Israel Adesanya reasserts himself in the MMA pound-for-pound top 10

Leon Edwards made his first appearance in the ESPN men’s pound-for-pound top 10 last August following his stunning dethroning of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Now Edwards has moved into the top five, after defending the belt with another win over Usman on Saturday.

Edwards (21-3, 1 NC) is unbeaten in his last 12 fights, a run of success that extends all the way back to 2015 and his first meeting with Usman, who won a decision that long-ago night in his UFC debut.

Usman (20-3), who was ranked No. 1 by ESPN prior to the loss to Edwards last summer, falls several spots in these latest rankings after his second defeat in a row, a skid that follows a 15-fight winning streak.

The top spot among men continues to be shared by UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski. That’s one of three ties in the men’s rankings, and the shuffling of positions by Edwards and Usman enabled middleweight titlist Alex Pereira to sneak into the rankings.

The women’s rankings remain unchanged.

For the ESPN divisional MMA rankings, click here.

Note: Results are current; rankings as of March 21. In order to be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed over the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked.

Men’s pound-for-pound rankings

T-1. Islam Makhachev  

UFC lightweight champion
Record: 24-1
Last: W (UD) Alexander Volkanovski, Feb. 11, 2023
Next: TBD

T-1. Alexander Volkanovski  

UFC featherweight champion
Record: 25-2
Last: L (UD) Islam Makhachev, Feb. 11, 2023
Next: TBD

3. Jon Jones  

UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 27-1, 1 NC
Last: W (Sub1) Ciryl Gane, March 4, 2023
Next: TBD

4. Leon Edwards  

UFC welterweight champion
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 21-3, 1 NC
Last: W (MD) Kamaru Usman, March 18, 2023
Next: TBD

5. Israel Adesanya  

UFC middleweight
Record: 23-2
Last: L (TKO5) Alex Pereira, Nov. 12, 2022
Next: April 8 vs. Alex Pereira

6. Charles Oliveira  

UFC lightweight
Record: 33-9, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub2) Islam Makhachev, Oct. 22, 2022
Next: May 6 vs. Beneil Dariush

7. Kamaru Usman  

UFC welterweight
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 20-3
Last: L (MD) Leon Edwards, March 18, 2023
Next: TBD

T-8. Brandon Moreno  

UFC flyweight champion
Record: 21-6-2
Last: W (TKO3) Deiveson Figueiredo, Jan. 21, 2023
Next: TBD

T-8. Aljamain Sterling  

UFC bantamweight champion
Record: 22-3
Last: W (TKO2) TJ Dillashaw, Oct. 22, 2022
Next: May 6 vs. Henry Cejudo

T-10. Alex Pereira  

UFC middleweight champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 7-1
Last: W (TKO5) Israel Adesanya, Nov. 12, 2022
Next: April 8 vs. Israel Adesanya

T-10. Robert Whittaker  

UFC middleweight
Record: 24-6
Last: W (UD) Marvin Vettori, Sept. 3, 2022
Next: TBD

Other fighters receiving votes: Dustin Poirier and Jiri Prochazka.

How our panel voted

Brett Okamoto: 1. Islam Makhachev; 2. Alexander Volkanovski; 3. Jon Jones; 4. Israel Adesanya; 5. Leon Edwards; 6. Robert Whittaker; 7. Charles Oliveira; 8. Aljamain Sterling; 9. Brandon Moreno; 10. Kamaru Usman.

Marc Raimondi: 1. Jones; 2. Makhachev; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Edwards; 5. Oliveira; 6. Adesanya; 7. Sterling; 8. Moreno; 9. Usman; 10. Alex Pereira.

Megan Anderson: 1. Jones; 2. Volkanovski; 3. Makhachev; 4. Adesanya; 5. Edwards; 6. Oliveira; 7. Usman; 8. Whittaker; 9. Pereira; 10. Moreno.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Makhachev; 3. Jones; 4. Edwards; 5. Oliveira; 6. Adesanya; 7. Usman; 8. Jiri Prochazka; 9. Moreno; 10. Pereira.

Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Makhachev; 3. Jones; 4. Adesanya; 5. Oliveira; 6. Edwards; 7. Dustin Poirier; 8. Usman; 9. Moreno; 10. Sterling.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Makhachev; 2. Volkanovski; 3. Jones; 4. Edwards; 5. Oliveira; 6. Adesanya; 7. Pereira; 8. Sterling; 9. Usman; 10. Moreno.

1. Amanda Nunes  

UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion
Record: 22-5
Last: W (UD) Julianna Peña, July 30, 2022
Next: TBD

2. Zhang Weili  

UFC strawweight champion
Record: 23-3
Last: W (Sub2) Carla Esparza, Nov. 12, 2022
Next: TBD

3. Valentina Shevchenko  

UFC flyweight
Record: 22-4
Last: L (Sub4) Alexa Grasso, March 4, 2023
Next: TBD

4. Cris Cyborg  

Bellator featherweight champion
Record: 26-2, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) Arlene Blencowe, April 23, 2022
Next: TBD

5. Alexa Grasso  

UFC flyweight champion
Record: 16-3
Last: W (Sub4) Valentina Shevchenko, March 4, 2023
Next: TBD

6. Julianna Peña  

UFC bantamweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (UD) Amanda Nunes, July 30, 2022
Next: TBD

T-7. Jessica Andrade  

UFC flyweight
Record: 24-10
Last: L (Sub2) Erin Blanchfield, Feb. 18, 2023
Next: TBD

T-7. Rose Namajunas  

UFC strawweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (SD) Carla Esparza, May 7, 2022
Next: TBD

9. Erin Blanchfield  

UFC flyweight
Record: 11-1
Last: W (Sub2) Jessica Andrade, Feb. 18, 2023
Next: TBD

10. Carla Esparza  

UFC strawweight
Record: 19-7
Last: L (Sub2) Zhang Weili, Nov. 12, 2022
Next: TBD

Other fighters receiving votes: Kayla Harrison, Amanda Lemos and Raquel Pennington.

How our panel voted

Brett Okamoto: 1. Amanda Nunes; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Zhang Weili; 4. Cris Cyborg; 5. Rose Namajunas; 6. Alexa Grasso; 7. Jessica Andrade; 8. Julianna Peña; 9. Kayla Harrison; 10. Erin Blanchfield.

Marc Raimondi: 1. Nunes; 2. Cyborg; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Zhang; 5. Grasso; 6. Peña; 7. Namajunas; 8. Andrade; 9. Blanchfield; 10. Esparza.

Megan Anderson: 1. Nunes; 2. Zhang; 3. Cyborg; 4. Shevchenko; 5. Grasso; 6. Esparza; 7. Namajunas; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Andrade; 10. Raquel Pennington.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Zhang; 4. Cyborg; 5. Grasso; 6. Peña; 6. Harrison; 7. Esparza; 8. Andrade; 10. Blanchfield.

Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Nunes; 2. Zhang; 3. Grasso; 4. Shevchenko; 5. Peña; 6. Cyborg; 7. Blanchfield; 8. Andrade; 9. Namajunas; 10. Lemos.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Nunes; 2. Zhang; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Cyborg; 5. Grasso; 6. Peña; 7. Blanchfield; 8. Andrade; 9. Esparza; 10. Namajunas.