The Kings and Queens of Mixed Martial Arts
This is the ultimate list of MMA fighters with enough skill, talent, and persistence to earn a spot in the UFC Pound For Pound rankings. This 30-fighter roster represents the crème de la crème of the UFC; athletes who excel both in and outside their weight divisions.
These fighters are the best at what they do, and they deserve to be recognized out of all the fighters from every weight class in the UFC.
They have exceptional skills, talent, an impressive professional record, or a combination of all three.
Keep reading as we unveil the kings and queens of the UFC's best pound for pound fighters below.
The Top 15 Women's P4P Rankings
Sometimes overlooked, even today, the Women's division of the UFC has evolved into an exciting pool of talent. The Top 15 pound for pound fighters each have their own style, technique, and award-worthy professional records.
These are how the top fighters would rank if you look at fighters based on skill regardless of their weight classes. This helps emphasize skill and performance.
Each of the women below have impressive records with spectacular performances in the UFC.
- Alexa Grasso
- Zhang Weili
- Valentina Shevchenko
- Manon Fiorot
- Julianna Peña
- Raquel Pennington
- Rose Namajunas
- Erin Blanchfield
- Tatiana Suarez
- Yan Xiaonan
- Jéssica Andrade
- Amanda Lemos
- Kayla Harrison
- Ketlen Vieira
- Irene Aldana
#1 Women's P4P Fighter - Alexa Grasso
Professional MMA Record: 16-3-1
Alexa Grasso is the number 1 Women's pound for pound fighter in the UFC. Grasso's last fight against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 ended in a draw.
Right now, Grasso is also the Women's Flyweight Champion. You can follow her on Instagram @alexa_grasso to stay up to date with her training.
#2 Women's P4P Fighter - Zhang Weili
Professional MMA Record: 25-3
Zhang Weili is the number 2 Women's p4p fighter and current Women's Strawweight Champion. Zhang "Magnum" Weili has an impressive 11 first-round finishes with 8 wins by submission.
Weili faced off against Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 and successfully defended her Strawweight Champion title.
#3 Women's P4P Fighter - Valentina Shevchenko
Professional MMA Record: 23-4-1
Valentina "Bullet" Shevchenko is a p4p-ranked fighter, and the number 1 Women's Flyweight. Shevchenko's last fight against Alexa Grasso ended in a draw after 5 rounds.
There may be a Shevchenko vs. Grasso 3 fight to settle the trilogy, but it has not been confirmed.
#4 Women's P4P Fighter - Manon Fiorot
Professional MMA Record: 12-1
Manon "The Beast" Fiorot competes in the Women's Flyweight division. 6 of her professional 11 wins have come by way of knockout.
In March 2024, Fiorot defeated Erin Blanchfield at UFC on ESPN: Blanchfield vs. Fiorot. Fiorot was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
#5 Women's P4P Fighter - Julianna Peña
Professional MMA Record: 12-5
Julianna Peña is "The Venezuelan Vixen" and number 1-ranked Women's Bantamweight in the UFC. So far, she has won 6 of her fights by submission.
Peña last fought in 2022 and her next fight has not been announced yet.
#6 Women's P4P Fighter - Raquel Pennington
Professional MMA Record: 16-9
Raquel Pennington became the Women's Bantamweight Champion at UFC 297 after defeating Mayra Bueno Silva in a 5 round championship title fight. "Rocky" Pennington is currently on a 6-fight winning streak.
Her next fight will be her first Championship title defense and we will keep you posted as more updates are released.
#7 Women's P4P Fighter - Rose Namajunas
Professional MMA Record: 13-6
"Thug" Rose Namajunas is a fan favorite and Women's Flyweight fighter. Her professional record of 12 wins and 6 losses includes 5 first-round finishes.
Namajunas faced off against Amanda Ribas in March 2024 at the APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada and Namajunas won by unanimous decision after going the distance.
#8 Women's P4P Fighter - Erin Blanchfield
Professional MMA Record: 12-2
Erin Blanchfield competes in the Women's Flyweight division and is currently on an impressive 9-fight winning streak. "Cold Blooded" Blanchfield won a "Most Memorable Submissions" award for her performance against Jéssica Andrade in 2023.
Blanchfield's latest fight in March 2024, ended after 5 rounds where Manon Fiorot won by unanimous decision.
#9 Women's P4P Fighter - Tatiana Suarez
Professional MMA Record: 11-0
At UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font, Tatiana Suarez beat Jéssica Andrade by submission in Round 2. Suarez has won 6 of her fights by submission.
