MMA divisional rankings: Where does Jon Jones fit among the top heavyweights?
Credit to Author: Brett Okamoto| Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:09:41 EST
Heavyweight has traditionally been the glamor division in the fight game. But while heavyweight boxing has thrived in recent years, heavyweight MMA has been in flux.
When Stipe Miocic was dethroned as UFC champion by Francis Ngannou in 2021, it appeared that the division was in good hands — good, heavy hands. But by the end of 2022, Ngannou was gone from the sport, off to try those dangerous hands at boxing. To fill the void, Jon Jones moved up from light heavyweight, where he had dominated for a decade, and won the UFC belt early last year. But it would be his only fight in nearly five years.
During this time came the emergence of Tom Aspinall. Since Miocic lost the title, Aspinall has fought five times and won them all with first-round finishes. He is the UFC interim champion.
The real champ, Jones, fought on Saturday for the first time in more than a year and a half and beat up Miocic at UFC 309. With that return, along with the recent return to MMA by Ngannou in a PFL fight, heavyweight seems to be sorting itself out.
Jones is back in the heavyweight top 10, and that is the biggest change to the ESPN divisional rankings.
Here are the ESPN pound-for-pound MMA rankings and a list of current UFC champions in all weight classes.
Note: Results are current; rankings as of Nov. 20. To be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed over the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Fighters who have been dropped for inactivity can be reinstated only after they compete.
Heavyweight | Light heavyweight | Middleweight | Welterweight
Lightweight | Men’s featherweight | Men’s bantamweight
Men’s flyweight | Women’s bantamweight | Women’s flyweight | Strawweight
Promotion: UFC interim champion
Record: 15-3
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Curtis Blaydes, July 27, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: PFL Super Fights champion
Record: 18-3
Last: W (KO1) vs. Renan Ferreira, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
3. Jon Jones 
Promotion: UFC champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 28-1, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO3) vs. Stipe Miocic, Nov. 16, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Previous ranking: 3
Record: 12-2
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Serghei Spivac, Sept. 2, 2023
Next: Dec. 7 vs. Alexander Volkov
Promotion: UFC
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 18-5, 1 NC
Last: L (TKO1) vs. Tom Aspinall, July 27, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Previous ranking: 5
Record: 38-10
Last: W (UD) vs. Sergei Pavlovich, June 22, 2024
Next: Dec. 7 vs. Ciryl Gane
Promotion: UFC
Previous ranking: 6
Record: 18-3
Last: L (UD) vs. Alexander Volkov, June 22, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: PFL champion
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 13-4, 3 NC
Last: L (KO1) vs. Francis Ngannou, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Previous ranking: 8
Record: 21-3
Last: W (Sub1) vs. Alexandr Romanov, June 1, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 17-4
Last: W (Sub1) vs. Marcin Tybura, Aug. 10, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 12-2
Last: W (TKO4) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 19-1-1, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Aleksandar Rakic, Oct. 26, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 30-5-1
Last: L (TKO2) vs. Alex Pereira, June 29, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 10-2
Last: L (KO1) vs. Alex Pereira, April 13, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: Bellator champion
Record: 18-6, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Karl Moore, March 22, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-6, 1 NC
Last: L (TKO4) vs. Alex Pereira, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Magomed Ankalaev, Oct. 26, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-7
Last: W (KO1) vs. Johnny Walker, June 22, 2024
Next: Nov. 23 vs. Carlos Ulberg
Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-9, 1 NC
Last: L (KO1) vs. Volkan Oezdemir, June 22, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 38-20
Last: L (UD) vs. Roman Dolidze, June 29, 2024
Next: Dec. 7 vs. Dominick Reyes
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 22-2
Last: W (Sub4) vs. Israel Adesanya, Aug. 17, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 29-6
Last: W (SD) vs. Paulo Costa, June 1, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-0
Last: W (Sub1) vs. Robert Whittaker, Oct. 26, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 24-4
Last: L (Sub4) vs. Dricus du Plessis, Aug. 17, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 26-8
Last: L (Sub1) vs. Khamzat Chimaev, Oct. 26, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: Bellator champion
Record: 16-0
Last: W (UD) vs. Fabian Edwards, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-4, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Brendan Allen, Sept. 28, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-0, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Jared Cannonier, Aug. 24, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-8
Last: L (UD) vs. Caio Borralho, Aug. 24, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-3
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Kevin Holland, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 24-3, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Leon Edwards, July 27, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-4, 1 NC
Last: L (UD) vs. Belal Muhammad, July 27, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-0
Last: W (Sub2) vs. Stephen Thompson, Dec. 16, 2023
Next: Dec. 7 vs. Ian Machado Garry
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-2
Last: W (KO3) vs. Gilbert Burns, March 9, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Gilbert Burns, Sept. 7, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-0
Last: W (UD) vs. Michael “Venom” Page, June 29, 2024
Next: Dec. 7 vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-8
Last: L (UD) vs. Sean Brady, Sept. 7, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-4
Last: L (UD) vs. Leon Edwards, Dec. 16, 2023
Next: Dec. 14 vs. Joaquin Buckley
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-6
Last: W (TKO3) vs. Stephen Thompson, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: Dec. 14 vs. Colby Covington
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-6
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos, Oct. 26, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 26-1
Last: W (Sub5) vs. Dustin Poirier, June 1, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-3
Last: W (SD) vs. Charles Oliveira, April 13, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 35-10, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Michael Chandler, Nov. 16, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 25-5
