Today, a UFC championship carries more prestige than ever.
While being a UFC champion has long been seen as synonymous with being the top fighter in a division, this wasn`t always universally true. In past eras, with strong promotions like PRIDE, Bellator, and ONE Championship operating, there were credible arguments for fighters outside the UFC holding the top spot.
Fighters like Fedor Emelianenko were considered heavyweight kings without ever competing in the octagon. Demetrious Johnson`s move to ONE Championship effectively shifted the claim to the world`s best flyweight outside the UFC. Bellator standouts such as Johnny Eblen, Patchy Mix, and Patricio Pitbull have presented compelling challenges to their UFC equivalents. Furthermore, legendary female fighters like Cris Cyborg, Megumi Fujii, and Ronda Rousey established dominance elsewhere before women`s divisions were prominent in the UFC.
Currently, nearly every division has a unanimously recognized No. 1 fighter within the UFC, the sole exception being heavyweight. In that division, former champion Francis Ngannou, who left the UFC without losing his belt and has competed more recently than current champion Tom Aspinall, still received a vote. However, it feels like Aspinall is on the verge of solidifying his position as the undisputed top heavyweight with just one successful title defense.
This leads to the question: are there fighters outside the current No. 1 spot who arguably deserve that position? Consider the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov. An injury prevented him from challenging for the welterweight title, and now he watches as the new champion, Jack Della Maddalena, is set to face the top pound-for-pound fighter, Islam Makhachev.
Another possibility is Movsar Evloev, who also maintains an undefeated record but still appears to need another win for a title shot. Despite his impressive 8-0 UFC record, matchmakers overlooked Evloev for a shot at the vacant featherweight belt after Ilia Topuria moved up, booking Alexander Volkanovski against Diego Lopes instead.
Even the claim to the lightweight throne isn`t entirely settled. While Ilia Topuria`s stunning knockout win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 was spectacular, some might argue Arman Tsarukyan has a stronger overall record at 155 pounds, having also recently defeated Oliveira.
While it`s difficult to argue against the 11 current UFC champions being the top fighters in their respective weight classes, their positions are far from guaranteed. Dricus du Plessis faces a major test against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August. Kayla Harrison will defend her title against the returning Amanda Nunes, arguably the greatest female fighter of all time. And Jack Della Maddalena is set for a challenging bout against the formidable Islam Makhachev.
As we reach the midpoint of 2025, it`s possible the current No. 1 fighters will hold their spots until the end of the year. However, given the competitive landscape, it wouldn`t be surprising to see further changes and surprises in the rankings before the year concludes.
Percy Harlow