He’s 37 years old? No sir, no sir … Alexander Volkanovski is 37 years young. After a virtuoso performance in his rematch with Diego Lopes at UFC 325, “Volk” reminded everyone that he’s one of the best to ever do it. Now with six total featherweight title defenses over two different reigns, he has reasserted his dominance in the 145-pound division.
And he is moving up in the men’s pound-for-pound rankings for February, too.
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Uncrowned’s panel of Ben Fowlkes, Chuck Mindenhall, Shaheen Al-Shatti, Petesy Carroll, Drake Riggs, Eric Jackman and Conner Burks have ranked both the men’s and women’s pound-for-pound best, one through 10, using a weighted points system to determine the final rankings (being voted No. 1 equals 10 points, No. 2 equals nine points, down to No. 10 equaling one point).
Our only criterion for these monthly rankings is that a fighter has competed within at least a calendar year of the publication date or has at least had a fight booked within that window. If a fighter hasn’t competed in a year and books a fight after that time, he or she is once again eligible to be voted back in. Fighters who retire are no longer eligible for the rankings.
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Though most of the best fighters are currently in the UFC, these rankings are not UFC exclusive. We take into consideration all the major promotions, from Bellator to ONE Championship to RIZIN.
Without further ado, here are Uncrowned’s MMA pound-for-pound rankings for February 2026!
And still the pound-for-pound king.
(Chris Unger via Getty Images)MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Islam Makhachev — UFC welterweight champion (Prev: 1)
Watching Alexander Volkanovski compete on Saturday brought out the feels in Makhachev, who tweeted after UFC 325 two words: “The greatest.” That’s a hell of an endorsement from the one man out there who has conquered “Volk” twice, but also a subtle nod to his own sublimity.
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2. Ilia Topuria — UFC lightweight champion (Prev: 2)
Watching Justin Gaethje thrash, pummel and piece up Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 didn’t shake the foreboding feeling that it all heads to a meeting with Topuria, who is the exact opposite of a “light at the end of the tunnel.”
3. Khamzat Chimaev — UFC middleweight champion (Prev: 3)
We’ll need to be well past Ramadan before we see “Borz” again, and honestly it might be longer still as he deals with a foot injury. Whenever he does return, a fight with Nassourdine Imavov still makes sense, or the winner of Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez against Sean Strickland.
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4. Alexandre Pantoja — Former UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 4)
A mid-2026 return might be in the cards for Pantoja, who is mending after suffering that nasty arm injury at UFC 323. It must pain him even more to see the 24-year-old Joshua Van sitting cage-side in Australia with the designation of “flyweight champion.” From Pantoja’s point of view, Van is temporarily masquerading with his flyweight belt.
5. Alexander Volkanovski — UFC featherweight champion (Prev: 8)
You have to give “Volk” his flowers for going in there and taking care of business a second time against Diego Lopes. Now he moves on to hungry contenders like Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev, each who are making their way towards his title. The one thing we won’t do is doubt Alexander “The Great” no matter who he faces next.
6. Tom Aspinall — UFC heavyweight champion (Prev: 5)
To have watched the heavyweight fight between No. 12-ranked Tai Tuivasa and Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325 was to yearn for Aspinall’s hasty return. The heavyweight division right now isn’t an inspired one, and there’s only one sure way to drum up some excitement. That is, get the pride of Wigan back in there. Godspeed, Tom!
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7. Petr Yan — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 6)
The last couple of months have vindicated Yan, who had receded back into the general pool of contenders for a minute there. He toppled the beast of the bantamweight ranks (Merab Dvalishvili) in December, and he watched his other nemesis Sean O’Malley punch a ticket to a title shot in January. Things are lining up for a man not particularly known for mercy.
8. Alex Pereira — UFC light heavyweight champion (Prev: 7)
Right now Alex Pereira is on an extended publicity tour, as he showed up in for the UFC’s big kickoff weekend with Paramount+ last week and stopped in to check out some Zuffa Boxing, too. Before that he had a dine-and-dash romance with Tracy Cortez (or he didn’t, who’s to check?). He knows how to stay in the public eye, is all we’re saying.
