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Unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol defeated Michael Eifert by unanimous decision on May 30 in Ekaterinburg, Russia, in his first fight after a 15-month layoff following back surgery.
Bivol had last fought in February 2025, when he avenged his loss to Artur Beterbiev with a majority decision victory to unify all four major belts and become the undisputed champion at 175 pounds. Two months later, Bivol relinquished the WBC title to pursue a trilogy bout with Beterbiev rather than face mandatory challenger David Benavidez.
In his return to the ring, Bivol showed little sign of rust, dropping Eifert with a left hook in the opening round and controlling the action from start to finish. Using his trademark jab, combinations and body punching, Bivol dominated the remainder of the fight and earned scores of 120-107 on all three judges’ cards.
With the victory, Bivol returns to the pound-for-pound rankings at No. 6. Bivol was ranked No. 4 before being removed due to inactivity. His return pushes Canelo Alvarez out of the top 10.
Our panel of Andreas Hale, Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Nick Parkinson, James Regan, Bernardo Osuna, Eric Woodyard, Bernardo Pilatti, Salvador Rodriguez, Jim Zirolli, Michael Mascaro, Aladdin Freeman, Victor Lopez and Damian Delgado Averhoff shares its votes.
More ESPN rankings: Divisional rankings and women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Note: Results are through June 3.
1. NAOYA INOUE
RECORD: 33-0, 27 KOs
DIVISION: Junior featherweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Junto Nakatani, May 2
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Inoue takes over the top spot after turning back the challenge of fellow pound-for-pound fighter Nakatani in the biggest fight in the history of Japanese boxing. “The Monster” had to endure a late surge from Nakatani and seized control in the championship rounds to retain his undisputed status. With this highly anticipated fight behind him, he’ll await his next challenge. The next big fight for Inoue will be against another pound-for-pound fighter in Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, a bout that could happen in early 2027. — Hale
2. OLEKSANDR USYK
RECORD: 25-0, 16 KOs
DIVISION: Heavyweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO11) Rico Verhoeven, May 23
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Usyk avoided disaster with a controversial 11th-round stoppage of Verhoeven in a fight that was believed to be a showcase for the three-time undisputed champion. Instead, he struggled to track down the decorated kickboxer for long stretches until he eventually put his foot on the gas pedal. Whether the performance was a hiccup or an indication that Usyk is on the decline is yet to be decided. That will certainly be tested in his next fight, likely a title defense against Agit Kabayel. — Andreas Hale
3. JESSE RODRIGUEZ
RECORD: 23-0, 16 KOs
DIVISION: Junior bantamweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO10) Fernando Martinez, Nov. 22, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: June 13 vs. Antonio Vargas
“Bam” Rodriguez took care of business in dominant fashion against Martinez to add the WBA title to his collection at junior bantamweight. It wasn’t just that he won, it was how easy he made it look. Martinez was undefeated heading into the fight, yet he looked like a novice as Rodriguez had his way before securing the finish in the 10th round. At 25, Rodriguez is the youngest fighter on the pound-for-pound list and will have plenty of time to crack the top spot. Rodriguez is one of the best fighters in the world as well as one of the most entertaining. — Hale
4. DAVID BENAVIDEZ
RECORD: 32-0, 26 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (champion) and cruiserweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO6) Gilberto Ramirez, May 2
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Benavidez destroyed “Zurdo” Ramirez in his cruiserweight debut to become a three-division world champion in a frightening display of offensive dominance. He’s become arguably the most exciting fighter in boxing with plenty of options for his next fight. Still only 29, Benavidez will likely move back down to light heavyweight and seek to challenge unified champion Dmitry Bivol. Never one to duck a challenge, “The Mexican Monster” is on a thrilling endeavor as he continues to hunt the biggest challenges and wipe them out in emphatic fashion. — Hale
5. SHAKUR STEVENSON
RECORD: 25-0, 11 KOs
DIVISION: Junior welterweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Teofimo Lopez Jr., Jan. 31
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Stevenson shoots up the pound-for-pound list after pitching a near shutout against Teofimo Lopez Jr. to win a major world title in a fourth weight class. But it’s not just that he’s winning fights. Stevenson, 28, is operating on a different plateau, dominating the opposition and barely conceding rounds against fellow world champions. He has plenty of options as he could look to unify at 140 pounds or 135. Or he could climb another weight class to 147 pounds. He’s knocking at the door of the top spot. — Hale
6. DMITRY BIVOL 
Previous ranking: NR
RECORD: 25-1, 12 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (unified champion
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Michael Eifert, May 30
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Bivol returns to the rankings after a 15-month absence from the ring. He put an overmatched Eifert down in the first round and appeared to spend the next 11 rounds knocking the rust off. Bivol showed he’s still sharp and one of the best boxers in the world. He’ll certainly see a step up in competition for his next fight, which is rumored to be a rubber match with Artur Beterbiev. — Hale
7. DEVIN HANEY 
Previous ranking: 6
RECORD: 33-0, 1 NC, 15 KOs
