Apr 11, 2023

Israel Adesanya's back was against the wall, both figuratively and literally.

He entered last Saturday's UFC 287 main event 0-3 against the man he was challenging for the middleweight championship, Alex Pereira. The brawny Brazilian had taken away the title via knockout in November, and he had defeated Adesanya both times they met as pro kickboxers. So this was Adesanya's fourth shot at Pereira, and could have been his last.

Then, in Round 2 of the fight, Pereira compromised Adesanya's mobility -- always a key to his success -- with calf kicks to his lead leg. Adesanya backed against the cage, and Pereira followed. As Adesanya covered up, Pereira unloaded with lefts and rights. Just as things were looking dour for Adesanya, he unleashed a lightning-fast counter right and that stopped the champ in his tracks. Another right hand dropped Pereira, and Adesanya pounced with a hammerfist to finish the job.

Suddenly, Adesanya was back on top of the world.

And fittingly, he has inched closer to the top in the latest ESPN pound-for-pound rankings. The rest of the men's top 10 maintains its order, as do the women's rankings.

For the ESPN divisional MMA rankings, click here.

Note: Results are current; rankings as of April 11. In order to be eligible for the rankings, a fighter must have competed over the past 12 months or must have an upcoming fight booked. Fighters who have been dropped for inactivity can be reinstated only after they compete.

Men's pound-for-pound rankings

T-1. Islam Makhachev

UFC lightweight champion
Record: 24-1
Last: W (UD) Alexander Volkanovski, Feb. 11, 2023
Next: TBD

T-1. Alexander Volkanovski

UFC featherweight champion
Record: 25-2
Last: L (UD) Islam Makhachev, Feb. 11, 2023
Next: July 8 vs. Yair Rodriguez

3. Jon Jones

UFC heavyweight champion
Record: 27-1, 1 NC
Last: W (Sub1) Ciryl Gane, March 4, 2023
Next: TBD

4. Israel Adesanya

UFC middleweight champion
Previous ranking: 5
Record: 24-2
Last: W (TKO2) Alex Pereira, April 8, 2023
Next: TBD

5. Leon Edwards

UFC welterweight champion
Previous ranking: 4
Record: 21-3, 1 NC
Last: W (MD) Kamaru Usman, March 18, 2023
Next: TBD

6. Charles Oliveira

UFC lightweight
Record: 33-9, 1 NC
Last: L (Sub2) Islam Makhachev, Oct. 22, 2022
Next: June 10 vs. Beneil Dariush

7. Kamaru Usman

UFC welterweight
Record: 20-3
Last: L (MD) Leon Edwards, March 18, 2023
Next: TBD

8. Brandon Moreno

UFC flyweight champion
Record: 21-6-2
Last: W (TKO3) Deiveson Figueiredo, Jan. 21, 2023
Next: July 8 vs. Alexandre Pantoja

9. Aljamain Sterling

UFC bantamweight champion
Previous ranking: Tied for 8
Record: 22-3
Last: W (TKO2) TJ Dillashaw, Oct. 22, 2022
Next: May 6 vs. Henry Cejudo

10. Robert Whittaker

UFC middleweight
Record: 24-6
Last: W (UD) Marvin Vettori, Sept. 3, 2022
Next: July 8 vs. Dricus Du Plessis

Other fighters receiving votes: Jiri Prochazka, Dustin Poirier and Alex Pereira.

How our panel voted

Brett Okamoto: 1. Islam Makhachev; 2. Alexander Volkanovski; 3. Jon Jones; 4. Israel Adesanya; 5. Leon Edwards; 6. Robert Whittaker; 7. Charles Oliveira; 8. Aljamain Sterling; 9. Brandon Moreno; 10. Kamaru Usman.

Marc Raimondi: 1. Jones; 2. Makhachev; 3. Volkanovski; 4. Adesanya; 5. Edwards; 6. Oliveira; 7. Sterling; 8. Moreno; 9. Usman; 10. Jiri Prochazka.

