It's been 18 months since ESPN last ranked the 11 UFC divisions from most to least star-studded and competitive, and a lot has changed. Back in May 2024, Islam Makhachev was the lightweight champion readying himself for his third defense, and now he's preparing to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight championship at UFC 322 on Nov. 15.
If we include Makhachev among the welterweights and another former champion going for a second title, Zhang Weili, to women's flyweight, those classes become two of four with more than one athlete on ESPN's pound-for-pound list. Though the welterweight division did make a jump up from No. 4 to No. 2, it was beaten to the top spot by a division that boasts a champion on a relentless win streak and deep bench behind him. Below welterweight, a majority of the remaining weight classes have new rankings and new opportunities to move up.
1. Men's bantamweight (Previous ranking: 2)
Champion: Merab Dvalishvili
Bantamweight and lightweight have battled it out for the No. 1 spot the past two years -- and this year, it goes to 135 pounds. Why? Dvalishvili at the top is a great place to start. He's the most active champion in the sport, and might go down as the most active in history. He's established a visible gap between himself and the rest of this division, which is wild because this weight class is undeniably stacked. And in its prime. Umar Nurmagomedov is one of the best non-champs in the sport. Sean O'Malley ran into a stylistic nightmare against Dvalishvili, but he's been perfect otherwise. Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo are two former, feared champions. As is Henry Cejudo, who will retire again at the end of the year but is technically still in the divisional top 10. Top to bottom, this is the deepest weight class in the UFC.
Biggest upcoming fight: Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov
Dvalishvili has to beat Yan (again) in December, but if and when Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov rematch for the title again, it will be massive. At that point, it will start to feel like Nurmagomedov might be the only bantamweight with a chance to beat the champ.
2. Welterweight (PR: 4)
Champion: Jack Della Maddalena
Welterweight is arguably the most entertaining division in the sport right now -- and that actually has nothing to do with "personalities." In fact, most of the names at the top have relatively quiet demeanors, but talent speaks. And it comes in different styles. The boxing of JDM. Belal Muhammad's pace. Sean Brady's smothering wrestling. Shavkat Rakhmonov's near 100% finish rate. The technically sharp, intelligent execution of Ian Machado Garry. The ferocious knockout power of Joaquin Buckley. Now you add Makhachev to all of that? This division isn't far behind bantamweight for the No. 1 spot.
Biggest upcoming fight: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev on Nov. 15
The obvious one. It's Makhachev's turn to try to become a two-weight champion, after watching several others get that shot in recent years. Oddsmakers are saying Makhachev is the favorite (-270 per ESPN BET) against Della Maddalena, but this feels like a 50-50 fight.
3. Lightweight (PR: 3)
Champion: Ilia Topuria
Lightweight is always in the mix as the sport's best division, usually because of a handful of the same, tried-and-true names. But those names are aging. Dustin Poirier is retired. Justin Gaethje isn't far off. Charles Oliveira is 36 years old. Michael Chandler has slowed down. Tony Ferguson is gone. The next generation looks very good, to be sure. Topuria is ESPN's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. Arman Tsarukyan is world-class in every aspect. Paddy Pimblett still has some doubters, but his results can't be questioned. Max Holloway is only one fight into his permanent lightweight move, so he still has plenty to say. It's a great division, but this new generation has some work to do to match the level of greatness the previous era reached.
Biggest upcoming fight: Topuria vs. Pimblett
Pimblett is not the most deserving title challenger, and the UFC hasn't said for sure he'll get the next shot. We should find out for sure before the end of the year, and if it does happen next, it will be a massive draw in terms of viewership. And if Pimblett gets the upset, the entire 155-pound landscape will feel it.
4. Middleweight (PR: 6)
Champion: Khamzat Chimaev
Middleweight makes a two-spot jump , and there's a case it should be more. Middleweight is in something of a renaissance -- due to the emergence of new names. It's not just that these new fighters are winning -- they are dominating. Chimaev is the poster boy for dominance, rag-dolling everyone he fights. Before losing the belt, Dricus Du Plessis had finished two of the best middleweights of all time in Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. Nassourdine Imavov knocked out Adesanya in February. Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez choked out Roman Dolidze while standing up. Reinier de Ridder won four fights in nine months. Brendan Allen has come into his own at age 29. This is a talented group that is not waiting to blossom -- it's fully arrived.