DIVISION: Welterweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Brian Norman Jr., Nov. 22, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Haney defeated the biggest puncher at welterweight with relative ease as he dominated Norman to become WBO champion. Comments about Haney’s demise after the Ryan Garcia fight were grotesquely exaggerated, and he silenced the naysayers by brilliantly outboxing a fighter with even bigger punching power than Garcia. A three-division champion who just turned 27, Haney cracks the list with his impressive skill set and instincts. — Hale
8. JUNTO NAKATANI Previous ranking: 7
RECORD: 32-1, 24 KOs
DIVISION: Bantamweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: L (UD12) Naoya Inoue, May 2
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
Nakatani dug himself a hole he couldn’t quite get out in the first half of the fight against Inoue and lost a unanimous decision. However, his rally to claw back into the fight was impressive as he took the fight to Inoue in the middle rounds. He’ll be sidelined with a left orbital bone fracture as he decides where to go following the first loss of his career. — Hale
9. JARON “BOOTS” ENNIS Previous ranking: 8
RECORD: 35-0, 31 KOs
DIVISION: Interim junior middleweight champion
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO1) Uisma Lima, Oct. 11, 2025
NEXT FIGHT: June 27 vs. Xander Zayas
Ennis’ talent is undeniable as he has mowed down the opposition since debuting a decade ago. The only question has been his opposition, as Ennis has yet to face an elite fighter. He passed the eye test and arrived on the pound-for-pound list due to his brilliant switch-hitting ability and boxing IQ. He needs to be tested, and a long-anticipated showdown with Vergil Ortiz Jr. has been teased for the past few years. Just when it felt like it was close to happening, legal issues came between the two fighters. Ennis will move on — for now — to challenge WBO and WBA junior middleweight champion Zayas. — Hale
10. JAI OPETAIA
RECORD: 30-0, 23 KOs
DIVISION: Cruiserweight
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Brandon Glanton, March 8
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
The undefeated Australian made his debut on American soil with a one-sided throttling of Glanton to claim the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight championship. However, the most compelling story had to do with the IBF title, which Opetaia would be later stripped of for a second time. There’s no doubt that Opetaia is the best cruiserweight in the world, but the real question will surround how Zuffa Boxing manages to help him fulfill his dream of becoming the undisputed champion. — Hale
The formula
The rankings are based on a descending points system, with a first-place vote awarding 10 points, a second-place vote awarding nine points and so on. A tie goes to the fighter with the highest ranking, then the one with the most votes at that ranking.
Others receiving votes: Canelo Alvarez (8), Oscar Collazo (8), Vergil Ortiz Jr. (4), Emanuel Navarrete (4), Rafael Espinoza (3), Raymond Muratalla (2), O’Shaquie Foster (2)
How our writers voted
Hale: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Benavidez, 4. Stevenson, 5. Rodriguez, 6. Bivol, 7. Haney, 8. Ortiz, 9. Ennis, 10. Nakatani
Atlas: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Benavidez, 5. Bivol, 6. Stevenson, 7. Haney, 8. Nakatani, 9. Ennis, 10. Muratalla
Tessitore: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Stevenson, 5. Benavidez, 6. Opetaia, 7. Bivol, 8. Haney, 9. Nakatani, 10. Ennis
Parkinson: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Benavidez, 4. Stevenson, 5. Rodriguez, 6. Bivol, 7. Haney, 8. Opetaia, 9. Nakatani, 10. Alvarez
Regan: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Benavidez, 5. Bivol, 6. Stevenson, 7. Haney, 8. Nakatani, 9. Ennis, 10. Alvarez
Osuna: 1. Inoue, 2. Rodriguez, 3. Usyk, 4. Benavidez, 5. Stevenson, 6. Bivol, 7. Haney, 8. Nakatani, 9. Ennis, 10. Navarrete
Rodriguez: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Bivol, 5. Benavidez, 6. Stevenson, 7. Collazo, 8. Navarrete, 9. Alvarez, 10. Haney
Woodyard: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Stevenson, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Benavidez, 6. Bivol, 7. Nakatani, 8. Haney, 9. Collazo, 10. Ennis
Pilatti: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Benavidez, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Stevenson, 6. Haney, 7. Bivol, 8. Nakatani, 9. Collazo, 10. Muratalla
Zirolli: 1. Usyk, 2. Inoue, 3. Stevenson, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Benavidez, 6. Haney, 7. Opetaia, 8. Bivol, 9. Ennis, 10. Ortiz
Mascaro: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Rodriguez, 4. Benavidez, 5. Stevenson, 6. Haney, 7. Bivol, 8. Ennis, 9. Espinoza, 10. Nakatani
Freeman: 1. Inoue, 2. Rodriguez, 3. Stevenson, 4. Usyk, 5. Benavidez, 6. Haney, 7. Bivol, 8. Nakatani, 9. Foster, 10. Espinoza
Lopez: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Benavidez, 4. Bivol, 5. Rodriguez, 6. Stevenson, 7. Nakatani, 8. Haney, 9. Ennis, 10. Alvarez
Delgado Averhof: 1. Inoue, 2. Usyk, 3. Benavidez, 4. Rodriguez, 5. Bivol, 6. Stevenson, 7. Haney, 8. Alvarez, 9. Ennis, 10. Opetaia
ESPN experts’ poll
First place: Inoue (11), Usyk (3)
Second place: Usyk (9), Inoue (3), Rodriguez (2)
Third place: Rodriguez (5), Benavidez (5), Stevenson (3), Usyk (1)
Fourth place: Rodriguez (4), Benavidez (4), Stevenson (3), Bivol (2), Usyk (1)
Fifth place: Benavidez (5), Rodriguez (3), Stevenson (3), Bivol (3)
Sixth place: Stevenson (5), Bivol (4), Haney (4), Opetaia (1)
Seventh place: Haney (6), Bivol (4), Nakatani (2), Opetaia (1), Collazo (1)
Eighth place: Nakatani (5), Haney (3), Bivol (1), Ennis (1), Opetaia (1), Alvarez (1), Navarrete (1), Ortiz (1)
Ninth place: Ennis (7), Nakatani (2), Collazo (2), Alvarez (1), Espinoza (1), Foster (1)
10th place: Alvarez (3), Nakatani (2), Ennis (2), Muratalla (2), Haney (1), Opetaia (1), Ortiz (1), Espinoza (1), Navarrete (1)
