The UFC’s pound-for-pound list remains fiercely contested in 2023.
After Kamaru Usman’s shocking knockout loss to Leon Edwards in 2022, the top spot has been vacant and several fighters have been looking to take his place.
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The world was shocked when Edwards KOed Usman Credit: Getty
Alexander Volkanovski was considered the best UFC fighter on the planet when 2023 began, but he has suffered three losses in the past 12 months.
This gives the likes of Islam Makhachev, Jon Jones and Edwards a chance to make a convincing case to replace him as the best pound-for-pound UFC fighter.
As a result, the UFC ranked the top 10 pound-for-pound male UFC stars, taking into account their wins and losses, titles won, and level of opponents they faced.
10. Alexandre Pantoja
Age: 34 years old
Record: 27 wins, 5 losses
After years of toiling as a top contender, Pantoja finally realized his dream of becoming world champion in 2023. He won the UFC belt with his third win over Brandon Moreno and cracked the UFC pound-for-pound top 10 with a flawless defense against Brandon Roybal.
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Pantoja has paid his dues and is now the best flyweight in MMAC Credit: Getty
9. Doricas du Plessis
Age: 30 years old
Record: 21 wins, 2 losses
Du Plessis stopped Darren Till, Derek Brunson and Robert Whittaker during an unprecedented six-fight winning streak to earn a shot at the middleweight title. He became the first South African fighter to win a UFC belt after a bloody five-round fight with Sean Strickland in January.
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Du Plessis can take the belt back to Africa and fight Adesanya next Credit: Getty
8. Max Holloway
Age: 32 years old
Record: 26 wins, 7 losses
Holloway hasn’t lost to a featherweight not named Alexander Volkanovski since facing Conor McGregor 10 years ago. After defeating Arnold Allen and Chan Sung-jeong to become the No. 1 contender again, he moved up to lightweight and scored the “greatest KO of all time” at UFC 300 to take Justin Gaethje’s BMF belt.
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Holloway gives Gaethje a face ram with 1 second left Credit: Getty
7. Alexander Volkanovsky
Age: 35 years old
Record: 26 wins, 3 losses
Volkanovski used to be at the top of this list, but he has fallen down the rankings with 4 wins and 3 losses. Ilya Topria took away her long-held featherweight strap with a brutal KO earlier this year, but it is currently unclear whether she will be given an immediate rematch.
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Volkanovski may have lost his belt, but he’s still one of the best in the UFC Credit: Getty
6. Sean O’Malley
Age: 29 years old
Record 18-1 (1NC)
O’Malley shocked the world by knocking out Aljamain Sterling to take the belt. There were some doubters, but ‘Suga’ turned them into believers with a ‘masterclass’ victory over his only opponent, Marlon Vera, at UFC 299 in March.
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O’Malley transforms from fun contender to champion in 2023 Credit: Getty
5. Ilia Topria
Age: 27 years old
Record: 15-0
Topria looked nearly perfect during his time in the UFC. “El Matador” went from a promising fighter to a gritty champion and made it look easy when he stopped Volkanovski at UFC 298. Now he’s bringing MMA’s premier promotion to a show at Spain’s Santiago Bernabéu.
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Volkanovski wants more rift with Topuria, but Holloway could fight him first Credit: Getty
4. Alex Pereira
Age: 36 years old
Record: 9-2
Pereira bounced back from losing his middleweight title to Israel Adesanya in April and won the next two bouts to claim another light heavyweight belt. “Poitan” easily defended his belt at UFC 300 by knocking out former champion Jamahal Hill.
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Pereira tops historic card with meme-worthy celebration
3. Leon Edwards
Age: 32 years old
Record: 22 wins, 3 losses
Edwards took the UFC back to England for a big PPV show and proved his first win over Usman was no fluke by defeating him again. The welterweight champion followed suit by silencing Colby Covington, who has long been considered the second-best fighter in the 170-pound division.
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Edwards is one of three British champions in UFC history Credit: Getty
2. Jon Jones
Age: 36 years old
Record: 27 wins, 1 loss
The greatest fighter of all time proved he still had power after a three-year layoff and quickly tapped out Cyril Gane to become heavyweight champion in his divisional debut. His injury delayed his fight with Stipe Miocic, but the two are expected to collide at some point this year.
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Jones has dominated UFC fighters since 2008 Credit: Getty
1. Islam Makhachev
Age: 32 years old
Record: 25 wins, 1 loss
Makhachev was near perfect in his MMA career. In 2023, he defended his lightweight belt twice against Volkanovski, widely considered the best fighter in MMA, but was outmaneuvered and knocked out by the Khabib Nurmagomedov disciple. He is scheduled to start the 2024 season by fighting Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June.
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Makhachev is the UFC lightweight champion.Credit: Getty
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