Nigeria’s Adesanya Drops Out of Top 10 in Latest UFC Pound for Pound Rankings, Du Plessis in 9th

• Israel Adesanya is no longer listed in the top 10 of the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings
• Max Holloway's impressive win at UFC 300 has seen him jump up six spots in the listing
• Alex Pereira wants to move to heavyweight after defending his Light-Heavyweight title

UFC 300 served up plenty of history-making action, but the results also significantly influenced the pound-for-pound rankings.

Big wins for Max Holloway and Alex Pereira have seen them jump up the rankings after the latest, but two African stars have also dropped as a result.

South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis is now ninth on the list, while former Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has dropped out of the top 10.

The Last Stylebender was one of the division's longest-reigning champions, but two losses in his last three fights have seen him take a break from the sport and drop down the rankings.

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With the latest update released, Sports Brief looks at the new top ten.

UFC's latest pound-for-pound rankings

1 - Islam Makhachev

The Lightweight champion tops the rankings and is number one for good reason.

Makhachev's only loss in the UFC came in 2015, and since then, he’s improved his record to 14 wins in the organisation, with six of those coming via submission.

The Russian’s last fight came in October 2023 against Alexander Volkanovski, but he could be in action soon, with Dustin Poirier eyeing a title shot, Fox News reported.

2 - Jon Jones

Bones is considered one of the GOATs of MMA and occupies the second spot on the list.

The UFC’s Heavyweight champion has won 21 fights in the organisation and is on an 18-fight win streak.

Jones is currently out of action after suffering a torn pectoral tendon, MMA Mania reported.

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He is scheduled to face interim champion Tom Aspinall when he does return to the Octagon.

3 - Leon Edwards

The British welterweight has amassed 14 wins in his UFC career and has only suffered defeat twice.

The reigning Welterweight champion has held the title since his brutal knockout of Kamaru Usman in 2022.

Riding a 12-fight win streak, Edwards was scheduled to defend his title at UFC 300, but the three men offered the bout all declined.

4 - Alex Pereira

Poatan has only been in the UFC for under three years, but has already cemented his name as one of the greats.

After dominating the Middleweight division and losing the belt to Adesanya, the Brazilian moved up to Light-Heavyweight, where he also won that title.

He knocked out Jamahal Hill in just over three minutes in his first title defence, proving why he’s such a threat to any fighter.

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After the fight, he hinted at moving up to heavyweight, where he could become the first to win titles in three different divisions, Essentially Sports reported.

5 - Ilia Topuria

Spain’s Topuria rounds out the top five in the latest pound-for-pound rankings.

The Featherweight champion has yet to taste defeat in his professional career and has already notched up seven wins in the UFC.

Topuria made history in February 2024 when he defeated Volk at UFC 298, becoming the first Spanish champion in the organisation.

The Australian was the division champion for over four years and defended his title six times before the undefeated Topuria ended his streak.

The rest of the top ten looks like this:

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UFC

Adesanya vs Du Plessis postponed

Sports Brief also previously reported how a fight between Adesanya and Du Plessis was discussed for the main event of UFC 300.

The Last Stylebender claimed that he was keen on the bout, but the South African did not accept the offer to fight for his title.

Du Plessis won the Middleweight strap when he beat Sean Strickland, the man who dethroned Adesanya for the belt before.