Volkanovski kicks down the door, enters pound-for-pound rankings
Max Holloway might be the greatest featherweight mixed martial artist of all time. Or maybe Jose Aldo is the GOAT. Which one is it? One person who is fully qualified to weigh in with an educated opinion on the matter is Alexander Volkanovski. He has beaten both MMA legends.
Volkanovski beat up Aldo right in the Brazilian’s Rio de Janeiro backyard back in May for his 17th straight victory. Then, at UFC 245 on Saturday, Volkanovski added an 18th in a row — and the 145-pound championship — by defeating Holloway.
Along with the belt, the 31-year-old Australian has earned a place in the ESPN pound-for-pound fighter rankings.
Making a debut in the women’s top 10 is flyweight Katlyn Chookagian, who ran her record to 13-2 by beating Jennifer Maia last month. It was her fifth victory in her past six bouts. On Feb. 25, Chookagian has the chance to make an even bigger splash when she challenges champion Valentina Shevchenko.
Beyond Volkanovski and Chookagian, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman made a move up the ranks on the strength of his UFC 245 victory. The other champion to defend on that night didn’t move an inch, though. Amanda Nunes already was No. 1 and had nowhere to go.
(You can find Brett Okamoto’s division-by-division rankings here.)
Note: Rankings were updated Dec. 18.
T-1. Jon Jones 
Record: 25-1, 1 NC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Last: W (SD) Thiago Santos, July 6
Next: Feb. 8 vs. Dominick Reyes
T-1. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Record: 28-0
Weight class: Lightweight
Last: W (SUB3) Dustin Poirier, Sept. 7
Next: April 18 vs. Tony Ferguson
3. Henry Cejudo
Record: 15-2
Weight class: Flyweight/bantamweight
Last: W (TKO3) Marlon Moraes, June 8
Next: TBD
4. Stipe Miocic
Record: 19-3
Weight class: Heavyweight
Last: W (TKO4) Daniel Cormier, Aug. 17
Next: TBD
Record: 22-2, 1 NC
Weight class: Heavyweight
Last: L (TKO4) Stipe Miocic, Aug. 17
Next: TBD
Record: 25-3
Weight class: Lightweight
Last: W (TKO2) Donald Cerrone, June 8
Next: April 18 vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Record: 18-0
Weight class: Middleweight
Last: W (KO2) Robert Whittaker, Oct. 6
Next: TBD
8. Kamaru Usman 
Record: 16-1
Weight class: Welterweight
Last: W (TKO5) Colby Covington, Dec. 14
Next: TBD
Record: 30-3-1
Weight class: Flyweight
Last: W (UD) Danny Kingad, Oct. 12
Next: TBD
Record: 21-1
Weight class: Featherweight
Last: W (UD) Max Holloway, Dec. 14
Next: TBD
Other fighter receiving a vote: Dustin Poirier.
Brett Okamoto
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov
2. Jon Jones
3. Henry Cejudo
4. Tony Ferguson
5. Israel Adesanya
6. Stipe Miocic
7. Kamaru Usman
8. Daniel Cormier
9. Demetrious Johnson
10. Alexander Volkanovski
Marc Raimondi
1. Jon Jones
2. Khabib Nurmagomedov
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Henry Cejudo
5. Tony Ferguson
6. Stipe Miocic
7. Kamaru Usman
8. Demetrious Johnson
9. Israel Adesanya
10. Alexander Volkanovski
Ariel Helwani
1. Jon Jones
2. Khabib Nurmagomedov
3. Henry Cejudo
4. Stipe Miocic
5. Daniel Cormier
6. Israel Adesanya
7. Kamaru Usman
8. Tony Ferguson
9. Alexander Volkanovski
10. Dustin Poirier
Jeff Wagenheim
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov
2. Jon Jones
3. Henry Cejudo
4. Stipe Miocic
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Tony Ferguson
8. Israel Adesanya
9. Kamaru Usman
10. Alexander Volkanovski
1. Amanda Nunes
Record: 19-4
Weight class: Bantamweight/featherweight
Last: W (UD) Germaine de Randamie, Dec. 14
Next: TBD
Record: 18-3
Weight class: Flyweight
Last: W (UD) Liz Carmouche, Aug. 10
Next: Feb. 8 vs. Katlyn Chookagian
3. Cris Cyborg
Record: 21-2, 1 NC
Weight class: Featherweight
Last: W (UD) Felicia Spencer, July 27
Next: Jan. 25 vs. Julia Budd
4. Zhang Weili
Record: 20-1
Weight class: Strawweight
Last: W (TKO1) Jessica Andrade, Aug. 31
Next: March 7 vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Record: 9-4
Weight class: Strawweight
Last: L (TKO2) Jessica Andrade, May 11
Next: TBD
Record: 16-3
Weight class: Flyweight
Last: W (UD) Michelle Waterson, Oct. 12
Next: March 7 vs. Zhang Weili
Record: 20-7
Weight class: Strawweight
Last: L (TKO1) Zhang Weili, Aug. 31
Next: TBD
Record: 8-0
Weight class: Strawweight
Last: W (UD) Nina Ansaroff, June 8
Next: TBD
Record: 9-4
Weight class: Bantamweight
Last: L (UD) Amanda Nunes, Dec. 14
Next: TBD
T-10. Katlyn Chookagian
Record: 13-2
Weight class: Flyweight
Last: W (UD) Jennifer Maia, Nov. 2
Next: TBD
T-10. Holly Holm
Record: 12-5
Weight class: Bantamweight
Last: L (TKO1) Amanda Nunes, July 6
Next: Jan. 18 vs. Raquel Pennington
Brett Okamoto
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Zhang Weili
5. Jessica Andrade
6. Rose Namajunas
7. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
8. Tatiana Suarez
9. Germaine de Randamie
10. Katlyn Chookagian
Marc Raimondi
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Zhang Weili
5. Rose Namajunas
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Jessica Andrade
8. Tatiana Suarez
9. Germaine de Randamie
10. Holly Holm
Ariel Helwani
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Zhang Weili
5. Rose Namajunas
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Jessica Andrade
8. Tatiana Suarez
9. Germaine de Randamie
10. Holly Holm
Jeff Wagenheim
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Cris Cyborg
3. Valentina Shevchenko
4. Zhang Weili
5. Rose Namajunas
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Jessica Andrade
8. Tatiana Suarez
9. Germaine de Randamie
10. Katlyn Chookagian