Top 7 Pound-for-Pound MMA Fighters in the World to Bet On

Of course, as the premier mixed martial arts promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship dominates the pound-for-pound landscape. And while our opinion at BetUS might slightly differ from the official P4P rankings, don’t expect any competitors outside of the UFC to make an appearance, as they’re unproven in the most talent-stacked MMA promotion, thus deeming them ineligible in our eyes.

With that said, we’ve rated the top 7 male MMA stars based on their results, the manner of their victories/defeats, championships won, and the quality of opposition encountered below. These are names worth remembering when placing UFC bets in the sportsbook.

Top 7 MMA Fighters in 2024

1. Islam Makhachev

Often referred to as the second coming of Khabib Nurmagomedov, it’s difficult to argue with the official pound-for-pound rankings that place Islam Makhachev in first position.

On paper, Makhachev is 15-1 (UFC) with the longest win streak (14) in UFC lightweight division history, thus surpassing his protégé Khabib. While those numbers are impressive, he doesn’t claim the top spot strictly based on results but more so because of the manner in which he’s winning fights versus the best 155-pounders on the planet.

Last year, Makhachev claimed back-to-back wins over Alexander Volkanovski, who at the time was regarded as the best fighter on the planet. Sure, the first encounter was competitive, but all doubts were put to bed in the rematch when Makhachev delivered a head-kick knockout win heard worldwide.

Oh, and let’s not forget he choked Dustin Poirier out earlier this year and has won 10 of his 15 UFC bouts via submission or KO/TKO. Islam is also one win away from holding UFC’s most lightweight title defenses (4). Although known for his wrestling prowess, it’s argued that he’s an evolution of Khabib due to owning the highest significant strike accuracy in lightweight division history (60.3%).

2. Alex Pereira

Two weight classes competed in, and two divisions were conquered. Despite owning a mere 11-2-0 pro-MMA record, Brazil’s Alex Pereira has defied logic, claimed gold, and defended it in two UFC weight classes in just nine appearances since 2021.

While a long-standing feud with Israel Adesanya dating back to an early kickboxing career resulted in Pereira’s first and only UFC defeat, ‘Poatan’ wasn’t deterred. He moved to 205 lbs and finished Jiri Prochazka to become a two-weight world champion.

As of August 2024, Pereira has won four consecutive fights as a light heavyweight against former champions and successfully defended his belt via knockout. Aside from his apparent success at middleweight and light heavyweight, it’s the records and achievements that truly separate ‘Poatan’ from the pack and make him a pound-for-pound great.

Placing Pereira as our #2 pound-for-pound-ranked fighter might be argued due to his 8-1 UFC record. However, five of his eight wins were against former UFC champions, proving that his kickboxing attributes and takedown defense are more than capable of achieving greatness.

As Pereira prepares for his third light heavyweight title defense against Khaili Rountree at UFC 307, his G.O.A.T. status is already earned. He’s the first and only fighter to win the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight straps, the first fighter to win championships in two divisions in MMA and kickboxing, and he also holds the record for the fewest MMA bouts fought to become a two-division UFC champion (11).

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3. Tom Aspinall

‘Tom Aspinall hasn’t won the lineal heavyweight championship,’ who cares? We certainly don’t. It’s not Tom’s fight that Jon Jones would rather fight 40-plus heavyweights that haven’t competed for years instead of giving the interim heavyweight champion his rightful shot at the championship!

Aspinall isn’t just the fighting pride of England; he’s the most dominant UFC heavyweight since Francis Ngannou. On route to picking up UFC heavyweight interim gold, he’s battered every opponent in front of him, and it hasn’t been close!

There aren’t many pound-for-pound greats who hold a more vicious streak than Alex Pereira, but with eight wins and eight wins by knockout or submission, Aspinall does! And don’t forget, seven of Tom’s eight UFC victories came in the first round, giving him the shortest average fight time in UFC history (2 minutes, 2 seconds).

Unfortunately, a leg injury has blemished Aspinall’s UFC record with one loss. He rectified the doubters at UFC 304 and blasted through Curtis Blaydes within 60 seconds to prove their previous clash was nothing more than a freak accident.

In my eyes, and the eyes of many, Aspinall is undefeated and seemingly unstoppable. The only question is, ‘Jon Jones, where are you?’

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4. Jon Jones

Don’t show Dana White our pound-for-pound rankings; he’ll be seething that we placed the golden goose at No.4.

