UFC Pound for Pound Rankings: Time to respect Khabib Nurmagomedov as best in the world

Things happen quickly in the world of mixed martial arts, where one mistake can see a champion lose everything he or she has built in a matter of seconds.

Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0) experienced that reality in a completely different way on Saturday thanks to his ill-fated decision just seconds after his UFC 229 win over Conor McGregor to leap the Octagon wall and unleash a flying dropkick on his opponent's team.

While the MMA world awaits both the UFC and Nevada State Athletic Commission's ruling on Nurmagomedov's future following the ugly melee he personally triggered, the narrative that was understandably overshadowed by his reckless behavior is still worthy of mentioning: the native of Russia just might be the best fighter in the world.

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Long a charter member of the "eye-test club" due to how often injury and happenstance prevented him from proving himself against the 155-pound division's elite (including UFC's four failed attempts to book a Tony Ferguson fight), Nurmagomedov provided visual proof at just how truly dominant his grappling and ground-and-pound skills can be.

Nurmagomedov didn't just dominate McGregor (21-4) en route to a fourth-round submission via rear-naked choke, he appeared to mentally crush the brash Irish star who was returning from a two-year layoff and had given his Russian opponent more than enough reason to following a crass and acrimonious promotion.

Most surprisingly, Nurmagomedov also fared well on his feet in the stand-up against McGregor, including a crushing right hand that briefly dropped one of the UFC's most talented finishers.

As the most dominant fighter in the sport's deepest and most dangerous division, Nurmagomedov's future could bring an assortment of fun and interesting matchups provided his actions on Saturday don't force the powers that be to throw the book at him. Either way, Nurmagomedov is operating at a level of self-belief and calculated violence inside the cage that makes it difficult to imagine anyone solving him.

Men's pound-for-pound rankings

UFC Power Rankings

Player	Weightclass	Record	Trend
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (c)	Lightweight	27-0
The return date for "The Eagle" will be largely determined upon what punishment he receives. What we know is that McGregor is interested in a rematch that would likely only continue to break PPV records. Yet a matchup with Ferguson might still be the best the division can produce.
2. Daniel Cormier (c)	Light heavyweight/heavyweight	21-1 (1 NC)	--
Which title will UFC's newest "champ/champ" defend first? Will it be against Brock Lesnar or a returning Jon Jones? What about last-minute rumors that he'll rescue UFC 230? It's a good time to be DC as financial opportunities abound just months shy of his self-imposed retirement date as age 40 approaches.
3. TJ Dillashaw (c)	Bantamweight	16-3
One of the sport's most underrated performers has suddenly seen his stock rebooted thanks to a pair of knockout victories over Cody Garbrandt and a second 135-pound title reign. While talk continues to swirl about a superfight against either current flyweight champion Henry Cejudo or former 125-pound king Demetrious Johnson, Dillashaw awaits his next move.
4. Tyron Woodley	Welterweight	18-3-1	--
With apologies to Dillashaw and Nate Diaz, there may not be a more under appreciated and under promoted fighter than "The Chosen One." His dismantling of Darren Till following a one-year layoff was impressive. Bring on interim titleholder and chief agitator Colby Covington.
5. Demetrious Johnson	Flyweight	27-3-1
Following his eventual return from a pair of injuries suffered in his disputed decision loss to Cejudo, there's little question "Mighty Mouse" will be back looking for a second chance at the title. There's certainly an argument to be made that he deserved better on the scorecards although Cejudo was able to exploit likely the lone vulnerability in his game.
6. Tony Ferguson	Lightweight	24-3
Six months after major knee surgery, the timing alone of Ferguson's return is nothing short of impressive. But his violent performance in outlasting former champion Anthony Pettis through two rounds of hell was nothing short of inspiring. Ferguson, who was dropped in Round 2 by a right hand, displayed the kind of volume striking attack from multiple angles that would give any fighter in the world trouble. Give this man a title shot.
Max Holloway (c)	Featherweight	19-3
After a forgettable calendar year of injuries, difficult weight cuts and fear that his career may be in jeopardy, Holloway appears ready for a December return against unbeaten contender Brian Ortega. The fight should be an interesting style matchup and an opportunity for Holloway to put a challenging year behind him.
7. Robert Whittaker (c)	Middleweight	20-4
The best 160-pound fighter in the world continues his recovery from injury during filming of "The Ultimate Fighter" for a future title defense against Kelvin Gastelum. The native of New Zealand, who fights out of Australia, has grown into one of the most well-rounded fighters on the planet.
9. Henry Cejudo	Flyweight	13-2
"The Messenger" delivered just that — loud and clear, in fact — with his upset decision over Johnson in their rematch. The new 125-pound king has an opportunity to become a Mexican-American star for UFC in a market they have long struggled to gain traction. To get there, however, he'll likely need to prove himself once more in a trilogy fight against the former champion.
10. Conor McGregor	Lightweight	21-4
It's too early to count the brash Irish star out for good following one dominant loss to the best fighter in the world. But following a two-year layoff and an outright exposure on the brightest stage of the one area of his game that is most deficient, McGregor will need to bounce back with a big victory to restore the level of never-before-seen luster he once knew. A ruthless competitor at his core, McGregor has already declared he wants that fight to come in a rematch against Nurmagomedov.

Dropped out: Brian Ortega

Just missed: Ortega, Georges St-Pierre, Dustin Poirier, Yoel Romero, Stephen Thompson

Women's pound-for-pound rankings

Player	Weightclass	Record	Trend
1. Cris "Cyborg" Justino (c)	Featherweight	20-1 (1 NC)	--
A December title defense against bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will finally give "Cyborg" the big-name fight she has long coveted since joining UFC. The power puncher remains the most dangerous striker in the sport, male or female.
2. Amanda Nunes (c)	Bantamweight	16-4	--
"The Lioness" will be taking on a tremendous challenge when she moves up 10 pounds in weight to challenge the great Justino. Outside of the potential to get hurt, the move just might prove to be a no-lose situation. A loss would send her back to the division she has already run out of quality opponents to face, yet a win would elevate her into the discussion of the G.O.A.T. in women's MMA.
3. Rose Namajunas (c)	Strawweight	15-2	--
Slowly recovering from injury following a pair of impressive wins over former 115-pound queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Namajunas appears to be staring straight at a title defense against Jessica Andrade. The matchup is expected to be a dangerous one considering Andrade's recent hot streak in the aftermath of her title loss to Jedrzejczyk.
4. Valentina Shevchenko	Flyweight	15-3	--
The former bantamweight title challenger has found a home within the UFC's new 125-pound division. After missing out on a title shot against the recently stripped Nicco Montano, Shevchenko will challenge for the vacant crown on Nov. 3 at UFC 230 against Sijara Eubanks.
5. Joanna Jedrzejczyk	Strawweight	15-2	--
The former strawweight champion is still among the best fighters in the world and bounced back from consecutive title losses to Namajunas by soundly outpointing Tecia Torres. Next for Jedrzejczyk appears to be a flyweight title shot although it won't come in December against Shevchenko like originally planned as UFC decided to move up that fight and Jedrzejczyk wasn't ready.