Khamzat Chimaev holds third place in Russian pound-for-pound rankings after loss

Khamzat Chimaev held onto third place in a prominent Russian pound-for-pound ranking despite suffering a title fight defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9, according to a list compiled by 30 Russian MMA media members and experts.

Islam Makhachev leads the rankings with 480 points, cementing his status as the top Russian fighter across all weight classes. The 34-year-old welterweight champion from Dagestan carries a 28-1-0 record and fights out of Eagles MMA. A dangerous all-around competitor, Makhachev lands strikes at 58 percent accuracy and averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him one of the most complete fighters in the sport. Petr Yan sits second with 443 points, and Chimaev follows with 358 points despite the setback at UFC 328.

Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, improved to 31-7-0 with the victory. The 35-year-old American out of Xtreme Couture is known for his relentless volume, averaging 6.04 significant strikes landed per minute while fighting out of an orthodox stance with a 76-inch reach.

Alexander Volkov, the six-foot-seven heavyweight contender fighting out of Strela Team, climbed two spots in the rankings following a win over Waldo Cortes-Acosta. At 37 years old and holding a 40-11-0 record, "Drago" sits as the number-one ranked heavyweight in his division. He lands strikes at 57 percent accuracy and averages 4.78 significant strikes per minute, numbers that reinforce his standing as one of Russian MMA's most accomplished big men.

Eduard Vartanyan also returned to the rankings after finishing Uzair Abdurakakov under the ACA banner.

Why it matters

• Chimaev retaining third place despite a title loss reflects his overall standing among Russian talent
• Makhachev's commanding points lead underlines his position as Russia's premier active fighter
• Volkov's two-spot climb keeps the heavyweight division's Russian representation prominent in the panel rankings