Fightful MMA Rankings (8/2/23): Justin Gaethje Enters Men's P4P Ranks Following UFC 291

Welcome to Fightful MMA's weekly fighter rankings as of (8/2/23)!

This past weekend, interim UFC Lightweight Champion, Justin Gaethje shook up the rankings at 155-pounds when he head kick KO'd Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 291.

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Following his highlight knockout to become the new BMF Champion, how much did 'The Highlight' climb the ranks in the men's pound-for-pound rankings? Lets find out!

Men's Pound-for-Pound

1. Alexander Volkanovski (26-2) — UFC Featherweight Champion
2. Jon Jones (27-1) — UFC Heavyweight Champion
3. Islam Makhachev (24-1) — UFC Lightweight Champion
4. Israel Adesanya (24-2) — UFC Middleweight Champion
5. Leon Edwards (21-3) — UFC Welterweight Champion
6. Aljamain Sterling (23-3) — UFC Bantamweight Champion
7. Charles Oliveira (34-9)
8. Alexandre Pantoja (26-5) — UFC Flyweight Champion
9. Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1)
10. Kamaru Usman (20-3)
11. Alex Pereira (8-2)
12. Max Holloway (24-7)
13. Justin Gaethje (25-4) — UFC BMF Champion (Not Ranked)
14. Vadim Nemkov (17-2) — Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion
15. Khamzat Chimaev (12-0)

***Jamahal Hill removed from rankings due to injury and vacating title.***

Women's Pound-for-Pound

1. Cristiane 'Cyborg' Justino (26-2) — Bellator Featherweight Champion
2. Alexa Grasso (16-3) — UFC Flyweight Champion
3. Weili Zhang (23-3) — UFC Strawweight Champion
4. Valentina Shevchenko (23-4)
5. Julianna Pena (11-5)
6. Larissa Pacheco (21-4)
7. Carla Esparza (19-7)
8. Rose Namajunas (12-5)
9. Erin Blanchfield (11-1)
10. Jessica Andrade (24-11)
11. Taila Santos (19-2)
12. Manon Fiorot (10-1)
13. Amanda Lemos (13-2-1)
14. Tatiana Suarez (10-0)
15. Mayra Bueno Silva (11-2-1)

Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones (27-1) — UFC Heavyweight Champion
2. Sergei Pavlovich (18-1)
3. Ciryl Gane (11-2)
4. Curtis Blaydes (17-4)
5. Tom Aspinall (13-3)
6. Ryan Bader (31-7) — Bellator Heavyweight Champion
7. Serghei Spivak (16-3)
8. Jailton Almeida (19-2)
9. Alexander Volkov (36-10)
10. Marcin Tybura (24-8)
11. Tai Tuivasa (14-5)
12. Linton Vassell (23-8)
13. Alexandr Romanov (16-2)
14. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (13-5)
15. Derrick Lewis (27-11) (Not Ranked)

***Philip de Fries drops out of rankings.***

Light Heavyweight

1. Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1)
2. Vadim Nemkov (16-2) — Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion
3. Alex Pereira (8-2) (Previously Not Ranked at Light Heavyweight)
4. Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1) (-1)
5. Magomed Ankalaev (16-1-1)
6. Aleksandar Rakic (14-3)
7. Corey Anderson (17-6)
8. Nikita Krylov (30-9)
9. Johnny Walker (21-7)
10. Phil Davis (24-7)
11. Rob Wilkinson (18-2) — PFL Light Heavyweight Champion
12. Ryan Spann (21-8)
13. Phil Davis (24-7)
14. Khalil Rountree (11-5)
15. Azamat Murzakanov (13-0)

***Jamahal Hill removed from rankings due to injury and vacating title.***

Middleweight

1. Israel Adesanya (24-2) — UFC Middleweight Champion
2. Dricus du Plessis (19-2)
3. Robert Whittaker (24-6)
4. Jared Cannonier (17-6)
5. Johnny Eblen (13-0) — Bellator Middleweight Champion
6. Marvin Vettori (19-7-1)
7. Sean Strickland (26-5)
8. Paulo Costa (14-2)
9. Fabian Edwards (13-2)
10. Roman Dolidze (12-2)
11. Jack Hermansson (23-8)
12. Kelvin Gastelum (17-8)
13. Nassourdine Imavov (12-4)
14. Paul Craig (17-6-1) (Not Ranked)
15. Chris Curtis (30-10) (-1)

***Alex Pereira removed from rankings due to moving to Light Heavyweight.***

Welterweight

1. Leon Edwards (21-3) — UFC Welterweight Champion
2. Kamaru Usman (20-3)
3. Khamzat Chimaev (12-0)
4. Belal Muhammad (23-3)
5. Yaroslav Amosov (27-0) — Bellator Welterweight Champion
6. Shavkat Rakhmonov (17-0)
7. Stephen Thompson (17-6-1)
8. Geoff Neal (15-5)
9. Sean Brady (15-1)
10. Rafael dos Anjos (32-14)
11. Logan Storley (13-2)
12. Vicente Luque (21-9-1)
13. Michael Page (21-2)
14. Neil Magny (28-10)
15. Ian Garry (12-0)

