MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. Russia’s Islam Makhachev, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Reigning Welterweight Champion, has moved into first place in the newly-published UFC Pound-for-Pound Rankings, which rate UFC fighters irrespective of weight category.

Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria from Spain, who was first in the previous edition of the rankings, dropped to the second position, with Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili from Georgia rounding out the top three of the UFC Pound-for-Pound Rankings.

On November 15, Makhachev defeated Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC Welterweight crown by unanimous decision.

Makhachev, 34, boasts a record of 28 wins (five by KO/TKO, 13 by submission, ten by decision) and one defeat. The Russian fighter became the UFC Lightweight champion in October 2022. He successfully defended his title four times.

Earlier in the year, Makhachev decided to vacate his champion’s title in the Lightweight Division and move to the Welterweight Division. After defeating Australia’s Maddalena last week, he became the first Russian fighter to win champion’s titles in two different UFC weight categories.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotional event, featuring the world’s top-ranked fighters. Numerous Russian fighters fight in the UFC.