Alexander Volkanovski should not be underestimated. At 36 years old, he made a remarkable comeback in the UFC by reclaiming a title after consecutive knockout losses. Following a dominant performance against Diego Lopes at UFC 314, all eyes are once again on Australia for the road to gold. Despite his achievements, Volkanovski still has more to prove in his second title reign to crack into the men’s top 10 pound-for-pound rankings.
On the women’s side, Virna Jandiroba has made her debut in the pound-for-pound rankings after a convincing win against Yan Xiaonan in Miami. With a strong case for the next shot at the women’s strawweight title, Jandiroba now finds herself among the elite fighters in the MMA pound-for-pound rankings.
The panel of Ben Fowlkes, Chuck Mindenhall, Shaheen Al-Shatti, Petesy Carroll, Drake Riggs, Eric Jackman, and Conner Burks have carefully ranked both the men’s and women’s pound-for-pound best using a weighted points system. These rankings consider fighters from all major promotions, not just the UFC.
In the men’s pound-for-pound rankings for April, Islam Makhachev continues to hold the top spot as the UFC lightweight champion. The list also includes fighters like Ilia Topuria, Merab Dvalishvili, Alexandre Pantoja, and Dricus du Plessis among others.
For the women’s pound-for-pound rankings, Zhang Weili retains her position as the UFC strawweight champion at the top. Other notable fighters in the rankings include Valentina Shevchenko, Cris Cyborg, Kayla Harrison, and Alexa Grasso.
These rankings reflect the current landscape of MMA and the impressive performances of fighters across different weight classes and promotions. As the sport continues to evolve, these rankings serve as a guide to the most dominant and skilled fighters in the world of mixed martial arts.