End of 2024 Pound for Pound Rankings
- Benjamin Furnish
- Dec 17, 2024
- 6 min read
Welcome to our end-of-2024 pound-for-pound rankings. In a year where six new champions emerged, the UFC landscape was shaken up dramatically. Before diving into our rankings, a concrete definition of pound-for-pound must be established. The objective of the rankings is to assess the fighter's overall skill, dominance, and achievements relative to their opponents rather than their physical size or weight. This concept assumes all fighters are of equal weight, focusing solely on their technical abilities, fight IQ, and effectiveness. Now that the idea is established, let’s dive into the rankings.
No. 15 → Sean O’Malley:
Via sportingnews.com
Coming in at the number 15 spot, we have “Suga” Sean O’Malley. The former bantamweight champion has established himself as an elite fighter in the division, with victories over Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling, and Marlon “Chito” Vera. The slick striker utilizes his tall frame to maintain distance from his opponents and catch them with quick strikes while they try to close the distance. However, after losing in a one-sided contest to Merab Dvalishvili, the Suga Show must add to his grappling game if he looks to regain the throne.
No. 14 → Khamzat Chimaev
At number 14, we have Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev. The undefeated Chechen fighter holds victories over Gilbert Burns, Kamaru Usman, and Rober Whittaker. At UFC 308, Borz made his long-awaited return, taking on a former champion in Whittaker. In what many expected to be his toughest test to date, Chimaev made quick work of the Aussie, submitting him in the first round. However, Chimaev’s cardio has always been a hole in his game, and with a future title shot certain, the Chechen will need to address this issue if he is to claim the middleweight throne.
No. 13 → Leon Edwards
At the 13 spot, we have Leon “Rocky” Edwards. The former champion is coming off a loss to Belal Muhammad at UFC 304, an unexpected loss, to say the least. In their first fight, Edwards dominated Muhammed before catching him with an eye poke to end the contest. In the rematch, Rocky came out with a lackluster effort, being put on the back foot for most of the contest, eventually succumbing to Muhammad’s relentless pressure. Despite the loss, with back-to-back victories over Kamaru Usman and a win over Colby Covington, Edwards is one spectacular performance away from receiving a chance to regain the welterweight title.
No. 12 → Sean Strickland
via talksport.com
Strickland takes the number 12 spot on our list. The American is coming off a dominant victory over Paulo Costa and is booked for a rematch against middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Following a historic win over the great Isreal Adesanya, Strickland fell short to Du Plessis in a razor-close contest, resulting in a split decision. With a few adjustments, Strickland is in a good position to reclaim the title at UFC 312 in the rematch versus the champion.
No. 11 → Max Holloway
Max Holloway slots in at 11. Coming off of a dominant victory at UFC 300, which resulted in the greatest knockout in UFC history over Justin Gaethje, Holloway had many options. He could fight for the lightweight belt against Islam Makhachev or the featherweight belt against Ilia Topuria. Ultimately, the featherweight title is what Max coveted, a division that he ruled for so long. Unfortunately, for the first time in his career, Holloway suffered a knockout loss at the hands of the champion. With a recent move to the lightweight division, the Hawaiian will look to have more success and challenge for the title once more.
No. 10 → Alexander Volkanovski
Moving onto the top ten, Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski finds himself at the ten spot. The greatest featherweight of all time has vowed to return with a vengeance after back-to-back knockout defeats at the hands of Makhachev and Topuria. Volkanovski has stated on numerous occasions that he will only fight if it's for the belt. If he is to rematch with Topuria or fight another contender, The Great has lots to prove if he wants to reclaim his championship status.
No. 9 → Alexandre Pantoja (champion → flyweight)
The flyweight champion arrives at the number nine spot, with victories over Brandon Moreno (3x), Brandon Royval (2x), Steve Erceg, and Kai Asakura. The champion has continued to evolve, establishing a dominant reign over the division. With minimal fresh blood at 125 pounds, the champion may need to sit back and formulate a strategy to further cement his legacy as a top fighter in the company.
