UFC Men’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10
To be a member of the UFC’s esteemed pound-for-pound rankings is considered to be amongst the greatest competitors in all of mixed martial arts. From world champions to divisional juggernauts, this incredibly short list of names is composed of several living legends of the sport.
However, while each individual man in the category is counted as the elite of the elite, not all of them have captivated fans with a wide array of knockouts equally. Although possessing heavy hands isn’t a requirement to make the above list, it is those who have proven themselves exciting strike-oriented finishers that find themselves at the forefront of popularity.
Knockout Record Rankings of the UFC’s Men’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10
- Merab Dvalishvili: Number of Career Knockouts (3)
Standing as one of the most beloved athletes on the entire roster, Merab Dvalishvili is currently in the midst of a majorly dominant title reign as the bantamweight gold standard. Recording two title defenses in 2025, “The Machine” has bested other 135-lb phenoms over the course of his mammoth 13-fight win streak like José Aldo, Henry Cejudo, Umar Nurmagomedov and Sean O’Malley twice.
However, while Dvalishvili’s journey toward stardom has been completely immaculate, the Georgian has become more known for his output and gas tank rather than his knockouts. In fact, he has only logged just three victories by strikes in his 24-bout professional career, with his last one coming all the way back in 2021 against one-time bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes. Before that, his last KO win came four years earlier when he starched future Bellator champion Raufeon Stots in 2017.
Currently, Dvalishvili is preparing for a high-profile confrontation with bantamweight dark horse Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 in early October. Likely, the European powerhouse will not topple his latest challenger by strikes, but, instead, with his patented wrestling pressure and un-ending reserves of stamina.
- Islam Makhachev: Number of Career Knockouts (5)
Carving out a massive piece for himself in the annals of the sport’s history throughout his stint as a lightweight competitor, Islam Makhachev has become a fixture of top-level mixed martial arts. Gaining the 155-lb throne in 2022 with a resounding triumph over Charles Oliveira, the Dagestani went on to hold the championship for almost three years, netting four title defenses in thrilling battles with Dustin Poirier and Alexander Volkanovski. He also achieved other divisional milestones such as the longest win streak in UFC Lightweight division history at 14, and the highest significant strike accuracy in UFC Lightweight division history at 59.5%.
A true colossus in the lightweight category at one point, Makhachev outshone all of his fellow world-class contemporaries with his undeniable grappling and wrestling skills. The same couldn’t be said for his knockout ability, though, as the Russian destroyer has accumulated only a mere five wins from this method. It is true that his first round head kick finish of Volkanovski will always be the defining moment of his time as the 155-lb king, Makhachev’s bread and butter has always been his proficiency with submitting his opposition, owning 13 victories due to tap out.
Leaving the lightweight division behind earlier this year, he will now endeavor to repeat his era of domination at welterweight when he meets newly-minted champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 this November.
- Khamzat Chimaev: Number of Career Knockouts (6)
Putting on quite possibly the most one-sided performance in a UFC championship bout last month at UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev positively battered then two-time defending middleweight belt-holder Dricus Du Plessis. Smothering the unorthodox South African for the better part of 20 minutes, the Chechen phenom systematically broke down his opponent with expert Jiu-Jitsu skills, maintaining solid top pressure and landing over 500 punches.
Today in mixed martial arts, there is easily no one as popular with fans as Chimaev is. Showcasing his next-level grappling in almost every single one of his UFC scraps, “Borz” has produced no shortage of electrifying stoppages. Sadly, for knockout enthusiasts, the European hasn’t bested anyone by strikes for some time, with the last time he did so having happened at UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley in 2020. In the five years since, Chimaev has decimated the welter and middleweight classes with his wrestling, most notably earning a first round submission over former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
- Ilia Topuria: Number of Career Knockouts (7)
Springboarding into super stardom after a main event clash with Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, Ilia Topuria won the lightweight crown in jaw-dropping fashion by flatlining the decorated Brazilian in the first two minutes of their tilt. The victory made the power-punching Georgian the tenth fighter in UFC history to hold two belts in two different weight classes. He also became the only one of those ten individuals to do so while being undefeated.
