MMA Divisional Rankings: Tom Aspinall tightens grip on No. 1 heavyweight spot

In the ever-shifting MMA landscape, ranking the world’s greatest fighters might seem like a fool’s errand, but that’s exactly what we’ve set out to do with the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Here, our esteemed panel sorts out the movers and shakers from every division to provide you with the most definitive list of the best fighters on the planet.

Updated pound-for-pound rankings can be found here.

There is plenty of movement up and down the divisions to talk about, with Belal Muhammad ascending to the top of the welterweight mountain, Kyoji Horiguchi once again emerging as a two-division threat, Alexander Volkov upsetting Sergei Pavlovich to make an absolute mess of the heavyweight rankings, Nassourdine Imavov and Macy Chiasson claiming top-five spots with breakthrough performances, and flyweight contenders Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape both somehow hurting their stock following a dud of a grudge match at UFC 304.

But it was actually a less visible move that intrigues us the most this month, as Tom Aspinall further established himself as the best heavyweight on the planet with a 60-second drubbing of Curtis Blaydes. Forget the interim tag on his belt and the upcoming Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic vanity fight, Aspinall is the man to beat in his division until proven otherwise.

All seven of our panelists put Aspinall at No. 1 on their ballots, with the last Jones holdovers finally seeing fit to change allegiances. That means this is the first time in the history of our rankings that Jones does not have a single No. 1 vote to his name after previously receiving such support in the heavyweight, light heavyweight, and men’s pound-for-pound charts.

Is this a true changing of the guard? Should Jones be getting more respect? Or does Jones have to go through Aspinall to regain his spot now?

All eyes are on Jones now as his next fight can’t come soon enough.

Check out the complete July rankings below.

Heavyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Tom Aspinall def. No. 4 Curtis Blaydes, No. 7 Alexander Volkov def. No. 3 Sergei Pavlovich, No. 14 Phil De Fries def. Augusto Sakai

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 3 Alexander Volkov vs. No. 6 Ciryl Gane (UFC 308, Oct. 26), No. 8 Marcin Tybura vs. No. 10 Serghei Spivac (UFC Vegas 95, Aug. 10), No. 9 Tai Tuivasa vs. No. 15 Jairzinho Rozenstruik (UFC 305, Aug. 17), No. 12 Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reug Reug (ONE Fight Night 28, Nov. 8)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Derrick Lewis (4), Linton Vassell (4), Ryan Bader (1), Mick Parkin (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Light Heavyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Alex Pereira def. No. 2 Jiri Prochazka, Roman Dolidze def. No. 13 Anthony Smith, No. 15 Volkan Oezdemir def. No. 8 Johnny Walker

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 15 Azamat Murzakanov vs. Alonzo Menifield (UFC Abu Dhabi, Aug. 3)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Rob Wilkinson (3), Bogdan Guskov (2), Roman Dolidze (2), Alonzo Menifield (1), Dominick Reyes (1), Anthony Smith (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 13 Anthony Smith

Middleweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Robert Whittaker def. Ikram Aliskerov, No. 11 Nassourdine Imavov def. No. 5 Jared Cannonier

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Dricus du Plessis vs. No. 3 Israel Adesanya (UFC 305, Aug. 17), No. 5 (tied) Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards (Bellator London, Sept. 14), No. 5 (tied) Nassourdine Imavov vs. No. 9 Brendan Allen (UFC Paris, Sept. 28), No. 13 Michel Pereira vs. No. 15 Anthony Hernandez (UFC Fight Night, Oct. 19)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Caio Borralho (3), Jack Hermansson (2), Ikram Aliskerov (1), Chris Curtis (1), Fabian Edwards (1), Impa Kasanganay (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Welterweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Belal Muhammad def. No. 1 Leon Edwards, Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. No. 7 Jason Jackson, No. 8 Ian Machado Garry def. No. 13 (tied) Michael Page

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 6 Gilbert Burns vs. No. 9 Sean Brady (UFC Fight Night, Sept. 7)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Colby Covington (1), Rinat Fakhretdinov (1), Vicente Luque (1), Magomed Magomedkerimov (1), Shamil Musaev (1), Magomed Umalatov (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Vicente Luque

Lightweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 7 Usman Nurmagomedov vs. No. 15 Alexander Shabliy (Bellator San Diego, Sept. 7), No. 9 Mateusz Gamrot vs. No. 12 Dan Hooker (UFC 305, Aug. 17), No. 11 Renato Moicano vs. No. 13 (tied) Benoit Saint Denis (UFC Paris, Sept. 28)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Paddy Pimblett (4), Jalin Turner (1), Matt Frevola (1), Drew Dober (1), Tofiq Musayev (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Featherweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 7 Arnold Allen def. No. 13 Giga Chikadze, No. 14 Diego Lopes def. Dan Ige (165-pound catchweight bout)

