Merab Dvalishvili's win over Sean O'Malley to retain the UFC men's bantamweight title shook up the MMA world and ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings.
With a second dominant win over the former champion, Dvalishvili further cemented himself as one of the historical greats in a division loaded with talent and secured a move up in the rankings. Dvalishvili has now passed consensus MMA GOAT Jon Jones to claim the No. 3 spot. Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall also passed Jones, who drops to No. 5.
Another fighter also cracked the top three on the women's side, as new UFC women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison beat Julianna Peña by second-round submission to pass PFL Super Fights champ Cris Cyborg to take the No. 3 spot.
Peña's loss caused a big shift in the women's rankings, as she falls from No. 7 out of the top 10 and PFL women's flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva enters the rankings at No. 10.
For the ESPN divisional MMA rankings, click here.
Note: Results are current; rankings as of June 11. To be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed over the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Fighters who have been dropped for inactivity can be reinstated only after they compete.
Men's pound-for-pound rankings
UFC welterweight
Record: 27-1
Last: W (Sub1) vs. Renato Moicano, Jan. 18
Next: TBD vs. Jack Della Maddalena
Makhachev staked his claim as the greatest lightweight of all time by swiftly dispatching late-replacement opponent Moicano at UFC 311. It was his UFC-record fourth title defense and tied Kamaru Usman for the second-longest winning streak in UFC history at 15. Makhachev finally won over UFC CEO Dana White, who now agrees he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Next up for Makhachev will be a move up to welterweight to challenge new champion Della Maddalena, with date and venue to be determined. -- Andreas Hale
2. Ilia Topuria 
UFC lightweight
Record: 16-0
Last: W (KO3) vs. Max Holloway, Oct. 26, 2024
Next: June 28 vs. Charles Oliveira
After knocking out two of the greatest featherweights in UFC history (Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway) in 2024, it was going to be tough for Topuria to top that in 2025. He moved up to lightweight with the goal of challenging Islam Makhachev, but with Makhachev moving up a division himself, Topuria instead will go for the vacant title against Oliveira, a former lightweight champ. -- Hale
UFC bantamweight champion
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 20-4
Last: W (TechSub3) vs. Sean O'Malley, June 7
Next: TBD
Dvalishvili is on one of the most impressive runs through the UFC's bantamweight division ever. Not only did he defeat O'Malley for the second time in nine months at UFC 316, he showcased a new part of his game, finishing O'Malley early with a third-round guillotine. Since August 2022, Dvalishvili has beaten José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, O'Malley (twice) and Umar Nurmagomedov, and he has said he wants to fight twice more before the end of this year.
4. Tom Aspinall 
UFC heavyweight interim champion
Previous ranking: 5
Record: 15-3
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Curtis Blaydes, July 27, 2024
Next: TBD
If you're going by the eye test, you can make a case that Aspinall is the most dynamic, skillful, naturally talented heavyweight the sport has seen. He is dominating opponents in a way that is unmatched. No one can last a round with him. Now, will we see him fight Jon Jones? -- Brett Okamoto
5. Jon Jones 
UFC heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 3
Record: 28-1, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO3) vs. Stipe Miocic, Nov. 16, 2024
Next: TBD
He has ceded his place as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but the only thing preventing Jones from reclaiming the spot is activity. Should "Bones" finally accept Aspinall's challenge, he will have the opportunity to silence the doubters and prove again why he has been called the greatest MMA fighter of all time. -- Hale
UFC light heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 20-1-1, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Alex Pereira, March 8
Next: TBD
Ankalaev dethroned Pereira at UFC 313 for his 14th consecutive fight without a loss, a run that began after his UFC debut in 2018. -- Okamoto
UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: 6
Record: 29-5
Last: W (TechSub2) vs. Kai Asakura, Dec. 7, 2024
Next: June 28 vs. Kai Kara-France
The UFC's flyweight king has racked up three title defenses, including two in pay-per-view main events in 2024. He will ride a seven-fight winning streak into his next title defense against Kara-France at UFC 317. Pantoja is quickly taking laps around the 125-pound division. -- Okamoto
UFC middleweight champion
Record: 23-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Sean Strickland, Feb. 8
Next: Aug. 16 vs. Khamzat Chimaev
No one receives as many backhanded compliments as Du Plessis, but as long as the wins keep coming, who cares? The UFC's middleweight champ is known for breaking all of the technical rules of MMA and making it work. He has taken out some of the biggest names of his division's history and has an opportunity to add another when he faces Chimaev at UFC 319. Du Plessis is on his way to becoming one of those big names himself if it keeps up. -- Okamoto
UFC welterweight champion
Previous ranking: 10
Record: 18-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Belal Muhammad, May 10
Next: TBD vs. Islam Makhachev
Della Maddalena seemingly came from nowhere to make his debut on the pound-for-pound list, but that's what happens when you win a UFC championship and snap Muhammad's 11-fight win streak. Della Maddalena has had some close calls in the UFC, but at the end of the day he's always found a way to win, going 8-0 inside the Octagon. Can he keep it going against Makhachev? -- Okamoto
10. Alex Pereira
UFC light heavyweight
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 12-3
Last: L (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, March 8
Next: TBD
A stellar 2024 cemented Pereira's place as a star in the UFC, but he faced arguably his toughest test as light heavyweight champion when he stepped into the Octagon with Ankalaev at UFC 313. Pereira had dealt with strikers, but the question was whether he could get the job done against a talented grappler. Pereira kept the fight standing but fell short by unanimous decision. -- Hale
Other fighters receiving votes: Francis Ngannou, Alexander Volkanovski and Khamzat Chimaev.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Islam Makhachev; 2. Ilia Topuria; 3. Merab Dvalishvili; 4. Tom Aspinall; 5. Alexandre Pantoja; 6. Dricus du Plessis; 7. Magomed Ankalaev; 8. Alex Pereira; 9. Alexander Volkanovski 10. Jack Della Maddalena.
Andreas Hale: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Topuria; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Aspinall; 6. Ankalaev; 7. Pantoja; 8. Maddalena; 9. Volkanovski; 10. Pereira.
Ian Parker: 1. Makhachev; 2. Dvalishvili; 3. Topuria; 4. du Plessis; 5. Ankalaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. Della Maddalena; 8. Aspinall; 9. Pereira; 10. Jon Jones.
Andrew Davis: 1. Makhachev; 2. Jones; 3. Topuria; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Aspinall; 6. Ankalaev; 7. du Plessis; 8. Pantoja; 9. Della Maddalena; 10. Pereira.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Aspinall; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Jones; 6. Francis Ngannou; 7. Pantoja; 8. Ankalaev; 9. Khamzat Chimaev; 10. Pereira.
Women's pound-for-pound rankings
1. Zhang Weili
UFC strawweight champion
Record: 26-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Tatiana Suarez, Feb. 8
Next: TBD
Amanda Nunes left a big hole in women's MMA when she announced her retirement in 2023, but Zhang has filled that void in terms of a dominant presence. -- Okamoto
UFC flyweight champion
Record: 25-4-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Manon Fiorot, May 10
Next: TBD
Shevchenko put a cap on the Alexa Grasso trilogy in 2024 with a dominant performance that put to bed any remaining questions around that rivalry. She followed that up with a well-rounded performance against Fiorot to improve to 10-1-1 in UFC title fights. -- Okamoto
UFC bantamweight
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 19-1
Last: W (TechSub2) vs. Julianna Peña, June 7
Next: TBD
The longtime face of the PFL is quickly becoming the face of the UFC's women's divisions as well. With a dominant win over Peña at UFC 316, Harrison is now 4-0 in the UFC and has the hardware to add to her two Olympic gold medals. She won't have it easy in her first title defense, though, because Nunes is coming back with the belt in her sights.
