The 2024 MMA calendar is off and rolling with huge occasions on the instant horizon. The UFC will host its first pay-per-view of the yr in Toronto with UFC 297. The primary joint occasion between the PFL and Bellator will observe in February with an enchanting “champion vs. champion” card. Plus, huge stars may make their anticipated returns to the cage, together with Francis Ngannou and Conor McGregor.
Which fighters are poised to have the very best 2024? We assembled our panel of MMA specialists to find out who will stand up and thrive probably the most. This is not a rating of the very best fighters on the planet. As a substitute, it is a projection of who will succeed over the subsequent 12 months based mostly on present efficiency, upcoming fights and different out-of-the-cage variables.
We have expanded this yr’s rankings from 30 to 50, to raised acknowledge fighters throughout all promotions and numerous weight courses. Did your favourite fighter make the reduce?
Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi, Jeff Wagenheim, Carlos Contreras Legaspi, Andres Waters and Eddie Maisonet assess what may be in retailer for the highest fighters within the sport.
1. Islam Makhachev 
Earlier rank: 1
UFC light-weight champion
MMA file: 25-1
For the second yr in a row, the UFC’s light-weight champion may have larger expectations on him than anybody else. In 2023, he met these excessive expectations by solidifying himself because the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the earth and profitable ESPN’s Fighter of the Yr. It will likely be extra of the identical in 2024. Count on two appearances, seemingly each at light-weight. And if he is spectacular once more, he’ll be a possible transfer to welterweight in 2025. — Okamoto
2. Alex Pereira 
Earlier rank: 10
UFC mild heavyweight champion
MMA file: 9-2
If middleweight Pereira was an issue, the sunshine heavyweight model is an absolute destroyer. His energy carried over to the heavier weight class, as Pereira knocked out Jiří Procházka to win the 205-pound title at UFC 295 in November. “Poatan” grew to become solely the ninth fighter to win championships in two UFC weight courses, and he was the quickest to take action — in solely seven UFC fights. The Brazilian kickboxer will seemingly be the favourite in potential title defenses in opposition to Jamahal Hill and Magomed Ankalaev. If he holds the title for all of 2024, Pereira will work his means near the highest of the pound-for-pound listing. — Raimondi
1:43
Leon Edwards retains title with dominant win over Colby Covington
Leon Edwards defeats Colby Covington to retain the UFC welterweight title at UFC 296.
3. Leon Edwards
Earlier rank: 12
UFC middleweight champion
MMA file: 22-3
Expectations for Edwards soared after his two defenses of the UFC welterweight title in 2023, first a decent choice win in opposition to former champ Kamaru Usman, then a shut-him-up domination of Colby Covington. And now the Brit has Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov headed his means — two sizable challenges, however additionally they current Edwards with a few alternatives to point out why he’s firmly established within the pound-for-pound prime 5. If “Rocky” Edwards ends 2024 nonetheless holding the 170-pound belt, it is going to have been a really positive yr. — Wagenheim
4. Alexa Grasso
Earlier rank: NR
UFC girls’s flyweight champion
MMA file: 16-3-1
Initially of 2023, few thought-about Grasso the subsequent title challenger within the UFC girls’s flyweight division. Nevertheless, Manon Fiorot’s damage elevated Grasso to a problem of champion Valentina Shevchenko. With sensible preparation for that struggle and 7 years of evolution within the UFC, Grasso pulled off one of many largest UFC championship struggle upsets by submitting Shevchenko within the fourth spherical to win the belt. With the retirement of Amanda Nunes and one other struggle in opposition to Shevchenko that led to a draw, Grasso established herself as the highest girls’s star of the yr. She may solidify her place in 2024 by both profitable a trilogy bout in opposition to Shevchenko or efficiently defending her title in opposition to the winner of the March 30 struggle between Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield. — Legaspi
1:24
Zhang Weili places on dominant efficiency in co-main occasion of UFC 292
Zhang Weili goes the space with Amanda Lemos within the co-main occasion of UFC 292.
