Dakota Ditcheva is hard to overlook. The PFL flyweight champion is 15-0 with 12 knockouts. At age 26, she is one of the brightest young stars in MMA.
With Kayla Harrison having moved on to the UFC and the PFL's high-profile 2023 signee, heavyweight Francis Ngannou, barely active in MMA, Ditcheva is an especially important figure for the second-tier fight promotion. And yet her fight over the weekend drew little notice.
Part of the reason was that PFL Cape Town was held on the same day as UFC 318, which was headlined by the retirement fight of popular Dustin Poirier. Also, the highlight of the PFL card was Costello van Steenis' shocking upset of middleweight champion Johnny Eblen in the main event.
Ditcheva won on Saturday as well, but she was taken the distance for the first time in her past 10 fights. Ditcheva's unanimous decision over Sumiko Inaba was dominant, though. She won all three rounds on every scorecard, and one judge gave her three 10-8 rounds.
Ditcheva was the only fighter in the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings who was active over the weekend, and given that she didn't get another finish, most of our voters kept her right where she was in their top 10s. But Ditcheva received just enough added support to leapfrog UFC strawweight Virna Jandiroba and move up one spot in the women's rankings.
For the ESPN divisional MMA rankings, click here.
Note: Results are current; rankings are as of July 23. 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
1. Ilia Topuria 
UFC lightweight champion
Record: 17-0
Last: W (KO1) vs. Charles Oliveira, June 28
Next: TBD
After knocking out two of the greatest featherweights in UFC history (Alexander Volkanovski and Max 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 Makhachev, but with Makhachev moving up a division, Topuria instead captured the vacant title by knocking out Oliveira cold at UFC 317. -- Andreas Hale
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 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. Next up for Makhachev will be a move to welterweight to challenge new champion Della Maddalena, with the date and venue to be determined. -- Hale
UFC bantamweight champion
Record: 20-4
Last: W (TechSub3) vs. Sean O'Malley, June 7
Next: Oct. 4 vs. Cory Sandhagen
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, but he showcased a new part of his game, finishing O'Malley 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. Next up is a UFC 320 matchup with Sandhagen. -- Brett Okamoto
4. Tom Aspinall
UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 15-3
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Curtis Blaydes, July 27, 2024
Next: Oct. 25 vs. Ciryl Gane
If you're going by the eye test, you can make a case that Aspinall is the most dynamic, skillful, talented heavyweight the sport has seen. He is dominating opponents in a way that is unmatched. No one can last a round with him. He had hoped to prove his supremacy against Jon Jones, but Jones opted to retire, elevating Aspinall from interim champion. He makes his first defense of the undisputed belt against Gane at UFC 321. -- Okamoto
UFC flyweight champion
Record: 30-5
Last: W (Sub3) vs. Kai Kara-France, June 28
Next: TBD vs. Joshua Van
The UFC's flyweight king has racked up four title defenses, including two in pay-per-view main events in 2024. He built his winning streak to eight in his UFC 317 win over Kara-France, whom he had already defeated before. Pantoja is quickly taking laps around the 125-pound division. -- Okamoto
UFC light heavyweight champion
Record: 20-1-1, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Alex Pereira, March 8
Next: Oct. 4 vs. Alex Pereira
Ankalaev dethroned Pereira at UFC 313 for his 14th consecutive fight without a loss, a run that began after his UFC debut in 2018. The Russian champion is enjoying his time at the top, taunting potential challengers online. He's an incredibly difficult puzzle to crack, and that's unlikely to get any easier given his growing sense of confidence. Pereira will take his shot in a rematch at UFC 320. -- 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 if it keeps it up. -- Okamoto
8. Alex Pereira
UFC light heavyweight
Record: 12-3
Last: L (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, March 8
Next: Oct. 4 vs. Magomed Ankalaev
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. Can Pereira change that outcome when meets Ankalaev in a rematch at UFC 320? -- Hale
UFC welterweight champion
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
UFC featherweight champion
Record: 27-4
Last: W (UD) vs. Diego Lopes, April 12
Next: TBD
It felt as if the sport had started to write Volkanovski's eulogy following his knockout loss to Topuria in February 2024. Volkanovski noticed and made a point of proving to everyone he still has plenty left by recapturing the featherweight belt at UFC 314. His age (36) will likely continue to be a prefight topic, which is fine because Volkanovski enjoys proving people wrong. -- Okamoto
Other fighters receiving votes: Francis Ngannou and Khamzat Chimaev.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Ilia Topuria; 2. Islam Makhachev; 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. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Aspinall; 5. Pantoja; 6. Ankalaev; 7. Della Maddalena; 8. Volkanovski; 9. Pereira; 10. Du Plessis.
Ian Parker: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Du Plessis; 5. Ankalaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. Della Maddalena; 8. Aspinall; 9. Pereira; 10. Volkanovski.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Pantoja; 5. Du Plessis; 6. Pereira; 7. Ankalaev; 8. Aspinall; 9. Volkanovski; 10. Della Maddalena.
Andrew Davis: 1. Makhachev; 2. Topuria; 3. Dvalishvili; 4. Aspinall; 5. Ankalaev; 6. Pantoja; 7. du Plessis; 8. Della Maddalena; 9. Pereira; 10. Volkanovski.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Topuria; 2. Makhachev; 3. Aspinall; 4. Dvalishvili; 5. Pantoja; 6. Francis Ngannou; 7. Ankalaev; 8. Khamzat Chimaev; 9. Pereira; 10. Du Plessis.
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 champion
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. -- Okamoto
4. Cris Cyborg
PFL Super Fights featherweight champion
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 by 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
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 in 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
Record: 13-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Rose Namajunas, Nov. 2, 2024
Next: TBD
Blanchfield dug herself out of a hole to beat Namajunas in November, and she was scheduled to have a chance to build more momentum in a meeting with another young prospect -- until Maycee Barber pulled out of their May 31 bout on fight night. Blanchfield has immense potential and has shown new wrinkles in her game since dropping a decision to Fiorot last year. -- Hale
PFL flyweight champion
Previous ranking: 10
Record: 14-0
Last: W (UD) vs. Sumiko Inaba, July 19
Next: TBD
Not only did Ditcheva win the PFL's flyweight season last year, but she did so in spectacular fashion -- a TKO finish over Taila Santos, who once challenged for a UFC title. Ditcheva opened her 2025 campaign by dominating Inaba in the co-main event of the first PFL Champions Series card in Cape Town, South Africa. -- Okamoto
10. Virna Jandiroba 
UFC strawweight
Previous ranking: 9
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 one-time title challenger and forcing Yan into her world -- a grappling bout. With the win, Jandiroba extended her winning streak to five. With champion Zhang awaiting her next challenger, Jandiroba is in position to fill the void. -- Hale
Other fighters receiving votes: Rose Namajunas, Alexa Grasso 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. Pacheco.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Shevchenko; 2. Harrison; 3. Zhang; 4. Cyborg; 5. Julianna Peña; 6. Ditcheva; 7. Alexa Grasso; 8. Pacheco; 9. Fiorot; 10. Silva.
Andrew Davis: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Harrison; 4. Cyborg; 5. Silva; 6. Fiorot; 7. Pacheco; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Ditcheva; 10. Peña.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Zhang; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Harrison; 5. Fiorot; 6. Pacheco; 7. Silva; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Jandiroba; 10. Ditcheva.