UFC championships now carry more prestige and significance than ever before in the world of mixed martial arts.
While for decades it has been widely accepted that the UFC champion is the top fighter in their division, the presence of other major organizations like PRIDE, Bellator, and ONE Championship previously allowed for genuine debate regarding who held the absolute top spot globally.
Historically, figures like heavyweight icon Fedor Emelianenko were considered divisional kings despite never competing in the Octagon. When Demetrious Johnson transferred from the UFC to ONE, he brought the mantle of the world`s best flyweight with him. Prominent Bellator athletes such as Johnny Eblen, Patchy Mix, and Patricio Pitbull have also presented strong arguments for being considered on par with their UFC counterparts. Long before Dana White championed women`s MMA in the UFC, legends like Cris Cyborg, Megumi Fujii, and Ronda Rousey were making significant impacts elsewhere.
Looking at the current rankings, almost every division features a fighter unanimously voted into the No. 1 position by the panelists. The sole exception is the heavyweight division, where Francis Ngannou, who departed the UFC as champion without losing his belt and has fought more recently than current champion Tom Aspinall, still received a vote. However, it seems Aspinall is just one successful undisputed title defense away from solidifying his claim to complete consensus.
This prompts the question: Is there a compelling case for any fighter currently outside the No. 1 spot to be considered the true best? Perhaps the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov, who missed his opportunity to challenge Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title and is now sidelined by injury, watching new champion Jack Della Maddalena potentially line up a fight with Pound-for-Pound king Islam Makhachev?
Or could it be Movsar Evloev, another fighter with an unblemished record who also appears to require further wins to secure a championship shot? Despite an impressive 8-0 record in the UFC, Evloev was overlooked for the vacant featherweight title bout after Ilia Topuria moved up, with the opportunity instead going to Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes.
One could even argue that Ilia Topuria is not the definitive lightweight ruler after his victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, despite delivering one of the year`s most spectacular knockouts. Arman Tsarukyan also recently defeated Oliveira and possesses a much more extensive body of work in the 155-pound division.
As evident, it requires a significant stretch to argue that the current 11 UFC champions are not the clear-cut best in their respective divisions. However, this doesn`t mean these top-ranked fighters are immune to defeat. Dricus du Plessis faces a major test against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August. Kayla Harrison is set to challenge the returning greatest women`s champion ever, Amanda Nunes. And Jack Della Maddalena will soon step into the cage against the seemingly invincible Makhachev.
Approaching the halfway point of 2025, it`s entirely possible that the same names will remain at the No. 1 spot by year`s end. Conversely, no one would be surprised if the remainder of the calendar year brings several notable shifts in the divisional rankings before it concludes.
