Sherdog’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10 Rankings

As it turns out, Vadim Nemkov carries the extra weight quite well.

After vacating his Bellator MMA light heavyweight crown, the 31-year-old Russian enjoyed a successful debut in the big man’s division at PFL vs. Bellator Champs, where he rendered 2021 Professional Fighters League heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza unconscious with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their bout at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Nemkov becomes an instant contender for championship gold at heavyweight in either Bellator or the PFL, and he also becomes a person of interest in the Francis Ngannou sweepstakes, assuming “The Predator” does make good on his promise to eventually compete under the PFL banner. With his unbeaten streak now at 13, the Fedor Emelianenko disciple remains a worthy member of our pound-for-pound rankings at No. 10.

Note: Previous ranking in brackets.

1. Islam Makhachev (25-1) | UFC [1]

Makhachev made a statement at UFC 294, knocking out featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick and follow-up punches in the opening round of their lightweight title clash at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The Dagestani standout has won 13 straight fights in the Octagon and thanks to consecutive title defenses against Volkanovski, can close the book on his rivalry with the Australian star. Makhachev’s next assignment could come against the winner of the lightweight title eliminator between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan scheduled for UFC 300.

2. Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC) | UFC [2]

After a three-year absence, Jones looked as strong as ever in a new division, authoring a first-round submission triumph against Ciryl Gane in the UFC 285 headliner on March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The longtime light heavyweight king was scheduled for a UFC 295 showdown with ex-heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden for his first title defense before a torn pectoral forced him to withdraw from the bout. The hope is that Jones vs. Miocic can be rebooked at some point in 2024.

3. Leon Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) | UFC [3]

For all the sound and fury promised by the public build-up between Edwards and challenger Colby Covington, the actual fight was a straightforward affair, lacking any of the eye-popping drama of Edwards’ pair of fights against Kamaru Usman. Instead, the champ forced Covington into the sort of mid-paced kickboxing match that characterized Edwards’ long rise to the top of the division, on his way to winning the first four rounds on all judges’ scorecards. While Edwards’ second title defense is unlikely to have earned him many new fans, it was a dominant showing against a veteran challenger. Whether Edwards’ next defense comes in the form of unfinished business against Belal Muhammad or a meeting with a streaking contender like Shavkat Rakhmonov, his place as one of the top fighters in the sport is secure for the moment.

4. Ilia Topuria (15-0) | UFC [4]

Topuria ushered in a new era in the featherweight division with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 headliner at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. “El Matador” ended what had been a competitive bout with a clean right hook at the 3:32 mark of Round 2, showcasing his frightening fight altering power in the process. Topuria has all the makings of a massive star, capable of spearheading the promotion’s first-ever card in his home country of Spain. At just 27 years old, the future appears to be bright indeed for Topuria.

5. Alex Pereira (9-2) | UFC [5]

Pereira has proven to be a quick study in MMA, as he became the ninth two-division champion in promotion history by virtue of a second-round stoppage of Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 295 headliner. It only took “Poatan” seven UFC appearances to capture gold at 185 and 205 pounds after conquering two divisions in Glory Kickboxing, making him one of the most accomplished combat sport athletes in recent memory. Next, the Brazilian will defend his title against former champ Jamahal Hill in the UFC 300 headliner.

6. Alexander Volkanovski (26-4) | UFC [6]

Volkanovski couldn’t overcome Father Time at UFC 298, as the 35-year-old Aussie suffered a second-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in the evening’s main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Regardless of what the future holds, Volkanovski will go down as one of the sports all-time great featherweights and given his previously perfect record at 145 pounds, he has a solid case for an immediate rematch with Topuria. Whether that happens remains to be seen.

7. Charles Oliveira (34-9, 1 NC) | UFC [7]

After relinquishing his belt to Islam Makhachev in October 2022, Oliveira made an emphatic statement in his return, as he defeated top contender Beneil Dariush via first-round technical knockout in the UFC 289 co-main event. “Do Bronx” held his own with Dariush on the canvas, but it was on the feet that he did his best work, rattling the Kings MMA product with head kicks and heavy punches before sealing his victory with ground-and-pound. Unfortunately, a cut suffered in training forced Oliveira to pull out of a rematch against Makhachev at UFC 294. He’ll now collide with Arman Tsarukyan in a title eliminator bout at UFC 300.

8. Justin Gaethje (25-4) | UFC [8]

Gaethje picked up a statement win — and the UFC’s BMF belt — in style at UFC 291, getting the better of Dustin Poirier for six minutes before flattening him with a head kick. In avenging his 2018 loss to Poirier, “The Highlight” reaffirmed his status as a top contender in the UFC lightweight division. While Gaethje was angling for a lightweight title shot after that victory, he will instead defend his BMF belt against former 145-pound king Max Holloway at UFC 300.

9. Alexandre Pantoja (27-5) | UFC [9]

Pantoja put on a dominant performance in the co-main event of UFC 296, grounding Brandon Royval seemingly at will and doing grimy work from top position for most of five rounds. While the result was not the frenetic fireworks show fans may have hoped for, “The Cannibal” effectively denied Royval any chance to employ his hyper-aggressive kickboxing and grappling, retaining his belt while facing next to no real danger. One danger Pantoja does face is a dearth of ready contenders, as he is now 2-0 against Royval and 3-0 against Brandon Moreno, counting their meeting on “The Ultimate Fighter.” As such, Pantoja will have to hope that someone like Amir Albazi or Manel Kape puts on an impressive performance in their upcoming outings—and emerges healthy enough to fight again soon.

10. Vadim Nemkov (17-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [10]

After vacating his 205-pound belt, Nemkov enjoyed a successful heavyweight debut at PFL vs. Bellator, as he put Bruno Cappelozza to sleep with an arm-triangle choke 2:13 into the second round of their encounter at Kingdom Arena in Saudia Arabia on Feb. 24. Not only did the Fedor Emelianenko protege carry the extra 40 pounds quite well, but he managed to survive a brief moment of adversity when his Brazilan opponent clipped him on the feet just prior to the finishing sequence. The Russian is unbeaten in his last 13 professional appearances dating back to June 2016, and he becomes an instant contender in his new weight class.

Other Contenders: Sean O’Malley, Aljamain Sterling, Israel Adesanya, Max Holloway, Tom Aspinall.

Sherdog’s divisional and pound-for-pound rankings are compiled by a panel of Sherdog.com staff members and contributors: Tristen Critchfield, Mike Fridley, Brian Knapp, Ben Duffy, Jay Pettry, Marcelo Alonso, Keith Shillan, Tyler Treese and Rob Sargent.