Jack Della Maddalena? And the new champion.
Alexander Volkanovski? Champion once again.
At UFC 315 and UFC 314, Jack Della Maddalena and Alexander Volkanovski secured significant victories in their respective title bouts. Della Maddalena became the new welterweight champion by defeating Belal Muhammad, while Volkanovski reclaimed the vacant featherweight title, becoming a two-time champion after a tough fight against Diego Lopes.
These outcomes significantly impacted the May update of the Men`s Pound-for-Pound rankings. Belal Muhammad, ranked No. 5 before UFC 315, dropped eight places to No. 13 following his loss in his first title defense. Jack Della Maddalena, previously unranked, surged directly to No. 9 after capturing the title and extending his professional win streak to 18. The new champion has not lost since starting his career 0-2 back in 2016 and has a potential future fight against Islam Makhachev that could further alter the rankings.
Alexander Volkanovski climbed from No. 13 to No. 8, reaching his highest position since July 2024. After his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, he had understandably fallen in the rankings, and it was thought his ranking might continue to decline. However, his impressive victory over Diego Lopes allowed “The Great” to not only regain his championship status but also solidify his place in the top 10 for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, since the most recent update this past March, former champion Leon Edwards suffered a clear defeat against Sean Brady. While this win wasn`t enough to put Brady directly into the rankings yet (though he received votes), it caused Edwards to fall significantly from No. 12 and off the list entirely.
What about Jon Jones? His ranking continues to fall. He needs to fight someone.
The women`s rankings also saw significant shifts, driven by performances from Natalia Silva and Virna Jandiroba. These Brazilian fighters strengthened their arguments against an immediate Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili superfight. Silva secured a decisive decision victory over former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso at UFC 315, while Jandiroba earned her fifth consecutive win with a decision over recent strawweight title challenger Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314.
Although Zhang Weili might move up to face Shevchenko, Silva and Jandiroba have clearly demonstrated they deserve championship opportunities and have consequently risen sharply in the Pound-for-Pound rankings. Silva jumped 11 spots, tying for No. 5 with Manon Fiorot (who recently had a tough fight against Shevchenko). Jandiroba moved up seven spots to No. 11.
Men`s Rankings Updates
Recent Results for Ranked Fighters (Previous Ranking Shown):
- Jack Della Maddalena defeated No. 5 Belal Muhammad
- No. 13 (tied) Alexander Volkanovski defeated Diego Lopes
- Sean Brady defeated No. 12 Leon Edwards
Upcoming Bouts Featuring Ranked Fighters:
- No. 2 Ilia Topuria vs. No. 18 Charles Oliveira (UFC 317, June 28)
- No. 3 Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France (UFC 317, June 28)
- No. 4 Merab Dvalishvili vs. No. 19 Sean O’Malley (UFC 316, June 7)
- No. 5 Dricus du Plessis vs. No. 15 Khamzat Chimaev (UFC 319, Aug. 16)
- No. 12 Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier (UFC 318, July 19)
Fighters Also Receiving Votes (Number of Ballot Appearances Shown):
- Sean Brady (4)
- Movsar Evloev (2)
- Francis Ngannou (2)
- Jiri Prochazka (2)
- Brandon Moreno (1)
- Usman Nurmagomedov (1)
Falling Out of the Rankings (Previous Ranking Shown):
- No. 12 Leon Edwards
Women`s Rankings Updates
Recent Results for Ranked Fighters (Previous Ranking Shown):
- No. 2 Valentina Shevchenko defeated No. 5 Manon Fiorot
- No. 16 Natalia Silva defeated No. 3 Alexa Grasso
- No. 18 Virna Jandiroba defeated No. 11 Yan Xiaonan
- Jasmine Jasudavicius defeated No. 19 Jessica Andrade
- No. 20 Liz Carmouche defeated Ilara Joanne
Upcoming Bouts Featuring Ranked Fighters:
- No. 4 Kayla Harrison vs. No. 13 Julianna Peña (UFC 316, June 7)
- No. 7 Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber (UFC Vegas 107, May 31)
- No. 8 (tied) Dakota Ditcheva vs. Sumiko Inaba (PFL Africa, July 26)
- No. 14 Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick (UFC Atlanta, June 14)
- No. 19 Liz Carmouche vs. Elora Dana (PFL 6, June 20)
Fighters Also Receiving Votes (Number of Ballot Appearances Shown):
- Maycee Barber (3)
- Jessica Andrade (2)
- Norma Dumont (2)
- Macy Chiasson (1)
- Amanda Lemos (1)
- Gillian Robertson (1)
Falling Out of the Rankings (Previous Ranking Shown):
- No. 19 Jessica Andrade
