Alexander Volkanovski, the pound-for-pound rankings just can’t quit you.
Or maybe it’s the other way around?
What I’m trying to say is that Volkanovski once again defended his featherweight title with a workmanlike win over Diego Lopes at UFC 325 this past weekend and even at 37, he’s performing like one of the best fighters on the planet. Sure, convincingly beating Lopes twice in 10 months is hardly the stuff of legends, but at this level and at this stage of his career, Volkanovski is rolling the dice
against hungry, younger challengers every time he goes out there. That should be applauded.
But did it move our rankings panel?
If Volkanovski had stepped into the cage with an undefeated challenger like Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy (conveniently announced for the UFC London main event in March), there’s no question he would have received a significant bump in our P4P charts, but for now he has to settle for a slight nudge as he goes from being tied for the No. 8 spot last month to sole possession of No. 7.
If that sounds like nothing, keep in mind this places him above heavyweight king Tom Aspinall, currently in competition limbo as he recovers from those Ciryl Gane eye pokes, and Merab Dvalishvili, who was speed-running to the No. 1 spot in 2025 before stumbling at the finish line in his rematch with Petr Yan.
Does Old Man Volk deserve to be on the cusp of a top 5 spot or have we overrated him this month?
Check out the post-UFC 324 and UFC 325 Men’s Pound-for-Pound Rankings and let us know your thoughts in the poll and comments below.
MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 8 (tied) Alexander Volkanovski def. Diego Lopes
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 12 Max Holloway vs. No. 19 Charles Oliveira (UFC 326, March 7), No. 18 Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy (UFC London, March 21)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Justin Gaethje (3), Usman Nurmagomedov (2), Sean O’Malley (2), Belal Muhammad (1), Aljamain Sterling (1)
WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Cris Cyborg def. Sara Collins, No. 7 Natalia Silva def. No. 14 Rose Namajunas, No. 9 Erin Blanchfield def. Tracy Cortez, No. 15 Seika Izawa def. Rena Kubota
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 11 Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber (UFC Seattle, March 28), No. 12 Tatiana Suarez vs. Loopy Godinez (UFC 327, April 11), No. 13 Virna Jandiroba vs. Tabatha Ricci (UFC Vegas 115, April 4)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Jasmine Jasudavicius (3), Norma Dumont (2), Jessica Andrade (1), Maycee Barber (1), Amanda Lemos (1)
A refresher on the ground rules:
- The five-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
- Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout in a given weight class. Updates to the rankings are typically completed following each month’s UFC pay-per-view.
- Should a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will decide whether that fighter should immediately be removed from the rankings or maintain their position until further notice. (Let’s put it this way: We’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings a lot quicker than the UFC did.)
- Holding a promotion’s title does not guarantee that fighter will be viewed as the best in their promotion. Additionally, fighters who regularly compete or hold titles in multiple weight classes are eligible to be ranked in multiple lists.
Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.
