Ilia Topuria Tops ESPN's Undefeated MMA Fighter Rankings

Ilia Topuria remains the top unbeaten fighter in MMA, according to ESPN's annual rankings published this week.

The UFC lightweight champion stands at 17-0 and has kept that record intact through four title defences, finishing Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira by knockout. ESPN's Brett Okamoto noted that Topuria has delivered a 100% finishing rate in championship bouts and faces Justin Gaethje in a unification fight at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 in Washington.

Khamzat Chimaev loses unbeaten streak at UFC 328

Several once-undefeated fighters have taken their first losses since last year's rankings, with the most significant being Khamzat Chimaev. The former middleweight champion dropped a split decision to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 in May, ending his 16-fight run. Bellator veteran Johnny Eblen and UFC featherweight Lerone Murphy also suffered their first defeats.

PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov ranks second at 21-0 after narrowly edging Paul Hughes twice in back-to-back title defences last year. Okamoto suggested Nurmagomedov might be the best lightweight in the world and wrote that no one can definitively say how a Nurmagomedov-Topuria matchup would unfold.

Movsar Evloev sits third at 20-0 and is expected to challenge for the UFC featherweight belt later this year after 10 consecutive Octagon wins. UFC welterweights Michael Morales and Shavkat Rakhmonov round out the top five, both carrying 19-0 records. Rakhmonov returned to training last week for the first time since January knee surgery that removed him from the rankings.

PFL women's flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva holds the sixth spot at 15-0. She faces Denise Kielholtz on July 31 in her first outing of the year.

Source: espn.com