For most of his tenure under the UFC banner, Topuria has garnered a much-earned reputation for his highlight-reel knockouts, notably becoming the only man to stop featherweight titan Max Holloway with strikes. Despite his adeptness for severing the consciousness of his foes, the number of knockouts “El Matador” possesses is actually quite low, notching just seven in his 16-fight career. This is because for most of his early stint as a fighter, Topuria was more of a submission artist, winning his first seven contests by submission. In fact, it wasn’t until nearly four years after his debut that he achieved his first knockout in his fight just before joining the UFC.
- Alexandre Pantoja: Number of Career Knockouts (8)
Garnering an amazing reputation as the second greatest flyweight fighter of all time, Alexandre Pantoja has set himself apart from the rest of his division by a very wide margin. Since ascending to the throne in 2023, “The Cannibal” has collected a total four defenses of his strap, decimating a wide array of talented 125-lb names such as Brandon Moreno twice, Brandon Royval twice, Kai Asakura and Kai Kara-France.
Sitting at the number five spot on the promotion’s pound-for-pound list, Pantoja has enjoyed a major amount of success throughout his reign as champion. But, while he does hold eight knockout wins to his name, the Brazilian is more known today for his submission game, taking four tap out victories in his last seven. His last triumph that came by way of his fists happened in 2019 when he flattened fellow Ultimate Fighter alum Matt Schnell with a hellacious overhand.
At the moment, Pantoja doesn’t have an official match lined up, but it seems that the up-and-coming Joshua Van is the next man in line for a title shot after besting Royval by unanimous decision at the same event Pantoja defended his belt for the fourth time.
- Magomed Ankalaev: Number of Career Knockouts (11)
After losing in his UFC debut back in 2018, Magomed Ankalaev has proceeded to embark on an unstoppable warpath through the light heavyweight class. Going 12-0-1 in his next thirteen matches, the Dagestani wrecking ball has brought down a murderer’s row of stellar talent like Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, Aleksandar Rakić. He capped off his stupendous run towards the summit of the division by dethroning the once-thought invincible Alex Pereira at UFC 313, ripping the strap away from the Brazilian by unanimous decision.
Boasting 11 knockout wins, Ankalaev’s power is certainly unquestionable, evident by his striking victories over Dalcha Lungiambula, Ion Cutelaba twice, Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker. However, over the last couple of years, the Russian has adopted more of a patient striking style while on the feet, choosing to masterfully pick his shots while relying on his grappling to wear on his adversaries’s gas tanks. This change of approach to his bouts have translated into numerous decision wins that have left part of the UFC fanbase to question Ankalaev’s finishing ability.
Regardless, Ankalaev has cemented his place as one of the best fighters on the roster. And should he manage to vanquish Pereira in their upcoming rematch in October at UFC 320, then there can be no further denying that Dagestani is the apex at 205-lb.
- Alex Pereira: Number of Career Knockouts (10)
Storming into the UFC in 2021 following a wholly amazing run in Glory Kickboxing, where he was a two-weight world champion, Alex Pereira enjoyed a swift meteoric rise in the middleweight category. Needing just three wins, including a first round finish over Sean Strickland, the Brazilian got his opportunity to contend for his first promotional belt when he met old rival Israel Adesanya at UFC 281. Faltering at first to “The Last Stylebender”’s not-widley-shown grappling, the challenger was able to back the champion to the fence and end the fight with strikes in the fifth round.
Opting to travel up a division after falling to Adesanya in an immediate runback, Pereira became a part of combat sports history by realizing another UFC championship by capturing the vacant light heavyweight throne with a victory over Jiří Procházka at UFC 295. He then etched three title defenses before forfeiting his gold to Magomed Ankalaev this past March.