4. Cris Cyborg
Bellator featherweight and PFL Super Fights champion
Previous ranking: 3
Record: 28-2, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Larissa Pacheco, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
It had been a while since Cyborg had fought an elite opponent in MMA until she met Pacheco in 2024. That was a legitimate matchup -- and many within the industry were predicting Cyborg's downfall. Instead, she took out the PFL's two-weight champion, upending all of Pacheco's momentum. One of the original pioneers of women's MMA is somehow still going strong. -- Okamoto
UFC flyweight
Record: 19-5-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Alexa Grasso, May 10
Next: TBD
Silva is looking every bit the part of a future UFC champion, following a dominant display over Grasso at UFC 315. Her stick-and-move style has frustrated even the highest level of opponent, and she's got youth on her side as she won't turn 30 until 2027. -- Okamoto
6. Manon Fiorot
UFC flyweight
Record: 12-2
Last: L (UD) vs. Valentina Shevchenko, May 10
Next: TBD
Fiorot fell short in her challenge of Shevchenko, the champ, at UFC 315. But after knocking off Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield in her previous two fights, Fiorot has shown she has the tools to become champion. -- Hale
PFL featherweight champion
Previous ranking: 8
Record: 23-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Cris Cyborg, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
As the only woman to defeat Kayla Harrison and after coming close to beating Cyborg last October, Pacheco deserves her spot on this list. Unfortunately, the lack of quality opponents in the PFL will prevent her from climbing higher. At 30, Pacheco is still improving, but it will be interesting to see who the PFL finds to face her next. -- Hale
UFC flyweight
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 13-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Rose Namajunas, Nov. 2, 2024
Next: May 31 vs. Maycee Barber
Blanchfield dug herself out of a hole to beat Namajunas in November, and next up for the 25-year-old is a meeting with another young prospect. Blanchfield has immense potential and has shown new wrinkles in her game since dropping a decision to Manon Fiorot last year. -- Hale
UFC strawweight
Previous ranking: 10
Record: 22-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Yan Xiaonan, April 12
Next: TBD
Jandiroba thrust herself into title contention by dominating Yan at UFC 314, neutralizing the striking threat of the onetime title challenger and forcing Yan into her world -- a grappling bout. With the win, Jandiroba extended her winning streak to five. With strawweight champion Zhang Weili awaiting her next challenger, Jandiroba is in position to fill the void. -- Hale
10. Dakota Ditcheva
PFL flyweight champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 14-0
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Taila Santos, Nov. 29, 2024
Next: June 26 vs. Sumiko Inaba
Not only did Ditcheva win the PFL's flyweight season last year, she did so in spectacular fashion -- a TKO finish over Santos, who once challenged for a UFC title. She will open her 2025 campaign against Sumiko Inaba (8-1) in the co-main event of the first PFL Champions Series card July 26 in Cape Town, South Africa. -- Okamoto
Other fighters receiving votes: Rose Namajunas, and Julianna Peña.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Zhang Weili; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Kayla Harrison; 4. Cris Cyborg; 5. Manon Fiorot; 6. Natalia Silva; 7. Rose Namajunas; 8. Erin Blanchfield; 9. Larissa Pacheco; 10. Virna Jandiroba.
Andreas Hale: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Zhang; 3. Harrison; 4. Cyborg; 5. Silva; 6. Pacheco; 7. Fiorot; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Jandiroba; 10. Dakota Ditcheva.
Ian Parker: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Harrison; 4. Silva; 5. Cyborg; 6. Jandiroba; 7. Fiorot; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Ditcheva; 10. Larissa Pacheco.
Andrew Davis: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Harrison; 4. Cyborg; 5. Silva; 6. Fiorot; 7. Pacheco; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Ditcheva; 10. Julianna Peña.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Fiorot; 6. Pacheco; 7. Silva; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Jandiroba; 10. Ditcheva.