MMA pound-for-pound rankings: Amanda Nunes is back in her familiar spot

MMA news

A familiar face is back on top.

Amanda Nunes, who had occupied the No. 1 spot in the ESPN women’s pound-for-pound rankings for years prior to her being stunningly upset last December by Julianna Peña, has reclaimed her position of supremacy after taking the bantamweight title back from Peña at UFC 277 last Saturday.

Nunes, who after her win over the weekend is once again a two-division champion, moved back above UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Nunes, widely acclaimed as the greatest of all time in women’s MMA, also owns the featherweight belt.

Not much else has changed in the latest men’s and women’s top 10s. Former men’s bantamweight champ Brandon Moreno earned some votes on the strength of his interim-belt-winning performance at UFC 277, but he did not crack the top 10.

Note: Results are current; rankings as of Aug. 3.


1. Amanda Nunes

UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion
Previous ranking: 2
Record: 22-5
Last: W (UD) Julianna Peña, July 30, 2022
Next: TBD


2. Valentina Shevchenko

UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: 1
Record: 22-3
Last: W (SD) Taila Santos, June 11, 2022
Next: TBD


3. Cris Cyborg

Bellator featherweight champion
Record: 26-2, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) Arlene Blencowe, April 23, 2022
Next: TBD


T-4. Julianna Peña

UFC bantamweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (UD) Amanda Nunes, July 30, 2022
Next: TBD


T-4. Zhang Weili

UFC strawweight
Previous ranking: 5
Record: 22-3
Last: W (KO2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk, June 11, 2022
Next: TBD


6. Carla Esparza

UFC strawweight champion
Record: 19-6
Last: W (SD) Rose Namajunas, May 7, 2022
Next: TBD


7. Rose Namajunas

UFC strawweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (SD) Carla Esparza, May 7, 2022
Next: TBD


8. Jessica Andrade

UFC flyweight
Record: 23-9
Last: W (Sub1) Amanda Lemos, April 23, 2022
Next: TBD


9. Kayla Harrison

PFL lightweight champion
Record: 14-0
Last: W (TKO1) Kaitlin Young, July 1, 2022
Next: Aug. 20 vs. Martina Jindrova


10. Marina Rodriguez

UFC strawweight
Record: 16-1-2
Last: W (SD) Yan Xiaonan, March 5, 2022
Next: TBD


Other fighters receiving votes: Katlyn Chookagian, Holly Holm and Seika Izawa.


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. Carla Esparza; 8. Jessica Andrade; 9. Kayla Harrison; 10. Katlyn Chookagian.

Marc Raimondi: 1. Amanda Nunes; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Cris Cyborg; 4. Julianna Peña; 5. Carla Esparza; 6. Kayla Harrison; 7. Rose Namajunas; 8. Zhang Weili; 9. Jessica Andrade; 10. Seika Izawa.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Amanda Nunes; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Julianna Peña; 4. Cris Cyborg; 5. Kayla Harrison; 6. Carla Esparza; 7. Zhang Weili; 8. Rose Namajunas; 9. Jessica Andrade; 10. Holly Holm.

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

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

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Amanda Nunes; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Cris Cyborg; 4. Zhang Weili; 5. Jessica Andrade; 6. Julianna Peña; 7. Carla Esparza; 8. Rose Namajunas; 9. Kayla Harrison; 10. Katlyn Chookagian.


Men’s pound-for-pound rankings

1. Kamaru Usman

UFC welterweight champion
Record: 20-1
Last: W (UD) Colby Covington, Nov. 6, 2021
Next: Aug. 20 vs. Leon Edwards


2. Alexander Volkanovski

UFC featherweight champion
Record: 25-1
Last: W (UD) Max Holloway, July 2, 2022
Next: TBD


T-3. Israel Adesanya

UFC middleweight champion
Record: 23-1
Last: W (UD) Jared Cannonier, July 2, 2022
Next: TBD


T-3. Charles Oliveira

UFC lightweight
Record: 33-8, 1 NC
Last: W (Sub1) Justin Gaethje, May 7, 2022
Next: Oct. 22 vs. Islam Makhachev


5. Francis Ngannou

UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 17-3
Last: W (UD) Ciryl Gane, Jan. 22, 2022
Next: TBD


6. Jiri Prochazka

UFC light heavyweight champion
Record: 29-3-1
Last: W (Sub5) Glover Teixeira, June 11, 2022
Next: TBD


7. Deiveson Figueiredo

UFC flyweight champion
Record: 21-2-1
Last: W (UD) Brandon Moreno, Jan. 22, 2022
Next: TBD


T-8. Dustin Poirier

UFC lightweight
Record: 28-7, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub3) Charles Oliveira, Dec. 11, 2021
Next: TBD


T-8. Aljamain Sterling

UFC bantamweight champion
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 21-3
Last: W (SD) Petr Yan, April 9, 2022
Next: Sept. 10 vs. TJ Dillashaw


10. Max Holloway

UFC featherweight
Record: 23-7
Last: L (UD) Alexander Volkanovski, July 2, 2022
Next: TBD


Other fighters receiving votes: Robert Whittaker, Brandon Moreno, Colby Covington Khamzat Chimaev and Glover Teixeira.


How our panel voted

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

Marc Raimondi: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Israel Adesanya; 3. Alexander Volkanovski; 4. Francis Ngannou; 5. Charles Oliveira; 6. Aljamain Sterling; 7. Jiri Prochazka; 8. Dustin Poirier; 9. Colby Covington; 10. Deiveson Figueiredo.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Alexander Volkanovski; 3. Charles Oliveira; 4. Israel Adesanya; 5. Francis Ngannou; 6. Jiri Prochazka; 7. Max Holloway; 8. Deiveson Figueiredo; 9. Aljamain Sterling; 10. Brandon Moreno.

Megan Anderson: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Alexander Volkanovski; 3. Charles Oliveira; 4. Israel Adesanya; 5. Francis Ngannou; 6. Max Holloway; 7. Jiri Prochazka; 8. Robert Whittaker; 9. Deiveson Figueiredo; 10. Glover Teixeira.

Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Charles Oliveira; 3. Israel Adesanya; 4. Alexander Volkanovski; 5. Francis Ngannou; 6. Dustin Poirier; 7. Deiveson Figueiredo; 8. Aljamain Sterling; 9. Jiri Prochazka; 10. Khamzat Chimaev.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Alexander Volkanovski; 3. Francis Ngannou; 4. Charles Oliveira; 5. Israel Adesanya; 6. Jiri Prochazka; 7. Dustin Poirier; 8. Aljamain Sterling; 9. Deiveson Figueiredo; 10. Robert Whittaker.

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