A big victory resulted in a small (but significant) move for Alexander Volkanovski.
The UFC men’s featherweight champion had his way with Chan Sung Jung on Saturday in their UFC 273 title fight, outstriking the South Korean by 152-51 on his way to a one-sided fourth-round TKO. The win, Volkanovski’s 21st in a row and his third title defense, boosted him up one spot into the top three of the latest ESPN pound-for-pound rankings.
The winner of the UFC 273 co-main event, men’s bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling, moved into the top-10 for the first time, and the former champ he defeated, Petr Yan, dropped out.
The women’s rankings remain unchanged, but with several top-10 women now scheduled for their next bouts, we soon might see some movement.
Note: Results are current; rankings as of April 12.
Men’s pound-for-pound rankings
1. Kamaru Usman
UFC welterweight champion
Record: 20-1
Last: W (UD) Colby Covington, Nov. 6, 2021
Next: TBD
UFC middleweight champion
Record: 22-1
Last: W (UD) Robert Whittaker, Feb. 12, 2022
Next: TBD
UFC featherweight champion
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 24-1
Last: W (TKO4) Chan Sung Jung, April 9, 2022
Next: TBD
UFC heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 3
Record: 17-3
Last: W (UD) Ciryl Gane, Jan. 22, 2022
Next: TBD
UFC lightweight champion
Record: 32-8, 1 NC
Last: W (Sub3) Dustin Poirier, Dec. 11, 2021
Next: May 7 vs. Justin Gaethje
6. Max Holloway
UFC featherweight
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 23-6
Last: W (UD) Yair Rodriguez, Nov. 13, 2021
Next: TBD
UFC lightweight
Previous ranking: 8
Record: 28-7, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub3) Charles Oliveira, Dec. 11, 2021
Next: TBD
UFC light heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 33-7
Last: W (Sub2) Jan Blachowicz, Oct. 30, 2021
Next: June 11 vs. Jiri Prochazka
T-9. Deiveson Figueiredo
UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: T-10
Record: 21-2-1
Last: W (UD) Brandon Moreno, Jan. 22, 2022
Next: TBD
T-9. Aljamain Sterling
UFC bantamweight champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 21-3
Last: W (SD) Petr Yan, April 9, 2022
Next: TBD
Other fighters receiving votes: Justin Gaethje, Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Alexander Volkanovski; 3. Israel Adesanya; 4. Max Holloway; 5. Charles Oliveira; 6. Francis Ngannou; 7. Deiveson Figueiredo; 8. Robert Whittaker; 9. Dustin Poirier; 10. Khamzat Chimaev.
Marc Raimondi: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Israel Adesanya; 3. Francis Ngannou; 4. Alexander Volkanovski; 5. Charles Oliveira; 6. Aljamain Sterling; 7. Dustin Poirier; 8. Glover Teixeira; 9. Max Holloway; 10. Colby Covington.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Charles Oliveira; 3. Alexander Volkanovski; 4. Israel Adesanya; 5. Francis Ngannou; 6. Max Holloway; 7. Glover Teixeira; 8. Deiveson Figueiredo; 9. Aljamain Sterling; 10. Robert Whittaker.
Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Francis Ngannou; 3. Israel Adesanya; 4. Alexander Volkanovski; 5. Charles Oliveira; 6. Dustin Poirier; 7. Max Holloway; 8. Justin Gaethje; 9. Deiveson Figueiredo; 10. Aljamain Sterling.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Francis Ngannou; 3. Israel Adesanya; 4. Alexander Volkanovski; 5. Charles Oliveira; 6. Glover Teixeira; 7. Dustin Poirier; 8. Justin Gaethje; 9. Max Holloway; 10. Aljamain Sterling.
UFC flyweight champion
Record: 21-3
Last: W (TKO4) Lauren Murphy, Sept. 25, 2021
Next: June 11 vs. Taila Santos
2. Amanda Nunes
UFC featherweight champion
Record: 21-5
Last: L (Sub2) Julianna Peña, Dec. 11, 2021
Next: TBD vs. Julianna Peña
UFC strawweight champion
Record: 11-4
Last: W (SD) Zhang Weili, Nov. 6, 2021
Next: May 7 vs. Carla Esparza
4. Cris Cyborg
Bellator featherweight champion
Record: 25-2, 1 NC
Last: W (KO1) Sinead Kavanagh, Nov. 12, 2021
Next: April 23 vs. Arlene Blencowe
UFC bantamweight champion
Record: 11-4
Last: W (Sub2) Amanda Nunes, Dec. 11, 2021
Next: TBD vs. Amanda Nunes
6. Zhang Weili
UFC strawweight
Record: 21-3
Last: L (SD) Rose Namajunas, Nov. 6, 2021
Next: June 11 vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
T-7. Jessica Andrade
UFC flyweight
Record: 22-9
Last: W (TKO1) Cynthia Calvillo, Sept. 25, 2021
Next: TBD
T-7. Kayla Harrison
PFL lightweight champion
Record: 12-0
Last: W (Sub2) Taylor Guardado, Oct. 27, 2021
Next: May 6 vs. Marina Mokhnatkina
UFC strawweight
Record: 18-6
Last: W (TKO2) Yan Xiaonan, May 22, 2021
Next: May 7 vs. Rose Namajunas
10. Holly Holm
UFC bantamweight
Record: 14-5
Last: W (UD) Irene Aldana, Oct. 3, 2020
Next: TBD
Other fighters receiving votes: Katlyn Chookagian, Raquel Pennington and Marina Rodriguez.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Amanda Nunes; 3. Rose Namajunas; 4. Cris Cyborg; 5. Kayla Harrison; 6. Zhang Weili; 7. Jessica Andrade; 8. Julianna Peña; 9. Carla Esparza; 10. Katlyn Chookagian.
Marc Raimondi: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Amanda Nunes; 3. Cris Cyborg; 4. Rose Namajunas; 5. Julianna Peña; 6. Kayla Harrison; 7. Zhang Weili; 8. Jessica Andrade; 9. Holly Holm; 10. Raquel Pennington.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Amanda Nunes; 3. Rose Namajunas; 4. Julianna Peña; 5. Cris Cyborg; 6. Holly Holm; 7. Kayla Harrison; 8. Jessica Andrade; 9. Zhang Weili; 10. Carla Esparza.
Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Julianna Peña; 2. Amanda Nunes; 3. Valentina Shevchenko; 4. Rose Namajunas; 5. Zhang Weili; 6. Cris Cyborg; 7. Jessica Andrade; 8. Carla Esparza; 9. Kayla Harrison; 10. Marina Rodriguez.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Amanda Nunes; 3. Cris Cyborg; 4. Rose Namajunas; 5. Zhang Weili; 6. Jessica Andrade; 7. Julianna Peña; 8. Carla Esparza; 9. Kayla Harrison; 10. Katlyn Chookagian.