5. Zhang Weili
Earlier rank: 9
UFC girls’s strawweight champion
MMA file: 24-3
ESPN has Zhang ranked as its No. 1 pound-for-pound girls’s fighter. Dominant performances in UFC strawweight title fights in opposition to Carla Esparza and Amanda Lemos solidified her atop that listing and earned her the next spot than final yr on this listing. First up for Zhang in 2024 will likely be a struggle in opposition to Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 on April 13. If Zhang defends her title twice this yr, she’ll tie Joanna Jedrzejczyk for probably the most title struggle victories in UFC strawweight historical past (6). If she defends it thrice, she’ll be on top-of-the-line runs in girls’s MMA ever. — Raimondi
6. Alexandre Pantoja
Earlier rank: NR
UFC males’s flyweight champion
MMA file: 27-5
Six months in the past, Pantoja was an inactive enigma, having competed solely as soon as in 1½ years. Then, all of the sudden, he was a champion. In his first struggle of 2023 in July, Pantoja scored a slim choice win over Brandon Moreno — his third win over Moreno, for those who depend their exhibition bout on “The Final Fighter” — to turn into UFC males’s flyweight champ. Pantoja adopted with a December win over Brandon Royval in one other rematch. Wanting forward, Pantoja has some brand-new challengers lined up, if they’ll get previous the fighters he has already defeated. — Wagenheim
7. Erin Blanchfield
Earlier rank: NR
UFC girls’s flyweight
MMA file: 12-1
The expectations positioned on Blanchfield going into 2024 are strapped to a rocket, because of what she did in 2023. It is one factor to beat Jessica Andrade and Taila Santos, nevertheless it’s one other to make her victories look as easy as Blanchfield did. The one knock on her was that possibly, at age 24, she was somewhat too younger to have monumental expectations positioned on her. That’s not the case. The purpose for Blanchfield in 2024 is nothing wanting profitable a UFC championship. — Okamoto
8. Tom Aspinall
Earlier rank: NR
UFC interim heavyweight champion
MMA file: 14-3
The long run — and current — of the UFC heavyweight division. Aspinall rebounded from a knee damage in 2022 to knock out Marcin Tybura and Sergei Pavlovich in 2023 in a mixed time of two minutes, 22 seconds — the latter win incomes him the interim heavyweight title. In an ideal world, Aspinall would get to show his mettle in opposition to champ Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic, probably the most completed heavyweight in UFC historical past. These matchups won’t come collectively, however Aspinall can nonetheless have a banner yr and proceed to construct his legacy with a few huge wins in 2024. — Raimondi
9. Alexander Volkanovski 
Earlier rank: 2
UFC featherweight champion
MMA file: 26-3
Volkanovski entered 2023 because the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in males’s MMA, using a 22-fight profitable streak and just some months faraway from his third victory over all-time nice Max Holloway. Even the UFC featherweight champ’s slim loss to light-weight titlist Islam Makhachev in February didn’t diminish Volkanovski’s standing. He fought twice extra in the course of the yr, together with a second loss to Makhachev. So, whereas Volkanovski enters 2024 together with his 155-pound ambitions doused, he stays the person at 145 going into subsequent month’s title protection in opposition to Ilia Topuria. — Wagenheim
10. Ilia Topuria
Earlier rank: 19
UFC featherweight
MMA file: 14-0
Topuria went into 2023 as an thrilling, but considerably unproven, featherweight contender. In different phrases, the jury was nonetheless out. This yr is totally different. He heads into 2024 with a title shot in opposition to Volkanovski already on the books. If he wins, he’ll instantly soar into pound-for-pound conversations, opening a ton of choices for potential 145-pound title matchups. If issues fall proper, Topuria might be a Fighter of the Yr candidate. — Okamoto
11. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Earlier rank: 29
UFC welterweight
MMA file: 18-0
Many individuals imagine Rakhmonov is the UFC welterweight champion in ready. He’s 18-0 with 18 finishes in his skilled MMA profession and stopped Geoff Neal and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in 2023. The Uzbekistani-born Kazakh fighter sports activities a well-rounded sport, harmful on the ft and together with his wrestling and grappling. — Raimondi
1:31
How Sean O’Malley plans to succeed in Conor McGregor’s recognition within the UFC
Sean O’Malley joins “First Take” recent off profitable the bantamweight title at UFC 292 and talks about probably reaching the peak of Conor McGregor’s recognition.
