The UFC’s visit to the nation’s capital was a home run in more ways than one, yet two of the best world’s best pound-for-pound fighters came up short on the royal stage.
With Justin Gaethje’s seismic upset of Spain’s Ilia Topuria, the top of the men’s pound-for-pound rankings changes drastically. Topuria slips down several notches, while Gaethje — a leading candidate for Fighter of the Year — makes his debut at No. 6.
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Meanwhile, Alex Pereira’s pursuit of history to become the first UFC fighter to hold titles in three weight classes was derailed by Ciryl Gane. The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion couldn’t overcome the hyper-athletic Gane’s power, and was stopped in the second round.
In other words, a major shakeup in the top 10!
The panel of Ben Fowlkes, Chuck Mindenhall, Shaheen Al-Shatti, Petesy Carroll, Drake Riggs, Eric Jackman and Conner Burks have ranked both the men’s and women’s pound-for-pound best, one through 10, using a weighted points system to determine the final rankings (being voted No. 1 equals 10 points, No. 2 equals nine points, down to No. 10 equaling one point).
Our only criterion for these monthly rankings is that a fighter has competed within at least a calendar year of the publication date or has at least had a fight booked within that window. If a fighter hasn’t competed in a year and books a fight after that time, he or she is once again eligible to be voted back in. Fighters who retire are no longer eligible for the rankings.
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Though most of the best fighters are currently in the UFC, these rankings are not UFC exclusive. We take into consideration all the major promotions, from PFL to RIZIN to ONE Championship.
Without further ado, here are Uncrowned’s MMA pound-for-pound rankings for June 2026!
Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane’s victories have thrown the men’s ranks into disarray.
(Anadolu via Getty Images)
MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Islam Makhachev — UFC welterweight champion (Prev: 1)
It didn’t take long for the last of the invincibles to chime in after Topuria came up short in his first lightweight title defense. Posting on X, Makhachev wrote, “To quit in the biggest fight of your career — is something not everybody could do. Real Le Layenda.” We’d say these are fighting words, but that superfight is now a million miles away.
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2. Alexandre Pantoja — Former UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 3)
It’s now been half-a-year since Pantoja lost his title to Joshua Van in the flukiest of ways, yet to see Van defend it against Tatsuro Taira must’ve felt like lemon being squeezed on the wound. Pantoja is hoping to rectify things in the next few months, but at age 36 the ticking of the clock can seem very loud.
3. Alexander Volkanovski — UFC featherweight champion (Prev: 5)
Think “Volk” was shouting at the screen when Steve Garcia bit down on his mouthpiece and threw caution to the wind against Diego Lopes? We bet he was. As the valedictorian of the fight game, Volkanovski knows how to solve fighters like Archimedes solved calculus. Hopefully there’s news soon on his next title defense against Movsar Evloev.
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4. Petr Yan — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 4)
As Yan recovers from surgery, the inmates are staying busy. Sean O’Malley punched his ticket to a potential title shot against Aiemann Zahabi at the White House, a walk-off shot and salute that will become good B-roll for the UFC. And of course, Merab Dvalishvili is waiting for Yan, staying busy in RAF. Yan holds the hopes of many in the palms of his hands.
5. Tom Aspinall — UFC heavyweight champion (Prev: 7)
Conspicuously absent from the UFC Freedom 250 card, Aspinall’s name at least was mentioned on the broadcast as Ciryl Gane won the interim title on Sunday. Obviously having Aspinall there would’ve been the move, especially since Gane is the one who put him on layaway. Was it an extra slap in Aspinall’s face that boxing’s Tyson Fury made an appearance on the West Lawn? LOL! Of course it was.
6. Justin Gaethje — UFC lightweight champion (Prev: NR)
Listen, not too many people gave Gaethje a chance. He was the American in the main event at UFC Freedom 250, but to most of us he was a sacrificial lamb. To beat Topuria the way he did, winning three of the four rounds — the last two in battering fashion — was a remarkable feat of defiance and cinematic awe. There’s no way Gaethje should be in the top 10 of the pound-for-pound best at age 37, yet here we are.
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7. Merab Dvalishvili — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 8)
Perhaps Merab should lay low for a bit. His nose looked like it was painted onto his face by Picasso after his last RAF match against Frankie Edgar, just a crooked, craggy thing with a little unicorn nub starting to protrude. That rematch with Yan looms large, as Dvalishvili believes the only reason he lost the sequel was that he got cute in there.
