Chimaev drops seven spots in P4P rankings after Strickland loss

Khamzat Chimaev has tumbled seven spots in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings after suffering a defeat to Sean Strickland, landing at tenth place in the updated standings released on May 12, 2026.

Strickland, the middleweight champion, climbed into the top ten on the back of the victory, sharing seventh place with Merab Dvalishvili. The 35-year-old American 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 most active volume strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. His grappling is measured but present, averaging 0.71 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Islam Makhachev holds the top spot in the revised pound-for-pound list. The 34-year-old Russian welterweight champion fights out of Eagles MMA and owns a record of 28-1-0. A dominant wrestler, he averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 58 percent of his strikes, making him one of the most well-rounded fighters in the promotion.

Flyweight champion Joshua Van checks in at ninth. The 24-year-old from Myanmar carries a 17-2-0 record and boasts a striking accuracy of 56 percent with a remarkable 8.84 significant strikes landed per minute, numbers that place him among the most efficient offensive fighters on the roster.

Why it matters

• Chimaev's seven-place fall reflects how significantly a loss can reshape pound-for-pound perception, regardless of divisional title status.
• Strickland's entry at seventh underlines the middleweight title's weight in cross-divisional rankings.
• Van's ninth-place position highlights the flyweight division's growing influence on the overall pound-for-pound conversation.
• The full top ten now features champions from multiple weight classes, signaling competitive depth across the roster.