Shakur Stevenson became just the 24th fighter in boxing’s illustrious 150-year history to win world titles in four weight divisions this past Saturday.
Stevenson produced a masterclass performance to dominate the No. 1-ranked 140-pounder in the world, Teofimo Lopez, in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd. The bout was eagerly anticipated as one of the best that could be made in the sport, yet it turned into a one-sided mismatch on the night, displaying just how special Stevenson’s talent is.
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Boxing’s best performance of 2026 may have been wrapped up just 31 days into the new year — and for that, Stevenson jumps up several spots on Uncrowned’s latest pound-for-pound list.
Stevenson has long been considered one of the best talents in all of boxing, but has struggled to entice the best in his weight classes to share the ring with him. Lopez, a two-division champion and recent pound-for-pound top-10 standout, was the first elite fighter who dared to face Stevenson — and it quickly became clear to see why so many had avoided him.
Former pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, who was ringside to watch Saturday’s fight, recently retired from the sport, so there’s also a new pound-for-pound No. 1 in this month’s rankings update, alongside debuts on both the men’s and women’s sides.
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Uncrowned’s panel of experts — Kel Dansby, Alan Dawson, Darshan Desai, Lewis Watson and Elliot Worsell — have ranked the men’s and women’s pound-for-pound best, one through 10, using a weighted points system to determine the final rankings. (Being voted No. 1 equals 10 points, No. 2 equals nine points, down to No. 10 equaling one point.)
Without further ado, here are our rankings for February!
Oleksandr Usyk is once again No. 1 following the retirement of Terence Crawford.
(Bradley Collyer – PA Images via Getty Images)
MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Oleksandr Usyk — WBA/WBC/IBF heavyweight champion (Prev: 2)
Oleksandr Usyk brutally knocked out Daniel Dubois in July to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion and reassert his position as one of the pound-for-pound best in boxing.
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A road warrior, Usyk has boxed in title fights in seven different countries, mostly against fighters from those regions.
He won the World Boxing Super Series at cruiserweight by clearing out the best fighters in that division, and rivals Evander Holyfield as the best 200-pound fighter the world has ever seen. After becoming undisputed champion at cruiserweight, he then moved up to heavyweight and wasted no time defeating Anthony Joshua (twice) and Tyson Fury (twice), despite surrendering a considerable size advantage to the modern-day giants. In that sense, he epitomizes what the concept of pound-for-pound is all about.
Usyk, 38, vacated his WBO heavyweight title in November and his next step is currently uncertain. Rumors swirled about Usyk potentially defending his titles against Deontay Wilder in the U.S., but Wilder recently announced a fight with Derek Chisora for April. Saudi Arabian fight financier Turki Alalshikh wants to see Usyk face kickboxing legend Rico Verhoven, who was linked with an Anthony Joshua fight until Joshua was involved in a tragic car accident in December that took the lives of two of his close friends.
2. Naoya Inoue — Undisputed super bantamweight champion (Prev: 3)
Like Usyk, Naoya Inoue is a two-division undisputed world champion. The Japanese fighter has held world championships across four weight classes and is building a hulking résumé, with signature wins over Nonito Donaire (twice), Stephen Fulton and Luis Nery.
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Inoue fought four times in 2025 and won all four fights. He impressively outboxed Murodjon Akhmadaliev in September and David Alan Picasso in December to remind fight fans how excellent his boxing ability is after being dropped in a firefight with Ramon Cardenas in May.
Although still unofficial, an all-Japanese superfight with Junto Nakatani likely awaits Inoue in the spring.
3. Shakur Stevenson — WBC lightweight champion & WBO super lightweight champion (Prev: 8T)
Shakur Stevenson jumps up five spots on Uncrowned’s pound-for-pound list after his tremendous display against Teofimo Lopez this past Saturday in New York.
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Stevenson completely nullified Lopez’s game, winning a near shutout over the man who was considered the best at 140 pounds. It was a performance that not only elevates him into the upper echelon of this list, but foreshadows a pound-for-pound No. 1 spot for Stevenson at some point in the near future.
