Natalia Silva rolled into Salt Lake City without the hype, but she absolutely walked out with a scintillating gold belt. She just took down Wang Cong over five rounds of pure skill, claiming that vacant women’s 125-pound title.
Silva’s Gold and What’s Next for the Women’s Ranks
That vacant women’s 125-pound title is hers, and believe me, it tightens up the elbow room at the top of the women’s pound-for-pound ranks. She’s officially broken into the top five, and that’s no small feat. What’s next for her? Fingers crossed we get that title defense against the former two-time champ, Valentina Shevchenko. That fight would be epic, a true test for Silva and a potential blockbuster for the fans!
How the Pound-for-Pound List Gets Made
So, how do these P4P rankings get decided every month? It’s a panel of heavy-hitters like Ben Fowlkes and Chuck Mindenhall, using a weighted points system. Top spot gets you 10 points, all the way down to one point for tenth place. The rules are simple enough: you gotta have fought in the last year or have a fight booked. And nah, it’s not just about the UFC. They’re looking at all the major promotions, from PFL and RIZIN to ONE Championship and MVP, even Ki MMA if that ever becomes a real thing. It’s about finding the absolute best, no matter where they scrap.
The Men’s P4P Stacked With Firepower
While Silva’s making waves, the men’s pound-for-pound list is still stacked with the baddest dudes in the game. Islam Makhachev, our UFC welterweight champ, is still sitting pretty at number one. Who’s next for him? We’re talking the smoking-hot Carlos Prates, the oversized Michael Morales, and a returning Shavkat Rakhmonov who’s on the mend. Oooof, that’s a lineup! Petr Yan, the UFC bantamweight champ, is holding steady at number two. Everyone’s waiting for UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi for what could be an unsung trilogy. Remember UFC 323? People are still talking about if Yan caught Merab Dvalishvili when he was exhausted from his fourth title defense in 2025. Could that set a trap for Yan’s next opponent?
Alexander Volkanovski, the UFC featherweight champ, is number three and rolling into Abu Dhabi for UFC 333 on October 24th to defend his title against Movsar Evloev. What’s wild is “Volk” was Evloev’s biggest advocate for that title shot. Will he regret that act of largesse? Joshua Van, the UFC flyweight champ at number four, is just 24 and already breaking records left and right, drawing comparisons to Jon Jones. Manel Kape is next for him, and trust me, that’s gonna be a banger! Rounding out the top five is Justin Gaethje, the UFC lightweight champ. Nothing’s official yet, but all signs point to a Gaethje vs. Arman Tsarukyan showdown.
So, there you have it, the October 2026 P4P shake-up! With UFC 333 coming up with those huge title fights in Abu Dhabi and the potential for Silva vs. Shevchenko, the next few months in the fight game are going to be absolutely wild. Keep your eyes peeled!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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