MMA Pound-for-Pound Rankings Update: Della Maddalena and Volkanovski Enter Top 10

Sports news » MMA Pound-for-Pound Rankings Update: Della Maddalena and Volkanovski Enter Top 10

4 months ago 33

There`s fresh news in the MMA Pound-for-Pound rankings following key results from recent UFC events. Jack Della Maddalena has claimed his spot among the elite, and Alexander Volkanovski has solidified his position once again.

Della Maddalena and Volkanovski successfully navigated their respective challenges at UFC 315 and UFC 314. Della Maddalena impressively defeated welterweight champion Belal Muhammad to take his title, while Volkanovski regained the vacant featherweight title, becoming a two-time champion with a hard-fought victory over Diego Lopes.

These outcomes significantly impacted the men`s Pound-for-Pound list for May. Belal Muhammad, who was ranked No. 5 entering UFC 315, dropped eight places to No. 13 after his title defense loss. In contrast, Jack Della Maddalena, previously unranked, shot up to the No. 9 position, securing his 18th consecutive win. Della Maddalena hasn`t lost since his first two professional fights back in 2016 and is poised for further ranking changes with a potential future bout against Islam Makhachev.

Alexander Volkanovski also made a notable climb, moving from No. 13 to No. 8. This marks his highest ranking since July 2024. After his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, many expected the 36-year-old`s ranking to continue to decline. However, his inspiring performance against Lopes proved otherwise. “The Great” is now a UFC champion once more and has demonstrated he can remain a top 10 contender.

Another significant change since the last update in March was former champion Leon Edwards` decisive loss to Sean Brady. While this wasn`t enough to immediately put Brady into the rankings (though he received votes), it caused Edwards to drop dramatically from No. 12 entirely off the list.

Meanwhile, Jon Jones continues to fall in the rankings. A call to action for the heavyweight champion to return to competition.

Page Contents

Women`s Rankings Update

The women`s Pound-for-Pound rankings also saw considerable movement thanks to the performances of Natalia Silva and Virna Jandiroba. These Brazilian fighters have bolstered their cases against the idea of an immediate Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili superfight. Silva secured a clear decision win over former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso at UFC 315, and Jandiroba achieved her fifth consecutive victory with a decision over recent strawweight title challenger Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314.

While a Zhang Weili move to fight Shevchenko remains a possibility, Silva and Jandiroba`s recent successes make them compelling contenders for a championship opportunity and propelled them up the rankings. Silva jumped 11 spots to tie at No. 5 with Manon Fiorot, who recently put up a spirited fight against Shevchenko. Jandiroba rose seven places to No. 11.

Below are details on recent results, upcoming bouts, and fighters receiving votes for both men`s and women`s Pound-for-Pound lists.