MMA pound-for-pound P4P rankings – Alexandre Pantoja rises after big win،
Leon Edwards and Alexandre Pantoja scored dominant victories in their title defense Saturday night, but those victories weren't enough to cause a major upset in ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings.
Edwards and Pantoja controlled their title challengers – Colby Covington and Brandon Royval, respectively – as both champions scored unanimous decision victories. Edwards used his takedown defense to stifle eight of Covington's 10 takedown attempts and keep the fight where it's most dangerous, on the feet. Meanwhile, Pantoja used his wrestling and grappling to dictate the fight against Royval, continually forcing the challenger to fight back.
Despite the one-sided victory, Edwards remained in fourth place. Pantoja's win moved him two spots ahead of Israel Adesanya and Sean O'Malley to No. 7. UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira claimed sole possession of fifth place; previously he was tied with Charles Oliveira.
There was also movement at the bottom of the P4P women's rankings, as PFL featherweight champion Larissa Pacheco claimed sole possession of 8th place. Pacheco was previously tied with fellow PFL fighter Kayla Harrison. Harrison lost one place and is now tied with Manon Fiorot in 9th place.
For ESPN MMA division rankings, click here.
Note: Results are current; rankings as of December 19. To be eligible for ranking, a fighter must have competed within the last 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Fighters who have been dropped for inactivity may only be reinstated after competing.
Pound for pound ranking for men
1. Islam Makhachev
UFC lightweight champion
Save: 25-1
Last: W (KO1) vs. Alexander Volkanovski, October 21, 2023
Following: To be determined
2. Jon Jones 
UFC Heavyweight Champion
Save: 27-1, 1 NC
Last: F (Sub1) vs. Ciryl Gane, March 4, 2023
Following: To be determined
3. Alexander Volkanovski
UFC featherweight champion
Save: 26-3
Last: L (KO1) against Islam Makhachev, October 21, 2023
Following: February 17 against Ilia Topuria
4. Leon Edwards
UFC welterweight champion
Save: 22-3, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Colby Covington, December 16, 2023
Following: To be determined
5. Alex Pereira
UFC light heavyweight champion
Save: 9-2
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Jirí Procházka, November 11, 2023
Following: To be determined
6. Charles Oliveira 
Lightweight UFC
Previous ranking: Tied for 5
Save: 34-9, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Beneil Dariush, June 10, 2023
Following: To be determined
7. Alexandre Pantoja 
UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: 9
Save: 27-5
Last: W (UD) vs. Brandon Royval, December 16, 2023
Following: To be determined
8. Israel Adesanya
Middleweight UFC
Previous ranking: 7
Save: 24-3
Last: L (UD) vs. Sean Strickland, September 9, 2023
Following: To be determined
9. Sean O’Malley
UFC bantamweight champion
Previous ranking: 8
Save: 17-1, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Aljamain Sterling, August 19, 2023
Following: March 9 against Marlon Vera
10. Aljamain Sterling
UFC bantamweight
Previous ranking: Unclassified
Save: 23-4
Last: L (TKO2) vs. Sean O'Malley, August 19, 2023
Following: To be determined
Other fighters who received votes: Sean Strickland, Kamaru Usman, Aljamain Sterling, Khamzat Chimaev, Max Holloway, Demetrious Johnson, Justin Gaethje and Brandon Moreno.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Islam Makhachev; 2. Alexander Volkanovski; 3. Leon Edwards; 4. Jon Jones; 5. Israel Adesanya; 6. Alex Pereira; 7. Alexandre Pantoja; 8. Charles Oliveira; 9. Max Holloway; 10. Brandon Moreno.
Marc Raimondi: 1. Makhachev; 2.Jones; 3. Edwards; 4. Volkanovski; 5. Oliveira; 6. Pereira; 7. Pantoja; 8. Sean O’Malley; 9. Sean Strickland; 10. Adesanya.
