MMA world power index: Yan, Machachev lead Russia ...

The world has been, rightly, obsessed with following the first North American World Cup in 30 years this summer, so this year's International Fight Week falls at the perfect time. This weekend's UFC 329 card features fighters from 11 countries and is topped by the anticipated return of the former double-champion from Dublin, Conor McGregor. He takes on American Max Holloway in a rematch of McGregor's second UFC appearance back in 2013. In the co-main, two fighters from European MMA strongholds clash, as Benoît Saint Denis of France and Paddy Pimblett of England step into the Octagon. Both countries' athletes have already had impressive showings this year and have improved their World Power Index ranking from last year. How high did those countries jump and which countries have fallen back? A 10- person panel analyzed the current landscape to rank the 10 countries with the strongest presence in MMA. The voting criteria were based on four factors: current champions, ranked fighters across all divisions in the UFC and the PFL, prospect pipeline (fighters who are rising contenders and future stars) and the total number of fighters represented in top promotions in MMA. 1. Russia UFC/PFL champions: 4 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 11 | 2025 ranking: 2 Russia claims the No. 1 spot for the first time, after watching that distinction fall to the United States in 2024 and 2025. And it's not just sheer numbers that have elevated Russia to the top. It's the quality of those numbers. Right now, ESPN's Nos. 1 and 2 pound-for-pound fighters in the world -- Islam Makhachev and Petr Yan -- both represent Russia. UFC featherweight Movsar Evloev is undefeated and could very well join Makhachev and Yan as a sitting UFC champion before the end of the year. As with any region, there is not one, singular way to describe the Russian fighting style -- but even in saying that, fans tend to know what to expect. Russian martial artists are dedicated to the craft. It's no surprise that Makhachev is considered the gold standard of professionalism in MMA, and he sets the tone for how the entire nation carries itself into competition. -- Okamoto 2. United States UFC/PFL champions: 2 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 24 | 2025 ranking: 1 For those looking to dive into the deep end of the MMA talent pool, the jumping-off point is the United States. No country has more prominent fighters. Two dozen Americans are in ESPN's divisional rankings, including four champions. However, the home country of both the UFC and PFL organizations has to settle for second place in this ranking because the true creme de la creme of the sport is from elsewhere. Just three fighters from the U.S. are in the pound-for-pound rankings -- one man (Justin Gaethje) and two women (Erin Blanchfield, Tatiana Suarez). That total is a bit deceptive, though, as UFC women's bantamweight champ Kayla Harrison would be high in the P4P hierarchy if she weren't ineligible after not having fought in over a year. And strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern was born and raised in Arizona and fights out of Huntington Beach, California, but because she spent much of her youth with her father's family in Brazil, Dern represents that country. Still, the U.S. is well represented. --Wagenheim 3. Brazil UFC/PFL champions: 2 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 24 | 2025 ranking: 3 Brazil is still trying to find its way back to the golden era of the 2010 decade, which saw the peaks of two legends in Anderson Silva and José Aldo. Of course, that's a tough era to replicate -- and it's not as if Brazil is struggling in MMA. Not in the least. Currently, Brazil has 24 athletes ranked in the top 10 of their respective divisions, according to ESPN -- tied with the U.S. for most. It's not easy to return to the glory of names like Silva and Aldo. But there is no question the region is still churning out as much world-class talent as anywhere else, and it feels like only a matter of time before the number of championship belts in its possession rises. -- Okamoto 4. England UFC/PFL champions: 2 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 7 | 2025 ranking: 6 England's numbers from 2025 -- seven top 10-ranked fighters according to ESPN -- haven't changed, but their overall standing goes up because of the continued development of those top names. Tom Aspinall remains the No. 1 heavyweight in the world, and that's unlikely to change until someone officially hands him a loss in competition. PFL flyweight Dakota Ditcheva looks every bit as good as any of her UFC counterparts, and lightweight Paddy Pimblett remains in UFC title contention, despite a January loss to current champion Justin Gaethje. There is no English takeover looming. This country still holds a relatively small slice of the global MMA talent pool -- but that slice is making a disproportionately loud noise. -- Okamoto 5. Australia UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 2 | 2025 ranking: 5 Alexander Volkanovski is the only current champion Down Under these days. Still, Australia also has a former champion of recent vintage (welterweight Jack Della Maddalena) and one from long ago (Robert Whittaker, who reigned at middleweight in 2017 and 2018 and will make his light heavyweight debut at UFC 329). A couple of other current Aussie fighters once