After UFC 319, the promotion’s pound-for-pound (P4P) rankings have seen some serious movement.
Khamzat Chimaev defied all expectations with a five-round shutout over reigning champion Dricus du Plessis, making him the new middleweight champion. Ranked middleweights are scrambling to become the next challenger, and with Chimaev’s new P4P status, he’s a high-value target.
In the UFC’s latest rankings update, we’ve seen some extreme changes. Here are three moves that will have both MMA veterans and casual fans talking…
A massive leap for the new middleweight champ. After dismantling du Plessis in their Chicago main event, Chimaev has landed behind only the elite Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev, and Merab Dvalishvili in the P4P list. He jumps ahead of flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja, who holds four defenses.
Chimaev is finally a name fans can’t ignore. Receiving such a push from the UFC indicates that they’re putting plenty of stock in ‘Borz.’ Expect Chimaev to be a major actor in the new Paramount+ era of UFC coming in 2026.
Shocker – du Plessis takes a steep fall after Chimaev put him through the wringer at UFC 319. ‘Stillknocks’ has been completely ejected from the top of the P4P list, despite owning two title defenses at middleweight, proving that being the champion guarantees no credibility.
This result likely owes to the South African brawler having nothing for Chimaev across 25 minutes, contributing to one of the worst one-sided fights in modern memory.
Despite having absolutely nothing to do with UFC 319, top-ranked welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov has debuted in the P4P rankings. He knocks Charles Oliveira from the No. 15 slot.
Rakhmonov hasn’t fought since December 2024, when he defeated Ian Machado Garry in a title eliminator. Injuries have kept him out of action, but debuting in the P4P rankings unexpectedly could indicate fight news for ‘Nomad’ coming very soon.
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