Will Alexander Volkanovski be the next fighter to be ranked first in the UFC Pound-For-Pound Rankings in 2026?

As of November 2, 2026, Polymarket prices “Will Alexander Volkanovski be the next fighter to be ranked first in the UFC Pound-For-Pound Rankings in 2026?” at 5% YES with $568K traded. No tracked wallet holds a position on this market, so there is no verdict.

Alexander Volkanovski holds eight title-fight wins at 145 pounds but faces few fresh challengers, making a 2026 pound-for-pound top rank unlikely at 5% odds.

What’s Happening

Alexander Volkanovski entered 2026 holding the UFC featherweight title and a top-three position in most men's pound-for-pound standings, but the question of whether he will be the next fighter to be ranked first in the UFC Pound-For-Pound Rankings in 2026 remains unresolved. As of June 2026, the two-time featherweight king had amassed eight title-fight victories at 145 pounds, with few fresh challengers remaining beyond the undefeated Movsar Evloev, who strengthened his case with a win over Lerone Murphy. Volkanovski expressed interest in facing the Russian at UFC 331 later in the year, a matchup framed as one of the toughest tests of his second reign. [NY FIGHTS, Jun 19]

The standings shifted through the fall. By September 2026, Yahoo Sports voters placed Volkanovski third behind Islam Makhachev and Petr Yan, reflecting the depth at the top of the division. The picture changed again at UFC 333 in October, where the 38-year-old packaged a January decision win over Diego Lopes with a second-round TKO of the previously unbeaten Evloev in Abu Dhabi, improving to 15-1 in the UFC at 145 pounds and breaking Jose Aldo's record for featherweight title wins. Even so, October rankings from Yahoo Sports and CBS Sports still listed Makhachev at No. 1, with Volkanovski and Yan battling for supremacy beneath him. [Yahoo Sports, Oct 27]

The path to the top spot therefore hinges on factors outside Volkanovski's control. ESPN's mid-July matchup wishlist had already flagged Volkanovski vs. Evloev as the fight the division needed, and the UFC's decision to grant Lopes an immediate rematch was criticized as one of its worst matchmaking calls of 2026. With Makhachev still occupying No. 1 in the men's standings and Yan surging after UFC 333, the odds of Volkanovski being the next fighter to be ranked first in the UFC Pound-For-Pound Rankings in 2026 depend on a Makhachev loss or inactivity rather than another featherweight title defense. [ESPN, Jul 16]

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