Stock Up, Stock Down: Pound-for-Pound Rankings After UFC 285
From the moment the UFC 285 card was set, it was clear that it would have massive ramifications for pound-for-pound rankings everywhere.
The event was headlined by a colossal heavyweight clash, with former light heavyweight champ Jon Jones taking on Ciryl Gane for the division's vacant title. Neither man appeared on any credible pound-for-pound lists ahead of the card, although Jones' exclusion was only a byproduct of his recent inactivity. The former light heavyweight champ was once MMA's pound-for-pound king, but he had not fought in three years.
Jones was bound to burst back into the pound-for-pound conversation if he beat Gane to claim the heavyweight title. Now that he's done it with an effortless first-round guillotine choke, the only question is where he will land amongst the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev.
Jones was not the only pound-for-pound veteran in action at UFC 285, though. Flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko was also on the card, taking on Alexa Grasso in hopes of defending her belt a whopping eighth time and cementing herself as MMA's pound-for-pound queen.
However, the fight did not go the way Shevchenko planned. She tapped out to a fourth-round rear-naked choke and surrendered the belt to her challenger in a massive upset.
We rarely get a card with so much pound-for-pound significance, but it's always a treat when we do. Keep scrolling to see where everyone has landed in the wake of the event.
Men: Nos. 10-6
1 of 4
10. Brandon Moreno
9. Aljamain Sterling
8. Alex Pereira
7. Charles Oliveira
6. Leon Edwards
Jon Jones is clearly right back in the pound-for-pound mix after his submission win over Ciryl Gane in the UFC 285 main event. His return to the rankings means somebody has to go.
After some deliberation, we've decided that person is the Czech Republic's Jiří Procházka, also a former light heavyweight champ.
There is no questioning Procházka's status as one of MMA's top pound-for-pound talents, but he has not fought since he won the light heavyweight title with a submission of Glover Teixeira last June. He then vacated the belt because of a shoulder injury late last year.
More importantly, it's still unclear when Procházka will fight again—despite his clear eagerness to come back and fight new light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill.
While the uncertainty surrounding Procházka's immediate future made him the obvious cut as we looked to make room for Jones, he could reclaim his spot with one nice win.
Men: Nos. 5-1
2 of 4
5. Israel Adesanya
4. Kamaru Usman
3. Islam Makhachev
2. Jon Jones
1. Alexander Volkanovski
Jones is our No. 2-ranked male fighter after UFC 285. Deciding his position on this list was not easy.
The question was where he belonged in relation to featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski and lightweight champ Islam Makhachev.
Jones clearly has a better career resume than either man. Yet MMA is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sport, and all Jones has done lately is dominate Gane, who increasingly looks like a layup for any heavyweight who can wrestle. That isn't to say the win wasn't impressive, but it was one win over one guy who unfortunately may not be as good as once thought.
Meanwhile, Volkanovski and Makhachev have been busy against the best opposition available—including each other. That gives them a leg up on Jones.
The reason we decided to put Jones in between the two fighters is simple. Volkanovski's resume, while not as impressive as Jones', is at least getting kind of close, while Makhachev has still fought only a handful of truly world-class foes.
In other words, Volkanovski's busy schedule and great resume were enough to keep him ahead of the inactive Jones. But Jones' resume was enough to put him ahead of Makhachev, who is still a bit short on marquee wins.
It's nuanced stuff, this pound-for-pound business.
Women: Nos. 10-6
3 of 4
10. Amanda Lemos
9. Julianna Peña
8. Jessica Andrade
7. Erin Blanchfield
6. Carla Esparza
Jones was not the only fighter to send a shockwave through pound-for-pound lists at UFC 285. Mexico's Alexa Grasso had a similar impact when she choked out flyweight champ and pound-for-pound queen Valentina Shevchenko in Round 4 of the co-main event.
That win sent Grasso crashing into our top five. The implication of that change, like Jones' return to our men's list, is that somebody else had to go to make room for her.
We also needed to make a spot for surging flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield—surely a future Grasso opponent—who recently choked out pound-for-pound star Jessica Andrade.
So flyweight contenders Taila Santos and Manon Fiorot are both off our list. Meanwhile, Blanchfield is now sitting one spot ahead of Andrade at No. 7.
As for Grasso? Scroll on.
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Women: Nos. 5-1
4 of 4
5. Alexa Grasso
4. Zhang Weili
3. Rose Namajunas
2. Valentina Shevchenko
1. Amanda Nunes
It's always complicated when a big underdog beats a top pound-for-pound fighter—and it's been happening a lot lately.
Last year, we saw Alex Pereira beat Israel Adesanya and Leon Edwards beat Kamaru Usman. The year before that, we saw Julianna Peña beat Amanda Nunes.
Every time, the question is whether the underdog's shocking win is enough to move them ahead of the established champion whom they beat in the pound-for-pound pecking order. Usually, the answer is no.
Grasso's win over Shevchenko, as incredible as it was, is no exception. While it earned her a spot near the top of this list—she's now perched at No. 5—it was not enough to move her past the former champion, who had defended her title seven times against many of the division's top fighters and also had some impressive results at bantamweight.
Of course, Shevchenko has to take a hit following that defeat. We've dropped her back down to No. 2, behind bantamweight and featherweight champ Amanda Nunes, who has beaten her by decision twice before.
Nunes hasn't fought since July, but she seems to be ready to get back to action, and she is riding a win, having avenged her loss to Julianna Peña last year. That can no longer be said for Shevchenko, who had not been beaten prior to Saturday since she last met Nunes in 2017.
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