Khamzat Chimaev drops seven spots in pound-for-pound rankings to No. 10

Khamzat Chimaev tumbled seven spots in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings following his defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9, dropping from third down to tenth on the updated list.

Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, improved his record to 31-7-0 with the victory over Chimaev. The 35-year-old American out of Xtreme Couture is one of the most active strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, the orthodox fighter now holds a prominent place in the pound-for-pound top ten, tied at No. 7 alongside Merab Dvalishvili following the updated rankings.

The revamped top ten is led by welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, who holds a 28-1-0 record at 34 years old. The Russian southpaw out of Eagles MMA is a dominant grappler, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes with 58 percent striking accuracy, cementing his position at the pinnacle of the pound-for-pound list.

Rounding out the ninth spot is flyweight champion Joshua Van, known as "The Fearless." The 24-year-old from Myanmar carries a 17-2-0 record and ranks among the most prolific strikers in the promotion, landing an exceptional 8.84 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy.

Why it matters

• Chimaev's fall from third to tenth represents one of the steeper single-event pound-for-pound drops in recent memory.
• Strickland's entry into the top ten at No. 7 reflects both his middleweight title reign and the significance of the Chimaev victory.
• The updated list places Makhachev, Topuria, Volkanovski, and Pereira ahead of Chimaev, raising the bar for any future pound-for-pound climb back into the top five.