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9. Merab Dvalishvili — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 9)
After fighting four times in 2025, Merab is enjoying the peace and quiet of the new year as he plots his next move. Will it be a trilogy against Yan, who took the 135-pound crown from him? The tea leaves don’t seem promising, but safe to say his next fight (maybe an Umar Nurmagomedov redux?) will have direct title implications.
10. Arman Tsarukyan — UFC lightweight contender (Prev: 10)
The consensus at UFC 324 was that either version of the Paddy Pimblett or Justin Gaethje on display would falter against Arman Tsarukyan, who sat front row for the action. If only the consensus made fights. If Tsarukyan can’t get a title shot next — and with Gaethje wearing the interim title, here’s guessing he can’t — a fight with Benoit Saint Denis does look appetizing.
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(Others receiving votes: Jack Della Madallena.)
(Hassan Ahmad, Yahoo Sports)
The ageless Valentina Shevchenko can seemingly do this for the rest of her life.
(Chris Unger via Getty Images)WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Valentina Shevchenko — UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 1)
There was probably a small hope for the UFC’s marketing machine to match up Valentina against Rose Namajunas, yet Natalia Silva had other plans. The truth of the matter is that it doesn’t matter who Shevchenko faces next — her legacy is secure, and right now she’s in the gravy portion of the proceedings.
2. Kayla Harrison — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 2)
Harrison had to withdraw from her women’s GOAT fight with Amanda Nunes at the eleventh hour due to a neck issue, which is tricky business. Necks are nothing to trifle with in the hurt business. A speedy recovery is now the foremost desire for the current bantamweight champ, and we hope to see that fight at some point in 2026.
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3. Zhang Weili — Former UFC strawweight champion (Prev: 3)
The warden of the strawweight ranks will be returning soon, and that’s not great news for the likes of Mackenzie Dern. Yet, you wonder a little bit if Zhang will have a hangover from the Shevchenko onslaught. That’s the kind of experience that stays with a fighter, especially as they tilt north of 35 years old.
4. Cris Cyborg — PFL featherweight champion (Prev: 4)
Is the PFL starting to thaw to the idea of Cyborg in a mega-match against Dakota Ditcheva? There are indications that they might be. With Larissa Pacheco clearing the scene, there aren’t a lot of big-name attractions out there on the PFL’s roster for either champ. The weight difference between the two would be mammoth, but given that Cyborg is silhouetted as she is in the sunset of her career, maybe it’s not as crazy as it sounds …
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5. Dakota Ditcheva — PFL flyweight contender (Prev: 5)
… unless maybe you’re Dakota. Beating Cyborg would be a huge feather in her cap, the biggest one yet, though taking on women her own size is probably the wiser way to go. Who is out there for Dakota? Will we see more of her in 2026? She fought just once last year, which took the shine off her 2024 Fighter of the Year campaign.
Natalia Silva may prove to be Valentina Shevchenko’s toughest test of the champ’s second reign.
(Ed Mulholland via Getty Images)
6. Natalia Silva — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 6)
Look, it wasn’t pretty, but Silva did enough to get the job done against Rose Namajunas to (presumably) get her shot at Shevchenko. Silva has a lot going for her as she nears the defining moment of her career — she’s just 28 years old, she’s on a 14-fight winning streak and she’s mean when they lock up the cage. Mean enough to be queen?
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7T. Mackenzie Dern — UFC strawweight champion (Prev: 7)
When media asked Dern this past week about a fight against Zhang Weili, she didn’t exactly beam with delight at the prospect. It’s her cross to bear, though, if Zhang returns to 115 pounds as many expect her to. Plenty will see that fight as the smashing of Cinderella’s glass slipper, but from Dern’s perspective, perhaps it’s a chance to really define her legacy. If she beats Zhang, her story is enhanced by orders of magnitude.
7T. Manon Fiorot — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 8)
Fiorot would appear to be behind the eight-ball in the contender category, as Natalia Silva will likely get the next crack at Shevchenko. The thing for the 35-year-old Fiorot is to bide her time wisely and well, as she gave Shevchenko a hell of a fight when they met in Montreal last year. If the UFC wanted to book her against Alexa Grasso, that might be a good stay-busy situation in a fight she’d be favored in.