8. Ilia Topuria — Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion (Prev: 2)
Perhaps when he’s able to see out of both eyes again — as Marca reported that he had the orbital bones broke on each eye — the former two-division champ will look back on the tape and reflect on his game plan. If he respected Gaethje’s punching ability, he didn’t show it in there. Topuria waded into the line of fire and took damage from the jump, and after 20 minutes his face was an absolute mess. That second round, though, is a reminder of just how good this guy is. Most don’t come back from those body shots, but it just so happens that Gaethje isn’t most.
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9. Sean Strickland — UFC middleweight champion (Prev: 9)
Listen you guys, if you thought Sean Strickland was going to stay back in Vegas while the UFC posted up in Washington, you’re crazy. Strickland crashed the party the best he could, and of course was escorted by authorities at the Ellipse off the premises for disturbing the peace. The second Strickland era promises to be an interesting one.
10. Joshua Van — UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 10)
There is a youthful exuberance to Van that suggests, at just 24, life hasn’t yet had a chance to wear him down. Taira sure tried to at UFC 328, and Van coolly bid his time until he could light up the Japanese contender with a beautiful boxing display. He lit Taira up so bright that you could see him from space.
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(Others receiving votes: Alex Pereira, Arman Tsarukyan, Carlos Ulberg, Khamzat Chimaev)
(Taylor Wilhelm, Yahoo Sports)
Valentina Shevchenko remains the queen of the women’s ranks.
(Mike Roach via Getty Images)
WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Valentina Shevchenko — UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 1)
How slow do things move in the women’s matchmaking department? There’s already been an interim heavyweight title fight on the men’s side as Tom Aspinall heals from his eye injury, even though Aspinall fought in late October. A few weeks later Valentina beat Zhang Weili, and there’s been no movement in booking her next title defense.
2. Kayla Harrison — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 2)
Harrison was out in Washington D.C., partaking in pre-event festivities and chopping it up with fans. If she had her druthers, she would’ve defended her 135-pound title against Amanda Nunes on the White House lawn, but the good news is that her day is coming.
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3. Zhang Weili — Former UFC strawweight champion (Prev: 3)
The expectation is that Zhang will eventually drop back down to 115 pounds to try to reclaim her title, but it won’t be next. That’s because Mackenzie Dern is scheduled to face Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. Might Zhang be interested in meeting the winner?
4. Cris Cyborg — PFL women’s featherweight champion (Prev: 4)
Cyborg is staying busy in the boxing ring, as she made short work of Colombian fighter Paulina Cardona in Brazil back in March. As for her next fight in the cage, it remains to be seen, but at 40 years old she knows that her legendary career is winding down.
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5. Dakota Ditcheva — PFL flyweight contender (Prev: 5)
It feels like a zillion years ago that Ditcheva was taking out everybody the PFL put in her way (it was 2024), yet the good news is that she has a fight booked! Ditcheva will square off with Denise Kielholtz at the end of July at PFL New York, which will be held on Long Island. Last time she fought in New York was in 2022, when she clobbered Katherine Corogenes at the Hulu.
6. Natalia Silva — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 6)
OK, here’s the thing — Silva handled former champ Rose Namajunas in January, and before then she beat former champ Alexa Grasso, a win that has aged extremely well given that Grasso scored one of the finishes of the year against Maycee Barber. Before then she beat former champ Jessica Andrade. I guess what I’m saying is, what more does Silva have to do to get signed on for a title shot?
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7. Manon Fiorot — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 7)
It’s less than ideal for a 36-year-old contender like Fiorot to be put on a eight-month hold after knocking out someone as tough as Jasmine Jasudavicius, yet things move suuuuu(yawn)uuuuper slowly in the women’s ranks. With Alexa Grasso’s incredible showing in Seattle a couple of months back, a contender’s bout between Fiorot and the heart of Guadalajara would carry some heat.
8. Seika Izawa — RIZIN super atomweight champion (Prev: 8)
Izawa subbed Rena Kubota at the end-of-the-year RIZIN show with a guillotine in the second round to run her record to perfect 18-0, and doesn’t have her next act planned just yet. What’s the hold up? We can ask that about a number of these women, but it’s wild that Izawa has scored submissions in seven of her last 10 bouts. There’s a phenom in Japan.
