As MMA continues to grow its presence with the UFC, Bellator MMA, WSOF and ONE FC, fighters are constantly jockeying for position in the eyes (and rankings) of the media.
Every week, Combat Press will rank each weight class from heavyweight to flyweight, as well as the pound-for-pound rankings (including both genders).
Note: the numbers in parentheses represent the fighter’s ranking from last week.
- Stipe Miocic (1)
- Fabricio Werdum (2)
- Cain Velasquez (3)
- Alistair Overeem (4)
- Junior dos Santos (5)
- Ben Rothwell (6)
- Travis Browne (7)
- Andrei Arlovski (8)
- Mark Hunt (9)
- Josh Barnett (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Jon Jones (1)
- Daniel Cormier (2)
- Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (3)
- Alexander Gustafsson (4)
- Phil Davis (5)
- Glover Teixeira (6)
- Ryan Bader (7)
- Ovince Saint Preux (8)
- Liam McGeary (9)
- Jimi Manuwa (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Michael Bisping (1)
- Luke Rockhold (2)
- Chris Weidman (3)
- Yoel Romero (4)
- Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (5)
- Vitor Belfort (6)
- Lyoto Machida (7)
- Anderson Silva (8)
- Derek Brunson (9)/Robert Whittaker (9)
- David Branch (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Robbie Lawler (1)
- Carlos Condit (2)
- Ben Askren (3)
- Stephen Thompson (7)
- Demian Maia (5)
- Rory MacDonald (4)
- Matt Brown (6)
- Johny Hendricks (8)
- Tyron Woodley (9)
- Neil Magny (10)
There’s likely a new No. 1 contender for the UFC welterweight title after Stephen Thompson’s one-sided decision win over former title challenger Rory MacDonald at UFC Fight Night 89. Thompson has now reeled off seven straight wins and should get the first crack at the winner of the UFC 201 headliner between champion Robbie Lawler and challenger Tyron Woodley. The win vaults Thompson to fourth in our rankings, while MacDonald slides to sixth in defeat.
- Rafael dos Anjos (1)
- Khabib Nurmagomedov (2)
- Donald Cerrone (3)
- Eddie Alvarez (4)
- Will Brooks (5)
- Tony Ferguson (6)
- Edson Barboza (7)
- Nate Diaz (8)
- Anthony Pettis (9)
- Dustin Poirier (10)
Third-ranked Donald Cerrone was in action in Ottawa at UFC Fight Night 89, but it was as a welterweight. “Cowboy” has been bouncing back and forth between divisions and has given no indication that either weight class will be his permanent home. With two losses to current champ Rafael dos Anjos, it’s possible that Cerrone is awaiting the outcome of the UFC Fight Night 90 title bout between dos Anjos and Eddie Alvarez before deciding his future.
- Conor McGregor (1)
- José Aldo (2)
- Frankie Edgar (3)
- Max Holloway (4)
- Chad Mendes (5)
- Ricardo Lamas (6)
- Cub Swanson (7)
- Charles Oliveira (8)
- Daniel Straus (9)
- Patricio Freire (10)/Dennis Bermudez (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Dominick Cruz (1)
- T.J. Dillashaw (2)
- Renan Barão (3)
- Urijah Faber (4)
- Bibiano Fernandes (5)
- Raphael Assuncao (6)
- Marlon Moraes (7)
- Eduardo Dantas (-)
- Cody Garbrandt (9)
- Bryan Caraway (10)/Thomas Almeida (10)
Dropped from the rankings: Marcos Galvao (8)
Bellator MMA has a new champion, but it’s a familiar face. Brazilian Eduardo Dantas again bested countryman Marcos Galvao and recaptured the promotion’s 135-pound strap. The five-round beating at Bellator 156 was one of the most complete performances of Dantas’ career. In addition to claiming gold, Dantas takes Galvao’s place in the rankings.
- Demetrious Johnson (1)
- Joseph Benavidez (2)
- Ian McCall (3)
- Henry Cejudo (4)
- Jussier “Formiga” da Silva (5)
- Zach Makovsky (6)
- Kyoji Horiguchi (7)
- John Moraga (8)
- Wilson Reis (9)
- Dustin Ortiz (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Demetrious Johnson (1)
- Jon Jones (2)
- Robbie Lawler (3)
- Daniel Cormier (4)
- Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (5)
- Dominick Cruz (6)
- Rafael dos Anjos (7)
- Stipe Miocic (8)
- Conor McGregor (9)
- José Aldo (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
Editor’s Note: Fighters are eligible to be ranked if they have competed in the last 18 months. Any fighter that chooses to switch weight classes will be ranked in their previous weight class until they have competed in their new division.