Following their dominant performances at UFC 316, Kayla Harrison and Merab Dvalishvili have significantly strengthened their claims for the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. While “coming for the No. 1 spot” might sound like a cliché, it accurately describes the impact of the statements these two bantamweight champions made on Saturday. Both were already considered leaders in their respective divisions, and their latest victories have pushed their argument for P4P supremacy to the forefront.
Although most observers agree there`s still work to be done to truly claim the undisputed top position, this update to the rankings sees both Harrison and Dvalishvili climb into the top 3. Interestingly, they now face contrasting challenges as they aim to ascend further, with Dvalishvili sharing his spot with UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.
For Harrison, a high-profile superfight against the returning Amanda Nunes is scheduled. However, even if she conquers this challenge, there`s a notable lack of other prominent contenders remaining in the 135-pound division. Unlike Nunes, who built her P4P legacy on a legendary win streak and fights across weight classes, Harrison may not feel compelled to remain at bantamweight long enough to pursue challenges against fighters like Zhang Weili or Valentina Shevchenko to solidify a No. 1 P4P claim.
On the men`s side, Dvalishvili is ranked just below Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, having maintained a nearly unbeatable record for the past seven years. His path is complicated, however, by competing in one of the deepest divisions in MMA. Even if he defeats the likely next challenger, Cory Sandhagen, the constant emergence of new talent in the bantamweight division suggests it might only be a matter of time until another elite fighter is ready to test his reign.
This raises the question for fans: Will we ultimately see either Kayla Harrison or Merab Dvalishvili reach the pinnacle of the pound-for-pound rankings before their careers are complete?
Ranking Updates
Recent Women`s Ranked Fighter Results:
No. 4 Kayla Harrison defeated No. 13 Julianna Peña
Upcoming Bouts Featuring Ranked Women:
No. 8 Dakota Ditcheva vs. Sumiko Inaba (PFL Africa, July 26)
No. 13 Rose Namajunas vs. Miranda Maverick (UFC Atlanta, June 14)
No. 14 Seika Izawa vs. Yu Jin Shin (Super RIZIN 4, July 27)
No. 20 Liz Carmouche vs. Elora Dana (PFL 6, June 20)
Other Women`s Fighters Receiving Votes (number of ballot appearances):
Norma Dumont (3)
Jessica Andrade (2)
Maycee Barber (2)
Macy Chiasson (1)
Amanda Lemos (1)
Gillian Robertson (1)
Recent Men`s Ranked Fighter Results:
No. 4 Merab Dvalishvili defeated No. 19 Sean O’Malley
Mario Bautista defeated No. 16 Patchy Mix
Upcoming Bouts Featuring Ranked Men:
No. 2 Ilia Topuria vs. No. 17 Charles Oliveira (UFC 317, June 28)
No. 3 (tied) Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France (UFC 317, June 28)
No. 5 Dricus du Plessis vs. No. 14 Khamzat Chimaev (UFC 319, Aug. 16)
No. 11 Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier (UFC 318, July 19)
Other Men`s Fighters Receiving Votes (number of ballot appearances):
Sean Brady (4)
Jiri Prochazka (3)
Movsar Evloev (2)
Francis Ngannou (2)
Brandon Moreno (1)
Sean O’Malley (1)
Fighters Dropping Out of the Rankings (previous ranking shown):
No. 16 Patchy Mix
No. 19 Sean O’Malley
Oliver Croft