12. Sean O’Malley
Earlier rank: 16
UFC bantamweight champion
MMA file: 17-1
O’Malley has been an MMA star seemingly eternally — no less than since he placed on a present on “Dana White’s Contender Collection” that left Snoop Dogg screaming “O’Malley! O’Malley!” from cageside on the printed. But it surely was in 2023 that “Suga Sean” went from a enjoyable character with a Technicolor hairdo to an precise combating standout. His knockout upset of Aljamain Sterling in August to remove the UFC males’s bantamweight title made O’Malley a star with a championship pedigree. — Wagenheim
13. Israel Adesanya
Earlier rank: 6
UFC middleweight
MMA file: 24-3
Expectations for Adesanya are decrease going into 2024 than in maybe some other yr he has been within the UFC, and a big a part of that is because of Adesanya himself. He has been outspoken about his intent to struggle much less steadily shifting ahead. He nonetheless has the identify and ability to place collectively a monster yr, however that is not fairly the expectation. — Okamoto
14. Jon Jones
Earlier rank: 7
UFC heavyweight champion
MMA file: 27-1
Jones continues to be the very best fighter to ever reside, with a résumé — a 19-fight unbeaten streak and 15 title struggle wins — that will likely be arduous to ever match, not to mention exceed. However he tore a pec in October and had surgical procedure to shave bone spurs on an elbow, thus making it unclear when he’ll return. Jones, the UFC heavyweight champion, most likely will not see the Octagon once more till summer time, on the earliest, which drops him on this listing. — Raimondi
15. Belal Muhammad
Earlier rank: NR
UFC welterweight
MMA file: 23-3
Muhammad appears to spend half of his power combating within the cage and the opposite half combating in opposition to being missed within the UFC’s welterweight hierarchy. He fought solely as soon as in 2023, however his win over Gilbert Burns in Might prolonged Muhammad’s unbeaten run to 10 straight. Does it show him worthy of a title shot? Keep tuned. — Wagenheim
16. Marlon Vera
Earlier rank: 13
UFC bantamweight
MMA file: 21-8-1
Since defeating Dominick Cruz with a spectacular kick to the top in August 2022, the Ecuadorian fighter has been on the quick listing to be the subsequent UFC bantamweight contender. A loss to Cory Sandhagen in March induced Vera to fall within the rankings, however a victory over Pedro Munhoz in September and his historical past with champion Sean O’Malley now place him because the challenger at UFC 299. — Legaspi
17. Merab Dvalishvili
Earlier rank: NR
UFC bantamweight
MMA file: 16-4
The bantamweight that no one actually needs to face. Dvalishvili’s wrestling is oppressive, and he units a completely maniacal tempo. There is no doubt that he is among the many prime 135-pound fighters on the earth, and if he beats Henry Cejudo at UFC 298, he would possibly lastly earn a title shot. — Raimondi
18. Sean Strickland
Earlier rank: NR
UFC middleweight champion
MMA file: 28-5
Strickland is a prepare wreck with a microphone in entrance of him, with offensiveness oozing from virtually each phrase. However in September he went on the offensive in the best way fighters are imagined to, and he emerged as UFC middleweight champ after an aggressive beatdown of Israel Adesanya. On Saturday, we’ll discover out whether or not Strickland can preserve the momentum going, when he defends his belt in opposition to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297. — Wagenheim
0:48
Max Holloway, Arnold Allen placed on basic in foremost occasion
Max Holloway and Arnold Allen placed on a present in entrance of UFC followers in Kansas Metropolis.
