Boxing pound-for-pound rankings (Nov. 2026): Canelo Alvarez storms back into top 10 after Mbilli masterclass

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is back among boxing’s pound-for-pound best.

More than a year after Terence Crawford stripped him of his undisputed crown, Alvarez reminded the boxing world that he remains one of its elite fighters with a dominant decision victory over Christian Mbilli this past Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

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The victory not only returned a world title to Alvarez’s waist, but also proved that, even at the tail end of his career, the Mexican superstar remains a step above the rest of the super middleweight division.

On the women’s side, with Katie Taylor’s final dance behind us, there is a consensus No. 1 fighter for the first time since Uncrowned began its women’s pound-for-pound rankings in December 2024. November’s list also welcomed a debut entrant on the men’s side and a return for one of women’s boxing’s elite names.

Uncrowned’s panel of experts — Kel Dansby, Alan Dawson, Darshan Desai, Joseph Santoliquito, 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 pound-for-pound rankings for November 2026!

MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND RANKINGS

1. Naoya Inoue — Undisputed super bantamweight champion (Prev: 1)

News about Naoya Inoue’s next move is imminent.

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After scoring the finest win of his career in May when he outclassed Junto Nakatani in the biggest boxing match in Japan’s history, Inoue is now targeting another battle of top pound-for-pound fighters with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.

The pair are in talks for a March superfight in Japan. If that doesn’t materialize, Inoue will look to challenge for a world title at featherweight and become just the seventh fighter in men’s boxing history to be able to call himself a five-division champion.

Whichever is next for Inoue, he’s proving he is still very much a legacy fighter even in the years past his prime.

2T. Oleksandr Usyk — Former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion (Prev: 2)

Oleksandr Usyk is another name who isn’t done adding to his legacy just yet.

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After winning Olympic gold and undisputed titles at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, it seemed that Usyk, 39, was no longer interested in facing the top contenders and consistently proving himself to be the No. 1 fighter on the planet.

Usyk took a novelty fight with Rico Verhoeven in May, and then elected to drop his belts rather than defend them against Agit Kabayel. The Ukrainian appeared to be angling for a past-his-best version of Deontay Wilder for one of the final fights of his career — and who could blame him? Usyk had accomplished everything he’d ever dreamed of and defeated every challenge in front of him for a decade. If he wanted to have an easier final stretch, so be it. 

Luckily for boxing fans, though, that doesn’t appear to be the case. 

After talks with Wilder failed, Usyk has decided he wants to return to cruiserweight and become an undisputed champion — again. Serhii Lapin revealed last week that Usyk wants to fight for the IBF title next and then meet David Benavidez in what would be a blockbuster four-belt unification.

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2027 may be the year Usyk gets the big U.S stage he always wanted.

2T. David Benavidez — WBA & WBO unified cruiserweight champion (Prev: 3)

Benavidez jumped up four spots this past May after his tremendous display against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez to become a three-division world champion.

He epitomized the meaning of pound-for-pound by going up 25 pounds and still producing what can only be described as the destruction of a top world champion. The mix of hand speed, combination punching and power was simply frightening.

After capturing the WBA and WBO titles against Ramirez, Benavidez is now searching for a third belt at cruiserweight. The American is set to return on Dec. 5 in Arizona against WBC champion Michal Cieslak.

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A win there would put him one belt short of undisputed — although the future of the IBF belt remains uncertain. With Usyk putting himself in the mix for the vacant championship and Jai Opetaia’s legal case pending, it’s likely that regardless of whoever Benavidez fights for undisputed, a victory would give him a strong case to top this list in 2027.

4. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez — WBA bantamweight champion (Prev: 4T)

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez became a three-division world champion in June, months after signing a lucrative three-year extension with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom. He knocked out Antonio Vargas to capture the WBA bantamweight title — and move one step closer to a dream showdown with Uncrowned’s pound-for-pound No. 1, Inoue.

