MMA Divisional Rankings: UFC 300 completely reshapes the global ranks

In the ever-shifting MMA landscape, ranking the world’s greatest fighters might seem like a fool’s errand, but that’s exactly what we’ve set out to do with the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Here, our esteemed panel sorts out the movers and shakers from every division to provide you with the most definitive list of the best fighters on the planet.

UFC 300 has come and gone, and considering the starpower on the historic card, it’s safe to say it shook up our rankings like a snow globe. As we begin marching anew toward UFC 400, let’s take a look at how things stand after one of the greatest nights in MMA history.

Updated pound-for-pound rankings can be found here.

Check out the complete April rankings below.

Heavyweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 8 Tai Tuivasa def. No. 9 Marcin Tybura

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 3 Sergei Pavlovich vs. No. 7 Alexander Volkov (UFC Fight Night, June 22), No. 6 Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov (UFC 302, June 1)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Derrick Lewis (5), Linton Vassell (3), Waldo Cortes-Acosta (1), Ryan Bader (1), Denis Goltsov (1), Alexandr Romanov (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 (tied) Derrick Lewis

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Light Heavyweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Alex Pereira def. No. 4 Jamahal Hill, No. 2 Jiri Prochazka def. Aleksandar Rakic, No. 5 Corey Anderson def. Karl Moore

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 8 Johnny Walker vs. No. 15 Volkan Oezdemir (UFC Fight Night, June 22), No. 13 Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino (UFC 301, May 4), No. 14 Ryan Spann vs. Bogdan Guskov (UFC Vegas 91, April 27)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Azamat Murzakanov (2), Rob Wilkinson (1), Alonzo Menifield (1), Thiago Santos (1), Philipe Lins (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Alonzo Menifield

Middleweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 9 Brendan Allen def. Chris Curtis, No. 14 Fabian Edwards def. Aaron Jeffery

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Sean Strickland vs. No. 8 Paulo Costa (UFC 302, June 1), No. 4 Robert Whittaker vs. No. 10 Khamzat Chimaev (UFC Fight Night, June 22), No. 13 Roman Dolidze vs. No. 15 Anthony Hernandez (UFC 302, June 1)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Jack Hermansson (4), Impa Kasanganay (3), Michel Pereira (2), Reinier de Ridder (1), Caio Borralho (1), Paul Craig (1), Ikram Aliskerov (1), Kelvin Gastelum (1), Chris Curtis (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Welterweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): Joaquin Buckley def. No. 13 Vicente Luque

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 7 Jason Jackson vs. Ramazan Kuramagomedov (Bellator Dublin, June 22), No. 15 Logan Storley vs. Shamil Musaev (PFL 3, April 19)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Magomed Magomedkerimov (3), Vicente Luque (2), Colby Covington (1), Andrey Koreshkov (1), Rinat Fakhretdinov (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 13 Vicente Luque

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Lightweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 3 FW Max Holloway def. No. 3 Justin Gaethje, No. 4 Arman Tsarukyan def. No. 2 Charles Oliveira, No. 13 Renato Moicano def. No. 12 Jalin Turner

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Islam Makhachev vs. No. 6 Dustin Poirier (UFC 302, June 1), No. 7 Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexander Shabliy (Bellator Paris, May 17), No. 10 (tied) Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor (welterweight bout) (UFC 303, June 29)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Jalin Turner (2), Alexander Shabliy (2), Matt Frevola (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 12 Jalin Turner

Featherweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 3 Max Holloway def. No. 3 LW Justin Gaethje (lightweight bout), No. 8 Patricio Pitbull def. Jeremy Kennedy, No. 4 BW Aljamain Sterling def. No. 10 Calvin Kattar

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: N/A

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Bryce Mitchell (4), Movlid Khaybulaev (3), Lerone Murphy (2), Chihiro Suzuki (2), Adam Borics (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Bryce Mitchell

Bantamweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Aljamain Sterling def. No. 10 FW Calvin Kattar (featherweight bout), No. 11 Deiveson Figueiredo def. Cody Garbrandt

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 3 Patchy Mix vs. Magomed Magomedov (Bellator Paris, May 17), No. 14 Jonathan Martinez vs. Jose Aldo (UFC 301, May 4)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Kai Asakura (4), Mario Bautista (4)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Aljamain Sterling (moved to featherweight)

Flyweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Alexandre Pantoja vs. No. 14 Steve Erceg (UFC 301, May 4), No. 10 (tied) Matheus Nicolau vs. No. 12 Alex Perez (UFC Vegas 91, April 27), No. 13 Tatsuro Taira vs. No. 15 Tim Elliott (UFC Vegas 92, May 18)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Askar Akarov (2), Azamat Kerefov (1), Kairat Akhmetov (1), Hiromasa Ougikubo (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Women’s Bantamweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): Kayla Harrison def. No. 4 Holly Holm, No. 9 Macy Chiasson def. No. 8 Pannie Kianzad, No. 12 Nora Cornolle def. No. 13 Melissa Mullins

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: N/A

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Tainara Lisboa (3), Joselyne Edwards (2), Lucie Pudilova (2), Ailin Perez (2), Julia Avila (1), Olga Rubin (1), Taneisha Tennant (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 (tied) Ailin Perez, No. 15 (tied) Lucie Pudilova, No. 14 Tainara Lisboa

Women’s Flyweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Taila Santos def. Ilara Joanne, No. 5 Manon Fiorot def. No. 3 Erin Blanchfield, No. 6 Liz Carmouche def. No. 15 Juliana Velasquez, Rose Namajunas def. No. 13 Amanda Ribas

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 13 Viviane Araujo vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (UFC Fight Night, July 13)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Jennifer Maia (6), Karine Silva (4), Ariane Lipski (2), Jena Bishop (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 14 Jennifer Maia

Strawweight

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Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Zhang Weili def. No. 3 Yan Xiaonan, No. 5 (tied) Jessica Andrade def. No. 8 Marina Rodriguez, No. 7 Virna Jandiroba def. No. 11 Loopy Godinez

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 12 Angela Hill vs. Luana Pinheiro (UFC Vegas 91, April 27), No. 12 Angela Hill vs. No. 13 Tabatha Ricci (UFC St. Louis, May 11), No. 14 Gillian Robertson vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez (UFC 303, June 29), No. 15 Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo (UFC 301, May 4)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Loma Lookboonmee (5), Emily Ducote (1), Iasmin Lucindo (1), Danni McCormack (1), Luana Pinheiro (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): Xiong Jingnan (inactivity)

A refresher on the ground rules:

• Our eight-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Shaheen Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, E. Casey Leydon, Steven Marrocco, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
• Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout. Updates to the rankings are typically completed following each month’s UFC pay-per-view.
• Should a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will decide whether that fighter should immediately be removed from the rankings or maintain their position until further notice. (Let’s put it this way: We’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings a lot quicker than the UFC did.)
• Holding a promotion’s title does not guarantee that fighter will be viewed as the best in their promotion. Additionally, fighters who regularly compete or hold titles in multiple weight classes are eligible to be ranked in multiple lists.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.