Suarez competes in the Women's Strawweight division and is currently ranked number 2 for her weight class.
#10 Women's P4P Fighter - Yan Xiaonan
Professional MMA Record: 17-3
Yan Xiaonan is currently ranked number 1 in the Women's Strawweight division and is set to fight Zhang Weili at UFC 300. Xiaonan has 8 first-round finishes and 8 wins by KO.
At UFC 300, Xiaonan fought Zhang Weili, but lost after 5 championship rounds.
#11 Women's P4P Fighter - Jéssica Andrade
Professional MMA Record: 25-12
Jéssica "Bate Estaca" Andrade has a total of 37 professional MMA fights. 8 of her wins have come by way of submission and 10 by way of knockout.
Most recently, Andrade defeated Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300 in April 2024. Andrade won by split decision after 3 rounds of MMA action.
#12 Women's P4P Fighter - Amanda Lemos
Professional MMA Record: 13-3-1
Amanda Lemos competes in the Women's Strawweight division and currently holds the number 3 spot in the weight class. Lemos lost her last fight against Zhang Weili at UFC 292 in an attempt to take the Championship title.
Her next fight has not yet been announced.
#13 Women's P4P Fighter - Kayla Harrison
Professional MMA Record: 17-1
Kayla Harrison won her first fight in the UFC after defeating Holly Holm with a rear-naked choke submission. Harrision's win came in the middle of Round 2.
Before joining the UFC, Harrison was a long-time Olympic Judoka and PFL fighter.
#14 Women's P4P Fighter - Ketlen Vieira
Professional MMA Record: 14-3
Ketlen "Fenomeno" Vieira's last fight was against Pannie Kianzad at UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs. Tybura. Vieira won the bout by unanimous decision after 3 rounds of MMA action.
Vieira has 4 wins by submission and is currently ranked number 2 in the Women's Bantamweight division.
#15 Women's P4P Fighter - Irene Aldana
Professional MMA Record: 15-7
Irene Aldana is the number 4-ranked Women's Bantamweight. Aldana has 9 first-round wins with 8 wins by KO.
During her last fight, Aldana defeated Karol Rosa at UFC 296. Aldana won by unanimous decision after going the distance during their 3 round bout.
The Top 15 Men's P4P Rankings
The Men's Pound for Pound section showcases the Top 15 UFC fighters as they would rank if weight divisions did not exist. Analyzing fighters when weight is not a factor emphasizes their skill, performance, and influence on the sport.
Across various weight classes, each of these MMA athletes display their mastery of mixed martial arts, with impressive records and spectacular performances inside the Octagon.
- Islam Makhachev
- Jon Jones
- Leon Edwards
- Alex Pereira
- Ilia Topuria
- Sean O'Malley
- Alexander Volkanovski
- Max Holloway
- Dricus Du Plessis
- Alexandre Pantoja
- Charles Oliveira
- Israel Adesanya
- Tom Aspinall
- Sean Strickland
- Aljamain Sterling
#1 Men's P4P Fighter - Islam Makhachev
Professional MMA Record: 25-1
Islam Makhachev is the number 1 men's pound for pound fighter and Lightweight UFC Champion. Makhachev has won 13 fights in a row and most recently defeated Alexander Volkanovski by head kick KO.
With 11 wins by submission and only one professional loss, Makhachev is an exciting fighter to watch.
#2 Men's P4P Fighter - Jon Jones
Professional MMA Record: 27-1
Jon "Bones" Jones has 10 wins by knockout and 7 wins by submission. When Jones is active, he competes in the UFC Heavyweight Division.
Jones earned his latest victory in 2023 at UFC 285 by submission against Ciryl Gane.
#3 Men's P4P Fighter - Leon Edwards
Professional MMA Record: 22-3
Leon "Rocky" Edwards successfully defended his title against Colby Covington at UFC 296 in 2023. Edwards is the Men's Welterweight Champion with 7 wins by KO.
"Rocky" has 5 first-round finishes. His next opponent has not been announced yet.
#4 Men's P4P Fighter - Alex Pereira
Professional MMA Record: 10-2
Alex Pereira's quick rise to a two-division Championship title holder happened after just 11 professional MMA fights. At UFC 295, Pereira defeated fellow Light Heavyweight Jiří Procházka and became the new Light Heavyweight Champion.
Pereira previously held the Middleweight Title before being beaten by Israel Adesanya after their second Middleweight bout in 2023.
#5 Men's P4P Fighter - Ilia Topuria
Professional MMA Record: 15-0
Ilia Topuria defeated Alex Volkanovski at UFC 298 to become the new Men's Featherweight Champion. His impressive boxing for MMA has led to an undefeated record with 5 wins by KO.