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Inoue and “Bam” are targeting a March 2027 showdown, which would see two of the sport’s consensus top-five pound-for-pound fighters go head-to-head for the first time since Terence Crawford and Errol Spence locked horns in July 2023.

A win there would almost certainly mean the No. 1 fighter in boxing is a 5-foot-4, 120-pound American.

5. Shakur Stevenson — WBO super lightweight champion (Prev: 4T)

Shakur Stevenson has had a tumultuous past few months without even stepping into a ring.

After Stevenson dominated Teofimo Lopez in January to become a four-division world champion and ascend into the top half of the pound-for-pound list, he became one of the sport’s hottest commodities. It didn’t take long for the new players in town, Zuffa Boxing, to swarm in and make Stevenson the flagship fighter of their roster. 

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Just 100 days later, though, Stevenson was back on the market.

His Zuffa partnership proved to be a failed one. Fights with Devin Haney, Gary Antuanne Russell and others ultimately got nowhere, and now his next promotional move is unclear.

Stevenson’s next fight, though, is more apparent. The WBO has ordered Stevenson to defend his title against former IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla, who cemented himself as a formidable force with his win over Andy Cruz this past January.

Regardless of how things play out, Stevenson’s next challenge will be a compelling one.

6. Dmitry Bivol — WBA/WBO/IBF light heavyweight champion (Prev: 6)

Bivol held the WBA light heavyweight crown for seven years until falling short to Artur Beterbiev in their 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.

2026 is a year of mandatory defenses for Bivol. He recovered from injury and returned in May, defeating Michael Eifert comfortably, and is now headed for a showdown with Callum Smith in December.

With Benavidez’s future likely remaining at cruiserweight, Bivol may look toward a trilogy with Artur Beterbiev next year. The winner of the WBC title fight between Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson on Saturday is another possibility.

Regardless of what happens in Bivol’s career from here, he already has two of the most significant and meaningful wins out of any fighter on this list: His victories over both “Canelo” and Beterbiev. His ticket to the Hall of Fame in Canastota has been punched.

7. Devin Haney — WBO welterweight champion (Prev: 7)

Devin Haney is a three-division world champion and the former undisputed lightweight king. He cemented himself as the No. 1 fighter at 135 pounds in 2023 with a decision win over Vasiliy Lomachenko. He’s also won titles at super lightweight and welterweight in his respective debuts in the weight classes.

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When Haney dominated Regis Prograis to capture the WBC super lightweight crown in late 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.

Haney will finally land the unification fight he has spent the entirety of 2026 searching for on Dec. 19 against IBF champion Liam Paro. With Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez heading toward their own showdown early next year, a monster follow-up fight awaits Haney in the second half of 2027.

8. Jaron “Boots” Ennis — WBA/WBO super welterweight champion (Prev: 8)

Jaron “Boots” Ennis has long been considered one of the most talented fighters to come out of the U.S. in many years. For a while, he struggled to garner the opposition to prove that to the general public, going almost 30 fights without a notable name on his record. However, after picking up his first world title and teaming up with Hearn’s Matchroom in 2024, the activity and legacy fights have started to come for the talented American.

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Ennis cemented his position as the No. 1 welterweight in the world with a dominant and impressive stoppage win over Eimantas Stanionis in April 2025. He became a two-division unified champion in June, stopping Xander Zayas in a seven-round thriller at Barclays Center to pick up the WBA and WBO belts.

Now Ennis is set to fight IBF champion Josh Kelly in February and potentially add a third title to his collection at super welterweight. Talks are also ongoing for the winner to face Sebastian Fundora for the undisputed crown in the summer. Ennis’ journey at 154 pounds is a brief one, but boy, could it be fruitful.

The only disappointment will be that Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. have left another division without giving boxing fans the fight they desperately want.

9. O’Shaquie Foster — WBC, WBO, IBF super featherweight champion (Prev: Unranked)

O’Shaquie Foster completed the trifecta when he defeated Emanuel Navarrete in October.

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Not only did he emerge with three belts around his waist, but he left the ring as 2026’s likely Fighter of the Year and, most importantly, a debutant on the Uncrowned pound-for-pound list.

