Following his defeat to Sean Strickland, Khamzat Chimaev fell seven positions in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, now sitting at number 10. The updated top 10 has Islam Makhachev at number one, followed by Ilia Topuria, Alex Volkanovski, Alex Pereira, and Petr Yan in the top five. Tom Aspinall holds the sixth spot, with Merab Dvalishvili and Sean Strickland tied at seventh. Joshua Van occupies the ninth position, just ahead of Chimaev. The significant drop reflects the impact of Chimaev's loss on his standing among the UFC's elite fighters across all weight classes.
Khamzat Chimaev plummeted seven spots in the UFC's official pound-for-pound rankings following his loss to Sean Strickland, settling at number 10 in the updated standings released on May 12, 2026.
Strickland, who holds the middleweight title, saw his own standing rewarded with a share of seventh place in the pound-for-pound list alongside Merab Dvalishvili. The 35-year-old American trains out of Xtreme Couture and carries a 31-7-0 record. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, "Tarzan" is one of the most prolific volume strikers in the division, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 42 percent.
Islam Makhachev continues to lead the pound-for-pound rankings at number one. The 34-year-old Russian welterweight champion holds a 28-1-0 record and fights out of Eagles MMA. A dominant grappler, Makhachev averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 1.1 submission attempts in the same span, while also posting a striking accuracy of 58 percent.
Flyweight champion Joshua Van occupies ninth place, just ahead of Chimaev. The 24-year-old from Myanmar carries a 17-2-0 record and fights for 4oz. Fight Club. "The Fearless" is a striking force at 165 cm tall, posting a remarkable 8.84 significant strikes per minute and an accuracy of 56 percent — among the highest marks in the UFC.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's seven-position drop underscores how a single loss can dramatically reshape pound-for-pound perception
- Strickland's entry into the top 10 reinforces the middleweight title's weight in cross-divisional prestige
- Van's ninth-place ranking highlights the rising profile of the flyweight division within the UFC's elite tier
- The updated list features champions across four weight classes in the top 10, reflecting a competitive landscape at the top of the sport
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan
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