Biggest upcoming fight: Chimaev vs. Hernandez
As strong as the division is, there is not a budding superfight at the moment. That will change before long. For now, "Fluffy" looks like Chimaev's biggest threat, and he has the confidence to meet Chimaev head-on in both the prefight antics and the fight itself.
5. Women's flyweight (PR: 5)
Champion: Valentina Shevchenko
This division is a little top-heavy, but what a top it is --.especially with the addition of Zhang Weili from strawweight to complement Shevchenko. Those two alone make this the strongest women's division in years, perhaps ever. Add the very legitimate, very different skill sets of Manon Fiorot, Erin Blanchfield and Natalia Silva to the mix, and you have an incredibly intriguing top 5. With those three names on the cusp of a title opportunity, plus the likes of Maycee Barber and Rose Namajunas, there's potential for a shakeup here. How Zhang settles into flyweight is a massive question for women's MMA as a whole.
Biggest upcoming fight: Shevchenko vs. Zhang on Nov. 15
This matchup has been a few years in the making and will dictate so much in terms of the next moves for Zhang and Shevchenko (the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world). We'll likely feel the ripple effects from the result of this fight, regardless of who wins, for the next year-plus.
6. Featherweight (PR: 3)
Champion: Alexander Volkanovski
The biggest change to this division since our last ranking is, of course, the departure of Topuria to lightweight. It's still very deep without him, but he did leave a void. Much like lightweight, there are talented fighters here who are not yet entirely established. We still need to see the exact reach of fighters such as Movsar Evloev, Lerone Murphy and even Diego Lopes, who came up short to Volkanovski in his first title shot earlier this year but figures to get another one in the near future (potentially in his next bout). Youssef Zalal, 29, and Steve Garcia, 33, also bring youth and potential, respectively, to the top 10. There's a lot to like. Don't be surprised if, considering all of this talent, featherweight moves back into the top 3 in our next ranking.
Biggest upcoming fight: Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy
The UFC is still weighing its options on the next 145-pound title fight, but at the moment, the most likely scenario is a rematch between Volkanovski and Lopes. That opens the door for an obvious No. 1 contender bout between Evloev and Murphy. Look, Volkanovski is amazing but he is getting older and there will be a new age ushered onto his throne eventually. Who will take that throne? Lopes? Evloev? Murphy? One of the biggest questions in this division right now, still, is just how good Evloev and Murphy are, and we'll find that out in 2026.
7. Men's flyweight (PR: 9)
Champion: Alexandre Pantoja
It's never going to be the UFC's most sellable division, but let's show it the respect it deserves here. This weight class is flush with talent -- and to suggest otherwise is pure bias based on a perceived lack of household names. Pantoja is one of the most impressive champions in the UFC, dominating his opposition in a manner that's not so different from Dvalishvili. Joshua Van, who will get his shot at Pantoja at UFC 323 on Dec. 6, is one of the most exciting, surging contenders the sport has seen in years. Brandon Moreno is a top-10 pound-for-pound candidate on any given night. He'd be on that list if a couple of very close scorecards had read slightly differently in his past four fights. Amir Albazi, Kai Kara-France, and Manel Kape are all well-rounded, highly conditioned, experienced contenders. Tatsuro Taira has been called a phenom at times, and he's still only 25. This division is a lot better and a lot deeper than it often gets credit for.
Biggest upcoming fight: Brandon Moreno vs.Tatsuro Taira on Dec. 6
Moreno needs a win more when these two meet next month. He's a two-time champion, and if he wants to become a three-time champion, he'll have to take down the winner of Pantoja vs. Joshua, but he has to win this one first. His prospects of getting back to a title would take a big hit if he were to lose to Moreno.