Lightweight

1. Islam Makhachev (24-1) — UFC Lightweight Champion
2. Charles Oliveira (34-9)
3. Justin Gaethje (25-4) (+1)
4. Dustin Poirier (29-8) (-1)
5. Usman Nurmagomedov (17-0) — Bellator Lightweight Champion
6. Beneil Dariush (22-5-1)
7. Rafael Fiziev (12-2)
8. Michael Chandler (23-8)
9. A.J. McKee (20-1)
10. Mateusz Gamrot (22-2)
11. Arman Tsarukyan (20-3)
12. Damir Ismagulov (24-2)
13. Grant Dawson (19-1-1)
14. Diego Ferreira (18-5)
15. Joel Alvarez (19-3)

Featherweight

1. Alexander Volkanovski (26-2) — UFC Featherweight Champion
2. Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire (35-6) — Bellator Featherweight Champion
3. Max Holloway (24-7)
4. Yair Rodriguez (15-4)
5. Ilia Topuria (14-0)
6. Arnold Allen (19-2)
7. Movsar Evloev (17-0)
8. Josh Emmett (18-4)
9. Brian Ortega (15-3)
10. Calvin Kattar (23-7)
11. Chang Sung Jung 'Korean Zombie' (17-7)
12. Giga Chikadze (14-3)
13. Bryce Mitchell (15-1)
14. Movlid Khaybulaev (21-0-1) — PFL Featherweight Champion
15. Dan Ige (17-6)

Bantamweight

1. Aljamain Sterling (23-3) — UFC Bantamweight Champion
2. Merab Dvalishvili (16-4)
3. Sergio Pettis (23-5) — Bellator Bantamweight Champion
4. Henry Cejudo (16-3)
5. Sean O'Malley (16-1)
6. Petr Yan (16-5)
7. Corey Sandhagen (16-4)
8. Marlon 'Chito' Vera (20-8-1)
9. Patrick 'Patchy' Mix (18-1) — Interim Bellator Bantamweight Champion
10. Rob Font (20-6)
11. Song Yadong (19-5-1)
12. Dominick Cruz (24-4)
13. Raufeon Stots (19-2)
14. Ricky Simon (20-4)
15. Umar Nurmagomedov (16-0)

Flyweight

1. Demetrious Johnson (32-4-1) — ONE Flyweight Champion
2. Alexandre Pantoja (26-5) — UFC Flyweight Champion
3. Brandon Moreno (21-7-2)
4. Deiveson Figueiredo (21-3-1)
5. Amir Albazi (17-1)
6. Kai Kara-France (24-11)
7. Brandon Royval (15-6)
8. Matheus Nicolau (19-3-1)
9. Manel Kape (18-6)
10. Adriano Moraes (20-5)
11. Muhammad Mokaev (10-0)
12. Alex Perez (24-7)
13. Tim Elliott (19-12-1)
14. Matt Schnell (16-8)
15. Azamat Kerefov (16-0) — ACA Flyweight Champion

Women's Featherweight

1. Cristiane 'Cyborg' Justino (26-4) — Bellator Featherweight Champion
2. Larissa Pacheco (21-4) — PFL Featherweight Champion
3. Kayla Harrison (15-1)
4. Macy Chiasson (8-3)
5. Norma Dumont (9-2)
6. Cat Zingano (14-4)
7. Sara McMann (14-6)
8. Aspen Ladd (11-4)
9. Julia Budd (17-6)
10. Olena Kolesnyk (9-5)
11. Sinead Kavanagh (9-5)
12. Genah Fabian (5-3)
13. Arlene Blencowe (15-10)
14. Karol Rosa (16-5)
15. Leah McCourt (7-3)

Women's Bantamweight

1. Julianna Pena (11-5)
2. Ketlen Vieira (14-3) (+1)
3. Raquel Pennington (15-8) (-1)
4. Mayra Bueno Silva (11-2-1)
5. Irene Aldana (14-7)
6. Holly Holm (15-7) (+1)
7. Pannie Kianzad (17-7) (-1)
8. Macy Chiasson (8-3)
9. Talita Bernardo (9-4) — Invicta Bantamweight Champion
10. Josiane Nunes (10-1)
11. Irina Alekseeva (5-1)
12. Taneisha Tennant (5-1)
13. Tainara Lisboa (6-2)
14. Chelsea Chandler (5-1)
15. Stephanie Egger (8-4)

Women's Flyweight

1. Alexa Grasso (16-3) — UFC Flyweight Champion
2. Valentina Shevchenko (23-4)
3. Erin Blanchfield (11-1)
4. Manon Fiorot (10-1)
5. Liz Carmouche (19-7) — Bellator Flyweight Champion
6. Taila Santos (19-2)
7. Tatiana Suarez (9-0)
8. Katlyn Chookagian (18-5)
9. Jennifer Maia (21-9-1)
10. Maycee Barber (13-2)
11. Tracy Cortez (10-1)
12. Lauren Murphy (15-6)
13. Amanda Ribas (12-4)
14. Juliana Velasquez (12-2)
15. Joanne Wood (16-8)

Women's Strawweight

1. Weili Zhang (23-3) — UFC Strawweight Champion
2. Carla Esparza (19-7)
3. Rose Namajunas (11-5)
4. Yan Xiaonan (15-3)
5. Virna Jandiroba (19-3)
6. Amanda Lemos (13-2-1)
7. Jessica Andrade (24-11)
8. Marina Rodriguez (16-3-2)
9. MacKenzie Dern (13-3)
10. Luana Pinheiro (11-1)
11. Tabatha Ricci (9-1)
12. Angela Hill (15-13)
13. Lupita 'Loopy' Godinez (10-3)
14. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (15-7)
15. Michelle Waterson (18-11)

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