Amidst the promise of many great events throughout the remainder of 2021, it’s time to look at which fighters are currently topping the UFC rankings. Over the last several years, the face of professional MMA has been changing significantly, with more African champions enjoying fame and success in the UFC than ever before, as the continent continues to produce some of the most impressive fighting talents.
Before deciding to wager on any of these fighters, don’t forget to look for honest betting site reviews and ratings, get the latest free bets and sign-up bonuses, then make use of proven betting strategies and staking plans. Big fights can often produce surprise outcomes, therefore it’s always handy to get some free tips from pro tipsters, many of whom will be backing the top 5 pound-for-pound MMA fighters on our list.
5 – Francis “The Predator” Ngannou
The Predator is always on the hunt 🎯 #ThePredator pic.twitter.com/4ltgB5EHNE
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) July 19, 2021
Hailing from Batié in Camaroon, multilingual 34-year-old Francis Ngannou can smack-talk with the best, and back up his words in the octagon. One of the most exciting African fighters around, Ngannou won the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 260 in March 2021, taking just two rounds to beat former Champion Stipe Miocic, with a knockout punch. The fight showed the tremendous improvement that Ngannou made in his wrestling ability, a weakness which cost him dearly in his first title shot against Miocic.
Fans are now clamoring to see him battle with Jon “Bones” Jones before the end of 2021, although it could take a while for Dana White to get that fight organized as Jones and the UFC are locked in fierce contract negotiations. In the meantime, plenty of other heavyweight contenders are lining up to challenge this exceptional champion.
4 – Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski
Despite the Eastern European name, Alexander Volkanovski was actually born in the coastal Australian town of Shellharbour, New South Wales. After quickly making a name for himself in the Oceanic MMA scene, Volkanovski quickly took the UFC by storm, remaining unbeaten since his 2015 debut with the promotion.
In December 2019 at UFC 245, he beat Max Holloway to land the UFC Featherweight Championship, then defended the title against him again at UFC 251 in July 2020, in a controversial decision.
3 – Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya
⚡️#UFC263 🍃 pic.twitter.com/nGrmDWLIaK
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) June 12, 2021
Another amongst the superb African contingent, Israel Adesanya is originally from Lagos in Nigeria. After breaking into the MMA scene with great success in New Zealand, his victorious debut came in February 2018 at UFC 221, using a lethal combination of knees and punches to defeat Rob Wilkinson.
Adesanya lost his only ever professional bout in March 2021, moving up a weight class to take on Jan Blanchowicz for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. However, he retains the UFC Middleweight Championship and is unbeaten in that division, successfully beating Marvin Vettori at UFC 263 in June 2021 to keep his title.
2 – Kamaru “Nigerian Nightmare” Usman
Born in Auchi Nigeria, before his family moved to the United States, Kamaru Usman became an accomplished folkstyle amateur wrestler, winning the NCAA Division II National Championships at 174 pounds in 2010. After turning his attention to MMA, his breakthrough came by winning The Ultimate Fighter 21 Welterweight Tournament in 2015.
Usman beat Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 to win the Welterweight Championship, which he has gone on to successfully defend on four occasions. Those title defenses include victories against Colby Covington, Gilbert Jones, and Jorge Masvidal twice. The second triumph versus Masvidal came via a second round knockout punch at UFC 261 in April 2021.
1 – Jon “Bones” Jones
Happy Birthday to @JonnyBones!
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) July 19, 2021
☠︎ Youngest ever UFC champion.
☠︎ Most wins in UFC title fights.
☠︎ Most wins in LHW division history.
☠︎ Third-longest winning streak in UFC history.
The former champ turns 34 today! pic.twitter.com/Fh56843Rml
UFC 247 in February 2020 was the last contest for Jon “Bones” Jones, when he beat Dominick Reyes by unanimous decision. Despite not having appeared in the octagon for over a year, Jones is still officially regarded as the best pound-for-pound-fighter in the UFC. However, it could be a while before we see him competing again.
Jones defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 247 in February 2020, beating Dominick Reyes by unanimous decision. However, he vacated the championship title in August 2020, amidst an ongoing feud with UFC supremo Dana White. Jones is now keen to fight in the heavyweight decision, albeit on better financial terms.
Return of the GOAT?
White still regards 34-year-old Jones as the greatest of all time (GOAT), so that means their differences could, hopefully, be resolved before too long. There has been talk of a blockbuster bout against Francis Ngannou, although fans may have to wait until 2022 before that materializes. Nevertheless, if White and Jones can settle their differences, it could happen before the end of 2021, which would be fabulous news for MMA afficionados.
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