Valentina Shevchenko hasn’t been in a fight since September, but the UFC women’s flyweight champion nonetheless rose to #1 in ESPN’s latest balance sheet rankings.
That’s because the previous number 1, Amanda Nunes, was disappointed at UFC 269, dropping her bantamweight title. Nunes is still the featherweight champion, and she doesn’t fall too far in the top 10.
Boxer dethroned Nunes on December 11, Julianna Pena, made her debut in the new women’s chart.
A UFC 269 performance also played a role in changing the men’s top 10, where Charles Oliveira enhanced the strength of his first lightweight title defense, a submission of Dustin Poirier.
Making his chart debut is Glover Teixeira, who at 42 won the UFC light heavyweight belt in October.
Starting the rankings are Poirier and Germaine de Randamie, the latter to inactive. De Randamie hasn’t competed – or even been booked for a match – in over a year. Coincidentally, her most recent match, in October 2020, was a win over Peña.
Note: Results are current; ratings as of December 15.
Men’s pound-for-pound chart
first. Kamaru Usman 
UFC Welterweight Champion
Record: 20-1
Final: W (UD) Colby Covington, November 6, 2021
Next: TBD
UFC middleweight champion
Record: 21-1
Final: W (UD) Marvin Vettori, June 12, 2021
Next: February 12 vs Robert Whittaker
UFC featherweight champion
Record: 23-1
Final: W (UD) Brian Ortega, September 25, 2021
Next: TBD
T-4. Francis Ngannou
UFC Heavyweight Champion
Record: 16-3
Final: W (KO2) Stipe Miocic, March 27, 2021
Next: January 22 vs Ciryl Ganes
T-4. Charles Oliveira 
UFC lightweight champion
Prior ratings: 6
Record: 32-8, 1 NC
Final: W (Sub3) Dustin Poirier, December 11, 2021
Next: TBD
6. Petr Yan
UFC interim bantamweight champion
Prior ratings: 7
Record: 16-2
Final: W (UD) Cory Sandhagen, October 30, 2021
Next: TBD vs. Aljamain Sterling
7. Max Holloway
UFC featherweight
Prior ratings: T-9
Record: 23-6
Final: W (UD) Yair Rodriguez, November 13, 2021
Next: TBD
UFC flyweight champion
Prior ratings: T-9
Record: 19-5-2
Final: W (Sub3) Deiveson Figueedlyo, June 12, 2021
Next: January 22 vs Deiveson Figueosystemo
T-9. Stipe Miocic 
UFC Heavyweight
Prior ratings: 8
Record: 20-4
Final: L (KO2) Francis Ngannou, March 27, 2021
Next: TBD
T-9. Glover Teixeira
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Prior ratings: Not rated
Record: 33-7
Final: W (Sub2) Jan Blachowicz, October 30, 2021
Next: TBD
Other boxers received votes: Robert Whittaker and Dustin Poirier.
How Our Writers Vote
Brett Okamoto: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Israel Adesanya; 3. Alexander Volkanovski; 4. Max Holloway; 5. Petr Yan; 6. Charles Oliveira; 7. Francis Ngannou; 8. Robert Whittaker; 9. Dustin Poirier; 10. Brandon Moreno.
Marc Raimondi: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Israel Adesanya; 3. Francis Ngannou; 4. Alexander Volkanovski; 5. Charles Oliveira; 6. Petr Yan; 7. Stipe Miocic; 8. Dustin Poirier; 9. Glover Teixeira; 10. Robert Whittaker.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Charles Oliveira; 3. Israel Adesanya; 4. Alexander Volkanovski; 5. Francis Ngannou; 6. Petr Yan; 7. Brandon Moreno; 8. Max Holloway; 9. Glover Teixeira; 10. Robert Whittaker.
Mike Coppinger: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Israel Adesanya; 3. Alexander Volkanovski; 4. Charles Oliveira; 5. Francis Ngannou; 6. Brandon Moreno; 7. Max Holloway; 8. Petr Yan; 9. Robert Whittaker; 10. Glover Teixeira.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Kamaru Usman; 2. Francis Ngannou; 3. Israel Adesanya; 4. Alexander Volkanovski; 5. Charles Oliveira; 6. Petr Yan; 7. Stipe Miocic; 8. Glover Teixeira; 9. Brandon Moreno; 10. Dustin Poirier.
first. Valentina Shevchenko
UFC flyweight champion
Prior ratings: 2
Record: 21-3
Final: W (TKO4) Lauren Murphy, September 25, 2021
Next: TBD
2. Amanda Nunes
UFC featherweight champion
Prior ratings: first
Record: 21-5
Final: L (Sub2) Julianna Pena, December 11, 2021
Next: TBD
UFC Straw Champion
Record: 11-4
Final: W (SD) Zhang Weili, November 6, 2021
Next: TBD
4. Cris Cyborg
Bellator featherweight champion
Record: 25-2, 1 NC
Final: W (KO1) Sinead Kavanagh, November 12, 2021
Next: TBD
UFC bantamweight champion
Prior ratings: Not rated
Record: 11-4
Final: W (Sub2) Amanda Nunes, December 11, 2021
Next: TBD
6. Zhang Weili
UFC Straw Weight Class
Prior ratings: 5
Record: 21-3
Final: L (SD) Rose Namajunas, November 6, 2021
Next: TBD
UFC fly class
Prior ratings: 6
Record: 22-9
Final: W (TKO1) Cynthia Calvillo, September 25, 2021
Next: TBD
PFL . Lightweight Champion
Prior ratings: 7
Record: 12-0
Final: W (Sub2) Taylor Guardado, October 27, 2021
Next: TBD
9. Holly Holm
UFC bantamweight division
Record: 14-5
Final: W (UD) Irene Aldana, October 3, 2020
Next: TBD
ten. Carla Esparza
UFC Straw Weight Class
Record: 18-6
Final: W (TKO2) Yan Xiaonan, May 22, 2021
Next: TBD
Other boxers received votes: Katlyn Chookagian.
How Our Writers Vote
Brett Okamoto: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Amanda Nunes; 3. Namajunas Roses; 4. Cris Cyborg; 5. Kayla Harrison; 6. Zhang Weili; 7. Jessica Andrade; 8. Julianna Peña; 9. Carla Esparza; 10. Katlyn Chookagian.
Marc Raimondi: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Amanda Nunes; 3. Cris Cyborg; 4. Namajunas Roses; 5. Julianna Peña; 6. Kayla Harrison; 7. Zhang Weili; 8. Jessica Andrade; 9. Holly Holm; 10. Carla Esparza.
Carlos Contreras Legaspi: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Amanda Nunes; 3. Namajunas Roses; 4. Julianna Peña; 5. Cris Cyborg; 6. Holly Holm; 7. Kayla Harrison; 8. Jessica Andrade; 9. Zhang Weili; 10. Carla Esparza.
Mike Coppinger: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Namajunas Roses; 3. Julianna Peña; 4. Amanda Nunes; 5. Cris Cyborg; 6. Zhang Weili; 7. Jessica Andrade; 8. Holly Holm; 9. Kayla Harrison; 10. Carla Esparza.
Jeff Wagenheim: 1. Valentina Shevchenko; 2. Cris Cyborg; 3. Namajunas Roses; 4. Amanda Nunes; 5. Zhang Weili; 6. Jessica Andrade; 7. Julianna Peña; 8. Holly Holm; 9. Carla Esparza; 10. Kayla Harrison.
