Top 10 MMA pound-for-pound fighter rankings
10. Amanda Nunes (UFC, 17-4)
Credit: Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey
Amanda Nunes' resume en route to becoming UFC bantamweight champion included wins over Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and Valentina Shevchenko (twice). She can add to that list a win over Cris Cyborg as Nunes knocked out who many had considered the best female fighter in MMA history at UFC 232. And she did so in 51 seconds to become the featherweight champion and first female two-weight champion in UFC history.
Next fight: TBD.
9. Tony Ferguson (UFC, 26-3)
Credit: Mario Gonzalez
He's on an 11-fight win streak over the past six years and has ascended to the top of the 155-pound division. His interim title was removed after he tore knee ligaments a week before his title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Still, his win streak includes eight finishes, most recently against Anthony Pettis at UFC 229.
Next fight: TBD.
8. Conor McGregor (UFC, 21-4)
Credit: Newsday/Jeffrey Basinger
Conor McGregor made his return to MMA after nearly two years away. He was both the featherweight and lightweight champion back then. He returned as the challenger to face Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 and lost by submission in the fourth round of a very compelling fight.
Next fight: TBD
7. Tyron Woodley (UFC, 19-3-1)
Credit: Mario Gonzalez
Please stop sleeping on the UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. He has made four successful title defenses (three wins, one draw) against top competition on Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia and Darren Till. In his most recent title defense, he submitted Till in the second round and earned his black belt in the process -- a process that limited Till to seven strikes thrown and only one that connected. Next fight: TBD.
6. Demetrious Johnson (One, 27-3-1)
Credit: AP
Demetrious Johnson made 11 straight title defenses as the flyweight champion before he lost a split decision to Henry Cejudo. Johnson broke Anderson Silva's UFC record for most consecutive successful title defenses. That run includes seven stoppages (five by submission). He lost a close fight by what essentially was one judge seeing one round differently. There's no shame in that, nor in his "trade" to One Championship, and he shouldn't plummet far on any of these types of lists.
Next fight: TBA.
5. TJ Dillashaw (UFC, 17-3)
Credit: Mario Gonzalez
Winning a UFC title isn't easier. Winning back a lost title is even harder. Less than 10 fighters in UFC history have won back the title they lost in the same division. Dillashaw did that with a second-round stoppage of then-undefeated bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt. He followed that up with a first-round stoppage of Garbrandt in the rematch.
Next fight: vs. flyweight champ Henry Cejudo at UFC Brooklyn.
4. Max Holloway (UFC20-3)
Credit: AP / Jose Juarez
A 13-fight winning streak is nothing to scoff at, especially against the run of opponents Holloway has faced at featherweight en route to becoming the champion. The list includes Jeremy Stephens, Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Ricardo Lamas, Anthony Pettis, Brian Ortega and Jose Aldo twice. Ten of those 13 wins were by stoppage.
Next fight: TBD.
3. Daniel Cormier (UFC, 21-1, 1 NC)
Credit: AP / John Locher
Daniel Cormier's ascension to the top spot on this list came when he knocked out Stipe Miocic to win the UFC heavyweight title. That win gave legend-beater Cormier both the heavyweight and light heavyweight titles, making him the second "Champ Champ" in UFC history.
Next fight: TBD.
2. Khabib Nurmagomedov (UFC, 27-0)
Credit: Mario Gonzalez
Nurmagomedov has never lost an MMA fight, and he's had 27 of them as a professional. In this sport, that's borderline impossible, no matter what anyone wants to say about level of opponent. Nurmagomedov finally lost his first round -- round! -- in the UFC when defending his lightweight title against McGregor.
Next fight: TBD.
1. Jon Jones (UFC, 23-1)
Credit: AP/Kyusung Gong
Let's be honest here. The only reason Jones hasn't sat atop this list every day for the past seven years or so has been his own out-of-cage antics that got him into trouble on multiple occasions with multiple legal and non-legal organizations. When he's fighting, he's the best and it's unquestioned.
Next fight: TBD.
On the outside looking in
Credit: Getty Images / Daniel Carson
11. Robert Whittaker, UFC middleweight champion
12. Stipe Miocic, UFC heavyweight
13. Henry Cejudo, UFC flyweight champion
14. Rose Namajunas, UFC strawweight champion
