Volkanovski still top‑tier
Alexander Volkanovski was placed at No. 4 on The Independent’s updated men’s pound‑for‑pound list, keeping him among the sport’s elite. The list published April 13 places him behind Islam Makhachev, Ilia Topuria and Merab Dvalishvili — a snapshot of who editors currently view as the division‑spanning best. (independent.co.uk)
Alexander Volkanovski is still being ranked with the sport’s very best, landing at No. 4 on The Independent’s updated men’s pound-for-pound list on April 13. (independent.co.uk) The Independent put Volkanovski behind Islam Makhachev at No. 1, Ilia Topuria at No. 2 and Merab Dvalishvili at No. 3 in its latest top 10 after UFC 327. (independent.co.uk) Pound-for-pound lists try to compare fighters across weight classes, so a featherweight like Volkanovski is being measured against champions and contenders from divisions above and below him. The Independent said it weighs overall résumé, recent record, activity and strength of opposition. (independent.co.uk) Volkanovski’s place near the top comes after a sharp swing in his career over the last two years. Ilia Topuria knocked him out in the second round at UFC 298 on February 17, 2024, ending his featherweight title reign in Anaheim, California. (ufcstats.com) (espn.com.au) He rebuilt from there and is back on top at 145 pounds now. The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s fighter page lists Volkanovski as featherweight champion and says he beat Diego Lopes by unanimous decision on April 12, 2025, then defended the belt against Lopes again on January 31, 2026. (ufc.com) That January rematch at UFC 325 was not close on the cards. Official statistics show Volkanovski won a five-round unanimous decision in Sydney with scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45. (ufcstats.com) The Independent’s list is not the same thing as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s official media-voted rankings, but the two snapshots point in a similar direction on Volkanovski. A current rankings tracker based on the official list also shows him at No. 4 in the men’s pound-for-pound standings. (ufctime.com) (independent.co.uk) For Volkanovski, the ranking says the losses on his record have not pushed him out of the elite tier. As of mid-April 2026, editors at one major British outlet still see him as a top-four fighter in the promotion, not a former champion living on past work. (independent.co.uk)
