Carlos Ulberg snubbed by UFC men's pound-for-pound ranking

Carlos Ulberg is a noticeable absence on the UFC men's pound-for-pound ranking. The promotion's website now includes two lists. One is compiled by Meta, while the other is compiled by a media panel, the latter of which is the only one with a pound-for-pound list for both men and women. Unfortunately for Ulberg, he isn't ranked as one of the world's pound-for-pound best fighters, despite his recent championship ascension.

Carlos Ulberg is the only UFC men's champion missing from the list

Every other male UFC champion is ranked in the fifteen fighters included on the men's pound-for-pound list, which is topped by reigning welterweight kingpin Islam Makhachev, who won the title in a dominant unanimous decision win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. The second name on the ranking is two-time featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who recently defended his title in a five-round win over Diego Lopes at UFC 325. The list continues with another two-time champion in Petyr Yan, who reclaimed the bantamweight belt from Merab Dvalishvili in a five-round beatdown at UFC 323.

Then, at #4, is Justin Gaethje, who captured the lightweight title with a fourth-round TKO of Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250. He is followed by Topuria himself at #5, who is himself followed by heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. The remaining fighters on the list are middleweight champion Sean Strickland, Alex Pereira, the aforementioned Dvalishvili, interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane, flyweight champion Joshua Van, Khamzat Chimaev, Alexandre Pantoja, Arman Tsarukyan, and BMF champion Charles Oliveira. Every male champion is ranked, alongside several non-champions, with the exception of Carlos Ulberg, who recently captured the UFC light heavyweight title in a first-round knockout of Jiří Procházka at UFC 327.

Carlos Ulberg is currently the only UFC champion NOT ranked in the pound-for-pound list pic.twitter.com/AyWLNmjYaq

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 23, 2026

Not only is he the promotion's light heavyweight champion, but he is on a stunning 10-fight win streak, consisting of six knockouts/TKOs and a submission. Among the fighters he has beaten are former light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes, who he knocked out in round one at UFC Fight Night 260, another former light heavyweight title challenger in Volkan Oezdemir, who he outworked for three rounds at UFC Fight Night 248, and a former light heavyweight champion in Jan Błachowicz, who he beat via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 255.