If you didn’t already know, Dana White has been constantly trolled by the MMA community for talking about Jon Jones and claiming that anyone who doesn’t place him as the P4P #1 ‘is stupid.’ At this point, Dana has mentioned Jones as No.1 so much that it feels like he holds some deep, dark secrets over the UFC President.

Either way, Dana isn’t entirely wrong. Jones has remained at the top of the sport for the last sixteen years. He’s a two-division champion, holds a 21-1-1 UFC record, and is arguably undefeated because a disqualification against Matt Hamill resulted from an “illegal” move that is now legal (Downward elbows).

Bones Jones hasn’t fought an opponent outside of the top-five-rankings for fourteen years, whether at light, heavyweight or heavyweight. He’s still, to this day, the youngest UFC champion in history and holds the most title defenses at 205lbs ever!

Nobody has fought in more UFC championship bouts than Jones (16), and 19 straight wins (should be 20 minus the Hamill nonsense) is the longest undefeated streak the promotional has ever witnessed.

So, why isn’t Jones the P4P No.1 like Dana White likes to tell us he is?

Inactivity, testing positive for PEDs, and some of the contests – Dominick Reyes, Thiago Santos – where he’s arguably lost, or at the very least, looked far from dominant.

I’m not here to trigger Jones fans, but facts are facts, and this man has fought twice since 2019. This isn’t a martial artist worthy of #1 pound-for-pound status, and a clear ducking of Tom Aspinall, the interim and rightful contender of Jones’ heavyweight strap, will be addressed until he accepts the challenge!

5. Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria’s rise to becoming the UFC featherweight champion is as nearly perfect as possible. ‘El Matador’ went from a twenty-something prospect to a dominant champion, making it look effortless when he battered Volkanovski at UFC 298.

Topuria doesn’t hold a long list of records or present a wealth of experience and top-tier wins. However, due to the authoritarian fashion in which he defeated Volkanovski and many other featherweight opponents, keeping him outside of P4P rankings is impossible, and his potential for G.O.A.T status is arguably higher than any other newly crowned and current UFC champion who’s still young in their careers.

Topuria is scheduled to face Max Holloway at UFC 308 in his inaugural 145lb title defense, and if he can become the first opponent ever to hand ‘Blessed’ a knockout loss, he’ll likely jump a few positions on our P4P list.

Bet on the Max Holloway vs Ilia Topuria Fight Here

6. Sean O’Malley

‘Suga’ Sean sent ripples through the bantamweight landscape when he emphatically finished Aljamain Sterling to win the 135lb championship. The haters, critics, and doubters still weren’t convinced, but an absolute masterclass over Marlon Vera in his first title defense silenced some of them.

To date, O’Malley is 10-1-1 as a UFC competitor, and he’s the bantamweight champ with one title defense. Regarding highlight reels, there aren’t many fighters capable of matching him, as a kickboxing flow state of precision and beautiful striking combinations present one of the most fun-to-watch strikers reminiscent of prime Anderson Silva or Conor McGregor.

Speaking of McGregor, O’Malley’s superstar status has rapidly grown, making him one of the biggest earners on the UFC roster as Dana White & co. know they have a marketable athlete on their hands, similar to the famed Irishman. Should ‘Suga’ make another successful title defense in the company’s one-off event (UFC 306) at the Las Vegas Sphere, skies the limit for his potential of becoming the biggest name in MMA.

7. Dricus Du Plessis

Last but certainly not least is South Africa’s first-ever UFC champion, the new middleweight king, Dricus Du Plessis.

Look, I understand that many people may disagree with this entry, but the strength of the schedule of ‘Stillknocks’ has been wild over the last twelve months. On route to winning the 185lb gold, DDP has fought and defeated three former middleweight champs, and he’s done so convincingly.

Handing Robert Whittaker his second-ever loss by knockout triggered Du Plessis’ path to greatness, but 2024 has undeniably been a breakout year of deservingly claiming P4P-ranking status. First, he dethroned Sean Strickland, and just recently, at UFC 305, he became the first opponent to submit Israel Adesanya and the second competitor ever to defeat Izzy at middleweight.

Du Plessis has thrived as an underdog on many occasions, but despite these doubts, he continues winning and is now riding a 10-fight win streak dating back to 2018, during which time he’s finished all but two opponents inside the distance.

Want to bet on Du Plessis? We have an early UFC betting line for the Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis fight here!

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