his lightweight title in order to challenge for a second belt at welterweight. As crazy as it may sound, considering Islam has been the top dog at 155lbs for so long, he is arguably more fit to compete at 170lbs. Although maybe slightly shorter, Makhachev possesses a very similar frame to the current champion, Jack Della Maddalena, who he will duel for the welterweight title.
With a win over Maddalena, Makhachev enters the highly-acclaimed and exclusive club of double-champs. Duel titles will also support Makhachev’s argument in the always entertaining GOAT conversation.
However, if Makhachev does successfully earn himself a seat at the table of double-champs, there is one man already there who will gladly pull the chair out for him…
1. Ilia “El Matador” Topuria
Tell the drummers to hold their roll. Day one subscribers know Club Underground has always had high praise for Ilia Topuria. Last month at UFC 317, the Spanish-Georgian phenom became the tenth fighter in history to garner belts in two different weight divisions. In the headlining bout, Topuria knocked out former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira just two minutes into the very first round.
The outcome of the match with Oliveira was identical to El Matador’s pre-fight prophecies. Topuria is not the first fighter to call his shot and see his proclamations manifest. However, he is certainly the first to celebrate a victory the night ahead of the fight. On the Friday before UFC 317, a video surfaced of El Matador and his team, at an elegant restaurant, singing and cheering as if they had already won the second world title.
To put it in as few words as possible, Topuria is supremely confident. Yet, rightfully so. He is the most lethal knockout artist competing in the sport today. After each victory, the classy European sniper leaves a rose in the cage for his defeated opponent. In his last three outings, roses laid on the floor of the octagon for a trio UFC giants. Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira all fell unconscious from the tremendous power of Topuria.
At only 28 years of age, no man is better than Ilia Topuria. The Spanish-Georgian dual-weight champion is the biggest star on the UFC roster. As with any superstar, Topuria has plenty of options for future contests. The most intriguing competitor, and the one Topuria has been advocating to face, is our second ranked fighter, Islam Makhachev. A few days ago, on the Full Send Podcast, UFC CEO Dana White alluded to the potential matchup. If Makhachev claims the welterweight belt, the UFC may book a fight with Topuria at welterweight. If so, El Matador could transgress uncharted territory, challenging to become the only tri-weight world champion in the promotion’s history.
Though, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Ilia Topuria sits on the UFC pound-for-pound throne, and is the first mug engraved on Club Underground’s Mount Rushmore.
Thank you for tuning in for our three-day P4P rankings reveal!!!!
All fighter photos provided by the UFC official website.
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