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9. Seika Izawa — RIZIN super atomweight champion (Prev: 10)
Izawa subbed Rena Kubota at the end-of-the-year RIZIN show with a guillotine in the second round to run her record to a perfect 18-0. What’s wild is that she’s scored submissions in seven of her last 10 bouts, which is why the word “phenom” is used so frequently when describing the 28-year-old champ.
10. Erin Blanchfield — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 9)
Will 2026 be the year of “Cold Blooded” Erin Blanchfield? Where she’s at in the pecking order with Natalia Silva and Manon Fiorot hovering around is unclear, but at just 26 years old, Blanchfield can afford to let the dust settle and just keep beating whoever the UFC puts in front of her. Here’s guessing she’d love to avenge that loss to Fiorot if she can’t get a title shot in the next six months.
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(Others receiving votes: Maycee Barber, Virna Jandiroba, Liz Carmouche)
(Hassan Ahmad, Yahoo Sports)
Here’s how we voted:
SHAHEEN AL-SHATTI
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Alexandre Pantoja
4. Tom Aspinall
5. Khamzat Chimaev
6. Alex Pereira
7. Alexander Volkanovski
8. Petr Yan
9. Merab Dvalishvili
10. Arman Tsarukyan
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Kayla Harrison
3. Zhang Weili
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Seika Izawa
6. Natalia Silva
7. Dakota Ditcheva
8. Mackenzie Dern
9. Maycee Barber
10. Manon Fiorot
CONNER BURKS
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Khamzat Chimaev
4. Petr Yan
5. Alexandre Pantoja
6. Alexander Volkanovski
7. Tom Aspinall
8. Alex Pereira
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9. Merab Dvalishvili
10. Arman Tsarukyan
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Kayla Harrison
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Zhang Weili
5. Dakota Ditcheva
6. Natalia Silva
7. Manon Fiorot
8. Seika Izawa
9. Mackenzie Dern
10. Erin Blanchfield
PETESY CARROLL
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Khamzat Chimaev
4. Alexandre Pantoja
5. Tom Aspinall
6. Alex Pereira
7. Alexander Volkanovski
8. Petr Yan
9. Arman Tsarukyan
10. Merab Dvalishvili
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Zhang Weili
3. Kayla Harrison
4. Dakota Ditcheva
5. Cris Cyborg
6. Mackenzie Dern
7. Natalia Silva
8. Manon Fiorot
9. Erin Blanchfield
10. Maycee Barber
BEN FOWLKES
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
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2. Ilia Topuria
3. Merab Dvalishvili
4. Khamzat Chimaev
5. Alex Pereira
6. Alexander Volkanovski
7. Alexandre Pantoja
8. Tom Aspinall
9. Petr Yan
10. Arman Tsarukyan
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Zhang Weili
3. Kayla Harrison
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Dakota Ditcheva
6. Erin Blanchfield
7. Natalia Silva
8. Manon Fiorot
9. Mackenzie Dern
10. Maycee Barber
ERIC JACKMAN
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Alexandre Pantoja
4. Khamzat Chimaev
5. Petr Yan
6. Merab Dvalishvili
7. Alex Pereira
8. Alexander Volkanovski
9. Tom Aspinall
10. Arman Tsarukyan
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Kayla Harrison
3. Zhang Weili
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Manon Fiorot
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6. Natalia Silva
7. Mackenzie Dern
8. Dakota Ditcheva
9. Erin Blanchfield
10. Virna Jandiroba
CHUCK MINDENHALL
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Khamzat Chimaev
4. Alexandre Pantoja
5. Alexander Volkanovski
6. Tom Aspinall
7. Petr Yan
8. Merab Dvalishvili
9. Alex Pereira
10. Arman Tsarukyan
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Kayla Harrison
3. Zhang Weili
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Dakota Ditcheva
6. Manon Fiorot
7. Erin Blanchfield
8. Natalia Silva
9. Mackenzie Dern
10. Maycee Barber
DRAKE RIGGS
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Alexandre Pantoja
4. Khamzat Chimaev
5. Petr Yan
6. Alexander Volkanovski
7. Tom Aspinall
8. Alex Pereira
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9. Merab Dvalishvili
10. Jack Della Maddalena
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Seika Izawa
3. Zhang Weili
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Kayla Harrison
6. Natalia Silva
7. Mackenzie Dern
8. Virna Jandiroba
9. Liz Carmouche
10. Dakota Ditcheva