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)
- Brock Lesnar (6)
- Ben Rothwell (7)
- Josh Barnett (8)
- Mark Hunt (9)
- Travis Browne (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)
- Jimi Manuwa (8)
- Ovince Saint Preux (10)
- Liam McGeary (9)
There’s a new light heavyweight champion in Bellator MMA and it’s UFC veteran Phil Davis. The former NCAA national champion wrestler dominated England’s Liam McGeary for five rounds to capture the title. Davis remains planted in the division’s top five, while McGeary slips to No. 10.
- Michael Bisping (1)
- Luke Rockhold (2)
- Chris Weidman (3)
- Yoel Romero (4)
- Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (5)
- Lyoto Machida (6)
- Derek Brunson (7)
- Anderson Silva (8)
- Gegard Mousasi (9)
- Robert Whittaker (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Tyron Woodley (1)
- Robbie Lawler (2)
- Demian Maia (3)
- Carlos Condit (4)
- Ben Askren (5)
- Stephen Thompson (6)
- Rory MacDonald (7)
- Kelvin Gastelum (8)
- Jake Ellenberger (9)
- Donald Cerrone (10)/Dong Hyun Kim (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Eddie Alvarez (1)
- Khabib Nurmagomedov (2)
- Tony Ferguson (5)
- Rafael dos Anjos (3)
- Donald Cerrone (4)
- Edson Barboza (6)
- Nate Diaz (7)
- Justin Gaethje (8)
- Will Brooks (9)
- Michael Johnson (10)
If lightweight Tony Ferguson didn’t have a strong enough case for a title shot before UFC Fight Night 98, his clear-cut win over former champion Rafael dos Anjos should seal the deal. Ferguson has now won nine straight fights and rockets to the No. 3 spot in our rankings. With the loss, dos Anjos slides to No. 4.
- Conor McGregor (1)
- José Aldo (2)
- Frankie Edgar (3)
- Max Holloway (4)
- Chad Mendes (5)
- Anthony Pettis (6)
- Ricardo Lamas (7)
- Cub Swanson (8)
- Charles Oliveira (9)
- Daniel Straus (10)
Former title challenger Ricardo Lamas wanted to fight in Mexico at UFC Fight Night 98, so it didn’t matter that his opponent, Charles Oliveira, weighed in as a lightweight. After a tough first round, Lamas was able to submit the Brazilian with a guillotine choke. Lamas remains at No. 7, but the Chicago fighter is making a strong case for a top-five opponent. Oliveira’s future is unclear in the division after missing weight for the fifth (!) time since dropping down from lightweight.
- Dominick Cruz (1)
- T.J. Dillashaw (2)
- Bibiano Fernandes (3)
- Cody Garbrandt (4)
- John Lineker (5)
- Marlon Moraes (6)
- Jimmie Rivera (7)
- Urijah Faber (8)
- Raphael Assuncao (9)
- Eduardo Dantas (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Demetrious Johnson (1)
- Joseph Benavidez (2)
- Henry Cejudo (3)
- Jussier “Formiga” da Silva (4)
- Zach Makovsky (5)
- Kyoji Horiguchi (6)
- Wilson Reis (7)
- Dustin Ortiz (8)
- Matheus Nicolau (9)
- John Moraga (10)
No fighters in the top 10 were in action this week, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Demetrious Johnson (1)
- Jon Jones (2)
- Daniel Cormier (3)
- Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (4)
- Dominick Cruz (5)
- Stipe Miocic (6)
- Conor McGregor (7)
- José Aldo (8)
- Joanna Jędrzejczyk (9)
- Eddie Alvarez (10)/Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (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.