Last: L (KO5) vs. Max Holloway, April 13, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 30-9, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub5) vs. Islam Makhachev, June 1, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 29-12
Last: W (SD) vs. Mateusz Gamrot, Aug. 17, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-5-1
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Benoît Saint Denis, Sept. 28, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-6-1
Last: L (KO1) vs. Arman Tsarukyan, Dec. 2, 2023
Next: TBD
Promotion: Bellator champion
Record: 18-0, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Alexander Shabliy, Sept. 7, 2024
Next: Jan. 25 vs. Paul Hughes
Promotion: UFC
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 23-9
Last: L (UD) vs. Charles Oliveira, Nov. 16, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 16-0
Last: W (KO3) vs. Max Holloway, Oct. 26, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 26-4
Last: L (KO2) vs. Ilia Topuria, Feb. 17, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 26-8
Last: L (KO3) vs. Ilia Topuria, Oct. 26, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 26-6
Last: W (UD) vs. Brian Ortega, Sept. 14, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-4, 1 NC
Last: L (UD) vs. Diego Lopes, Sept. 14, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-5, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub3) vs. Brian Ortega, Feb. 24, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: Bellator champion
Record: 36-7
Last: W (TKO3) vs. Jeremy Kennedy, March 22, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 19-4
Last: W (KO1) vs. Bryce Mitchell, Dec. 16, 2023
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-0
Last: W (UD) vs. Arnold Allen, Jan. 20, 2024
Next: Dec. 7 vs. Aljamain Sterling
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Giga Chikadze, July 27, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 18-4
Last: W (UD) vs. Sean O’Malley, Sept. 14, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-2, 1 NC
Last: L (UD) vs. Merab Dvalishvili, Sept. 14, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-0
Last: W (UD) vs. Cory Sandhagen, Aug. 3, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, Aug. 3, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Song Yadong, March 9, 2024
Next: Nov. 23 vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-4
Last: L (UD) vs. Merab Dvalishvili, Feb. 17, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 24-3-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Marlon Vera, Aug. 3, 2024
Next: Nov. 23 vs. Petr Yan
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-2
Last: W (SD) vs. José Aldo, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 32-9
Last: L (SD) vs. Mario Bautista, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: Bellator champion
Record: 20-1
Last: W (SD) vs. Magomed Magomedov, May 17, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 28-5
Last: W (UD) vs. Steve Erceg, May 4, 2024
Next: Dec. 7 vs. Kai Asakura
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-7
Last: W (SD) vs. Tatsuro Taira, Oct. 12, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-8-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Amir Albazi, Nov. 2, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 25-11, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO1) vs. Steve Erceg, Aug. 17, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: Brave CF
Record: 13-0,1 NC
Last: W (UD) vs. Manel Kape, July 27, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-1
Last: L (SD) vs. Brandon Royval, Oct. 12, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-3
Last: L (TKO1) vs. Kai Kara-France, Aug. 17, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 19-7
Last: L (UD) vs. Muhammad Mokaev, July 27, 2024
Next: Dec. 14 vs. Bruno Silva
Promotion: UFC
Record: 25-9
Last: L (TKO2) vs. Tatsuro Taira, June 15, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: None
Record: 19-5-1
Last: L (UD) Asu Almabayev, Oct. 19, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 12-5
Last: W (SD) vs. Raquel Pennington. Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-9
Last: L (SD) vs. Julianna Peña, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Ketlen Vieira, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-4-1
Last: L (UD) vs. Kayla Harrison, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-7, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub2) vs. Kayla Harrison, April 13, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Irene Aldana, Sept. 14, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-8
Last: L (UD) vs. Norma Dumont, Sept. 14, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 10-3
Last: W (TKO2) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva, June 29, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-6
Last: W (UD) vs. Pannie Kianzad, Aug. 10, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-9
Last: L (UD) vs. Karol Rosa, Aug. 10, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 24-4-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Alexa Grasso, Sept. 14, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-4-1
Last: L (UD) vs. Valentina Shevchenko, Sept. 14, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Erin Blanchfield, March 30, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Rose Namajunas Nov. 2, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Katlyn Cerminara, March 9, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-5-1
Last: W (UD) vs. Jessica Andrade, Sept. 7, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: PFL
Record: 22-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Liz Carmouche, Aug. 2, 2024
Next: Nov. 29 vs. Dakota Ditcheva
Promotion: PFL / Bellator champion
Record: 22-8
Last: L (UD) vs. Taila Santos, Aug. 2, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 26-13
Last: L (UD) vs. Natalia Silva, Sept. 7, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-7
Last: L (UD) vs. Erin Blanchfield, Nov. 2, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC champion
Record: 25-3
Last: W (UD) vs. Yan Xiaonan, April 13, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-3
Last: W (Sub2) vs. Amanda Lemos, July 20, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-4-1
Last: L (Sub2) vs. Virna Jandiroba, July 20, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-4, 1 NC
Last: L (UD) vs. Zhang Weili, April 13, 2024
Next: Nov. 23 vs. Tabatha Ricci
Promotion: UFC
Record: 26-13
Last: L (UD) vs. Natalia Silva, Sept. 7, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-5-2
Last: L (UD) vs. Iasmin Lucindo, Oct. 5, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-5
Last: W (UD) vs. Loopy Godínez, Aug. 3, 2024
Next: Dec. 14 vs. Amanda Ribas
Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Rose Namajunas, March 23, 2024
Next: Dec. 14 vs. Mackenzie Dern
Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-5
Last: L (UD) vs. Mackenzie Dern, Aug. 3, 2024
Next: TBD
Promotion: UFC
Record: 11-2
Last: W (UD) vs. Angela Hill, Aug. 24, 2024
Next: Nov. 23 vs. Yan Xiaonan