The four-division world champion produced the most exciting performance of his career in the fight prior, when he outclassed William Zepeda in July. Not only was it compelling television, but it also showcased the different facets of Stevenson’s game. Stevenson isn’t just a mover, but he can hold his feet and land the harder punches. The versatility the American has shown in his past two bouts is exactly why he is an elite-level fighter.
Stevenson has many options for his next step. Unifications at lightweight, super lightweight, or a colossal welterweight showdown with Conor Benn at a UK stadium in the summer could await the 28-year-old. A fight with Raymond Muratalla would represent No. 1 vs. No. 2 at 135 pounds, while a clash with Dalton Smith could achieve the same at 140.
Shakur Stevenson opened eyes with his shockingly one-sided win over Teofimo Lopez.
(Ishika Samant via Getty Images)
4. Dmitry Bivol — WBA/WBO/IBF light heavyweight champion (Prev: 4)
Bivol held the WBA light heavyweight crown for seven years until falling short to Artur Beterbiev in their October 2024 undisputed title fight. During his reign, Bivol made 12 successful defenses, which included an upset win over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2022.
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He managed to avenge his defeat to Beterbiev in 2025 and ascend as only the 11th man to become undisputed champion of the four-belt era.
Bivol is expected to return to the ring in May before staging a trilogy with Beterbiev later in 2026. A fight with fellow pound-for-pound star David Benavidez at some point would further his legacy as well. Bivol already has two of the most significant and meaningful wins out of any fighter on this list, considering his victories over both “Canelo” and Beterbiev.
His ticket to the Hall of Fame in Canastota has already been punched.
5. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez — WBA/WBC/WBO super flyweight champion (Prev: 5)
Rodriguez stepped in to face Carlos Cuadras on five days’ notice for his first world title in 2022. It was a two-division jump for “Bam,” but his trainer, Robert Garcia, had no doubt he was up for the test.
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Rodriguez impressed to capture the WBC super flyweight crown and never looked back. The 24-year-old has taken out three of the four kings at super flyweight and now chases undisputed status at 115 pounds.
“Bam” is not just a fight fan’s favorite anymore. He’s a legitimate star of the sport. He stopped Phumelela Cafu in a unification fight in front of 10,000 fans in July and added another belt to his collection with a dominant stoppage of WBA champion Fernando “Puma” Martinez in November.
Rodriguez entered free agency late last year as a hot commodity with multiple promoters interested in signing him. It appears Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom has kept its man after fending off interest from Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
Fights with Inoue and Nakatani would be spectacles in the near future. “Bam” already signed to face Naktani — another man on this list — in 2025, but Akihiko Honda, who co-promotes both fighters, vetoed the fight.
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6. Junto Nakatani — Former WBC/IBF bantamweight champion (Prev: 6T)
Nakatani is perhaps in the position Inoue was among the wider boxing community before Inoue’s win over Fulton. As an undefeated three-division champion, but one based in the lower weights and away from the Western community, Nakatani is still building a fan base in the U.S.
Nakatani knocked out David Cuellar in Tokyo in February 2025 to make the third defense of his WBC bantamweight title. He then added the IBF championship to his WBC crown with a sixth-round TKO win over Ryosuke Nishida in June.
Nakatani, who has now moved up to super bantamweight, is expected to land his big breakout fight against Inoue in the spring of 2026.
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The pair shared a card on Dec. 27, with Nakatani edging out Sebastian Hernandez Reyes in a thrilling fight in his 122-pound debut.
Inoue and Nakatani are expected to finally clash next — and it has all the makings to be the Japanese equivalent of Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns.
David Benavidez appears in line to have a massive 2026.
(Richard Pelham via Getty Images)
7. David Benavidez — WBC light heavyweight champion (Prev: 6T)
A two-weight world champion, David Benavidez is proving to be a BMF for boxing as he seeks out the toughest fights and over-delivers with a relentless and grueling fighting style.
With a star-studded résumé that includes wins over Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, David Morrell, and most recently Anthony Yarde, Benavidez has continually shined in elite fights. Despite being denied the opportunity to face the top dogs at super middleweight and light heavyweight, Benavidez has stayed busy against the top contenders in the weight classes.
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Benavidez announced in the ring after his seventh-round stoppage of Anthony Yarde in November that he’ll jump up to cruiserweight to challenge Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez for the WBA and WBO titles next May. It’ll be a major event between two boxers of Mexican descent on Cinco De Mayo weekend, with the winner primed to take over from “Canelo” as the next big Mexican star in boxing.