19. Max Holloway
Earlier rank: NR
UFC featherweight
MMA file: 25-7
The Blessed Specific ain’t shut down but. Holloway loved a comeback yr of types in 2023, as he regarded nice in wins in opposition to Arnold Allen and Chan Sung Jung at a time when some have been questioning whether or not he would decelerate. He is nonetheless in an ungainly spot, having misplaced to Volkanovski thrice, so he took a light-weight bout in opposition to Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. The long run may nonetheless look vibrant for Holloway at age 32. — Okamoto
20. Khamzat Chimaev
Earlier rank: 4
UFC middleweight
MMA file: 13-0
When it comes to pure in-cage ability, Chimaev could be close to the highest of this listing. However his volatility — weight-cutting points, journey woes, diseases and accidents — has affected his standing, which in some circumstances isn’t his fault. Chimaev has fought solely 4 occasions since 2020, when he set the UFC’s trendy file for the quickest fighter to get three fights within the promotion (66 days). — Raimondi
21. Charles Oliveira
Earlier rank: 21
UFC light-weight
MMA file: 34-9
Oliveira fought solely as soon as in 2023, nevertheless it was a powerful efficiency, a first-round knockout of a sizzling Beneil Dariush. In April, Oliveira faces fellow top-10 light-weight Arman Tsarukyan, and a win would give Oliveira a powerful declare to being the division’s subsequent title challenger. Once more. — Wagenheim
22. Jiri Prochazka
Earlier rank: NR
UFC mild heavyweight
MMA file: 29-4-1
Prochazka went into 2023 with fairly low expectations, as a result of nobody really knew whether or not he would even compete final yr due to a shoulder damage. He is coming off a loss in a UFC title struggle to Alex Pereira, however Prochazka continues to be one of many prime mild heavyweights within the sport, with out query, and he may simply exceed this rating if he strings collectively a couple of wins. — Okamoto
23. Dricus Du Plessis
Earlier rank: NR
UFC middleweight
MMA file: 20-2
The South African fighter may be the UFC middleweight champion earlier than the tip of the weekend. Du Plessis was a little bit of an afterthought at 185 kilos earlier than 2023, however then he knocked out Derek Brunson and former champ Robert Whittaker. There was no denying him after that. — Raimondi
3:31
Valentina Shevchenko needs trilogy struggle with Alexa Grasso when wholesome
Valentina Shevchenko talks about her latest struggle in opposition to Alexa Grasso, when she’s going to return from damage and a possible trilogy struggle with Grasso.
24. Valentina Shevchenko
Earlier rank: 3
UFC girls’s flyweight
MMA file: 23-4-1
Shevchenko’s longtime maintain on the UFC girls’s flyweight championship led to 2023 in a submission loss to Alexa Grasso in March, after which she settled for a cut up draw within the September rematch. At age 35, does Shevchenko have it in her to make one other run on the 125-pound title and even attempt for the belt at 135? — Wagenheim
25. Arman Tsarukyan
Earlier rank: NR
UFC light-weight
MMA file: 21-3
There may be greater than a good likelihood we’ll look again on these rankings on the finish of the yr and marvel how on the earth we did not rank Tsarukyan larger. He is going into 2024 with a booked matchup in opposition to Charles Oliveira. If he wins that struggle, the UFC has indicated he would struggle for the 155-pound belt subsequent. Tsarukyan is exceptionally gifted, and it is definitely not unthinkable that he may shut out the yr because the champ. — Okamoto
26. Usman Nurmagomedov
Earlier rank: 23
Bellator light-weight champion
MMA file: 17-0
Nonetheless top-of-the-line younger fighters on the planet at age 25, Nurmagomedov slid in these rankings after testing optimistic for a banned substance in October. The failed drug check got here from a prescribed medicine that Nurmagomedov didn’t disclose, so it does not taint what he has been capable of accomplish as Bellator light-weight champion. Nurmagomedov will likely be eligible to return from a six-month suspension in April. — Raimondi