In his nine wins inside the Octagon, Pereira has knocked out seven of his opponents. At the height of his powers when he was still champion, “Poatan” was praised the world over for his fearsome kickboxing skills that guided him to a trio of heart-pounding finishes over Jamahal Hill, Procházka in a rematch and the equally intimidating Khalil Rountree Jr. Factoring in his days as a professional kickboxer as well, the Glover Teixeira pupil can lay claim to an additional 21 knockouts, one coming against the aforementioned Adesanya during the pair’s younger years as surging martial artists.
- Tom Aspinall: Number of Career Knockouts (11)
To call Tom Aspinall a prodigy would be something of an understatement. In just five years, the English sensation has ascended to the head of the pack at heavyweight, previously winning the 265-lb interim strap and defending it once before being promoted to undisputed champion following Jon Jones’s abrupt retirement.
In a division known for housing the hardest punching men on the planet, Aspinall is a clear cut above the rest, ending eight of his contests in the company in the first five minutes; only one of his UFC fights has made it to the second round. Along his very swift rise, Aspinall has dusted other formidable strikers in the forms of Alexander Volkov, Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes. He has also earned a performance bonus in all but two of his Octagon appearances. Perhaps he should have used BonusFinder US in those other scraps to get a good idea on what to expect in the fight.
Finally able to compete after his forced hiatus due to Jones’s indecision on competing, Aspinall will have the chance to shine as champion when he attempts to record his first title defense opposite French standout Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 this October. After being put on the sidelines for well over a year, the Brit is more than eager to demonstrate his knockout power once more as he looks to kick off his reign in stylistic fashion.
- Jack Della Maddalena: Number of Career Knockouts (12)
Stunning the Canada crowd with a unanimous decision triumph over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 earlier in 2025, Jack Della Maddalena earned the welterweight championship in a dazzling display of boxing. Before his ascension to the top, the Aussie sped his way up the 170-lb ladder with key victories over divisional staples like Kevin Holland, Randy Brown and Gilbert Burns, finishing the latter two men by submission and strikes respectively. Undefeated in 18 matches, the Scrappy MMA product is in the midst of one of the longest winning streaks in professional mixed martial arts.
Given his love of the sweet science, Della Maddalena’s stand up is hailed as some of the finest in not just the UFC, but in the entire sport. This supreme dedication to his boxing has produced a ton of positive results for the 28-year old, including 12 knockouts. To put that into perspective, his first fight to go to the scorecards came on his appearance on the Contender Series back in 2021, eleven bouts into his career. Even after getting his contract with the organization, he went on to end his next three in the UFC via knockout.
Preparing himself for a superfight with previous lightweight gold standard Islam Makhachev later next month, Della Maddalena will have a tough test ahead of him as he seeks to make his first title defense. To improve his grappling even further, the Jiu-Jitsu black belt has taken every single measure possible, including bringing on Craig Jones into his training camp, much like his countryman Alexander Volkanovski, who also faced Makhachev twice in the past.
- Alexander Volkanovski: Number of Career Knockouts (13)
From attaining five defense of his featherweight belt, to once reigning atop the pound-for-pound rankings, there is perhaps no one as accomplished fighting in the UFC right now as Australian legend Alexander Volkanovski. Most recently stepping into the cage at UFC 314, “The Great” regained his place at the head of the pack at 145-lb by handing Brazilian bruiser Diego Lopes his second ever loss in the company. The occasion was a tremendous one for the 36-year old, who was entering the event off the back of two vicious KO defeats to nemesis Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria in the span of four months.
To his name, Volkanovski has garnered 13 knockouts in his whole career, with seven of those occurring before he made his UFC debut in 2015. Although he was very much a high octane finisher in his early years as a mixed martial artist, by the time he reached the UFC, he had evolved into more of a tactical and intelligent striker, generally preferring to outthink and analyze his opposition in the heat of the scrap. While he would come to string together more decision wins than knockouts, Volkanovski is almost universally viewed as the greatest featherweight of all time, holding crucial triumphs over the likes of Brian Ortega, Yair Rodriguez, José Aldo and Max Holloway thrice.
