UFC 323 created significant changes in the official UFC rankings, highlighted by title-winning performances from Petr Yan and Joshua Van. This event took place last Saturday night (Dec. 6, 2025) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and marked the end of the pay-per-view era for the promotion.
This event also saw the conclusion of title reigns for both Merab Dvalishvili and Alexandre Pantoja.
Several fighters entered the rankings for the first time, including bantamweight talent Payton Talbott. The 27-year-old “Contender Series” standout debuted at No. 12 on the bantamweight list following the retirement of former champion Henry Cejudo.
The rankings are determined by a voting panel comprised of media members. They are tasked with identifying the top fighters in the UFC across weight classes and on a pound-for-pound basis. Only fighters in active status are eligible for voting, and champions are not included in weight-class voting, but can be ranked pound-for-pound.
For the current rankings, visit UFC.com. Note: (+/- indicates movement in rankings, T = tie, *NR = Not previously ranked).
1. Islam Makhachev
2. Ilia Topuria
3. Khamzat Chimaev +1
4. Alex Pereira +2
5. Alexander Volkanovski +2
6. Petr Yan *NR
7. Tom Aspinall +1
8. Merab Dvalishvili -5
9. Alexandre Pantoja -4
10. Max Holloway
11. Joshua Van *NR
12. Dricus Du Plessis -3
13. Magomed Ankalaev -1
14. Jack Della Maddalena -3
15. Arman Tsarukyan -2
Looking ahead, anticipate more changes in the rankings, especially in the flyweight division, following the UFC Vegas 112: “Royval vs. Kape” event scheduled for Saturday, December 13, 2025, at APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
