Pound-for-pound rankings transcend the idea of weight classes, producing a list of fighters who are the cream of the crop in their sport. A number of key factors need to be taken into consideration when making pound-for-pound rankings, such as each fighter’s overall record, recent record, overall ability and caliber of opposition.
Based on the formula above, we present to you our list of the 5 best UFC fighters for 2022.
5. Francis Ngannou (17-3)
As UFC Heavyweight Champion and probably the hardest hitter around, Ngannou is known by many as ‘the baddest man on the planet.’ After losing his first fight to Stipe Miocic, he was able to knock him out in the rematch, cementing his place on this list as a pound-for-pound king.
4. Kamaru Usman (20-2)
The Nigerian-American Usman has been one of the most dominant UFC Champions in recent times, defending his Welterweight Championship five times before losing it to Leon Edwards in August of 2022. Despite the loss, Usman makes the cut as one of the best in the Octagon, pound-for-pound.
3. Leon Edwards (20-3)
Leon Edwards comes into this list with a 11 fight winning streak, which saw him capture the UFC Welterweight Title from Kamaru Usman in his most recent fight. Edwards is known for having a big heart in the Octagon, pouring his all into every second of every fight, which makes him a terror until the last bell rings.
2. Islam Makhachev (23-1)
The Russian-born, Islam Makhachev, is the current UFC Lightweight Champion, capturing the vacant title at UFC 280 in October of 2022 by submitting Charles Oliveira in the second round. Makhachev won fight after fight before getting his shot for the title, now sitting at the top with an eleven fight winning streak.
1. Alexander Volkanovski (23-1)
Coming in at the top position of our list is the Australian Alexander Volkanovski, the current UFC Featherweight Champion. Volkanovski has currently won 22 fights in a row, beating the likes of other top fighters in the division like Max Holloway, Brian Ortega and Jose Aldo. With such dominance in his division, there is no telling how long he could be at the top of pound-for-pound rankings.
Betting on UFC in 2023
As the 2022 calendar year comes to an end, we can see that a number of great UFC fights are in the making for the new year. If you’d like to place bets on the upcoming fights be sure to go through our list of the best UFC betting sites in Ontario, for details about the top online sportsbooks.