27. Francis Ngannou
Earlier rank: 8
PFL heavyweight
MMA file: 17-3
Ngannou didn’t struggle in a cage in 2023, and who is aware of whether or not he’ll in 2024. Irrespective of. He has elevated the standing of MMA amongst fight sports activities, placing on a stirring efficiency within the boxing ring in opposition to heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, and with a second profitable boxing match scheduled for March in opposition to one other huge identify, former champ Anthony Joshua. As Ngannou’s star energy soars, when will the PFL reap the advantage of an Ngannou struggle in MMA? — Wagenheim
28. Tatiana Suarez
Earlier rank: NR
UFC strawweight
MMA file: 11-0
In 2023, we have been reminded that Suarez is likely one of the most expert grapplers on the UFC roster. She ended a virtually four-year layoff with dominant victories over Montana De La Rosa and former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade. Suarez returned to ESPN’s divisional rankings, showcasing her potential as a contender in two weight courses. A minor damage compelled her off UFC 298, however she needs to be again quickly. — Legaspi
29. Cory Sandhagen
Earlier rank: NR
UFC bantamweight
MMA file: 17-4
Sandhagen has a number of the most electrifying knockout wins ever within the UFC bantamweight division. However his 2023 was all about gutting out victories. He beat Marlon “Chito” Vera by way of cut up choice and used his wrestling and grappling to defeat Rob Font in a bout through which Sandhagen was injured. There is no doubt “The Sandman” is likely one of the world’s greatest at 135 kilos. — Raimondi
30. Justin Gaethje
Earlier rank: NR
UFC light-weight and BMF champion
MMA file: 25-4
Gaethje simply retains on rolling — and retains on entertaining. His two fights in 2023 confirmed what he’s made from. He took on a troublesome, lower-ranked fighter nobody else within the UFC light-weight division needed to struggle, Rafael Fiziev, and received a decent choice. Then Gaethje rematched Dustin Poirier and wowed the group with a head-kick KO victory. Up subsequent: A conflict with Max Holloway in April. — Wagenheim
31. Umar Nurmagomedov
Earlier rank: NR
UFC bantamweight
MMA file: 16-0
The one factor that will maintain Nurmagomedov again from bettering this rating may be his incapability to e-book the precise matchups. Nurmagomedov’s expertise is blatantly apparent, which has made it tougher to e-book him an enormous struggle. If he will get the precise alternatives, he may simply have a breakout yr in 2024. — Okamoto
32. Jailton Almeida
Earlier rank: NR
UFC heavyweight
MMA file: 20-2
The UFC’s heavyweight division is somewhat messy in the mean time, so it is arduous to foretell precisely what alternatives Almeida will get this yr. So long as he simply continues to carry out on the degree he has, nonetheless, the arrow on his profession is pointing nowhere however up. — Okamoto
33. Larissa Pacheco
Earlier rank: NR
PFL girls’s featherweight champion
MMA file: 23-4
With a dominant 2023, the Brazilian slugger greater than proved that her 2022 win over Kayla Harrison was no fluke. Pacheco went 4-0 to win PFL’s featherweight title, her second straight $1 million championship. Pacheco received two of these fights with highlight-reel knockouts in lower than a minute. — Raimondi
34. Patchy Combine
Earlier rank: NR
Bellator bantamweight champion
MMA file: 19-1
One may argue that on the time Bellator was bought by the PFL in November, Combine was each the very best and most fun fighter in Bellator. He spent 2023 on the rise, capturing the Bantamweight World Grand Prix in April, then the bantamweight championship in November. The PFL is bullish on Combine, even with no 135-pound division for him to compete in. — Wagenheim
35. Aljamain Sterling
Earlier rank: 11
UFC featherweight
MMA file: 23-4