Foster has had a remarkable past 12 months: A dominant win over two-division champion Stephen Fulton, outboxing ex-featherweight titleholder Ray Ford, and beating recent pound-for-pound fighter Navarrete. 

In 12 months, Foster has gone from an underappreciated world champion to a consensus elite fighter.

Whether it’s undisputed next, Vasiliy Lomachenko, or Shakur Stevenson, one thing’s for sure: 2027 is going to be another big year for O’Shaquie Foster. 

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10. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez — WBC super middleweight champion (Prev: Unranked)

A young champion in his prime with Mbilli’s intensity and output could’ve been a nightmare matchup for “Canelo.” 

But it was nothing of the sort. 

Alvarez, instead, showed what makes him a great of this era. When many doubted his ability to remain at the top level, the Mexican put on a masterclass, taming the monster that is France’s Mbilli and making him look like an ordinary fighter.

It was the most active Alvarez has been in many years, consistently throwing over 50 punches a round after the opening few frames. In recent fights, Alvarez has become a more economical fighter, choosing to pick accurate power punches rather than throw combinations. On Saturday, though, he turned back the clock and gave fans moments of vintage “Canelo.”

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Alvarez has one fight remaining in his Riyadh Season deal, which will likely see him return to Saudi Arabia next spring. Will it be Hamzah Sheeraz standing in the opposite corner?

(Others receiving votes: Junto Nakatani, Artur Beterbiev, Jai Opetaia, Sebastian Fundora)

WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Claressa Shields — Unified middleweight champion (Prev: 1)

Following Katie Taylor’s recent retirement, Claressa Shields is boxing’s undisputed pound-for-pound queen.

For the first time since Uncrowned unveiled its inaugural pound-for-pound list two years ago, Shields swept the vote as the No. 1 fighter on the women’s side of the sport.

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After enjoying a spell in the higher weight classes, Shields returned to 160 pounds in August — closer to her physical peak and closer to the big fights in women’s boxing. Whether it’s newly crowned 154-pound champion Chantelle Cameron, fellow middleweight titlist Tamm Thibeault, or unified welterweight champion Lauren Price, finally there are worthy dance partners for Shields to display her talents against.

Shields has won world titles in five weight classes and undisputed championships in three of them. The belts, however, have been easy to come by for the American and not garnered her the credit she deserves. After campaigning at heavyweight for a couple of years and allowing divisions to progress, it seems those fighters have finally shined through, and now the ball is in Shields’ court to do what she does best: Dominate.

2. Gabriela Fundora — Undisputed flyweight champion (Prev: 3)

Fundora stopped Gabriela Alaniz in impressive fashion to unify the flyweight division in late 2024 in Las Vegas.

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After that, 2025 was a straightforward year for Fundora, who scored back-to-back seventh-round knockouts in title defenses over Marilyn Badillo Amaya in April and Alexas Kubicki in September to earn her second straight Women’s Fighter of the Year award for Uncrowned.

Fundora began 2026 by extending her knockout streak to four straight with a sixth-round finish of Viviana Ruiz. She will search for her fifth straight stoppage and fourth straight undisputed title defense later this month against Jasmina Zapotoczna.

At just 24 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.

3. Chantelle Cameron — WBA, WBC and WBO unified super welterweight champion (Prev: 4)

Chantelle Cameron may have finally gotten the credit she’s been searching for after dethroning Mikaela Mayer as unified super welterweight champion in August in Birmingham.

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Cameron formerly held the undisputed super lightweight crown and upset Katie Taylor in 2023 — handing the Irishwoman her only career defeat. But six months later, Taylor inflicted revenge, and that first fight was almost forgotten.

The Brit struggled to land another meaningful matchup after the Taylor loss. She picked up four wins and moved up to 154 pounds earlier this year after coming to terms with the fact that a Taylor trilogy would be left as another of boxing’s what-if stories.

And so Cameron took the first big fight she could find: Mayer. She was a +200 underdog going in, but those odds were not worth the paper they were printed on.