8. Devin Haney — WBO welterweight champion (Prev: 10)
Haney is a three-division world champion and the former undisputed lightweight king. He cemented himself as the No. 1 fighter at lightweight in May 2023 after earning a decision win over Vasiliy Lomachenko. He’s also won titles at super lightweight and welterweight in his respective debuts in the weight classes.
When Haney dominated Regis Prograis to capture the WBC super lightweight crown in December 2023, many saw him as having the strongest case to be the division’s No. 1, despite having just one fight at the weight class. The feeling was similar after Haney’s impressive victory over Brian Norman Jr. in November to win the WBO welterweight title.
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Haney is expected to now target unifications at 147 pounds, and with Rolando “Rolly” Romero, Mario Barrios and Lewis Crocker as the division’s other current titleholders, there is certainly no reason why he can’t enjoy a period of dominance at welterweight.
9. Artur Beterbiev — Former undisputed light heavyweight champion (Prev: 8T)
After edging a controversial decision over Bivol in October 2024 to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion, Beterbiev fell short in the 2025 rematch. Both fights between the pair were treats for boxing fans, so there’s a hope among many that we’ll see them share the ring for a third time in what would arguably be the most significant three-fight series since Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury.
Beterbiev, now a free agent, was scheduled to return to the ring on Nov. 22 against Deon Nicholson in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but the fight was canceled for no apparent reason. Bivol underwent back surgery in August, which delayed their trilogy bout. The pair, now headed for a trilogy in late 2026, are expected to take tune-ups in the first half of the year.
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Beterbiev, 41, picked up boxing’s 175-pound titles one by one prior to his first career loss and could also move up to cruiserweight to become a two-division champion.
10. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez — Former undisputed super middleweight champion (Prev: Unranked)
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez exited Uncrowned’s pound-for-pound list in November, shortly after his loss to Terence “Bud” Crawford.
It was Crawford’s spectacular win that booted Alvarez out, and ironically, it is Crawford’s retirement that creates space for Alvarez to re-enter.
Turki Alalshikh announced that “Canelo” will return in September in a world title fight. Christian Mbilli and Jose Armando Resendiz currently hold 168-pound titles, while Hamzah Sheeraz and Osleys Iglesias are expected to capture the other belts, leaving four possible options for Alvarez.
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With the Mexican’s recent performances, though, the question lingers — is “Canelo” still good enough to beat the next crop of top super middleweights?
(Others receiving votes: Jai Opetaia, Jaron Ennis, Sebastian Fundora, Vergil Ortiz Jr.)
As her career winds to an end, Ireland’s Katie Taylor is already cemented as one of the greatest to ever do it.
(Noam Galai via Getty Images)
WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Katie Taylor — WBA/WBO/IBF super lightweight champion (Prev: 1)
Taylor’s sublime boxing ability was available for all to see when she comfortably outboxed Serrano for a decision win on the historic all-women’s Netflix card this past July.
Some believed Taylor’s brilliant résumé — which includes wins over Amanda Serrano (x3), Delfine Persoon and Chantelle Cameron — initially wasn’t enough to crown her as the No. 1 pound-for-pound women’s boxer due to the closeness of her fights and the controversy stemming from several of them. But after her third and most convincing victory over Serrano, the time is now for Taylor to wear her crown as the best in the world.
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The Irishwoman is nearing the end of her pro career. Taylor’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes it could take a grand sendoff at the 80,000-capacity Croke Park Stadium in Ireland for Taylor to fight again.
The WBC made Taylor champion in recess in September when it became apparent that her return wouldn’t be in the immediate future.
2. Claressa Shields — WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF heavyweight champion and WBO light heavyweight champion (Prev: 2)
Shields is a five-division world champion and the only female boxer to have held undisputed titles in three different weight divisions of the four-belt era.
She won undisputed gold at middleweight in 2019 (where there are only 37 active participants in the world), at super welterweight in 2021 (which has 63 registered boxers), and most recently at heavyweight, (home to just 18 fighters).
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With 118 fighters competing in the three divisions she’s won the undisputed championships in, it’s understandable why the two-time Olympic champion has struggled to find big-name dance partners. Regardless, she’s beaten every contender put in front of her, and that’s all that anyone can ask of any pugilist.
Shields successfully defended her undisputed heavyweight crown with a decision win over IBF light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels in July. Afterward, she inked a historic four-fight agreement with Salita Promotions and Wayne Records worth a minimum of $8 million.
Her return will take place later this month, on Feb. 22, in a rematch with Franchon Crews-Dezurn.
3. Gabriela Fundora — WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF flyweight champion (Prev: 3)
Fundora stopped Gabriela Alaniz in impressive fashion to unify the flyweight division in November 2024 in Las Vegas.
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2025 was a more straightforward year for Fundora, who scored back-to-back seventh-round knockouts in title defenses against Marilyn Badillo Amaya in April and Alexas Kubicki in September to earn her second straight Women’s Fighter of the Year award for Uncrowned.
At just 23 years old, she is the youngest undisputed champion of the four-belt era — and she could very well be the face of women’s boxing in the years to come. It’ll be intriguing to see what 2026 holds for Fundora.
Amanda Serrano rediscovered her winning way in January against Reina Tellez.
(Ricardo Arduengo via Getty Images)
4. Amanda Serrano — WBA/WBO featherweight champion (Prev: 4)
Puerto Rico’s Serrano was defeated for a third time by Taylor in their undisputed title fight earlier in July. This time, however, there was no controversy on the night — Serrano was simply beaten by the better woman. Regardless of coming out 0-3 in the series, Serrano will always be able to say that she took part in the first major trilogy of fights in women’s boxing history.
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Serrano returned to her winning ways by beating a game late replacement Reina Tellez this past month in Puerto Rico to retain her WBA and WBO featherweight titles.
5. Chantelle Cameron — Super lightweight contender (Prev: 5)
Cameron captured boxing’s undisputed super lightweight title with a victory over Jessica McCaskill in 2022, but her biggest triumph undoubtedly came when she upset Taylor in the Irishwoman’s homecoming bout at a packed 3 Arena in Dublin the following year.
Taylor produced a fantastic against-all-odds performance to defeat Cameron in the rematch and become a two-division undisputed champion, but Cameron has since recorded three wins on the trot, including a decision over Jessica Camara to retain her WBC interim belt on the Taylor vs. Serrano 3 undercard.
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The WBC elevated Cameron to full WBC super lightweight champion in September because Taylor isn’t expected to return to the ring until later in 2026. The sanctioning body ordered Cameron to defend her title against Sandy Ryan, but Cameron chose to vacate the championship rather than face Ryan. Her next steps are currently unclear.
6. Alycia Baumgardner — WBA/WBO/IBF super featherweight champion (Prev: 6)
Baumgardner announced herself to the pugilist community when she knocked out Terri Harper on her feet to win the WBC super featherweight title in November 2021.
She eventually became the undisputed champion at 130 pounds, beating Mikaela Mayer in the process, but her career was halted for some time after failing an anti-doping test in the lead-up to her title defense against Christina Linardatou. Baumgardner fought to a no-contest against Delfine Persoon in her September 2024 return fight.
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The American has since made big moves in the women’s game, signing with Jake Paul and Nikisa Bidarian’s Most Valuable Promotions.
Most recently, Baumgardner retained her unified WBA, WBO and IBF super featherweight titles with a win over Leila Beaudoin on the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua undercard this past December. It was Baumgardner’s first time fighting over 12 three-minute rounds, rather than the standard 10 two-minute rounds used in women’s boxing.
Alycia Baumgardner (left) could find opportunity aplenty for herself within Jake Paul’s MVP stable.
(Leonardo Fernandez via Getty Images)
7. Mikaela Mayer — WBA/WBC super welterweight champion and WBO welterweight champion (Prev: 8)
Mayer has been on the wrong end of two disputed decisions. In 2022, she was considered unlucky not to get her hand raised after 10 brilliant rounds with Baumgardner, and in 2024, she came away second-best again in the eyes of the judges against Natasha Jonas.
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The rub of the green finally favored Mayer in late 2024, though, when she edged Sandy Ryan to win the WBO welterweight title. Mayer vs. Ryan, alongside Taylor vs. Serrano 2, was the frontrunner for Fight of the Year honors in 2024.
Mayer and Ryan fought a rematch in March 2025, and it was a case of repeat rather than revenge as Mayer again won via decision. The American became a three-weight world champion in October, defeating Mary Spencer for the WBA, WBC and WBO super welterweight belts in Canada.
Only Lauren Price stands in the way of Mayer and becoming the undisputed champion at welterweight. She is also now two belts away from unifying at super welterweight, because although she won three titles in October, Mayer was forced to decide between keeping the WBO titles at welterweight or super welterweight, and ultimately chose to retain her 147-pound belt.
8. Ellie Scotney — WBC/WBO/IBF super bantamweight champion (Prev: 7)
England’s Ellie Scotney won her first world title when she outpointed New Zealand’s Cherneka Johnson, the current undisputed bantamweight champion, in June 2023. The Catford woman added the WBO belt to her collection with a dominant decision over Segolene Lefebvre in April 2024.
Still, Scotney has struggled to gain recognition outside of the boxing community. To further her cause, she inked a deal with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions earlier this year and added the WBC strap with a convincing win over Yamileth Mercado on the Netflix-streamed Taylor vs. Serrano 3 show, which was viewed by an audience of 6 million.
Now Scotney has just one belt remaining to become undisputed champion — the WBA title currently held by the little-known Mexican, Mayelli Flores. The duo were supposed to unify their belts on the Nov. 14 Jake Paul vs. Gervonta “Tank” Davis undercard, but Scotney was forced out due to injury. The plan is to reschedule the fight at some point in the first half of this year.
Outside of Flores, Scotney could face the former WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicolson in a super bantamweight title defense after Nicolson moved down to 122 pounds following her loss to Tiara Brown this past March. Nicolson, who is perhaps the biggest star in the division, collected the WBC interim title on Dec. 13 and is Scotney’s mandatory.
9. Lauren Price — WBA/WBC/IBF welterweight champion (Prev: 9)
There are few active fighters more decorated than burgeoning Welsh standout Lauren Price, who won the gold medal for Britain at the 2020 Olympic Games and has since parlayed that success into the pro game. She’s unified three major world championships, as well as The Ring title, after only nine bouts.
In that short space of time, she’s already defeated Jessica McCaskill and Natasha Jonas, and at just 31 years old, the southpaw’s best years may still be ahead of her. Price was hoping to unify her three titles with WBO champion Mayer in an undisputed bout, but their respective teams were unable to reach an agreement.
Price will defend her titles against Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Pineiro on April 4 in Cardiff before targeting an undisputed fight with Mayer later in 2026. A mega-fight with Shields is also on the table at some point if the pair can reach a compromise on the substantial weight difference that currently exists.
Elif Nur Turhan is the newest name on our women’s pound-for-pound list.
(Owen Humphreys – PA Images via Getty Images)
10. Elif Nur Turhan — IBF lightweight champion (Prev. Unranked)
Elif Nur Turhan debuts on Uncrowned’s pound-for-pound list just 48 hours after making a successful first defense of her IBF lightweight title by winning a split decision over Taylah Gentzen.
Although Turhan’s performance against Gentzen was anything but impressive, her 2025 was remarkable.
Three fights, three wins, three upsets, three knockouts — that’s how the Turkish woman broke out as a budding star of women’s boxing in 2025.
Lightweight unifications with Caroline Dubois, Stephanie Han and Terri Harper represent enticing matchups. Turhan, with her fifth-round knockout win over Beatriz Ferreira this past December, owns the best win at 135 pounds, however her performance against Gentzen proved that, despite her heavy-handedness, she is still very technically limited.
“The female Deontay Wilder” was a comparison uttered by DAZN commentators this past Saturday.
(Others receiving votes: Cherneka Johnson, Mizuki Hiruta, Yokasta Valle, Dina Thorslund, Shadasia Green.)
Here is how Uncrowned’s boxing team voted:
Kel Dansby
MEN
WOMEN
Alan Dawson
MEN
WOMEN
Darshan Desai
MEN
WOMEN
Lewis Watson
MEN
WOMEN
Elliot Worsell
MEN
WOMEN
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