challenged for titles, UFC men's flyweight Steve Erceg and PFL women's featherweight Sara Collins. However, carrying Australia's hopes into the future is Quillan Salkilld, a rising lightweight contender riding a 12-fight winning streak. Australian fighters have a reputation for being a thrill a minute, and Salkilld is a prime example, having been awarded performance of the night bonuses in four of his five UFC appearances. -- Wagenheim 6. Georgia UFC/PFL champions: 0 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 2 | 2025 ranking: 4 Ilia Topuria and Merab Dvalishvili. The conversation of Georgian MMA obviously begins with these two, but there's a good chance that won't always be the case. Georgian interest in MMA has been on the rise in recent years, given the success of these two superstars. It might still take some time for that rise to translate into globally ranked athletes, but it's certainly possible -- if not expected. For now, the success of Topuria and Dvalishvili alone is more than enough to get Georgia recognized on this list -- albeit, two spots lower than in 2025, when both were champions and the top two pound-for-pound fighters. Dvalishvili had a 14-fight win streak snapped in December, the third-longest win streak in UFC history. Topuria then suffered his first loss to Justin Gaethje in June at the White House. Most view those setbacks as temporary road bumps that both will return from even stronger than before. There are no guarantees that will be the case, but don't be surprised if Georgia moves back up this list by the time 2027 comes around. -- Okamoto 7. France UFC/PFL champions: 0 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 5 | 2025 ranking: Not ranked A year ago, France was nowhere to be found in this ranking. But now Ciryl Gane is UFC interim heavyweight champion, tops that division's rankings and owns a spot in the pound-for-pound top 10. Two others from France are in position to challenge for a title. Manon Fiorot fell short in last year's fight with women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, but the Frenchwoman bounced back in a big way with a first-round knockout of Jasmine Jasudavicius in October. And then there's Nassourdine Imavov, who has yet to get a shot at the UFC middleweight belt but is unbeaten in six straight fights. With only a pair of former champs ahead of him in the 185-pound rankings, Imavov could be on his way. -- Wagenheim 8. Mexico OH MY GOODNESS — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) March 29, 2026 ALEXA GRASSO FINISHES MAYCEE BARBER!! 📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/dMNRIKuLEt UFC/PFL champions: 0 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 4 | 2025 ranking: 7 Mexico has a history of ruling UFC flyweights -- both the men's division (Brandon Moreno) and the women's (Alexa Grasso). These days, there are no champions from south of the border, but Moreno and Grasso remain fan favorites and enduring threats in their divisions' top 10s. Grasso even holds a spot in ESPN's pound-for-pound top 10. Beyond that dangerous duo, Mexico is also represented by the inventive featherweight striker Yair Rodriguez, young men's bantamweight grappling ace Raul Rosas Jr. and well-rounded strawweight Loopy Godínez. But the most exciting rising contender might be men's bantamweight David Martinez, who has won 10 fights in a row, most recently beating one-time title challenger Marlon "Chito" Vera in February. Will Martinez be the one who brings Mexico back to title town? -- Wagenheim 9. New Zealand UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 3 | 2025 ranking: 10 The island of New Zealand continues to punch above its weight in the MMA world -- and that took on a new meaning in 2026, as Carlos Ulberg became the first New Zealand-born UFC champion. And what a way to do it. You want to talk symbolism? New Zealand doesn't have nearly the population of many of the other countries on the list. It's at a serious disadvantage when it comes to producing talent at the same level as some of these other giants. Ulberg won the UFC light heavyweight championship on one good leg. This is a nation of fighters. Some of the region's top names are slowly beginning to reach the second halves (or beyond) of their careers, though. So fresher talent (like Ulberg) is great to see. One potential New Zealander to keep an eye on is 28-year-old Jay-Jay Wilson. "The Maori Kid" competes in PFL's lightweight division and could find himself against the likes of Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes sooner rather than later. -- Okamoto 10. China UFC/PFL champions: 0 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 2 | 2025 ranking: 8 Midway through last fall, China had not only a UFC champion but the women's pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter. Then Zhang Weili vacated her strawweight title to take a shot at the flyweight belt. She lost the Nov. 15 title bout to Shevchenko, who took over the top spot in the women's rankings. But Zhang only dropped to No. 2 and, even with no strap in her possession, remains among the sport's elite. The only question surrounding her standing is whether she will remain at 125 pounds or return to 115. The other Chinese fighter in the divisional rankings is Song Yadong, who is 2-2 in his past four fights -- all against former UFC champs. Song is in the men's bantamweight mix, in position to make some noise. -- Wagenheim