Joshua Van Climbs to No. 3 in Men's Pound-for-Pound Rankings

Joshua Van has vaulted into the elite tier of mixed martial arts, jumping from No. 11 to No. 3 in MMA Fighting's Men's Pound-for-Pound rankings. The surge comes after the flyweight champion earned the biggest victory of his career, outworking former champion and future Hall of Famer Alexandre Pantoja across five rounds.

Just weeks shy of his 25th birthday, Van solidified his standing atop the division after initially claiming the title from Pantoja last December. Now boasting two title defenses, Van sits behind only lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and bantamweight contender Petr Yan in the pound-for-pound hierarchy. With Yan set to face Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout at UFC 333, Van could potentially climb even higher, though a looming matchup against former RIZIN standout Manel Kape is expected to serve as his next test.

Other notable shifts in the rankings include lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan, who boosted his title credentials with a first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331. In the women's ranks, former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso returned to the top 10 following a clear-cut decision victory over Manon Fiorot at Noche UFC, positioning herself for future matchups involving Natalia Silva or Wang Cong.