Volkanovski Rises to No. 2 in MMA Rankings After UFC 333 Knockout

Alexander Volkanovski moved to the number two position in the ESPN men’s pound-for-pound rankings on Tuesday following a second-round knockout of Movsar Evloev at UFC 333.

The 38-year-old Australian featherweight champion climbed five places in the list after defeating the previously undefeated Evloev on Saturday night. The performance addressed longevity concerns that emerged after Volkanovski’s earlier loss to Ilia Topuria. The ranking panel concluded that the fighter is far from finished with his career.

The top of the rankings saw a structural change with the removal of Tom Aspinall. The former heavyweight champion lost eligibility because he has not competed in more than one year. Aspinall is currently recovering from eye injuries sustained in a no-contest against Ciryl Gane in October 2025. Fighters must have competed within the past 12 months or have a booked fight to remain on the list.

Islam Makhachev holds the number one spot in the men’s rankings. The welterweight champion extended his win streak to 17 consecutive victories with a win over Ian Machado Garry. Justin Gaethje holds the number five position after securing a fourth-round technical knockout of Ilia Topuria. The victory gave the 37-year-old fighter his undisputed title.

Petr Yan moved from number two to number three despite winning his bantamweight title fight against Merab Dvalishvili. Yan completed their trilogy with the victory. Dvalishvili is now tied for eighth place after suffering his second consecutive defeat to Yan.

Arman Tsarukyan climbed to number seven after a first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy. Ciryl Gane moved up to a tie for eighth after defeating Alex Pereira. Gane is scheduled to face Josh Hokit at UFC 334.

Valentina Shevchenko remains the number one fighter in the women’s rankings despite an injury. Zhang Weili is second, Cris Cyborg is third, Natalia Silva is fourth, and Mackenzie Dern is fifth.