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Movsar Evloev vs. No. 10 Aljamain Sterling (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 5 Brian Ortega vs. No. 11 Diego Lopes (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 13 Calvin Kattar vs. Kyle Nelson (UFC Fight Night, Sept. 7)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Lerone Murphy (3), Chihiro Suzuki (2), Movlid Khaybulaev (1), Bryce Mitchell (1), Adam Borics (1), Joanderson Brito (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Bantamweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 (FLW) Kyoji Horiguchi def. No. 7 Sergio Pettis

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Sean O’Malley vs. No. 2 Merab Dvalishvili (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 3 Patchy Mix vs. Leandro Higo (Bellator Paris, Nov. 16), No. 4 Cory Sandhagen vs. No. 8 Umar Nurmagomedov (UFC Abu Dhabi, Aug. 3), No. 9 (tied) Deiveson Figueiredo vs. No. 12 Marlon Vera, No. 15 Raufeon Stots vs. Marcos Breno (UFC San Diego, Sept. 7)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Magomed Magomedov (2), Jonathan Martinez (2), Kai Asakura (1), Mario Bautista (1), Kyler Phillips (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): No. 15 Magomed Magomedov

Flyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 4 Kyoji Horiguchi def. Sergio Pettis (bantamweight bout), No. 13 Tatsuro Taira def. No. 12 Alex Perez, No. 9 (tied) Muhammad Mokaev def. No. 9 (tied) Manel Kape

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 7 (tied) Kai Kara-France vs. No. 11 Steve Erceg (UFC 305, Aug. 17)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Hiromasa Ougikubo (2), Asu Almabayev (1), Askar Akarov (1), Kairat Akhmetov (1), Azamat Kerefov (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Women’s Bantamweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 8 Macy Chiasson def. No. 3 Mayra Bueno Silva

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 6 Irene Aldana vs. No. 12 Norma Dumont (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 8 Karol Rosa vs. No. 10 Pannie Kianzad (UFC Vegas 95, Aug. 10), No. 9 Yana Santos vs. Chelsea Chandler (UFC Vegas 95, Aug. 10), No. 14 Nora Cornolle vs. Germaine de Randamie (UFC Paris, Sept. 28)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Tainara Lisboa (2), Melissa Mullins (2), Lucie Pudilova (2), Julia Avila (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Women’s Flyweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 5 Taila Santos def. Jena Bishop, No. 6 Liz Carmouche def. Kana Watanabe, No. 10 Rose Namajunas def. Tracy Cortez

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Alexa Grasso vs. No. 2 Valentina Shevchenko (UFC 306, Sept. 14), No. 5 Taila Santos vs. No. 6 Liz Carmouche (PFL 7, Aug. 2), No. 10 Natalia Silva vs. No. 14 Jessica Andrade (UFC Fight Night, Sept. 7), No. 15 Jennifer Maia vs. Mayra Cantuaria (Invicta FC 56, Aug. 9)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Karine Silva (4), Ariane da Silva (2), Jena Bishop (1), Kana Watanabe (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

Strawweight

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 6 Virna Jandiroba def. No. 5 Amanda Lemos, No. 13 Gillian Robertson def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva (flyweight bout) (UFC Fight Night, Sept. 7), No. 7 Marina Rodriguez vs. No. 14 Iasmin Lucindo (UFC 307, Oct. 5), No. 8 Mackenzie Dern vs. No. 10 Loopy Godinez (UFC Abu Dhabi, Aug. 3), No. 11 Angela Hill vs. No. 12 Tabatha Ricci (UFC Fight Night, Aug. 24)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Loma Lookboonmee (4), Karolina Kowalkiewicz (2), Danni McCormack (1), Tecia Pennington (1)

Falling out of the rankings (previous ranking shown): N/A

A refresher on the ground rules:

• The seven-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Shaheen Al-Shatti, Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, E. Casey Leydon, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
• Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout. Updates to the rankings are typically completed following each month’s UFC pay-per-view.
• Should a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will decide whether that fighter should immediately be removed from the rankings or maintain their position until further notice. (Let’s put it this way: We’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings a lot quicker than the UFC did.)
• Holding a promotion’s title does not guarantee that fighter will be viewed as the best in their promotion. Additionally, fighters who regularly compete or hold titles in multiple weight classes are eligible to be ranked in multiple lists.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.