You can have it the way you like – UFC introduced a few changes to the current pound-for-pound list – or Islam Makhachev forced the UFC to make the alterations. Weeks after he took over the mantle as the best MMA fighter in the world, Ilia Topuria has been sidestepped by his biggest rival. For long a second-ranked pound-for-pounder, Makhachev moved up a weight division and, without displaying even an ounce of the vagaries brought upon by such a seismic change, dominated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.

History was made when the Madison Square Garden card featured two champ-champ attempts. The conclusions, however, varied. Zhang Weili failed to disrupt Valentina Shevchenko’s momentum. Islam Makhachev succeeded. And until Topuria does anything drastic, the pound-for-pound formation, at least the top two slots, gives every sign of remaining static for a long time. The UFC shared a fresh list of its men’s P4P rankings yesterday. Needless to say, it immediately sparked a heated discussion.

Islam Makhachev first, Ilia Topuria second: UFC’s new P4P rankings

With the year drawing to a close, a spate of high-profile marquee cards spun momentous changes. Spanning across the eight weight divisions, eight champions now dominate the top 15 ranks in the men’s pound-for-pound list. Max Holloway, the sole holder of a title – the symbolic BMF – leads the bottom five pack. With Magomed Ankalaev at the 12th place, Belal Muhammad, Arman Tsarukyan, and Charles Oliveira complete the full complement.

With their win streaks now disrupted and titles taken away, undisputed, Jack Della Maddalena and Dricus Du Plessis find themselves at the 9th and 10th spots, respectively. But all eyes now focus on the topmost place. Islam Makhachev returned to the top spot ten months after breaking the record for most lightweight title defenses. Add to that the weight change. Still, the change barely burdened him, and he breezed through Maddalena’s flimsy challenge.

With his eyes on the White House card, the Dagestani warrior’s Saturday win only reaffirmed his arguments. Though unbeaten, Ilia Topuria occupies the second position. Thankfully, at the third position, fellow Georgian Merab Dvalishvili gives him some company. Khamzat Chimaev, Alexandre Pantoja, Alex Pereira, and Alexander Volkanovski follow downwards up to the seventh rank.

Interestingly, despite not winning his first title defense as the undisputed heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall now finds himself in the eighth position.

Fan firestorm erupts over P4P rankings: Alex Pereira and Khamzat Chimaev at the center

That basically sums up the UFC’s pound-for-pound rumble. But what about the fans? How are they soaking in the new blend? Is it what they wanted to see? For sure, as it usually happens, opinions fall on either side of the fence. Still, it’s worth going through the overall sentiment. After all, with just a month left before the new year kicks in, UFC still has to reckon with two events, with one of them being a marquee event. The fortunes of a few P4P contenders are at stake.

Coming this weekend, at Qatar’s ABHA Arena, Arman Tsarukyan will try to strengthen his position and winning streak. He faces Dan Hooker at UFC Fight Night 265. Then two weeks later, in a rematch, Merab Dvalishvili will face Petr Yan during a record fourth title defense in a year. Commenting on the UFC post, a user highlighted how Dvalishvili and Pantoja ‘deserved more.’

Their reasoning was simple. “The most active champions of today, and they never duck anyone.” In support, another felt that both deserve to be in the top three. In fact, quite a few endorsed Pantoja, who, on the main card of the Dvalishvili vs. Yan-headlined UFC 323, defends his flyweight title for the fifth time. Both champions have cleared out most of the top halves of their divisions and have started to lap their opponents.

Meanwhile, some took strong exception to Alex Pereira, who reclaimed his light heavyweight title last month and is ranked below Khamzat Chimaev. The Chechen champion received his first title following a dominating win over Dricus Du Plessis three months ago. As for Pereira, he has been dominating LHW losing his step only to Ankalaev earlier this year. A costly mistake that he corrected in a minute and twenty seconds at UFC 320 in October.

Perhaps their argument stems from the fact that Pereira, like Topuria and Makhachev, secured his title in a second weight class. Chimaev, on the other hand, has largely restricted himself to the middleweight division. But the Chechen champion’s supporters believe he should be elevated as the P4P number one. “Khamzat is the greatest pound for pound at this current moment; he just hasn’t been active enough to show that,” said one diehard.

But depending on the outcome of the upcoming UFC 323, the P4P ranks could possibly undergo further changes. Dvalishvili remains the clear favorite against Yan. So a few expected him to lead the men’s ranking as the curtain pulls on 2025.

Thankfully, most seem to agree with Islam Makhachev’s elevation.

And reigning at the summit is Islam Makhachev, as he should

Many, if not all, rather felt the Russian champ-champ should have stayed at the top position. As some of the fans highlighted, with some of the P4P listers still having to test their skills in the events that are lined up, it could be a wee bit early to justify why they deserve to be or didn’t deserve to be at the place where they currently stand. But with his historic win, Makhachev leaves no doubts whatsoever.

The win over JDM made him the 11th two-division champion in the UFC. Records apart, the move from lightweight to welterweight, where many expressed doubts over the drastic weight change, clearly demonstrated his expertise and skills. Makhachev has amassed an impressive 16-fight win streak. He now ties with Anderson Silva’s record for consecutive wins. His last loss was in 2015.

And look at the sheer quality of competition he’s been through. He has defeated several top-ranked and former champions. It includes two wins over then-P4P number 1 Alexander Volkanovski, as well as victories over Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier. What’s also impressive is how he snapped their unbeaten streaks at the time. Oliveira was on an 11-fight winning run, Volkanovski on a staggering 22, and JDM on 18 when they all ran into Islam for the first time. He has shown he can compete effectively in multiple divisions, adapting his style to different opponents.

For sure, the P4P ranking is inherently subjective and often debated. Top fighters like Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira have strong cases. However, the combination of multiple title wins, a long winning streak against elite competition, and recent historical achievements solidifies Makhachev’s current position.