At UFC 320, Alex Pereira and Merab Dvalishvili cemented their superstar status. In front of a roaring crowd of 19,081 at the T-Mobile Arena, ‘Poatan’ brutally knocked out Magomed Ankalaev to reclaim the 205 lbs throne. Meanwhile, ‘The Machine’ successfully defended his title for the third time this year, delivering a record-breaking performance against Cory Sandhagen. With both fighters enjoying dominant campaigns, they have also received massive boosts in the pound-for-pound rankings. And it seems only a matter of time before they topple over Islam Makhachev’s P4P spot. 

The Dagestani former champ claimed the No. 1 pound-for-pound spot by flatlining Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294. After earning that crown, Makhachev held onto his reign for 604 days. The third-longest in UFC history! Only behind Jon Jones’ 1,741 days and Demetrious Johnson’s 718 days. But after nearly two years of dominance, Ilia Topuria snatched his place as the new No. 1 by knocking out Charles Oliveira and becoming a two-division champion at UFC 317. As of now, Makhachev has slipped to third place — and it seems that reclaiming the top spot will be a tough challenge.

Islam Makhachev’s biggest hurdle is Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322

To become the king of the UFC once again, Islam Makhachev first needs to get past Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. It might seem like a straightforward task, but it’s the crucial first step he has to take successfully. Fans may believe that the former 155 lbs champ is the favorite to win this fight — and that might be true. But, it also has to be acknowledged that the Aussie could be a nightmare matchup as well. Don’t believe me? Here’s what Khabib Nurmagomedov has to say. 

On the Hustle Show, ‘The Eagle’ Said, “No, no, no, brother, we don’t see it that way (that Islam is the favorite in the matchup). I don’t see it that way. I think Maddalena is the toughest opponent in Islam’s career. That’s my opinion. Not Charles, no one else.” Now, what has ‘JDM’ done to intimidate the undefeated lightweight legend? The answer lies in the 170 lbs fighting style. 

Remember UFC 315? Della Maddalena almost shut down Belal Muhammad’s wrestling with his impeccable takedown defense and ended up becoming the third fighter (after Volkanovski and Whittaker) to bring a UFC belt to the land Down Under. So, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that ‘JDM’ could actually develop even more tools and end up becoming an evolved version. He is also one of the best pure boxers in the promotion, and that amplifies the threat.  

So, if Islam ends up losing to the 170 lbs champ at UFC 322, his dream of capturing a second belt would surely be shattered. On top of that, the Dagestani legend could also drop a few spots in the pound-for-pound rankings, making it excruciatingly difficult to climb back to the top. However, what if he wins? Does that actually improve his chances? 

Merab, Alex Pereira, and Ilia Topuria can overtake the former lightweight champ  

Now, imagine that Islam Makhachev has just defeated Jack Della Maddalena at the historic Madison Square Garden. Then he goes to the center of the Octagon as Dana White wraps that second belt around his waist. Well, in that moment, he would’ve actually cemented his GOAT status in the UFC alongside his mentor Khabib. The next few days, he would likely find himself taking Topuria’s P4P  spot as well.  

The 33-year-old would once again find himself at the top of the mountain, but staying there for long might not be easy. Why? Because several other champions have stronger claims. The first major threat would be none other than bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili.

The Georgian has already cleared out most of his contenders in the division, including four former champions. And if ‘The Machine’ fights again in December and manages to defend his belt four times in a single year, the UFC might very well rank him as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. Still, it’s not only the Georgian that’s posing a threat. 

His compatriot, Ilia Topuria, will be ready to reclaim his place once again. At UFC 317, El Matador captured the vacant lightweight title by knocking Charles Oliveira out cold in the first round. That victory earned him the No. 1 pound-for-pound spot, as he proved to be the more powerful striker in a higher weight class. If he successfully defends his belt against the next contender, we could once again see a quick shift at the top. Rumors suggest that Topuria might face Justin Gaethje early next year. So even if Islam takes the top spot after UFC 322, Topuria could easily reclaim it by defeating ‘The Highlight’.  

Next is Alex Pereira, who also makes a strong case with his astounding achievements. After defeating Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320, the Brazilian climbed from 10th to 6th in the pound-for-pound rankings. But if we’re talking about seeing him at No. 1, Poatan would need to move up to the heavyweight division and capture a third belt. Ideally, at the UFC White House event next year.

If Pereira achieves that feat by defeating someone like Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane, then it would be impossible to deny him the top spot. Moreover, he could be in for a long run as the best fighter in the UFC, earning both three-division champion and pound-for-pound king status.

Well, that’s a pretty big line of competition for Islam Makhachev. However, that leads us to the question. Is there any way for the Dagestani champ to bring back his dominant reign? Yes, there is actually! 

How can the Dagestani legend bring back his P4P dominance?    

At this point, Makhachev replicating his prime 604-day reign as the pound-for-pound king might be a bit difficult. Still, he likely wouldn’t mind holding that position for at least a year or so. To make that happen, the Dagestani former champ would need to defend his title twice within a year. Essentially maintaining his usual pace of two fights per year. So, why is activity so important here?

It’s because if Topuria successfully defends his title in the lightweight division, he would almost certainly reclaim the pound-for-pound throne. To surpass that, Islam Makhachev would need to defend his title once more against a top contender! A feat that would make his accomplishments even greater than the Georgian-Spaniard’s.

Let’s not forget, El Matador has only registered one title defense so far, at featherweight. Even if he does so again, that would bring his total to two. On the other hand, Islam has already defended the 155 lbs title a record four times, and if he adds a defense at 170 lbs, that achievement alone would eclipse Topuria and anyone else in the pound-for-pound race.

If the Dagestani manages yet another successful defense after that, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to take his place. Only Pereira becoming a three-division champion — which, let’s be honest, is highly unlikely at the moment — could top that in terms of accomplishment. In that case, Islam Makhachev could realistically retire as a two-division champion, the pound-for-pound king. In short, the GOAT of the sport.  

With that being said, do you agree that Islam Makhachev’s pound-for-pound ranking is actually in trouble? And also, do you think he can climb to the number one spot once again? Let us know in the comments section below.