Ilia Topuria is UFC’s No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter with less than two months left in 2025. Will that spot get taken from him?
There’s certainly potential for it to happen.
Barring a shocking twist, UFC lightweight champion Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) is done competing for the remainder of the year, leaving the door open for two other candidates to threaten his position in the UFC’s official rankings.
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Former top-ranked Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) returns to action this month at UFC 322 on Nov. 15 in New York, when he challenges Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight strap. The former longtime 155-pound champion was replaced at No. 1 when Topuria claimed a second UFC title in a second weight class against Charles Oliveira in June, but an argument can be made Makhachev is attempting a much more difficult feat, and should be rewarded if he can pull it off.
Then there’s UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (21-4 MMA, 14-2 UFC), who has zoomed up the rankings to No. 3 with three title defenses this year. He will attempt to close out 2025 with some history, because Dvalishvili will put his belt on the line for a record-setting fourth time in a calendar year when he rematches Petr Yan in the UFC 323 main event on Dec. 6.
Given Dvalishvili would have more title fight wins this year than Topuria and Makhachev combined, does he have a case to go to No. 1 pound-for-pound with a win, or does the fact his fights were restricted to a singular weight class limit his movement?
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This was all a point of discussion between UFC correspondent Megan Olivi and MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn, who broke down the pound-for-pound situation on “The Bohnfire” podcast, which you can watch above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: Who will end 2025 as UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter?