MMA is a real instance of a global sport. Between its two premier promotions — the UFC and the PFL — there are 10 nations represented among the many 17 divisional champions.
That does not come near accounting for the almost 100 different dwelling nations of fighters on the rosters of each organizations. With 26 fighters from eight nations capping off the UFC’s Worldwide Combat Week at UFC 317 in Las Vegas’ T-Cellular Area on Saturday (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV; prelims at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN), ESPN got down to decide which nations stand out from the remaining.
Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale, Jeff Wagenheim, Dre Waters, Carlos Contreras Legaspi, James Regan, Ian Parker, Alecia Hamm and Marcus Vanderberg analyzed the present panorama of MMA to rank the ten nations with the strongest presence in MMA. The voting standards had been primarily based on 4 components: present champions, ranked fighters throughout all divisions within the UFC and the PFL, prospect pipeline (fighters who’re rising contenders and future stars) and the whole variety of fighters represented in high promotions in MMA.
1. United States
UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 3 | 2024 rating: 1
America at present boasts just one UFC champion, nevertheless it stays the main powerhouse of combined martial arts. At any given time, almost half of the UFC’s roster is from the U.S.
The nation’s stables did take an enormous hit this month, nonetheless, as former UFC mild heavyweight and heavyweight champion Jon Jones introduced his retirement from competitors. Jones was the chief of the game for years. His departure leaves newly topped girls’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison because the lone American UFC champion. Whereas the U.S. is somewhat mild on belts in the intervening time, there may be all the time an unlimited crop of expertise coming by the pipeline. — Okamoto
2. Russia
UFC/PFL champions: 5 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 6 | 2024 rating: 3
Discuss a storied MMA historical past. This nation has lengthy been dwelling to legends, from Fedor Emelianenko to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Each former champions and all-time greats are retired now, however the sport’s present pound-for-pound No. 1 is Islam Makhachev, who has agreed to give up his UFC light-weight title to pursue the welterweight belt. Makhachev’s (and Nurmagomedov’s) area of Russia is Dagestan, the place mild heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev additionally hails from. Khamzat Chimaev, from neighboring Chechnya, is booked to problem for the middleweight title in August.
A number of different Russians are contenders for UFC gold, together with former bantamweight belt holder Petr Yan. Umar Nurmagomedov, cousin of Khabib, vied for that very same 135-pound belt earlier this yr, and Umar’s brother, Usman, was the Bellator bantamweight champion till that promotion was absorbed by the PFL. Two of Emelianenko’s protégés, mild heavyweight Vadim Nemkov and heavyweight Valentin Moldavsky, additionally held Bellator titles earlier than becoming a member of the PFL roster. 4 of the PFL’s 2024 champions are Russian natives: Denis Goltsov, Gadzhi Rabadanov, Shamil Musaev and Timur Khizriev.
There isn’t any denying that Russia continues to make a memorable impression on MMA. — Wagenheim
3. Brazil
UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 20 | 2024 rating: 2
MMA will without end hint its roots by Brazil, the house of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the Gracie household, particularly Rorion Gracie, one of many co-founders of the UFC in 1993.
The nation is synonymous with not solely UFC champions however among the most dominant and beloved UFC champs of all time, together with Anderson Silva, José Aldo, Amanda Nunes and Charles Oliveira. Brazil gives loads of expertise and loads of star energy. At the moment, the nation’s solely UFC champion is flyweight Alexandre Pantoja, who will defend his belt within the UFC 317 co-main occasion towards Kai Kara-France. Pantoja hasn’t grasped superstardom but — one thing that is significantly troublesome to do in his weight class — however he has proved his dominance. The 35-year-old has efficiently defended his title thrice throughout the previous 18 months.
Over the remainder of this yr, a number of Brazilian girls may get a shot at becoming a member of Pantoja on the high, together with Virna Jandiroba, Natalia Silva and Nunes, who is predicted to return out of retirement. Typically talking, Sao Paulo’s Preventing Nerds health club, which boasts Caio Borralho, Jean Silva, Mauricio Ruffy and Carlos Prates, is arguably the most popular camp on the planet. — Okamoto
4. Georgia
UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 3 | 2024 rating: 7
Georgia is roughly half the scale of the state of New York. However this small nation has an enormous presence within the UFC, with one present champion and one other nice who lately vacated a title to pursue a unique one. The reigning titlist is males’s bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili, a star within the sport due to his relentless preventing expertise and his quirky, crowd-pleasing persona. He is No. 3 in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings, proper behind countryman Ilia Topuria, the undefeated former featherweight champ who will go for light-weight gold at UFC 317.
Middleweight Roman Dolidze is also ranked by ESPN. Featherweight Giga Chikadze is on a little bit of a skid, dropping two of his previous three bouts, however his fights all the time supply power-packed pleasure. Earlier than the unhealthy spell, Chikadze punctuated a nine-fight successful streak with three straight knockouts. — Wagenheim
5. Australia
UFC/PFL champions: 2 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 4 | 2024 rating: 4
Contemplating its comparatively quick historical past in MMA, Australia has greater than its fair proportion of elite expertise and memorable moments within the sport.
