MMA Divisional Rankings, January 2024: Is Raquel Pennington or Julianna Peña the sport’s No. 1 bantamweight?

In the ever-shifting MMA landscape, ranking the world’s greatest fighters might seem like a fool’s errand, but that’s exactly what we’ve set out to do with the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Here, our esteemed panel sorts out the movers and shakers from every division to provide you with the most definitive list of the best fighters on the planet.

Let’s take a look at the biggest storylines coming out of the first two UFC events of 2024 (besides Dricus du Plessis eking out a middleweight title win over Sean Strickland, read more about that here) and make sure to check out the rankings podcast as we dive deep into the process behind the numbers.

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Raquel Pennington claims gold, but is Julianna Peña the uncrowned queen?

With a business-like win over Mayra Bueno Silva, Raquel Pennington became just the second fighter not named Amanda Nunes to wear the women’s bantamweight title since 2016. The other? Julianna Peña. And she wants the belt back.

It might sound ludicrous to suggest that Peña — the owner of just three wins in seven years — has any claim to the top spot, but even Pennington and Silva spent much of their pre-fight chatter treating their UFC 297 matchup like a sweepstakes for a shot at “The Venezuelan Vixen.” Despite Peña’s inactivity and inconsistency, she remains one of the most talked-about and talkative fighters in her division, and two of our panelists have placed her as their No. 1 bantamweight.

It has to be said that Peña has one gigantic feather in her cap, being the only woman to defeat Nunes during the champion’s legendary two-division title reign. Nunes corrected the situation in their rematch, but Peña was set to meet “The Lioness” in a trilogy bout at UFC 289 before being felled by injury. She’s been carrying herself as the uncrowned queen of the 135ers ever since.

Pennington is the rightful UFC champion, no one can argue that. But until she takes care of Peña, she won’t sit comfortably on Nunes’ former throne.

Movsar Evloev on the move

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Why yes, that’s how Movsar Evloev wins his fights, if you’re asking.

Evloev scored the biggest win of his unblemished career at UFC 297, winning a thrilling — according to everyone except Dana White, apparently — three-rounder against Arnold Allen to take his top-five spot. That’s 18 wins in 18 pro fights for Evloev, with eight of those victories coming inside the octagon. Even if he has yet to author a finish that fully grabs the attention of the matchmakers and fans, Evloev has made a strong case for the next title shot at 145 pounds.

Next up for the belt: Long-reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski defends it against the undefeated Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 next month. Evloev was actually supposed to fight Topuria two Januarys ago, and there’s a world where Evloev could’ve been the one challenging Volkanovski in Anaheim, Calif., instead.

With White clearly less than enchanted by Evloev’s audition reel, will Evloev have to knock off another top-ranked opponent or has he done enough to face the UFC 298 main event winner?

Magomed Ankalaev rights the ship

Speaking of fighters making a championship statement, Magomed Ankalaev did just that with a powerful second-round knockout of Johnny Walker at UFC Vegas 84, the promotion’s first event of the year. It’s a finish that does plenty to wash the bitter taste of Ankalaev’s past two performances out of our collective minds.

Rewind to July 2022, Ankalaev smashed one-time title challenger Anthony Smith to win his ninth straight fight, and it seemed like he was finally on the path to fulfill his championship destiny. A screwy situation at the top of light heavyweight left Ankalaev and former champion Jan Blachowicz to battle for the belt five months later, but a split draw left everyone unfulfilled.

Another 10 months passed before Ankalaev stepped back into the cage, this time for a likely No. 1 contender’s bout against Walker. More weirdness followed as Ankalaev threw an illegal knee that left Walker unable to continue, prompting a no-contest result. Fortunately for Ankalaev, an immediate rematch was soon booked, and he now finds himself back in the win column without controversy.

Alex Pereira awaits his first light heavyweight title challenger, and though he has several intriguing options on his plate, the next man up in his division could be Ankalaev. Just like Evloev, Ankalaev has to wait and see if just doing the damn thing in the cage gets him what he deserves.