Expectations are far decrease on Sterling going into 2024 in comparison with 2023 for plenty of causes. For one, he is not a champion. Secondly, he is shifting as much as featherweight, a weight class he hasn’t competed in for over a decade. He is additionally getting somewhat up there in age, as he’ll flip 35 this yr. However Sterling isn’t any stranger to exceeding expectations. — Okamoto
36. Vadim Nemkov
Earlier rank: NR
Bellator mild heavyweight champion
MMA file: 17-2
Nemkov is probably not on the quick listing of the largest names at 205 kilos, however the Bellator mild heavyweight champion is undoubtedly among the many most gifted. Nemkov (12-0, 1 NC) hasn’t misplaced a struggle since 2016 and has held the Bellator title since August 2020 (5 defenses). Following the PFL’s latest acquisition of Bellator, there needs to be many alternatives for Nemkov to generate extra buzz. — Waters
37. Brandon Moreno
Earlier rank: 14
UFC males’s flyweight
MMA file: 21-7-2
Moreno began 2023 with a win in Brazil in opposition to Deiveson Figueiredo of their fourth struggle to finish the rivalry with the UFC flyweight belt round his waist. However then, in July, Moreno misplaced to Alexandre Pantoja in top-of-the-line fights of 2023. Now, after six consecutive championship bouts, Moreno should begin his journey again to competition, going through Brandon Royval in Mexico Metropolis on Feb. 24. — Legaspi
38. Dustin Poirier
Earlier rank: NR
UFC males’s light-weight
MMA file: 29-8
Whereas he could not at the moment be within the UFC light-weight title image, Poirier, 34, continues to be top-of-the-line 155-pounders on the earth. He has an opportunity to start his climb again up the ladder when he takes on Benoit Saint Denis within the co-main occasion at UFC 299 in March. — Waters
39. Johnny Eblen
Earlier rank: NR
Bellator middleweight champion
MMA file: 14-0
Eblen sits atop Bellator’s middleweight division for good purpose. He is undefeated as a professional, and because the degree of competitors has elevated, so has his sport. Though he has crushed some gifted fighters to assert and defend his belt, Eblen will face his hardest check up to now when he takes on 2023 PFL mild heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay in his subsequent struggle on Feb. 24. — Waters
40. Deiveson Figueiredo
Earlier rank: 18
UFC bantamweight
MMA file: 22-3-1
After ending an iconic quadrilogy with Brandon Moreno with a loss to begin 2023, Figueiredo completed the yr with a formidable bantamweight debut win over Rob Font. Figueiredo has his eyes set on Sean O’Malley’s UFC title, and with a couple of extra wins on his ledger, he may get his title shot quickly. — Maisonet
41. Yan Xiaonan
Earlier rank: NR
UFC strawweight
MMA file: 17-3
This might be an enormous yr for Yan. Following an enormous knockout win over former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade at UFC 288, the gifted striker has earned her first UFC title shot and can problem her fellow Chinese language fighter Zhang Weili in April. — Waters
42. Kamaru Usman
Earlier rank: 5
UFC middleweight
MMA file: 20-4
Usman was extremely ranked on final yr’s listing regardless of having his three-year reign because the king of UFC welterweights ended by Leon Edwards in August 2022. This previous yr proved more difficult for Usman, with unanimous choice losses to Edwards, in a rematch, and Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight. Usman continues to be a gifted fighter, however his rating hints that combating for titles could not be in attain. — Maisonet
43. Yair Rodriguez
Earlier rank: 27
UFC featherweight
MMA file: 16-4
“El Pantera” earned the label of “future champion” from his early Octagon appearances and at last achieved that degree by securing the interim featherweight title at UFC 284 with a shocking submission over Josh Emmett. Nevertheless, at UFC 290, he was knocked out by Alexander Volkanovski within the title unification bout. With a rematch in opposition to Brian Ortega on the horizon, it appears Rodriguez wants a outstanding efficiency in 2024 to keep up his place as a prime contender. — Legaspi
44. AJ McKee
Earlier rank: 22
