The UFC 328 card delivered not one, but two championship matches on Saturday night. In the night’s co-main event, flyweight king Joshua Wan silenced some skeptics about his UFC 323 title victory by defeating Tatsuro Taira in a back-and-forth battle to retain his title with a big fifth-round score.
In the evening’s headliner, Sean Strickland proved the oddsmakers wrong when he was able to slow down the wrestling game of Khamzat Chimaev to begin his second reign as UFC middleweight champion. After those two big fights, let’s see where Strickland and Vann land in our new UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
10. Tom Aspinall (15-3)

Englishman Tom Aspinall is the best heavyweight in the UFC. It became official when MMA GOAT Jon Jones decided to step away from the sport earlier this year. The Englishman has defeated many of the best fighters in the division over the past three years and is the undisputed leader in the eyes of most UFC fans.
After definitively avenging the only defeat of his UFC career in the summer of 2024, he made his first defense of the undisputed title in October. Unfortunately, a nasty blow from opponent Cyril Game ended the UFC 321 main event after just a few minutes. An immediate rematch in early 2026 appears likely.
9.Joshua Vann (16-2)

Joshua Vann has quietly put in an impressive performance in the Octagon. At UFC 317, he got his big opportunity in a clash with top-five veteran Brandon Royval and earned a hard-fought career-defining decision victory. The win earned the Myanmar native a championship opportunity at UFC 323.
In the card’s co-main event, he became the second youngest champion, but it was bittersweet when Pantoja suffered a non-contact injury to his elbow, leading to an immediate end to the fight in Round 1. He’s the new king of the division, but he didn’t earn the top spot in that fight.
8. Charles Oliveira (36-11)

Charles Oliveria holds several UFC records and is considered one of the greatest Brazilian MMA fighters of all time. There’s a lot to like about his fighting style, and his resume is full of big wins. But age catches up with everyone, and it has taken its toll on “Du Bronx” over the years as he has split his last four fights.
Since he is out of the title picture, the former lightweight king decided to pursue the BMF title in March instead. At UFC 326, Oliveira had the best performance of his career, as he completely dominated fellow future Hall of Famer Max Holloway to win his second championship in the company.
7. Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Davlishvili is truly “The Machine”. His tenacity and wrestling have turned him into one of the best bantamweights on the planet. If there were any doubts after his 2024 win over Sean O’Malley, he silenced them with an even more decisive rematch victory at UFC 316.
Following that fight, the champ put his gold on the line against fan-favorite Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320, and like his previous 13 fights, he dominated with his wrestling and cardio. He seems invincible at this time.
6. Shawn Strickland (31-7)

Wildman Sean Strickland may not be the brightest fighter in UFC middleweight history, but he has consistently proven to be a tough test for the world’s best, which is why he proved many doubters wrong by winning UFC gold in 2023.
While he lost in his first defense two years ago, “Tarzan” battled back for a title opportunity at UFC 328 in May, and shocked the MMA world when he ended Khamzat Chimaev’s dominance to become a two-time UFC middleweight champion.
5.Petr Yan (20-5)

The three consecutive losses led many to wonder if Petr Yan’s days as a top five bantamweight were over. However, his recent wins over Yadon Song, Deiveson Figueiredo and Marcus McGhee helped rebuild his title contender status. Earning a title shot at UFC 323.
In a rematch with a man who had defeated him two years earlier, the Russian was the greatest version of himself as he decisively defeated Merab Dvalishvili to become a two-time bantamweight champion. “No Mercy” proved that he is fully back to being an elite fighter in the world.
4. Alexander Volkanovski (28-4)

Alexander Volkanovski has solidified his place as the best featherweight of all time. However, a move up in weight for a second title shot and the rise of Ilya Topuria led to “The Great” suffering three consecutive losses and speculation that his best days were behind him.
However, he has bounced back from those setbacks to establish his dominance at 145 pounds with back-to-back wins over Diego Lopes. Most recently appearing in front of his countrymen at UFC 325. Although he did not get the finish, he once again proved that he is a cut above the Brazilian native.
3. Alex Pereira (12-3)

Alex Pereira’s UFC story is legendary. After nine fights, he became a two-division champion and scored devastating victories over some of the best fighters of the era at middleweight and light heavyweight. The 38-year-old has been a revelation for the company and has connected with the MMA fanbase with a fighting approach similar to cage fighting icon Fedor Emelianenko.
After being on the wrong side of a disappointing decision loss in March, the Brazilian returned with a vengeance at UFC 320. He came out of the gate in his rematch with Magomed Ankalev and blew him away in a matter of minutes to regain his place at the top of the division.
2. Ilya Topuria (17-0)

Ilya Topuria will go down as one of the greatest featherweights of all time. But instead of further enhancing his 145-pound resume, “El Matador” moved to lightweight in search of history. Well, he achieved the feat in June by becoming just the 10th fighter to win gold in two divisions. Crushing former 155 pound champion Charles Oliveria and adding him to his hit list of veterans.
1. Islam Makhachev (28-1)

Islam Makhachev has solidified his place as one of the greatest UFC lightweights of all time with his wins over Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski (twice) and Charles Oliveira. Not only is he a dominant wrestler, but he has one of the most underrated standup games in the game.
At UFC 322, he made his mark in UFC history when he moved up in weight and became the latest fighter to win titles in two divisions, as he became the new welterweight king with a dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena.
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