MMA is a real instance of a world 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 Struggle 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 have been based mostly 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 overall variety of fighters represented in prime promotions in MMA.
1. United States
UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 3 | 2024 rating: 1
The US at the moment 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 a giant hit this month, nevertheless, as former UFC gentle 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 slightly gentle on belts for the time being, there may be at all times an infinite crop of expertise coming via the pipeline. — Okamoto
2. Russia
UFC/PFL champions: 5 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 6 | 2024 rating: 3
Speak about 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 gentle 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 12 months, and Umar’s brother, Usman, was the Bellator bantamweight champion till that promotion was absorbed by the PFL. Two of Emelianenko’s protégés, gentle 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 is no denying that Russia continues to make a memorable affect on MMA. — Wagenheim
3. Brazil
UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 20 | 2024 rating: 2
MMA will eternally hint its roots via 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 a number of the most dominant and beloved UFC champs of all time, together with Anderson Silva, José Aldo, Amanda Nunes and Charles Oliveira. Brazil presents loads of expertise and loads of star energy. At present, the nation’s solely UFC champion is flyweight Alexandre Pantoja, who will defend his belt within the UFC 317 co-main occasion in opposition to Kai Kara-France. Pantoja hasn’t grasped superstardom but — one thing that is notably tough to do in his weight class — however he has proved his dominance. The 35-year-old has efficiently defended his title 3 times throughout the previous 18 months.
Over the remainder of this 12 months, a number of Brazilian girls might get a shot at becoming a member of Pantoja on the prime, together with Virna Jandiroba, Natalia Silva and Nunes, who is anticipated to come back out of retirement. Typically talking, Sao Paulo’s Combating 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 not too long ago vacated a title to pursue a special one. The reigning titlist is males’s bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili, a star within the sport due to his relentless combating abilities and his quirky, crowd-pleasing character. 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, shedding two of his previous three bouts, however his fights at all times provide power-packed pleasure. Earlier than the dangerous spell, Chikadze punctuated a nine-fight profitable streak with three straight knockouts. — Wagenheim
5. Australia
UFC/PFL champions: 2 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 4 | 2024 rating: 4
Contemplating its comparatively brief historical past in MMA, Australia has greater than its fair proportion of elite expertise and memorable moments within the sport.
Whether or not speaking concerning 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 top-of-the-line 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 an enormous achievement. In Might, 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 lessons within the UFC. And Della Maddalena has a blockbuster battle forward of him, as he’s anticipated to face Makhachev earlier than 12 months’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 very best heavyweight on the planet. Tom Aspinall was not too long ago 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 using 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 character, 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 in all probability solely a matter of time earlier than Mexico’s presence in MMA grows to a a lot larger rating on this record. The nation dropped two slots from final 12 months’s record as a result of it at the moment lacks a champion. However given its proximity to the U.S. (the place most UFC occasions happen), the UFC’s efforts to broaden to Mexico and the affect of former champs resembling Brandon Moreno, Alexa Grasso and Yair Rodriguez, Mexico is trending up.
The massive 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 barely 31 years outdated. And Rodriguez is on the cusp of a title shot in opposition to featherweight champion Volkanovski.
The larger push for Mexico, although, is a bigger quantity of UFC-caliber athletes. The nation has two proficient 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 prime promotions, Mexican MMA will set up a good larger presence. — Okamoto
8. China
UFC/PFL champions: 1 | ESPN-ranked fighters: 3 | 2024 rating: 9
UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili is the very best 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 might quickly drop it to maneuver up and problem for the flyweight title. Zhang has gained 5 bouts in a row, and a type of victories was final 12 months’s title protection in opposition to countrywoman Yan Xiaonan, who’s No. 3 within the ESPN strawweight rankings.
The opposite ranked fighter from China is males’s bantamweight Music Yadong, whose most up-to-date victory got here in opposition to 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 very best UFC champions of all time — middleweight Israel Adesanya and welterweight Kamaru Usman — have been born there, they each really discovered their MMA callings elsewhere (in New Zealand and the U.S., respectively). Nigeria is not recognized to have a constant presence within the MMA world, however the athletes this nation has contributed to the game are world-class.
Nonetheless, 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 jot down yet another chapter in his storied profession, it’s nearer to its finish than its starting. The identical may be stated about Usman, who turned again the clock in a giant method in June by defeating hungry up-and-coming welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley. Usman has targets 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 enlargement occasion on July 19 in Cape City, South Africa. At present, one Nigerian fighter is booked on the cardboard, undefeated strawweight Juliet Ukah. Will probably 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 might 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 also be the house health club to Carlos Ulberg, a rising contender at gentle heavyweight who has gained eight consecutive fights, and Auckland native Dan Hooker, who has gained 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 not too long ago has traveled to Metropolis Kickboxing to coach with Adesanya, the person who as soon as dethroned him. — Wagenheim