No. 8 → Tom Aspinall (interim champion → heavyweight)
Aspinall finds himself at the number eight spot. The interim champion has essentially wiped out the division, with victories over six top ten heavyweights, including Alexander Volkov, Serghei Spivac, Marcin Tybura, Sergei Pavlovich, and Curtis Blaydes. The only fight left to make is a title match between Aspinall and Jon Jones, a bout which could go down as the biggest in the division's history. It will be up to Jones to decide if he’s willing to take the challenge or vacate the belt.
No. 7 → Belal Muhammad (champion → welterweight)
Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad takes our number seven spot. Muhammad captured gold at UFC 304, defeating Leon Edwards in a dominant victory, demonstrating relentless pressure and outstanding cardio. The champion was booked to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 but pulled out due to injury; however, the fight is inevitable and will be his toughest test to date. With victories over Sean Brady, Gilbert Burns, and Leon Edwards, Muhammad is developing an impressive resume and looking to add many more names to it in his title reign.
No. 6 → Merab Dvalishvili (champion → bantamweight)
The Georgian finds himself just outside the top five on our list. Dvalishvili already has a highly credentialed resume with victories over José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and Sean O’Malley. He has encountered minimal resistance in these contests, implementing his pressure-oriented style and simply outworking his opponents. His elite wrestling and endless cardio make Merab a formidable force for all future opponents.
No. 5 → Dricus Du Plessis (champion → middleweight)
Climbing into the top five, Dricus Du Plessis has rightfully earned this position. With victories over Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, and Isreal Adesanya, the South African has established himself as an all-time middleweight great. Possessing an unorthodox style, opponents often have difficulty predicting what Du Plessis will throw. He is well acclimated in all facets of mixed martial arts and will look to defend the throne in a rematch versus Sean Strickland at UFC 312.
No. 4 → Alex Pereira (champion → light heavyweight)
At number four, we have Alex “Poatan” Pereira. The double champion has wreaked havoc in the UFC, having only one loss since joining the promotion. Since his move to light heavyweight, Pereira has looked healthier and more complete, with victories over Jan Blachowicz, Jiří Procházka (2x), Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree Jr. The Brazillian seems unstoppable, and barring any injuries, we could potentially be looking at a move up to heavyweight for Poatan. He must first address the number one contender, Magomed Ankalaev, the first true wrestling-based fighter Pereira’s encountered. He must demonstrate a broader range of tools if he hopes to defeat his most formidable challenge to date.
No. 3 → Ilia Topuria (champion → featherweight)
At number three, we have the “El Matador,” Ilia Topuria. Topuria is coming off back-to-back knockout victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Hollaway. The Spaniard has no holes in his game, with elite greco-roman wrestling to complement his outstanding boxing skills. Topuria is a threat anywhere the fight goes, and at the moment, there seem to be no threats to his title reign. There have been rumblings of Topuria vacating the belt and moving up to lightweight, and if he is to claim the lightweight throne, we could very well be looking at one of the greatest fighters in UFC history.
No. 2 → Jon Jones (champion → heavyweight)
The greatest fighter in UFC history finds himself at the number two spot. Since his move to heavyweight, Jones has dominant victories over Ciryl Gane and Stipe Miocic. Jones’ game consists of zero weaknesses, having the ability to out-strike strikers, out-wrestle wrestlers, and out-grapple grapplers. Nearing the end of his career, speculation has arisen about what he’ll do next. If he is to fight again, Tom Aspinall is the only possible opponent. His most recent bout against Miocic was dominant, controlling the fight from start to finish. An asterisk must be put next to the victory as a 42-year-old Miocic was inactive for four years while coming off of a knockout loss. The uncertainty surrounding Jones’ fight with Aspinall, coupled with his inactivity, is why he finds himself at number two.
No.1 → Islam Makhachev (champion → lightweight)
There isn’t too much to say here. Despite Dana White’s advocacy for Jon Jones, it’s clear who the number one pound-for-pound fighter is. Islam Makhachev’s resume is outstanding, with victories over Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski (2x), and Dustin Poirier. The Dagestani looks invincible, and outside of his rematch with Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311, a second belt for the 33-year-old is very much in play.
December 17, 2024 The Ultimate Fan Connection
Comments