Divisional rankings Two divisions have a new No 1

UFC 301 storylines Can Erceg make good on a golden opportunity vs Pantoja

ESPN's divisional boxing rankings highlight the best in the sport in every weight class. They will change often, based on recent results and performances. Rankings are based on what a fighter has accomplished in the weight division in which he is ranked. Fighters who have announced they are moving to a different weight class will be ranked in that new division, if warranted, only once they fight in that weight class. Fighters who currently own titles in two divisions can be ranked in both.

Fighters who haven't competed in the past 12 months -- and don't have a fight scheduled -- will be dropped from the rankings until they fight again. Any fighter who tests positive for a performance-enhancing substance will also be removed. That boxer will be eligible to re-enter the rankings after his next bout.

A great weekend of fights had a few divisions seeing significant changes, including new No. 1 boxers at junior middleweight and strawweight.

On Saturday in Las Vegas, junior middleweight Sebastian Fundora defeated Tim Tszyu with a great performance to claim the WBO and WBC titles. He now owns the top spot at 154 pounds.

Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) was coming off an upset seventh-round KO loss to Brian Mendoza in April, a fight where he was ahead on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage (60-54, 60,54 and 59-55).

Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) suffered a bad cut on the hairline in the second round due to an accidental elbow from Fundora, and had to fight the rest of the bout with blood dripping down his face. Tszyu, who could land a rematch with Fundora in the future, falls one spot to No. 2.

Tszyu was scheduled to face Keith Thurman, but Thurman suffered a ruptured biceps and was replaced by Fundora, who took the fight on 11 days' notice. Fundora was preparing to fight on the undercard against Serhii Bohachuk.

Bohachuk faced Mendoza on the undercard and scored a unanimous decision victory to take the WBC interim title with scorecards of 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111. Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs) takes the No. 5 spot while Mendoza (22-4, 16 KOs), who also suffered a loss to Tszyu in October, falls two spots to No. 6.

In the co-main event, Isaac Cruz, in his first fight at 140 pounds, dominated Rolando "Rolly" Romero with an eighth-round TKO to win the WBA junior welterweight title. Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) had Romero in trouble most of the fight and was close to knocking him down multiple times.

Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) has won four consecutive fights -- three by stoppage -- since losing a close decision to Gervonta Davis when challenging for the WBA lightweight title in December 2021. Romero (15-2, 13 KOs), who won the title in May 2023 against Ismael Barroso, lost a sixth-round TKO to Davis in May 2022.

Cruz moves to the No. 5 spot in the division while Romero falls out of the top 10.

Friday night in Arizona, former featherweight and junior lightweight champion Oscar Valdez Jr., scored an impressive seventh-round TKO victory over Liam Wilson (13-3, 7 KOs) to win the WBO interim junior lightweight title. Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs), who had lost two of his last three fights (to Shakur Stevenson and Emanuel Navarrete) was ahead on two of the scorecards at the time of he stoppage -- 59-55, 60-54 and 57-57.

Valdez moves up one spot to No. 5 in the 130-pound division.

Sunday in Japan, Ginjiro Shigeoka defeated Jake Amparo by second-round KO to retain his WBC strawweight world title. With the victory, Shigeoka (11-0, 9 KOs) takes the No. 1 spot from Oscar Collazo. Gingiro's older brother Yudai Shigeoka, suffered a split decision upset loss against Melvin Jerusalem, who won the IBF strawweight belt. Jerusalem (22-3, 12 KOs) re-enters the rankings at No. 3, while Yudai (8-1, 5 KOs) falls two spots to No. 5.

Rankings are determined by Mike Coppinger, Nick Parkinson, Damian Delgado Averhoff and Andres Ferrari. They are updated weekly on Tuesdays.

For a list of the current champions in all weight classes, click here. For ESPN women's divisional rankings click here.

Heavyweight - Cruiserweight - Light heavyweight - Super middleweight - Middleweight - Junior middleweight - Welterweight - Junior welterweight - Lightweight - Junior lightweight - Featherweight - Junior featherweight - Bantamweight - Junior bantamweight - Flyweight - Junior flyweight - Strawweight

 

HEAVYWEIGHT (UNLIMITED) 1. Tyson Fury       Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 34-0-1, 24 KOs Last: W (SD10) Francis Ngannou, Oct. 28 (Watch this fight on ESPN+ PPV) Next: May 18 vs. Oleksandr Usyk

2. Oleksandr Usyk       Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 21-0, 14 KOs Last: W (KO9) Daniel Dubois, Aug. 26 Next: May 18 vs. Tyson Fury

3. Anthony Joshua       Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 28-3, 25 KOs Last: W (KO2) Francis Ngannou, March 8 Next: TBA

4. Joseph Parker       Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 35-3, 23 KOs Last: W (MD12) Zhilei Zhang, March 8 Next: TBA

5. Filip Hrgovic       Previous ranking: No. 6

Record: 17-0, 14 KOs Last: W (TKO1) Mark De Mori, Dec. 23 Next: June 1 vs. Daniel Dubois

6. Zhilei Zhang       Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 26-2-1, 21 KOs Last: L (MD12) Joseph Parker, March 8 Next: June 1 vs. Deontay Wilder

7. Deontay Wilder       Previous ranking: No. 7

Record: 43-3-1, 42 KOs Last: L (UD12) Joseph Parker, Dec. 23 Next: June 1 vs. Zhilei Zhang

8. Jared Anderson       Previous ranking: No. 8

Record: 16-0, 15 KOs Last: W (TKO5) Andriy Rudenko, Aug. 26 Next: April 13 vs. Ryad Merhy

9. Daniel Dubois       Previous ranking: No. 9

Record: 20-2, 19 KOs Last: W (TKO10) Jarrell Miller, Dec. 23 Next: June 1 vs. Filip Hrgovic

10. Martin Bakole       Previous ranking: No. 10

Record: 20-1, 15 KOs Last: W (TKO4) Carlos Takam, Oct. 28 Next: TBA

Editor's note: Andy Ruiz Jr. has been removed for inactivity. Dillian Whyte has been removed for testing positive for a banned substance.

