Jun 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Kai Kara-France (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Ilia Topuria Pushes Past Islam Makhachev For #1 Pound For Pound Spot; Alexandre Pantoja And Ali Abdelaziz Disagree

Ilia Topuria ends Islam Makhachev's pound for pound #1 reign by surpassing him. However, not everyone agrees!

The pound for pound rankings have always been MMA’s most heated debate. Everyone has an opinion about who really deserves the top spot. For nearly two years, Islam Makhachev sat comfortably at number one after his dominant lightweight title reign. The Dagestani wrestler seemed untouchable, combining elite grappling with improved striking that left opponents scratching their heads. His methodical approach and championship pedigree made him the consensus pick among most fans and analysts.

Then came Saturday night at UFC 317, and everything changed in spectacular fashion. Ilia Topuria’s stunning first round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 solidified his status as a two division champion. The Georgian-Spanish fighter did something that seemed impossible just months ago. ‘El Matador’ was named top pound for pound fighter in the promotion, according to the official rankings update.This sent the former UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to No. 2.

What makes Topuria’s rise so impressive isn’t just the wins themselves, but who he beat to get there. The debate raging at present is whether Topuria’s conquests of Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira is the greatest three fight run in UFC history. He knocked out three of the most skilled fighters on the planet, all former champions, all in devastating fashion.

Islam Makhachev's P4P reign comes to an end. Ilia Topuria is the new king 👑

Alexandre Pantoja gets a much-deserved bump up in the rankings. pic.twitter.com/oPHM2YErh3
— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) July 1, 2025

His featherweight title win over Volkanovski was already impressive enough. The Australian had looked nearly invincible for years, defending his belt multiple times against elite competition. Then Topuria moved up to lightweight and made it look easy against Oliveira, a former champion known for his incredible finishing ability. The Georgian fighter didn’t just win these fights he dominated them. His undefeated record now carries serious weight, especially since he’s done it across two divisions without breaking a sweat.

Alexandre Pantoja Thinks the Rankings Got It Wrong

While most of the MMA world celebrated Topuria’s achievement, not everyone agrees with the new rankings. Alexandre Pantoja, the UFC flyweight champion, has some strong opinions about where he should sit in the pecking order. After his own dominant title defense at UFC 317, Pantoja made his case pretty clear during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.

“I said that [about] Topuria like two years ago. I’m a huge fan, I love how he fights. Topuria is amazing to get two belts. He makes what every fighter wants to make: double champ, something unique…Maybe if you put Islam [on the top pound-for-pound], Topuria and then you have Merab. Merab has fights with Jose Aldo, fighting Petr Yan, a lot of legends he’s fought, and maybe myself.”

Pantoja thinks the top four should look completely different. He puts Islam Makhachev first over Topuria. The Brazilian champion isn’t just throwing out random names either. He’s got legitimate reasons for his rankings. Pantoja has now defended his flyweight title four times, more than any other current UFC champion. He’s beaten half the top 15 fighters in his division, some of them twice, and continues to face fresh challenges every time he steps into the octagon.

Ali Abdelaziz Not Happy With The Pound For Pound #1 Change

Ali Abdelaziz, the longtime manager of Islam Makhachev, has doubled down on his belief that Makhachev remains the true No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Taking to Instagram story, Abdelaziz pointed out that Makhachev has done what few others have: defeat elite opponents in their prime.

“The Real P4P King. Beat prime Volk on a 22 fight win streak. Beat prime Oliveira on a 12 fight win streak”

Ali Abdelaziz is not happy with Ilia being the new P4P@JackMacCFB has a wild idea to fix this debate for Ali.

Have Ilia and Islam fight. pic.twitter.com/pUOJo6Sg6B
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 1, 2025

Abdelaziz’s comments come in the wake of Ilia Topuria’s meteoric rise, but he believes Topuria has yet to be tested at the same level. According to Abdelaziz, beating champions at their peak when they are most dangerous is what separates Makhachev from the rest of the field. For him, the pound-for-pound crown still firmly belongs to Islam Makhachev!

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Alexandre Pantoja

Ali Abdelaziz

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!