Alexander Volkanovski was already hovering near the top of the ESPN pound-for-pound MMA rankings on the strength of last month’s dominant UFC men’s featherweight title defense against former champion Max Holloway. But there was a roadblock standing between Volkanovski and the No. 1 spot.
Kamaru Usman had long held that top position, and with him riding a 19-fight winning streak, it looked like the reigning welterweight champ was going to be there for a while.
Then Leon Edwards landed the head kick that changed everything, dethroning Usman at UFC 278 last weekend.
That stunning knockout in the final minute not only earned Edwards the 170-pound belt, it also paved the way for Volkanovski to take over the No. 1 position in the men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Volkanovski has won 22 in a row, a run of success that extends all the way back to 2013.
Edwards, unbeaten in his last 11 fights, also moves into the top 10 for the first time.
The ESPN women’s rankings saw a change lower in the top 10, as two-time PFL women’s lightweight champ Kayla Harrison moved up a spot after winning a playoff semifinal over the weekend. Harrison, a 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist in judo, is 15-0 in MMA and thrashing everyone put in front of her. She’ll go for a third PFL title in November.
Note: Results are current; rankings as of Aug. 24.
Men’s pound-for-pound rankings
UFC featherweight champion
Previous ranking: 2
Record: 25-1
Last: W (UD) Max Holloway, July 2, 2022
Next: TBD
UFC lightweight
Previous ranking: T-3
Record: 33-8, 1 NC
Last: W (Sub1) Justin Gaethje, May 7, 2022
Next: Oct. 22 vs. Islam Makhachev
UFC middleweight champion
Record: 23-1
Last: W (UD) Jared Cannonier, July 2, 2022
Next: Nov. 12 vs. Alex Pereira
4. Kamaru Usman 
UFC welterweight
Previous ranking: 1
Record: 20-2
Last: L (KO5) Leon Edwards, Aug. 20, 2022
Next: TBD
UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 17-3
Last: W (UD) Ciryl Gane, Jan. 22, 2022
Next: TBD
6. Leon Edwards 
UFC welterweight champion
Previous ranking: Unranked
Record: 20-3, 1 NC
Last: W (KO5) Kamaru Usman, Aug. 20, 2022
Next: TBD
UFC light heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: 6
Record: 29-3-1
Last: W (Sub5) Glover Teixeira, June 11, 2022
Next: TBD
UFC flyweight champion
Previous ranking: 7
Record: 21-2-1
Last: W (UD) Brandon Moreno, Jan. 22, 2022
Next: TBD
T-9. Dustin Poirier
UFC lightweight
Previous ranking: T-8
Record: 28-7, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub3) Charles Oliveira, Dec. 11, 2021
Next: TBD
T-9. Aljamain Sterling
UFC bantamweight champion
Previous ranking: T-8
Record: 21-3
Last: W (SD) Petr Yan, April 9, 2022
Next: Sept. 10 vs. TJ Dillashaw
Other fighters receiving votes: Robert Whittaker, Max Holloway, Brandon Moreno and Colby Covington.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Alexander Volkanovski; 2. Israel Adesanya; 3. Charles Oliveira; 4. Kamaru Usman; 5. Francis Ngannou; 6. Deiveson Figueiredo; 7. Robert Whittaker; 8. Dustin Poirier; 9. Aljamain Sterling; 10. Brandon Moreno.
Marc Raimondi: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Adesanya; 3. Oliveira; 4. Usman; 5. Ngannou; 6. Edwards; 7. Sterling; 8. Jiri Prochazka; 9. Poirier; 10. Colby Covington.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Oliveira; 3. Usman; 4. Adesanya; 5. Ngannou; 6. Edwards; 7. Prochazka; 8. Figueiredo; 9. Sterling; 10. Moreno.
Megan Anderson: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Oliveira; 3. Adesanya; 4. Usman; 5. Ngannou; 6. Edwards; 7. Prochazka; 8. Max Holloway; 9. Whittaker; 10. Figueiredo.
Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Oliveira; 2. Adesanya; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Usman; 5. Ngannou; 6. Poirier; 7. Figueiredo; 8. Sterling; 9. Prochazka; 10. Edwards.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Ngannou; 3. Oliveira; 4. Adesanya; 5. Usman; 6. Edwards; 7. Prochazka; 8. Poirier; 9. Sterling; 10. Figueiredo.
1. Amanda Nunes 
UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion
Record: 22-5
Last: W (UD) Julianna Peña, July 30, 2022
Next: TBD
UFC flyweight champion
Record: 22-3
Last: W (SD) Taila Santos, June 11, 2022
Next: TBD
3. Cris Cyborg
Bellator featherweight champion
Record: 26-2, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) Arlene Blencowe, April 23, 2022
Next: TBD
T-4. Julianna Peña
UFC bantamweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (UD) Amanda Nunes, July 30, 2022
Next: TBD
T-4. Zhang Weili
UFC strawweight
Record: 22-3
Last: W (KO2) Joanna Jedrzejczyk, June 11, 2022
Next: Nov. 12 vs. Carla Esparza
UFC strawweight champion
Record: 19-6
Last: W (SD) Rose Namajunas, May 7, 2022
Next: Nov. 12 vs. Zhang Weili
UFC strawweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (SD) Carla Esparza, May 7, 2022
Next: TBD
PFL lightweight champion
Previous ranking: 9
Record: 15-0
Last: W (Sub1) Martina Jindrova, Aug. 20, 2022
Next: TBD
UFC flyweight
Previous ranking: 8
Record: 23-9
Last: W (Sub1) Amanda Lemos, April 23, 2022
Next: TBD
10. Marina Rodriguez
UFC strawweight
Record: 16-1-2
Last: W (SD) Yan Xiaonan, March 5, 2022
Next: TBD
Other fighters receiving votes: Katlyn Chookagian, Holly Holm and Seika Izawa.
How our panel voted
Brett Okamoto: 1. Amanda Nunes; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Cris Cyborg; 4. Rose Namajunas; 5. Zhang Weili; 6. Julianna Peña; 7. Kayla Harrison; 8. Carla Esparza; 9. Jessica Andrade; 10. Katlyn Chookagian.
Marc Raimondi: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Peña; 5. Esparza; 6. Harrison; 7. Namajunas; 8. Weili; 9. Andrade; 10. Seika Izawa.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Peña; 4. Harrison; 5. Cyborg; 6. Esparza; 7. Weili; 8. Namajunas; 9. Andrade; 10. Holly Holm.
Megan Anderson: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Weili; 5. Namajunas; 6. Esparza; 7. Andrade; 8. Marina Rodriguez; 9. Harrison; 10. Peña.
Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Peña; 4. Weili; 5. Cyborg; 6. Esparza; 7. Andrade; 8. Namajunas; 9. Harrison; 10. Rodriguez.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Cyborg; 4. Weili; 5. Andrade; 6. Peña; 7. Esparza; 8. Namajunas; 9. Harrison; 10. Chookagian.