8. Light heavyweight (PR: 8)
Champion: Alex Pereira
We said this division was on the rise in our last ranking, and that is still the case, even if it hasn't resulted in a higher spot on this list yet. Things were kind of a disaster after Jon Jones vacated the title in 2020 to move up to heavyweight, but it has come together in recent years and is now more than respectable. That starts with the champion, Pereira, although he's made it clear he wishes to move up, too. Beyond Pereira, the continued growth of fighters such as Carlos Ulberg, Azamat Murzakanov and even Khalil Rountree Jr. (despite his recent loss to Jirí Procházka), have made this division feel far more legitimate and meaningful lately. Magomed Ankalaev is coming off a disastrous first-round knockout against Pereira last month, but no one is questioning the talent. Procházka has been and continues to be the real deal -- which is undeniable considering the sport would cast him in a third fight against Pereira, even though he's 0-2 in that matchup. Light heavyweight is still officially ranked No. 8, but it feels like a division on the up.
Biggest upcoming fight: Carlos Ulberg's next fight
Whether it's against Pereira for the championship, Procházka for a No. 1 contender spot or anything else, Ulberg's ceiling means a lot for this division. He's charismatic, fights entertainingly and is still relatively young at age 34. We kind of have a sense of how most of the pieces fit at light heavyweight. Ulberg is a potential disruptor, with plenty of longevity ahead if he proves to be championship material.
9. Strawweight (PR: 7)
Champion: Mackenzie Dern
Any division that loses someone of Zhang's caliber is probably going to drop a few spots in the power rankings. And Zhang isn't the only figure this division has given up. Alexa Grasso, Barber, Namajunas -- all former strawweights who ultimately settled into flyweight. Even Tatiana Suarez has dabbled at flyweight. It's not easy for some of these athletes to consistently make 115 pounds for an extended period of time. If nothing else, with Zhang gone and no overwhelming favorite, the division should see some parity at the top. Dern and Virna Jandiroba's closely contested championship fight last month should serve as evidence of that.
Biggest upcoming fight: Dern vs. Suarez
It's a no-brainer in terms of the division's next title fight. There are similarities between them. Both were highly decorated in their respective sports prior to MMA (Dern in jiu-jitsu, Suarez in wrestling). Both were expected to have a relatively fast track to the title, and both have now taken the long route instead. It's a great matchup that will put the strawweights in a positive light when it happens.
10. Heavyweight (PR: 10)
Champion: Tom Aspinall
It's bad and it's not getting any better. There is no light at the end of the tunnel right now. Aspinall has looked like a generational talent, but even his status is slightly down at the moment following a competitive first round with Ciryl Gane that ended in a no-contest. Look, Aspinall and Gane are technical, elite heavyweights. Sergei Pavlovich is a wild card with dynamite in his hands, who could win it all if were able to string together a long enough run. And veteran fighters such as Curtis Blaydes, Jailton Almeida and Waldo Cortes-Acosta aren't bad, but they are not particularly dangerous to Aspinall. There is little excitement at heavyweight right now, which is evidenced by the most exciting thing to hope for is a potential dream fight between the light heavyweight champ (Pereira) and a semi-retired GOAT (Jones).
Biggest upcoming fight: Aspinall vs. Gane 2
A big part of me wants to say Pereira vs. Jones, but other than their mutual interest, the UFC hasn't given reason to believe the fight is on the horizon, so we'll go with the inevitable Aspinall-Gane rematch instead.
11. Women's bantamweight (PR: 11)
Champion: Kayla Harrison
This division barely exists, which is sad. Historically, it is the most important division in women's MMA. However, Harrison is such a bright spot for this weight class and women's MMA in general. Harrison and Amanda Nunes are going to meet in 2026, but frankly, the UFC could ignore the rest of the division (which it's nearly doing already) and few would notice. It's unfortunate, but it's the reality. The UFC is probably averaging 25 to 30 rostered bantamweights, meaning about half of the division is showing up with a ranking -- which makes a ranking feel somewhat meaningless. For all intents and purposes, this division is Harrison, a retired Nunes, a Grand Canyon-sized gap, and the rest of the roster.
Biggest upcoming fight: Harrison vs. Nunes
One thing you can say about women's bantamweight, however, is that this matchup is a genuine blockbuster. We'll see what the fallout looks like after.