Megan Anderson: 1. Jones; 2. Volkanovski; 3. Makhachev; 4. Adesanya; 5. Edwards; 6. Oliveira; 7. Usman; 8. Whittaker; 9. Moreno; 10. Pereira.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Makhachev; 3. Jones; 4. Adesanya; 5. Edwards; 6. Oliveira; 7. Usman; 8. Prochazka; 9. Moreno; 10. Pereira.

Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Volkanovski; 2. Makhachev; 3. Adesanya; 4. Jones; 5. Oliveira; 6. Edwards; 7. Dustin Poirier; 8. Usman; 9. Moreno; 10. Sterling.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Makhachev; 2. Volkanovski; 3. Jones; 4. Adesanya; 5. Edwards; 6. Oliveira; 7. Sterling; 8. Usman; 9. Moreno; 10. Prochazka.

Women's pound-for-pound rankings

1. Amanda Nunes

UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion
Record: 22-5
Last: W (UD) Julianna Peña, July 30, 2022
Next: June 10 vs. Julianna Peña

2. Zhang Weili

UFC strawweight champion
Record: 23-3
Last: W (Sub2) Carla Esparza, Nov. 12, 2022
Next: TBD

3. Valentina Shevchenko

UFC flyweight
Record: 22-4
Last: L (Sub4) Alexa Grasso, March 4, 2023
Next: TBD

4. Cris Cyborg

Bellator featherweight champion
Record: 26-2, 1 NC
Last: W (UD) Arlene Blencowe, April 23, 2022
Next: TBD

5. Alexa Grasso

UFC flyweight champion
Record: 16-3
Last: W (Sub4) Valentina Shevchenko, March 4, 2023
Next: TBD

6. Julianna Peña

UFC bantamweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (UD) Amanda Nunes, July 30, 2022
Next: June 10 vs. Amanda Nunes

T-7. Jessica Andrade

UFC flyweight
Record: 24-10
Last: L (Sub2) Erin Blanchfield, Feb. 18, 2023
Next: May 6 vs. Yan Xiaonan

T-7. Rose Namajunas

UFC strawweight
Record: 11-5
Last: L (SD) Carla Esparza, May 7, 2022
Next: TBD

9. Erin Blanchfield

UFC flyweight
Record: 11-1
Last: W (Sub2) Jessica Andrade, Feb. 18, 2023
Next: TBD

10. Carla Esparza

UFC strawweight
Record: 19-7
Last: L (Sub2) Zhang Weili, Nov. 12, 2022
Next: TBD

Other fighters receiving votes: Kayla Harrison, Amanda Lemos and Raquel Pennington.

How our panel voted

Brett Okamoto: 1. Amanda Nunes; 2. Valentina Shevchenko; 3. Zhang Weili; 4. Cris Cyborg; 5. Rose Namajunas; 6. Alexa Grasso; 7. Jessica Andrade; 8. Julianna Peña; 9. Kayla Harrison; 10. Erin Blanchfield.

Marc Raimondi: 1. Nunes; 2. Cyborg; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Zhang; 5. Grasso; 6. Peña; 7. Namajunas; 8. Andrade; 9. Blanchfield; 10. Esparza.

Megan Anderson: 1. Nunes; 2. Zhang; 3. Cyborg; 4. Shevchenko; 5. Grasso; 6. Esparza; 7. Namajunas; 8. Blanchfield; 9. Andrade; 10. Raquel Pennington.

Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Nunes; 2. Shevchenko; 3. Zhang; 4. Cyborg; 5. Grasso; 6. Peña; 6. Harrison; 7. Esparza; 8. Andrade; 10. Blanchfield.

Eddie Maisonet III: 1. Nunes; 2. Zhang; 3. Grasso; 4. Shevchenko; 5. Peña; 6. Cyborg; 7. Blanchfield; 8. Andrade; 9. Namajunas; 10. Lemos.

Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Nunes; 2. Zhang; 3. Shevchenko; 4. Cyborg; 5. Grasso; 6. Peña; 7. Blanchfield; 8. Andrade; 9. Esparza; 10. Namajunas.