Bellator light-weight
MMA file: 21-1
McKee’s rating right here most likely has extra to do with the fighters above him incomes titles and having alternatives within the highlight than his transfer to light-weight and having to restart his journey to a championship. After dropping his Bellator featherweight belt in April 2022, McKee is 3-0 in a heavier weight class. If he retains that up whereas navigating the brand new PFL/Bellator association, that rating ought to enhance very quickly. — Maisonet
45. Jamahal Hill
Earlier rank: NR
UFC mild heavyweight
MMA file: 12-1
Hill, the previous UFC mild heavyweight champion, has been out of motion on account of damage since claiming the title over Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January 2023. When he returns, the slugger is predicted to problem the reigning title holder for the belt that he by no means misplaced within the cage. — Waters
2:21
Chandler: McGregor ‘needs to determine dominance’ in push for 185-pound struggle
Michael Chandler tells Brett Okamoto he thinks Conor McGregor is making a push to “pump himself up” forward of their upcoming struggle this summer time.
46. Michael Chandler
Earlier rank: NR
UFC light-weight
MMA file: 23-8
On one hand, having a 1-3 file in your previous 4 fights may warrant elevating eyebrows for a excessive rating. On the opposite, having these 4 fights in opposition to fighters who’ve carried title belts deserves reward. Chandler’s potential to provide struggle followers a drama present is at all times appreciated, and if a matchup in opposition to Conor McGregor involves move, it will characterize the largest money-making alternative of Chandler’s profession. — Maisonet
47. Jalin Turner
Earlier rank: NR
UFC light-weight
MMA file: 14-7
Do not be fooled by his ends in 2023. Turner, who dropped two of his three fights final yr, is likely one of the greatest up-and-coming fighters within the UFC at 155 kilos. He was capable of get again on observe with a formidable knockout win over Bobby Inexperienced in his final struggle, which might be the spark he must regain some momentum in 2024. — Waters
48. Conor McGregor
Earlier rank: NR
UFC light-weight
MMA file: 22-6
No fighter in MMA historical past has ever had extra highlight than McGregor, and “The Infamous” may lastly make his return to the Octagon this summer time. There was a time when McGregor being ranked No. 48 could be ludicrous, however the former UFC featherweight and light-weight champion is 1-3 in his previous 4 fights and hasn’t fought in nearly three years. With a win over Michael Chandler, and the potential for one other struggle, McGregor may finish the yr being ranked a lot larger. — Maisonet
49. Cris Cyborg
Earlier rank: NR
Bellator girls’s featherweight champion
MMA file: 27-2
Cyborg is likely one of the biggest fighters within the historical past of girls’s MMA. The Bellator girls’s featherweight champion has solely two losses (Erica Paes in 2005 and Amanda Nunes in 2018) since making her professional debut in 2005, and she or he has efficiently defended her title 5 occasions since claiming it in 2020. Cyborg is a former UFC, Strikeforce and Invicta FC featherweight champion, and even at 38 years previous, she has confirmed that she will nonetheless compete on the highest degree. — Waters
0:30
Harrison requires potential Cyborg struggle after win
Kayla Harrison requires a possible superfight in opposition to Bellator champion Cris Cyborg after her win.
50. Kayla Harrison
Earlier rank: NR
PFL girls’s light-weight
MMA file: 16-1
Harrison ended 2023 with a win over Aspen Ladd and can look to remind the MMA world why she is likely one of the most imposing abilities within the sport. Harrison’s combating choices in 2024 could embrace some PFL megafights or leaping to the UFC. She may transfer up on this listing relying on her outcomes. Seeing Harrison in huge fights is one thing we have been wanting from the two-time PFL light-weight champion. — Maisonet
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