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9. Mackenzie Dern — UFC strawweight champion (Prev: 9)
Another champion who hasn’t fought in more than half a year, Dern at least knows who she will face next in Gillian Robertrson. It’s not an easy fight by any stretch, as Anderson has won five straight fights and looked tremendous agaisnt both Marina Rodriguez and Amanda Lemos, but it’s at least a winnable fight, which is a relief. If she had been booked to face Zhang? Let’s just say she’d be a sizable underdog.
10. Erin Blanchfield — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: 10)
Somebody needs to call matchmaker Sean Shelby and find out what the holdup is in making these fights. Blanchfield just turned 27 last week, which is how old a full collective of rock stars were when they perished, and she hasn’t fought since last October. Granted, there’s a clusterblank at women’s flyweight, but the best way to sort it out is to have them fight one another.
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(Others receiving votes: Tatiana Suarez, Alexa Grasso, Virna Jandiroba, Liz Carmouche)
(Taylor Wilhelm, Yahoo Sports)
Here’s how we voted:
SHAHEEN AL-SHATTI
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Alexandre Pantoja
3. Tom Aspinall
4. Alex Pereira
5. Sean Strickland
6. Justin Gaethje
7. Ilia Topuria
8. Alexander Volkanovski
9. Petr Yan
10. Merab Dvalishivili
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Kayla Harrison
3. Zhang Weili
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Seika Izawa
6. Natalia Silva
7. Dakota Ditcheva
8. Tatiana Suarez
9. Mackenzie Dern
10. Alexa Grasso
CONNER BURKS
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Petr Yan
3. Alexandre Pantoja
4. Alexander Volkanovski
5. Tom Aspinall
6. Merab Dvalishvili
7. Joshua Van
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8. Carlos Ulberg
9. Justin Gaethje
10. Ilia Topuria
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Kayla Harrison
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Zhang Weili
5. Dakota Ditcheva
6. Natalia Silva
7. Manon Fiorot
8. Seika Izawa
9. Mackenzie Dern
10. Erin Blanchfield
PETESY CARROLL
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Alexander Volkanovski
3. Alexandre Pantoja
4. Petr Yan
5. Tom Aspinall
6. Sean Strickland
7. Justin Gaethje
8. Ciryl Gane
9. Ilia Topuria
10. Alex Pereira
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Zhang Weili
3. Kayla Harrison
4. Dakota Ditcheva
5. Cris Cyborg
6. Mackenzie Dern
7. Natalia Silva
8. Manon Fiorot
9. Erin Blanchfield
10. Tatiana Suarez
BEN FOWLKES
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
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2. Alexander Volkanovski
3. Petr Yan
4. Merab Dvalishvili
5. Alexandre Pantoja
6. Tom Aspinall
7. Justin Gaethje
8. Ilia Topuria
9. Joshua Van
10. Arman Tsarukyan
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Zhang Weili
3. Kayla Harrison
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Dakota Ditcheva
6. Erin Blanchfield
7. Natalia Silva
8. Manon Fiorot
9. Alexa Grasso
10. Tatiana Suarez
ERIC JACKMAN
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Alexandre Pantoja
3. Petr Yan
4. Merab Dvalishvili
5. Sean Strickland
6. Ilia Topuria
7. Alexander Volkanovski
8. Joshua Van
9. Arman Tsarukyan
10. Khamzat Chimaev
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Kayla Harrison
3. Zhang Weili
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Manon Fiorot
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6. Natalia Silva
7. Mackenzie Dern
8. Tatiana Suarez
9. Dakota Ditcheva
10. Erin Blanchfield
CHUCK MINDENHALL
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Alexander Volkanovski
3. Alexandre Pantoja
4. Tom Aspinall
5. Petr Yan
6. Merab Dvalishvili
7. Justin Gaethje
8. Ilia Topuria
9. Joshua Van
10. Arman Tsarukyan
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Kayla Harrison
3. Zhang Weili
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Dakota Ditcheva
6. Manon Fiorot
7. Erin Blanchfield
8. Tatiana Suarez
9. Natalia Silva
10. Alexa Grasso
DRAKE RIGGS
MEN
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Justin Gaethhe
3. Ilia Topuria
4. Alexandre Pantoja
5. Petr Yan
6. Alexander Volkanovski
7. Tom Aspinall
8. Merab Dvalishvili
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9. Carlos Ulberg
10. Sean Strickland
WOMEN
1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Seika Izawa
3. Zhang Weili
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Kayla Harrison
6. Natalia Silva
7. Mackenzie Dern
8. Virna Jandiroba
9. Liz Carmouche
10. Dakota Ditcheva