Whether or not speaking in regards to the historical past or the present state of Aussie MMA, every dialogue begins with Alexander Volkanovski. The 2-time featherweight champion has solidified himself as one of many biggest 145-pound fighters of all time and among the best to ever compete within the sport. In April, he made UFC historical past by turning into the primary fighter over 35 years outdated to win a title at 145 kilos or decrease. Volkanovski grew aggravated at that storyline because it performed out, however it’s undeniably a large achievement. In Could, Jack Della Maddalena upset Belal Muhammad for the welterweight championship to hitch Volkanovski in Australian gold.
It’s fairly a feat for Australia to yield a number of UFC champions concurrently, particularly in two of the deepest weight courses within the UFC. And Della Maddalena has a blockbuster struggle forward of him, as he’s anticipated to face Makhachev earlier than yr’s finish. — Okamoto
6. England
UFC/PFL champions: 2 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 7 | 2024 rating: 6
Heavyweight is the glamor division in fight sports activities, and England is dwelling to the most effective heavyweight on the planet. Tom Aspinall was lately promoted from interim to undisputed heavyweight champion and No. 1 within the ESPN heavyweight rankings.
The opposite champ from England is PFL girls’s flyweight Dakota Ditcheva, who’s 14-0 and driving a streak of 9 finishes in a row, with all however two coming within the first spherical. Then there’s former UFC welterweight titlist Leon Edwards, who stays a contender. Lerone Murphy and Arnold Allen are featherweight title hopefuls.
England additionally may lead all nations in persona, with light-weight Paddy Pimblett and welterweight Michael “Venom” Web page as mouthy as they’re flashy. — Wagenheim
7. Mexico
UFC/PFL champions: 0 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 5 | 2024 rating: 5
It is most likely solely a matter of time earlier than Mexico’s presence in MMA grows to a a lot increased rating on this listing. The nation dropped two slots from final yr’s listing as a result of it at present lacks a champion. However given its proximity to the U.S. (the place most UFC occasions happen), the UFC’s efforts to increase to Mexico and the impression of former champs similar to Brandon Moreno, Alexa Grasso and Yair Rodriguez, Mexico is trending up.
The large three of Moreno, Grasso and Rodriguez are nonetheless very harmful. Moreno is the No. 2-ranked challenger at flyweight. Grasso is on a two-fight skid, however she is just 31 years outdated. And Rodriguez is on the cusp of a title shot towards featherweight champion Volkanovski.
The larger push for Mexico, although, is a bigger quantity of UFC-caliber athletes. The nation has two gifted younger contenders in 26-year-old strawweight Yazmin Jauregui and 25-year-old light-weight Daniel Zellhuber. As younger prospects trickle into the game’s high promotions, Mexican MMA will set up a fair higher presence. — Okamoto
8. China
UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 3 | 2024 rating: 9
UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili is the most effective fighter in girls’s MMA, and that alone makes China a pressure within the sport. She is in her second reign with the belt, however she may quickly drop it to maneuver up and problem for the flyweight title. Zhang has received 5 bouts in a row, and a type of victories was final yr’s title protection towards countrywoman Yan Xiaonan, who’s No. 3 within the ESPN strawweight rankings.
The opposite ranked fighter from China is males’s bantamweight Tune Yadong, whose most up-to-date victory got here towards former two-division champion Henry Cejudo.
Six years after the UFC opened its largest efficiency institute up to now in Shanghai, China is constructing on its presence in MMA. — Wagenheim
9. Nigeria
UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 3 | 2024 rating: 8
Nigeria’s rating is exclusive as a result of whereas two of the most effective UFC champions of all time — middleweight Israel Adesanya and welterweight Kamaru Usman — had been born there, they each actually discovered their MMA callings elsewhere (in New Zealand and the U.S., respectively). Nigeria is not identified to have a constant presence within the MMA world, however the athletes this nation has contributed to the game are world-class.
Nevertheless, a brand new class of expertise must emerge quickly. Adesanya has misplaced 4 of his previous 5 bouts, and although he nonetheless appears decided to put in writing yet one more chapter in his storied profession, it’s nearer to its finish than its starting. The identical might be mentioned about Usman, who turned again the clock in an enormous method in June by defeating hungry up-and-coming welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley. Usman has objectives to recapture his title and even transfer up in weight, however at 38, he has no time to waste.
The PFL plans to host its first Africa growth occasion on July 19 in Cape City, South Africa. At the moment, one Nigerian fighter is booked on the cardboard, undefeated strawweight Juliet Ukah. It will likely be intriguing to see what the promotion’s third worldwide league does for the game in African nations. — Okamoto
10. New Zealand
UFC/PFL champions: 0 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 3 | 2024 rating: NR
The one present UFC champion related to New Zealand is Volkanovski. He’s billed out of Australia, the place he was born, however he trains at Metropolis Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand. That health club may add a second champ this weekend, when Kara-France challenges Pantoja for the boys’s flyweight belt at UFC 317. And talking of Metropolis Kickboxing and championships, let’s not overlook Adesanya; the previous middleweight king stays a star of the game.
Metropolis Kickboxing can be the house health club to Carlos Ulberg, a rising contender at mild heavyweight who has received eight consecutive fights, and Auckland native Dan Hooker, who has received three in a row to rejuvenate his light-weight profession. Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker lives in Australia, however he was born in New Zealand. And Whittaker lately has traveled to Metropolis Kickboxing to coach with Adesanya, the person who as soon as dethroned him. — Wagenheim