Topuria will defend the Featherweight title during his next fight, which has not been scheduled.
#6 Men's P4P Fighter - Sean O'Malley
Professional MMA Record: 18-1
"Suga" Sean O'Malley won his most recent fight against Aljamain Sterling with one of the best MMA knockouts of 2023. O'Malley has 12 wins by knockout with 9 first-round finishes.
At UFC 298, O'Malley successfully defended his title for the first time and kept his championship belt after beating Marlon "Chito" Vera for 5 rounds.
#7 Men's P4P Fighter - Alexander Volkanovski
Professional MMA Record: 26-4
Alexander Volkanovski competes in the Men's Featherweight Division where he currently holds the Championship belt. "The Great" Volkanovski has an impressive 13 wins by knockout.
Volk fought to defend his Featherweight title against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in February 2024 and lost by knockout due to punches.
#8 Men's P4P Fighter - Max Holloway
Professional MMA Record: 26-7
Max "Blessed" Holloway has 33 professional MMA bouts under his belt with 11 coming by way of knockout. Holloway is ranked number 1 in the Men's UFC Featherweight division.
At UFC 300 in April 2024, Holloway fought (and defeated) Justin Gaethje in an edge-of-your-set thriller at Welterweight.
#9 Men's P4P Fighter - Dricus Du Plessis
Professional MMA Record: 21-2
Dricus Du Plessis became the UFC Middleweight Champion when he beat Sean Strickland at UFC 297. Before that, Du Plessis secured a victory against longtime UFC fighter, Robert Whittaker.
Du Plessis will defend his Middleweight title during his next fight which is yet to be announced.
#10 Men's P4P Fighter - Alexandre Pantoja
Professional MMA Record: 27-5
Alexandre "The Cannibal" Pantoja competes in the Men's Flyweight division and is the current Flyweight Champion. Panjota has an impressive 10 first-round victories.
"The Cannibal" won his most recent fight after facing off with Brandon Royval for 5 rounds in December 2023.
#11 Men's P4P Fighter - Charles Oliveira
Professional MMA Record: 34-10
Charles "Do Bronxs" Oliveira is a ranked Lightweight fighter with a staggering 21 wins by submission. 10 of "Do Bronxs" victories have come by way of knockout.
Oliveira faced off against Arman Tsurukyan at UFC 300, where Oliveira lost by split decision.
#12 Men's P4P Fighter - Israel Adesanya
Professional MMA Record: 24-3
"The Last Stylebender" currently holds the number 2 spot in the Middleweight rankings. Israel Adesanya has 16 knockouts and 6 first-round finishes.
Adesanya lost his last fight against Sean Strickland in a unanimous decision. His next opponent has not been decided.
#13 Men's P4P Fighter - Tom Aspinall
Professional MMA Record: 14-3
Tom Aspinall became the Interim Heavyweight Champ when he beat Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. Aspinall was awarded a "Performance of the Night" bonus for his KO victory.
With 13 first-round professional finishes, Aspinall has quickly moved up the Heavyweight rankings.
#14 Men's P4P Fighter - Sean Strickland
Professional MMA Record: 28-6
When Sean Strickland fought Dricus Du Plessis in January 2024, he lost his Middleweight belt. Before that, he defeated Israel Adesanya to become the UFC Middleweight Champion.
Strickland has 11 wins by knockout with 9 first-round finishes.
#15 Men's P4P Fighter - Aljamain Sterling
Professional MMA Record: 24-4
Aljamain "Funk Master" Sterling currently competes in the Bantamweight division and has finished 11 of his 27 professional MMA fights. As of now, Sterling is the number 8 ranked Men's Featherweight.
Sterling's next opponent has not been announced.
Is Your Favorite Fighter a P4P Great?
The men's and women's divisions of the UFC are rich with talent, discipline, and commitment to excelling at mixed martial arts. The UFC pound for pound rankings showcase fighters who've transcended the boundaries of their respective weight classes, embodying excellence in every aspect of their craft.
Each athlete on this list serves as a testament to the multifaceted nature of MMA - a sport that demands adaptability, strategic thinking, physical toughness, and an enduring spirit. Their wide-ranging skills and ability to perform under pressure are what set them apart from the rest of the UFC's roster.
As we look towards the future, these rankings will shift and change to reflect the best of the best competing in the UFC. The journey to the top is demanding, but for those who make it, the achievement is an honor of recognition and respect in combat sports.
