Khamzat Chimaev fell seven positions in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings following his defeat to Sean Strickland. The updated top-10 P4P rankings are: 1. Islam Makhachev (Russia), 2. Ilia Topuria (Georgia), 3. Alex Volkanovski (Australia), 4. Alex Pereira (Brazil), 5. Petr Yan (Russia), 6. Tom Aspinall (Great Britain), 7. Merab Dvalishvili (Georgia) tied with 7. Sean Strickland (USA), 9. Joshua Van (USA), and 10. Khamzat Chimaev (UAE). The significant drop reflects the impact of his loss on his standing among the promotion's elite fighters across all weight classes.
Khamzat Chimaev tumbled seven spots in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings on May 12, 2026, landing at number ten following his defeat to Sean Strickland — a result that dramatically reshuffled the promotion's cross-divisional elite standings.
Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, climbed to a tie for seventh in the updated pound-for-pound list. The 35-year-old from the United States trains out of Xtreme Couture and carries a professional record of 31-7-0. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, "Tarzan" is one of the sport's most relentless pressure fighters, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. The win over Chimaev further cements his status as one of the most credible champions in the organization.
Chimaev, now ranked tenth, absorbed the consequences of his first high-profile loss, sliding from what had been a position firmly inside the top five of the pound-for-pound picture.
Elsewhere in the updated rankings, Islam Makhachev holds the top spot. The welterweight champion from Russia and Eagles MMA member carries a 28-1-0 record at age 34 and is among the most efficient wrestlers in the sport, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing 58 percent of his significant strikes.
One of the more notable presences in the new top ten is Joshua Van, the flyweight champion from Myanmar, who checks in at number nine at just 24 years old. "The Fearless" owns a 17-2-0 record and an extraordinary striking output of 8.84 significant strikes per minute, connecting on 56 percent of his attempts.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's seven-place drop is one of the steepest single-loss falls in recent pound-for-pound history
- Strickland's shared seventh-place ranking validates his middleweight title reign across weight classes
- Van's presence at number nine at age 24 signals a generational shift in the flyweight division's recognition
- Makhachev's hold on the top spot remains unchallenged despite the broader reshuffling below him
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan
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