Powered By C-ELO™
Updated October 2026. According to C-ELO™, the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC right now is Islam Makhachev, followed by Alexander Volkanovski, Justin Gaethje, Sean Strickland and Petr Yan.
Current rankings measure who is performing best right now, not who has the greatest legacy. They are built on C-ELO™, a rating system made for MMA that combines eight Elo categories: striking, grappling, win type, title fights, experience, activity, win streaks and a foundational opponent-strength rating.
On top of that, recent form is weighted heavily: fight activity over the last three years, the rating trend across a fighter's last three bouts, and title fights from the last two years. Only active fighters are ranked, meaning at least two fights in the last three years or one in the last twelve months.
Want the details? Read how C-ELO™ works.
All our predictions and betting recommendations are tracked, and it's free to see how our C-ELO™-powered formula is performing. Wins and losses, nothing hidden. See the full history.
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