Mégane Anderson: 1. Makhachev; 2.Jones; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Edwards; 5. Pereira; 6. Oliveira; 7. Adesanya; 8. Kamaru Usman; 9. Aljamain Sterling; 10. O’Malley.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Makhachev; 2.Jones; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Edwards; 5. Pereira; 6. Adesanya; 7. O’Malley; 8. Strickland; 9. Pantoja; 10. Oliveira.
Ian Parker: 1.Jones; 2. Makhachev; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Pereira; 5. Edwards; 6. O’Malley; 7. Pantoja; 8. Strickland; 9. Demetrious Johnson; 10. Khamzat Chimaev.
Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Makhachev; 2. Volkanovski; 3.Jones; 4. Edwards; 5. Pantoja; 6. Oliveira; 7. Adesanya; 8. Chimaev; 9. Pereira; 10. Ousman.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Makhachev; 2.Jones; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Edwards; 5. Oliveira; 6. O’Malley; 7. Pantoja; 8. Pereira; 9. Pound sterling; 10. Justin Gaethje.
1. Zhang Weili
UFC strawweight champion
Save: 24-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Amanda Lemos, August 19, 2023
Following: To be determined
2. Alexa Grasso
UFC flyweight champion
Save: 16-3-1
Last: Draw against Valentina Shevchenko, September 16, 2023
Following: To be determined
3. Valentina Shevchenko
UFC Flyweight
Save: 22-4-1
Last: Shared draw against Alexa Grasso, September 16, 2023
Following: To be determined
4. Cris Cyborg
Bellator featherweight champion
Save: 27-2, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Cat Zingano, October 7, 2023
Following: To be determined
5. Erin Blanchfield
UFC Flyweight
Save: 12-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Taila Santos, August 26, 2023
Following: To be determined
6. Tatiana Suárez
UFC strawweight
Save: 10-0
Last:W (Sub2) vs. Jessica Andrade, August 5, 2023
Following:To be determined
7. Yan Xiaonan
UFC strawweight
Save:17-3
Last:W (KO1) vs. Jessica Andrade, May 6, 2023
Following:To be determined
8. Larissa Pacheco
PFL Featherweight Champion
Save:23-4
Last:W (UD) vs Marina Mokhnatkina, November 24, 2023
Following:To be determined
T-9. Kayla Harrison
PFL Featherweight
Previous ranking:Tied for 8
Save:16-1
Last:L (UD) vs. Aspen Ladd, November 24, 2023
Following:To be determined
T-9. Manon Fiorot
UFC Flyweight
Previous ranking:ten
Save:11-1
Last:W (UD) vs. Rose Namajunas, September 2, 2023
Following:To be determined
Other fighters receiving votes: Seika Izawa, Raquel Pennington, Liz Carmouche, Amanda Lemos, Rose Namajunas and Julianna Peña.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Zhang Weili; 2. Alexa Grasso; 3. Valentina Shevchenko; 4. Cris Cyborg. 5. Erin Blanchfield; 6. Tatiana Suarez; 7. Manon Fiorot; 8. Rose Namajunas; 9. Kayla Harrison; 10. Yan Xiaonan.
Marc Raimondi: 1. Zhang; 2. Cyborgs; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Grasso; 5. Blancfield; 6.Yan; 7. Seika Izawa; 8. Suárez; 9. Fiorot; 10. Raquel Pennington.
Megan Anderson: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Cyborgs; 5. Blancfield; 6.Yan; 7. Pennington; 8. Fiorot; 9. Suárez; 10. Julianna Pena.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Cyborgs; 5. Kayla Harrison; 6. Blancfield; 7. Larissa Pacheco; 8.Yan; 9. Suárez; 10. Liz Carmouche.
Ian Parker: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Cyborgs; 5. Blancfield; 6. Suárez; 7. Pacheco; 8. Fiorot; 9. Harrison; 10. Namajunas.
Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Blancfield; 5. Larissa Pacheco; 6. Cyborgs; 7. Amanda Lemos; 8. Harrison; 9. Izawa; 10. Carmouche.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Zhang; 2. Grasso; 3. Cyborgs; 4. Shevchenko; 5. Blancfield; 6.Yan; 7. Izawa; 8. Suárez; 9. Pennington; 10. Fiorot.
