UFC pound-for-pound rankings: New No. 1 emerges after Demetrious Johnson suffers loss

In the dangerous and unpredictable world of elite mixed martial arts, Demetrious Johnson defending his UFC flyweight title used to be one of the new rock-solid constants.

Johnson, who set a UFC record with 11 title defenses and earned almost universal praise as the sport's pound-for-pound king, saw his legendary reign come to an end in surprise fashion on Saturday at UFC 227 in Los Angeles when he was upset via split decision by Henry Cejudo. The fact that the decision was largely disputed doesn't take away from how surprising it felt, especially considering Johnson had finished Cejudo inside of one round when they met in 2016. Yet the loss created a changing of the guard at the top of the P4P rankings at a very unique time for the top 10.

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The usual suspects of Jon Jones and Conor McGregor are both ineligible after layoffs of more than one year (although McGregor just agreed to a return from a two-year break in October). That means Daniel Cormier couldn't have chosen a better time to alter history when he knocked out heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic last month to join McGregor as the only fighters to hold multiple UFC titles simultaneously.

Not only was the means by which Cormier's recorded the victory surprising after he knocked Miocic out in the opening round, but the fact that, at 39, he looked more powerful and technical as a heavyweight than he has in recent years as the 205-pound champion was beyond impressive.

But Cormier's ascension to the P4P throne wasn't without a late run from TJ Dillashaw, who followed Johnson's upset loss on Saturday by recording a second knockout of the previously P4P-ranked Cody Garbrandt to defend his bantamweight title in the main event. Dillashaw is on his way to becoming the most accomplished 135-pound fighter in UFC history, and if you consider how disputed his two decision defeats were to Raphael Assuncao and Dominick Cruz, it's easy to imagine Dillashaw having already earned this type of critical respect had he not suffered the questionable losses.

At 32, Dillashaw is at the peak of his powers and continues to stand out for his combination of speed and power, along with his uniquely shifty style.

Men's pound-for-pound rankings

UFC Power Rankings

Player	Weightclass	Record
1. Daniel Cormier (c)	Light heavyweight/heavyweight	21-1 (1 NC)
Should DC close his career with one more 205-pound title defense, a monster pay-per-view against Brock Lesnar and a third fight with Jones, we could be looking at one of the four or five greatest careers in MMA history.
2. TJ Dillashaw (c)	Bantamweight	16-3
A rematch against Cruz should be top priority for UFC, not just because of how disputed Cruz's title win was in 2015, but because he remains the last hurdle in Dillashaw's quest to become the best bantamweight in history.
3. Demetrious Johnson	Flyweight	27-3-1
As Dillashaw can previously attest to, not every champion gets an instant rematch after dropping their title by close decision. Yet if there has ever been one who deserves that chance, it's certainly "Mighty Mouse." Book the trilogy and book it now.
4. Tyron Woodley	Welterweight	18-3-1
Although he just passed one full year of inactivity due to injury, Woodley has a title shot booked for Sept. 8 in Dallas against the giant 170-pounder Darren Till at UFC 228.
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov (c)	Lightweight	26-0
A recently signed grudge match against McGregor for Oct. 6 at UFC 229 offers Nurmagomedov the chance to definitively call himself the best lightweight in the world. The PPV also has the potential to become the biggest selling in UFC history. Buckle up.
6. Max Holloway (c)	Featherweight	19-3
It has been one difficult year physically for Holloway, who has been forced to pull out of three separate fights. With his health uncertain following the recent scare ahead of UFC 226, it's hard to pinpoint when he might return and at what weight depending upon his diagnosis.
7. Robert Whittaker (c)	Middleweight	20-4
Despite his recent battles with injuries, Whittaker has cemented himself as the top middleweight in the world thanks to a pair of wins over Yoel Romero. He's set to return later this year against Kelvin Gastelum following a coaching stint on "The Ultimate Fighter."
8. Tony Ferguson (c)	Lightweight	23-3
The freak injury that robbed "El Cucuy" a shot at the lightweight title in April at UFC 223 marked the fourth time a booked fight against Nurmagomedov failed to come to fruition. Ferguson appears to be the odd man out at the moment in the division now that Nurmagomedov-McGregor and Nate Diaz-Dustin Poirier have been booked.
9. Brian Ortega	Featherweight	14-0 (1 NC)
Ortega has been so impressive in stepping up his game each time he has faced stiffer competition that it's hard to pinpoint just how good he really is. After missing out on a chance to face Holloway in July, expect a title opportunity of some form to come his way before the end of the year.
10. Henry Cejudo	Flyweight	13-2
By relying on his Olympic pedigree, Cejudo outwrestled Johnson to earn a questionable decision. Still, the win marked another leap forward in his progression. The true test of how good he is will likely come in the form of a trilogy fight once Johnson heals up form a pair of injuries he fought through in his UFC 227 loss.

Dropped out: Stipe Miocic, Conor McGregor (inactivity), Jon Jones (inactivity), Cody Garbrandt

Just missed: Georges St-Pierre, Dustin Poirier, Yoel Romero, Stephen Thompson

Two years after UFC created a 145-pound women's division largely to give Cris "Cyborg" Justino a home to showcase her skills, the promotion has still failed to post any names on the divisional rankings page of its website. Suffice to say, finding credible opponents for Justino hasn't been a cakewalk.

Should the P4P queen accept a super fight against bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes later this year, however, this could be as good of a women's fight the promotion could make in terms of an attempt to crown the best female fighter in the world.

Yet for as dominant as Justino and Nunes have been in their respective divisions, recent victories from Rose Namajunas over former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk proved just how hot on their tails "Thug Rose" is in grabbing top P4P honors.

Women's pound-for-pound rankings

Player	Weightclass	Record	Trend
1. Cris "Cyborg" Justino (c)	Featherweight	20-1 (1 NC)	--
With the cupboard already bare of opponents, it's Nunes or nothing for Justino who continues to knock down everyone lined up in front of her.
2. Amanda Nunes (c)	Bantamweight	16-4	--
The timing of a superfight seems about right for Nunes considering she has quietly cleaned out the 135-pound division of credible title contenders.
3. Rose Namajunas (c)	Strawweight	15-2
A first-round knockout and close decision win over former champion Jedrzejczyk showcased just how much Namajunas has evolved following a pair of defeats which stunted her early UFC rise. The champion is just 26 and appears to have a long road ahead of her.
4. Valentina Shevchenko	Flyweight	15-3	--
Moving down to 125 pounds after a pair of close decision defeats to Nunes seems to be just what the doctor ordered for Shevchenko, who opened as an overwhelming betting favorite ahead of her Sept. 8 title shot against the unheralded Nicco Montano.
5. Joanna Jedrzejczyk	Strawweight	15-2
The former "Joanna champion" rebounded nicely from losing her 115-pound title by outpointing Tecia Torres over three rounds. Despite previously leaning towards a move up in weight, Jedrzejczyk has decided to make one more go at a strawweight title run.