 

CRUISERWEIGHT (UP TO 200 POUNDS) 1. Jai Opetaia       Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 24-0, 19 KOs Last: W (KO1) Ellis Zorro, Dec. 23 Next: May 18 vs. Mairis Briedis

2. Norair Mikaeljan       Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 27-2, 12 KOs Last: W (TKO3) Ilunga Makabu, Nov. 4 Next: TBA

3. Chris Billam-Smith       Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 19-1, 13 KOs Last: W (TKO7) Mateusz Masternak, Dec. 10 Next: TBA

4. Gilberto Ramirez       Previous ranking: No. 6

Record: 45-1, 30 KOs Last: W (UD12) Arsen Goulamirian, March 30 Next: TBA

5. Lawrence Okolie       Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 19-1, 14 KOs Last: L (MD12) Chris Billam-Smith, May 27 Next: TBA

6. Richard Riakporhe       Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 17-0, 13 KOs Last: W (TKO2) Dylan Bregeon, Nov. 18 Next: TBA

7. Isaac Chamberlain       Previous ranking: No. 7

Record: 16-2, 8 KOs Last: W (UD12) Mikael Lawal, Oct. 21 Next: TBA

8. Mateusz Masternak       Previous ranking: No. 8

Record: 47-6, 31 KOs Last: L (TKO8) Chris Billam-Smith, Dec. 10 Next: TBA

9. Ryan Rozicki       Previous ranking: No. 9

Record: 20-1, 19 KOs Last: W (TKO1) Olanrewaju Durodola, Dec. 2 Next: TBA

10. Ilunga Makabu       Previous ranking: No. 10

Record: 29-4, 25 KOs Last: L (TKO3) Norair Mikaeljan, Nov. 4 Next: TBA

Editor's note: Badou Jack, Yuniel Dorticos, Arsen Goulamirian and Mairis Briedis have been removed for inactivity.

 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (UP TO 175 POUNDS) 1. Artur Beterbiev       Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 20-0, 20 KOs Last: W (TKO7) Callum Smith, Jan. 13 Next: June 1 vs. Dmitry Bivol

2. Dmitry Bivol       Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 22-0, 11 KOs Last: W (UD12) Lyndon Arthur, Dec. 23 Next: June 1 vs. Artur Beterbiev

3. Joshua Buatsi       Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 18-0, 13 KOs Last: W (UD12) Dan Azeez, Feb. 3 Next: TBA

4. Anthony Yarde       Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 25-3, 24 KOs Last: W (TKO3) Marko Nikolic, Feb. 10 Next: TBA

5. Callum Smith       Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 29-2, 21 KOs Last: L (TKO7) Artur Beterbiev, Jan. 13 Next: TBA

6. Oleksandr Gvozdyk       Previous ranking: No. 6

Record: 20-1, 16 KOs Last: W (KO2) Isaac Rodrigues, KO2 Next: TBA vs. David Benavidez

7. Dan Azeez       Previous ranking: No. 7

Record: 20-1, 13 KOs Last: L (UD8) Joshua Buatsi, Feb. 3 Next: TBA

8. Michael Eifert       Previous ranking: No. 8

Record: 12-1, 4 KOs Last: W (TKO6) Mose Auimatagi Jr., Dec. 20 Next: TBA

9. Craig Richards       Previous ranking: No. 8

Record: 18-3-1, 11 KOs Last: W (TKO7) Boris Crighton, Feb. 10 Next: TBA

10. Connor Wallace       Previous ranking: No. 8

Record: 11-1, 8 KOs Last: W (TKO6) Mose Auimatagi Jr., Dec. 20 Next: March 17 vs. Jack Gipp

Editor's note: Andre Dirrell has been remove for inactivity.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT (UP TO 168 POUNDS) 1. Canelo Alvarez       Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 60-2-2, 39 KOs Last: W (UD12) Jermell Charlo, Sept. 30 Next: May 4 vs. Jaime Munguia

2. David Benavidez       Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 28-0, 24 KOs Last: W (TKO6) Demetrius Andrade, Nov. 25 Next: TBA vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk

3. David Morrell       Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 10-0, 9 KOs Last: W (UD12) Sena Agbeko, Dec. 16 Next: TBA

4. Jaime Munguia       Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 43-0, 34 KOs Last: W (TKO9) John Ryder, Jan. 27 Next: May 4 vs. Canelo Alvarez

5. Caleb Plant       Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 22-2, 13 KOs Last: L (UD12) David Benavidez, March 25 Next: TBA

6. Christian Mbilli       Previous ranking: No. 6

Record: 26-0, 22 KOs Last: W (TKO6) Rohan Murdock, Jan. 13 Next: May 25 vs. Mark Heffron

7. Diego Pacheco