Pound-for-pound rankings spark endless debates in MMA circles. Everyone has their own criteria for greatness. Some value championship defenses above everything else. Others prioritize competition level and dominant performances. The UFC’s official rankings rarely satisfy anyone completely. Fighters love arguing about their placement on these lists too. And recently, Islam Makhachev made his own rankings.
Makhachev recently sat down with streamer Adin Ross for an interview. The former lightweight champion didn’t hold back when discussing the sport’s elite. Ross asked him to name his top five fighters in the UFC right now. Makhachev’s answer raised some eyebrows across the MMA community.
Makhachev listed his top five in order during the conversation. He put himself at number one, which isn’t shocking. Flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja came in at number two. Tom Aspinall grabbed the third spot despite the recent no contest controversy. Featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski landed at four. Current lightweight titleholder Ilia Topuria rounded out the list at five.
At the UFCc 322 media day, a reporter brought up Alex Pereira, expecting the Brazilian knockout artist to feature somewhere. ‘Poatan’ has become one of the UFC‘s biggest stars recently. His highlight reel knockouts at light heavyweight have been absolutely spectacular. He’s defended the belt multiple times against tough competition too. But Makhachev wasn’t buying the hype completely. The Dagestani fighter acknowledged Pereira’s skills but delivered a blunt verdict.
“He’s close, but we don’t have space for him in [top] 5”
That’s a pretty strong statement considering Pereira’s current run. The Brazilian has finished most of his recent opponents in devastating fashion. His left hook has become one of the most feared weapons in the sport. He recently recaptured the belt from Magomed Ankalev at UFC 320.
Makhachev had specific reasons for his skepticism about Pereira’s placement. He brought up Magomed Ankalaev, his countryman from the Russian fighting community. Makhachev had earlier advocated for their fight in his now famous saying “Put him Ankalaev.” That came true when Pereira and Ankalaev fought back at UFC 313, and Ankalaev won that encounter. They fought again at UFC 320 where Pereira took back his title. But Makhachev believes the story isn’t finished between these two.
The lightweight champ expressed surprise that Ankalaev lost their matchup. He revealed some interesting behind the scenes information about that fight too. According to Makhachev, Ankalaev suffered a rib injury before the bout. This injury prevented proper training for three months leading up to the fight. That’s a massive disadvantage when facing someone as dangerous as Pereira.
Makhachev strongly believes they need to run it back. His reasoning makes sense from a competitive standpoint. If Ankalaev wasn’t at full health, the result doesn’t tell the complete story. A trilogy would settle things definitively one way or another.
The MMA community will probably disagree with Makhachev’s assessment though. Pereira’s knockout power and finishing ability speak for themselves. He had earned the rematch because of his dominance and activity. Ankalaev on the other hand lost in the first defense. But Makhachev wants to see Pereira prove himself against the absolute best competition and a healthy Ankalaev represents that ultimate test according to him.
(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)
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