MMA pound-for-pound rankings: High-profile win earns Dustin Poirier a higher spot in men’s top 10

Dustin Poirier had a pretty good weekend.

He beat up Conor McGregor for the second time in six months in Saturday’s UFC 264 main event in Las Vegas, and beyond the big bump in his bank account that came with a night in the cage with the biggest star in MMA, Poirier also secured the lightweight title shot that he had put at risk by opting to complete the McGregor trilogy.

UFC president Dana White said at the postfight news conference at T-Mobile Arena that Poirier will be the first challenger for new 155-pound champion Charles Oliveira. No date was announced.

In the wake of Saturday’s victory, which was the seventh win and fifth finish in Poirier’s past eight fights, he rises into the top five in the latest ESPN men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Poirier is situated above Oliveira, who won the belt in May.

Poirier’s ascent bumps a couple of champions, featherweight Alexander Volkanovski and light heavyweight Jan Blachowicz, each down a spot.

The women’s top 10 remains largely the same, other than strawweight champ Rose Namajunas moving up one position into a tie with Bellator featherweight champ Cris Cyborg. That shift came about because of the addition of a new voter to the panel.

Note: Results are current; rankings as of July 13.

Men’s pound-for-pound rankings

1. Kamaru Usman  

UFC welterweight champion
Record: 19-1
Last: W (KO2) Jorge Masvidal, April 24, 2021
Next: TBD

2. Jon Jones  

UFC light heavyweight/announced move to heavyweight
Record: 26-1, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) Dominick Reyes, Feb. 8, 2020
Next: TBD

3. Israel Adesanya  

UFC middleweight champion
Record: 21-1
Last: W (UD) Marvin Vettori, June 12, 2021
Next: TBD

4. Francis Ngannou  

UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 16-3
Last: W (KO2) Stipe Miocic, March 27, 2021
Next: TBD

5. Dustin Poirier  

UFC lightweight
Previous ranking: T-6
Record: 28-6, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO1) Conor McGregor, July 10, 2021
Next: TBD vs. Charles Oliveira

6. Alexander Volkanovski  

UFC featherweight champion
Previous ranking: 5
Record: 22-1
Last: W (SD) Max Holloway, July 11, 2020
Next: TBD vs. Brian Ortega

7. Jan Blachowicz  

UFC light heavyweight champion
Previous ranking: T-6
Record: 28-8
Last: W (UD) Israel Adesanya, March 6, 2021
Next: Sept. 4 vs. Glover Teixeira

8. Stipe Miocic  

UFC heavyweight
Record: 20-4
Last: L (KO2) Francis Ngannou, March 27, 2021
Next: TBD

9. Charles Oliveira  

UFC lightweight champion
Record: 31-8, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO2) Michael Chandler, May 15, 2021
Next: TBD

10. Max Holloway  

UFC featherweight
Record: 22-6
Last: W (UD) Calvin Kattar, Jan. 16, 2021
Next: TBD

Other fighters receiving votes: Brandon Moreno, Robert Whittaker and Petr Yan

How our writers voted

Brett Okamoto
1. Kamaru Usman
2. Jon Jones
3. Israel Adesanya
4. Alexander Volkanovski
5. Dustin Poirier
6. Jan Blachowicz
7. Max Holloway
8. Francis Ngannou
9. Petr Yan
10. Charles Oliveira

Marc Raimondi
1. Kamaru Usman
2. Jon Jones
3. Israel Adesanya
4. Francis Ngannou
5. Stipe Miocic
6. Dustin Poirier
7. Alexander Volkanovski
8. Jan Blachowicz
9. Charles Oliveira
10. Robert Whittaker

Mike Coppinger
1. Kamaru Usman
2. Jon Jones
3. Israel Adesanya
4. Francis Ngannou
5. Dustin Poirier
6. Alexander Volkanovski
7. Charles Oliveira
8. Jan Blachowicz
9. Brandon Moreno
10. Max Holloway

Jeff Wagenheim
1. Jon Jones
2. Francis Ngannou
3. Kamaru Usman
4. Israel Adesanya
5. Stipe Miocic
6. Jan Blachowicz
7. Dustin Poirier
8. Alexander Volkanovski
9. Charles Oliveira
10. Brandon Moreno

1. Amanda Nunes  

UFC bantamweight/featherweight champion
Record: 21-4
Last: W (Sub1) Megan Anderson, March 6, 2021
Next: Aug. 7 vs. Julianna Peña

2. Valentina Shevchenko  

UFC flyweight champion
Record: 21-3
Last: W (TKO2) Jessica Andrade, April 24, 2021
Next: TBD

T-3. Cris Cyborg  

Bellator featherweight champion
Record: 24-2, 1 NC
Last: W (TKO5) Leslie Smith, May 21, 2021
Next: TBD

T-3. Rose Namajunas  

UFC strawweight champion
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 10-4
Last: W (KO1) Zhang Weili, April 24, 2021
Next: TBD

5. Zhang Weili  

UFC strawweight
Record: 21-2
Last: L (KO1) Rose Namajunas, April 24, 2021
Next: TBD

6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk  

UFC strawweight
Record: 16-4
Last: L (SD) Zhang Weili, March 7, 2020
Next: TBD

7. Jessica Andrade  

UFC flyweight
Record: 21-9
Last: L (TKO2) Valentina Shevchenko, April 24, 2021
Next: TBD

8. Germaine de Randamie  

UFC bantamweight
Record: 10-4
Last: W (TechSub3) Julianna Peña, Oct. 3, 2020
Next: TBD

9. Holly Holm  

UFC bantamweight
Record: 14-5
Last: W (UD) Irene Aldana, Oct. 3, 2020
Next: TBD

10. Carla Esparza  

UFC strawweight
Record: 18-6
Last: W (TKO2) Yan Xiaonan, May 22, 2021
Next: TBD

Other fighter receiving votes: Katlyn Chookagian

How our writers voted

Brett Okamoto
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Rose Namajunas
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Zhang Weili
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Germaine de Randamie
8. Jessica Andrade
9. Carla Esparza
10. Katlyn Chookagian

Marc Raimondi
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Rose Namajunas
5. Zhang Weili
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Jessica Andrade
8. Germaine de Randamie
9. Holly Holm
10. Carla Esparza

Mike Coppinger
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Rose Namajunas
4. Cris Cyborg
5. Zhang Weili
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Jessica Andrade
8. Germaine de Randamie
9. Holly Holm
10. Carla Esparza

Jeff Wagenheim
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Valentina Shevchenko
3. Cris Cyborg
4. Rose Namajunas
5. Zhang Weili
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Jessica Andrade
8. Germaine de Randamie
9. Holly Holm
10. Carla Esparza