Welcome to the latest update to the MMA Fighting pound-for-pound rankings, where every month our esteemed panel sort through the noise to answer one question: Who are the best overall male and female MMA fighters in the world?

With the final UFC pay-per-view of the year in the books, how has the home stretch of 2023 affected the global pound-for-pound landscape? Let’s take a look.

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MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

MMA Fighting

Leon Edwards is entering rarefied air.

The UFC welterweight champion defended his throne once again, effortlessly outclassing Colby Covington at UFC 296 to notch the second defense of his title reign. Edwards’ unbeaten streak now sits at 13 straight bouts, a monster number by any metric, and with a trio of combined victories over the two preeminent welterweights of the past half-decade, he’s fast cementing himself as one of the most talented fighters of his generation.

On that note, Edwards can also officially call himself a top-3 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA. Following his success at the UFC’s year-end pay-per-view, the pride of Birmingham moved up to the No. 3 spot on this month’s list, displacing UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and sending the all-time great down to the No. 4 slot. Could a top-2 ranking be in Edwards’ future? With challengers Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov already breathing down his neck, the champ will have his opportunities to have a big 2024.

Also making a big jump this month is Alexandre Pantoja, who defended his UFC flyweight title with a masterful victory over Brandon Royval in UFC 296’s co-main event. For his handiwork, Pantoja vaults up to the No. 7 position on our list, notably surpassing flyweight GOAT Demterious Johnson, who appears to be nearing the end of his time in the sport.

Looking ahead to 2024, the year kicks off with a bang as No. 10 Sean Strickland and No. 19 Dricus du Plessis face off for the UFC middleweight title on Jan. 20 at UFC 297. Considering the lunacy we already saw between these two gentlemen over the weekend, the first UFC title bout of the new year is sure to be a memorable affair, both inside the cage and out.

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Leon Edwards def. Colby Covington, No. 9 Alexandre Pantoja def. Brandon Royval

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 10 Sean Strickland vs. No. 19 Dricus du Plessis (UFC 297, Jan. 20)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Jiri Prochazka (4), Johnny Eblen (3), Brandon Moreno (3), Vadim Nemkov (2), Shavkat Rakhmonov (2), Patricio Pitbull (2), Jamahal Hill (2), Robert Whittaker (2), Magomed Ankalaev (1), Jan Blachowicz (1), Merab Dvalishvili (1), A.J. McKee (1), Belal Muhammad (1), Usman Nurmagomedov (1)

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WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

Ryan Loco, PFL

MMA Fighting

The women’s pound-for-pound ranks had been somewhat stagnant throughout the fourth quarter of 2023, and December was no different, as PFL rivals Larissa Pacheco and Kayla Harrison were the only fighters of consequence to step into the cage. Both women picked up victories at PFL’s 2023 season finale, with No. 7 Pacheco defeating Marina Mokhnatkina to maintain her spot and capture another $1 million prize, and Harrison toppling UFC veteran Aspen Ladd to move up into a tie for the No. 18 ranking on our list.

Business finally picks up in 2024, however, as No. 11 Mayra Bueno Silva and the other woman tied at No. 18, Raquel Pennington, face off on Jan. 20 in the co-main event of UFC 297 to at long last anoint the successor to Amanda Nunes and crown a new UFC women’s bantamweight champion. It’s a matchup that No. 13 Julianna Peña will surely be watching with great interest as the 135-pound division formally transitions into its post-Nunes era.

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 7 Larissa Pacheco def. Marina Mokhnatkina, No. 19 Kayla Harrison def. Aspen Ladd

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 11 Mayra Bueno Silva vs. No. 18T Raquel Pennington (UFC 297, Jan. 20)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Stamp Fairtex (6), Amanda Lemos (4), Lauren Murphy (2), Ketlen Vieira (1), Maycee Barber (1), Katlyn Chookagian (1), Irene Aldana (1), Virna Jandiroba (1), Marina Rodriguez (1)

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Lastly, a refresher on some ground rules:

• The eight-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Shaun Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, E. Casey Leydon, Steven Marrocco, Damon Martin and Jed Meshew.
• Updates to the rankings will be completed following every UFC pay-per-view. Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout.
• 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).

As a reminder, the notion of pound-for-pound supremacy is always going to inherently be subjective. When you’re debating whether someone like Kamaru Usman should be ranked above someone like Robert Whittaker, there is no true right answer. In other words: It’s not serious business, folks.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.