How high does Makhachev land in MMA pound-for-pound rankings?

The rise of Islam Makhachev in the UFC’s lightweight division culminated on Saturday, when he captured the championship at UFC 280 in a virtuoso performance against Charles Oliveira. But that rise took a while. Makhachev has been in the UFC since 2015, and this past weekend’s bout in Abu Dhabi was his 13th trip inside the Octagon.

Makhachev’s rise in the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings, on the other hand, has been fast and furious.

The 31-year-old from Dagestan was unranked until now, but in our latest voting he’s not only in the men’s top 10, he’s up near the top.

That’s what happens when you end the 11-fight winning streak of then-No. 2 Oliveira by finishing the greatest finisher in UFC history.

Makhachev is being overlooked no more. And Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t even on the voting panel.

For the ESPN divisional MMA rankings, click here.

Note: Results are current; rankings as of Oct. 25.

Men’s pound-for-pound rankings

1. Alexander Volkanovski  

UFC featherweight champion
Record: 25-1
Last: W (UD) Max Holloway, July 2
Next: TBD

2. Israel Adesanya  

UFC middleweight champion
Previous ranking: 3
Record: 23-1
Last: W (UD) Jared Cannonier, July 2
Next: Nov. 12 vs. Alex Pereira

3. Islam Makhachev  

UFC lightweight champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 23-1
Last: W (Sub2) Charles Oliveira, Oct. 22, 2022
Next: TBD

4. Kamaru Usman  

UFC welterweight
Record: 20-2
Last: L (KO5) Leon Edwards, Aug. 20
Next: TBD

5. Francis Ngannou  

UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 17-3
Last: W (UD) Ciryl Gane, Jan. 22
Next: TBD

6. Charles Oliveira  

UFC lightweight
Previous ranking: 2
Record: 33-9, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub2) Islam Makhachev, Oct. 22, 2022
Next: TBD

7. Leon Edwards  

UFC welterweight champion
Previous ranking: 6
Record: 20-3, 1 NC
Last: W (KO5) Kamaru Usman, Aug. 20
Next: TBD

8. Aljamain Sterling  

UFC bantamweight champion
Record: 22-3
Last: W (TKO2) TJ Dillashaw, Oct. 22, 2022
Next: TBD

9. Jiri Prochazka  

UFC light heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 29-3-1
Last: W (Sub5) Glover Teixeira, June 11
Next: Dec. 10 vs. Glover Teixeira

T-10. Deiveson Figueiredo  

UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: Tied for 9
Record: 21-2-1
Last: W (UD) Brandon Moreno, Jan. 22
Next: Jan. 21 vs. Brandon Moreno

T-10. Robert Whittaker  

UFC middleweight
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 24-6
Last: W (UD) Marvin Vettori, Sept. 3, 2022
Next: Feb. 12 vs. Paulo Costa

Other fighters receiving votes: Ciryl Gane, Brandon Moreno and Dustin Poirier.

How our panel voted

Brett Okamoto: 1. Alexander Volkanovski; 2. Israel Adesanya; 3. Islam Makhachev; 4. Kamaru Usman; 5. Robert Whittaker; 6. Charles Oliveira; 7. Aljamain Sterling; 8. Francis Ngannou; 9. Deiveson Figueiredo; 10. Brandon Moreno.

Marc Raimondi: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Adesanya; 3. Makhachev; 4. Usman; 5. Oliveira; 6. Ngannou; 7. Sterling; 8. Edwards; 9. Ciryl Gane; 10. Figueiredo.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Makhachev; 3. Usman; 4. Adesanya; 5. Ngannou; 6. Oliveira; 7. Edwards; 8. Prochazka; 9. Sterling; 10. Figueiredo.

Megan Anderson: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Adesanya; 3. Makhachev; 4. Usman; 5. Oliveira; 6. Ngannou; 7. Edwards; 8. Prochazka; 9. Whittaker; 10. Figueiredo.

Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Adesanya; 2. Volkanovski; 3. Makhachev; 4. Usman; 5. Ngannou; 6. Oliveira; 7. Dustin Poirier; 8. Figueiredo; 9. Sterling; 10. Prochazka.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Ngannou; 3. Makhachev; 4. Adesanya; 5. Usman; 6. Oliveira; 7. Edwards; 8. Prochazka; 9. Sterling; 10. Poirier.

1. Amanda Nunes  

UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion
Record: 22-5
Last: W (UD) Julianna Peña, July 30
Next: TBD

2. Valentina Shevchenko  

UFC flyweight champion
Record: 22-3
Last: W (SD) Taila Santos, June 11
Next: TBD

3. Cris Cyborg  

Bellator featherweight champion
Record: 26-2, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) Arlene Blencowe, April 23
Next: TBD

T-4. Julianna Peña  

UFC bantamweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (UD) Amanda Nunes, July 30
Next: TBD

T-4. Zhang Weili  

UFC strawweight
Record: 22-3
Last: W (KO2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk, June 11
Next: Nov. 12 vs. Carla Esparza

6. Carla Esparza  

UFC strawweight champion
Record: 19-6
Last: W (SD) Rose Namajunas, May 7
Next: Nov. 12 vs. Zhang Weili

7. Rose Namajunas  

UFC strawweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (SD) Carla Esparza, May 7
Next: TBD

8. Kayla Harrison  

PFL lightweight champion
Record: 15-0
Last: W (Sub1) Martina Jindrova, Aug. 20
Next: Nov. 25 vs. Larissa Pacheco

9. Jessica Andrade  

UFC flyweight
Record: 23-9
Last: W (Sub1) Amanda Lemos, April 23
Next: Jan. 21 vs. Lauren Murphy

10. Marina Rodriguez  

UFC strawweight
Record: 16-1-2
Last: W (SD) Yan Xiaonan, March 5
Next: Nov. 5 vs. Amanda Lemos

Other fighters receiving votes: Manon Fiorot and Holly Holm.

How our panel voted

Brett Okamoto: 1. Amanda Nunes; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Cris Cyborg; 4. Rose Namajunas; 5. Zhang Weili; 6. Julianna Peña; 7. Kayla Harrison; 8. Carla Esparza; 9. Jessica Andrade; 10. Marina Rodriguez.

Marc Raimondi: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Peña; 5. Esparza; 6. Harrison; 7. Namajunas; 8. Weili; 9. Andrade; 10. Manon Fiorot.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Peña; 4. Harrison; 5. Cyborg; 6. Esparza; 7. Weili; 8. Namajunas; 9. Andrade; 10. Holly Holm.

Megan Anderson: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Weili; 5. Namajunas; 6. Esparza; 7. Andrade; 8. Rodriguez; 9. Harrison; 10. Peña.

Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Peña; 4. Weili; 5. Cyborg; 6. Esparza; 7. Andrade; 8. Namajunas; 9. Harrison; 10. Rodriguez.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Weili; 5. Andrade; 6. Peña; 7. Esparza; 8. Namajunas; 9. Harrison; 10. Fiorot.