Kyoji Horiguchi soars in return to flyweight

Kyoji Horiguchi just keeps adding hardware to his trophy case and this time it’s in the division that made him famous.

The Japanese star’s first shot at RIZIN flyweight gold last July went astray when an accidental eye-poke ended a bout with Makoto Shinryu in just 25 seconds, resulting in a no-contest and an inaugural belt remaining vacant. Their rematch took place on New Year’s Eve and Horiguchi left no doubt as to who is the superior fighter, submitting Shinryu with a rear-naked choke in the second round. Add in his recent win over veteran Hiromasa Ougikubo and his long history as an elite UFC flyweight, and it was enough for our panel to rocked him back into a tie for the fifth spot.

Fans will undoubtedly be clamoring for Horiguchi to test himself against the UFC’s sparkling 125-pound roster, but for now let’s just appreciate the 33-year-old’s remarkable résumé, which also includes becoming bantamweight champion for RIZIN and Bellator, a RIZIN Grand Prix tournament win, and a Shooto title from back in the day.

Check out the complete January rankings below.

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Heavyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Curtis Blaydes vs. No. 6 Jailton Almeida (UFC 299, March 9), No. 8 Tai Tuivasa vs. No. 11 Marcin Tybura (UFC 298, Feb. 17), No. 9 Ryan Bader vs. Renan Ferreira (PFL vs. Bellator: Champs, Feb. 24), No. 12 Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reinier de Ridder (middleweight bout) (ONE Championship 166, March 1), No. 15 Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev (UFC Fight Night, March 2)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Phil De Fries (5), Alexandr Romanov (2), Waldo Cortes-Acosta (1), Ante Delija (1)

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Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Light Heavyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 3 Magomed Ankalaev def. No. 8 Johnny Walker

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Vadim Nemkov vs. Bruno Cappelozza (heavyweight bout) (PFL vs. Bellator: Champs, Feb. 24), No. 13 Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reinier de Ridder (middleweight bout) (ONE Championship 166, March 1)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Alonzo Menifield (2), Azamat Murzakanov (2), Rob Wilkinson (2), Thiago Santos (1)

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Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

Middleweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 3 Dricus du Plessis def. No. 1 Sean Strickland

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Robert Whittaker vs. No. 8 Paulo Costa (UFC 298, Feb. 17), No. 5 Johnny Eblen vs. Impa Kasanganay (PFL vs. Bellator: Champs, Feb. 24) No. 12 Roman Dolidze vs. No. 14 (tied) Nassourdine Imavov (UFC Vegas 85, Feb. 3), No. 13 Reinier de Ridder vs. Anatoly Malykhin (ONE Championship 166, March 1)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Caio Borralho (5), Paul Craig (3), Ikram Aliskerov (2), Kelvin Gastelum (1), Jack Hermansson (1), Bo Nickal (1), Kamaru Usman (1)

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Welterweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Gilbert Burns vs. No. 13 Jack Della Maddalena (UFC 299, March 9), No. 6 Jason Jackson vs. Ray Cooper III (catchweight bout) (PFL vs. Bellator: Champs, Feb. 24), No. 7 Sean Brady vs. No. 11 Vicente Luque (UFC Fight Night, March 30), No. 9 Geoff Neal vs. No. 12 Ian Machado Garry (UFC 298, Feb. 17), No. 15 Kevin Holland vs. Michael Page (UFC 299, March 9)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Magomed Magomedkerimov (3), Colby Covington (2), Andrey Koreshkov (1), Neil Magny (1), Michael Page (1)

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Lightweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 (tied) Dustin Poirier vs. No. 13 Benoit Saint Denis, No. 8 Mateusz Gamrot vs. Rafael dos Anjos (UFC 299, March 9), No. 14 Renato Moicano vs. Drew Dober (UFC Vegas 85, Feb. 3), No. 15 A.J. McKee vs. Clay Collard (PFL vs. Bellator: Champs, Feb. 24)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Bobby Green (2), Drew Dober (2), Alexander Shabliy (2), Joel Alvarez (1), Matt Frevola (1), Drakkar Klose (1), Jim Miller (1)

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Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Featherweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 9 (tied) Movsar Evloev def. No. 5 Arnold Allen

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Alexander Volkanovski vs. No. 3 (tied) Ilia Topuria (UFC 298, Feb. 17), No. 6 Patricio Pitbull vs. Jesus Pinedo (PFL vs. Bellator: Champs, Feb. 24), No. 11 Aaron Pico vs. Gabriel Braga (PFL vs. Bellator: Champs, Feb. 24), No. 15 Dan Ige vs. Andre Fili (UFC Vegas 86, Feb. 10)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Edson Barboza (3), Diego Lopes (3), Jesus Pinedo (3), Joanderson Brito (2), Chihiro Suzuki (2), Adam Borics (1)

Removed due to 18-plus months of inactivity: Brian Ortega

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Bantamweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown):

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Sean O’Malley vs. No. 9 Marlon Vera (UFC 299, March 9), No. 4 Merab Dvalishvili vs. No. 7 Henry Cejudo (UFC 298, Feb. 17), No. 6 Petr Yan vs. No. 12 Song Yadong (UFC 299, March 9)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Jonathan Martinez (3), Mario Bautista (2), Pedro Munhoz (2), Dominick Cruz (1), Ricky Simon (1)

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RIZIN FF

Flyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): Hiromasa Ougikubo def. No. 14 John Dodson

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 3 Brandon Moreno vs. No. 5 Amir Albazi (UFC Mexico City, Feb. 24), No. 11 Mohammed Mokaev vs. No. 12 Alex Perez (UFC Mexico City, Feb. 24)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Tagir Ulanbekov (3), Steve Erceg (2), Azamat Kerefov (2), Kairat Akhmetov (1), Hiromasa Ougikubo (1)

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Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

Women’s Bantamweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 2 Raquel Pennington def. No. 1 Mayra Bueno Silva

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: N/A

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Ailin Perez (4), Joselyne Edwards (2), Lucie Pudilova (2), Julia Avila (1), Serena DeJesus (1), Claire Guthrie (1), Olga Rubin (1), Taneisha Tennant (1), Darya Zheleznyakova (1)

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Women’s Flyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 3 Erin Blanchfield vs. Nov. 5 Manon Fiorot (UFC Fight Night, March 30), No. 7 Katlyn Chookagian vs. No. 10 Maycee Barber (UFC 299, March 9), No. 11 Viviane Araujo vs. No. 15 Natalia Silva (UFC Vegas 85, Feb. 3), No. 13 (tied) Amanda Ribas vs. No. 10 SW Rose Namajunas (UFC Fight Night, March 23)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Ariane Lipski (5), Karine Silva (2)

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Strawweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 6 (tied) Amanda Lemos vs. Mackenzie Dern No. 8 Mackenzie Dern (UFC 298, Feb. 17), No. 6 (tied) Virna Jandiroba vs. No. 12 Loopy Godinez (UFC Fight Night, March 30), No. 10 Rose Namajunas vs. No. 11 Amanda Ribas (flyweight bout) (UFC Fight Night, March 23)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Gillian Robertson (5), Karolina Kowalkiewicz (4), Emily Ducote (2), Michelle Waterson-Gomez (2), Luana Pinheiro (1)

Removed due to 18-plus months of inactivity: Tecia Torres

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A refresher on the ground rules:

• Our eight-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Shaheen Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, E. Casey Leydon, Steven Marrocco, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
• Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout. Updates to the rankings are typically completed following each month’s UFC pay-per-view.
• Should a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will decide whether that fighter should immediately be removed from the rankings or maintain their position until further notice. (Let’s put it this way: We’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings a lot quicker than the UFC did.)
• Holding a promotion’s title does not guarantee that fighter will be viewed as the best in their promotion. Additionally, fighters who regularly compete or hold titles in multiple weight classes are eligible to be ranked in multiple lists.

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