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?<\/p>\n
There’s certainly potential for it to happen.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Former top-ranked Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) returns to action this month at UFC 322<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> main event on Dec. 6.<\/p>\n 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?<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, which you can watch above.<\/p>\n