If the boxing world had forgotten about Cameron’s abilities, they were reminded exactly why she has the single-best win in women’s boxing history.

4. Amanda Serrano — WBA/WBO featherweight champion (Prev: 5T)

“Thank God I’m almost out of the game.”

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That is what Amanda Serrano said after her brutal 12-round fight with Lucrecia Manzur in August.

Serrano has lost just three times in the past 14 years, and all of them have come at the hands of the masterful Taylor. But after 36 minutes in a ring with the unheralded Manzur, many felt another loss was headed Serrano’s way.

Serrano has been a professional for 17 years and has had 55 fights. She’s held world titles in seven divisions and been in countless Fight of the Year contenders. It’s no doubt been a taxing journey for the Puerto Rican, and so her decline is sad but not surprising.

“The Real Deal” will bow out of the sport on Jan. 9 against Skye Falzon in her native Puerto Rico, where she’ll look to break the women’s boxing knockout record one last time.

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Her hand may never have been raised against Taylor, but Serrano will still be remembered for that trilogy, which single-handedly elevated women’s boxing to a new level.

5. Dina Thorslund — Undisputed bantamweight champion (Prev: 5T)

Dina Thorslund is a two-division world champion. She held titles at bantamweight and super bantamweight before taking a hiatus from the sport in 2024 to attempt becoming a mother.

During that time, Cherneka Johnson unified all four titles at bantamweight and became a pound-for-pound fighter in her own right. When Thorslund returned in August, she had a major fight to return to with Johnson.

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It was considered 50-50 — but only going into the fight. In reality, Johnson failed to win a single round. That night, Thorslund showed the boxing world the difference between a very good world champion and a generational talent.

6. Alycia Baumgardner — WBA/WBO/IBF super featherweight champion (Prev: 7)

Baumgardner announced herself to the pugilist community when she knocked out Terri Harper on her feet to win the WBC super featherweight title in late 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 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 Bo Mi Re Shin this past April.

She’ll now look to become a two-division champion when she challenges Elif Nur Turhan for her IBF lightweight title this Sunday. Turhan enjoyed a stellar 2025 campaign and enters the contest with real momentum.

7. Ellie Scotney — Former undisputed super bantamweight champion (Prev: 8)

Ellie Scotney became the 14th fighter in women’s boxing history to become an undisputed champion in the four-belt era after she outclassed Mayelli Flores in April to add the remaining piece — the WBA belt — to her WBC, IBF and WBO championships.

Scotney may not have a single stoppage win to her name, but her skills are clear for all to see. She’s one of the best technical fighters in the women’s side of the sport and it has made her a fan favorite among the purists.

Scotney was scheduled to jump up to featherweight on Sunday in a bid to dethrone the WBC champion Tiara Brown, but she ultimately withdrew due to injury.

8. Caroline Dubois — WBC & WBO unified lightweight champion (Prev. 10)

Caroline Dubois claimed a hard-fought majority decision over Terri Harper in their all-British lightweight unification battle in April to launch MVP in the UK — and launch herself onto the pound-for-pound list.

Dubois is the third British fighter to be included in the sport’s ultimate top 10, and at just 25 years old, she hopes to remain here for the next decade and go head-to-head with Fundora for the No. 1 spot in the years to come.

The Brit continues to push for a transatlantic showdown with Baumgardner to materialize as one of the biggest fights in the women’s code, and now that Baumgardner has officially arrived at 135 pounds, the matchup is edging closer to becoming reality.

It’s a fight that could crown either as one of the next faces in women’s boxing. And with the departure of Taylor and the imminent departure of Serrano from the sport, it’s a fight that women’s boxing desperately needs.

9T. Mikaela Mayer — 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.

Both of those fights took place on British soil. Mayer returned to the UK in August for a third time — and for a third time, she was left beaten on the scorecards. Except this time, there wasn’t much controversy. Cameron was simply too strong and too forceful over the 10-round distance.

Despite the loss, Mayer still holds the WBO title at the weight below, welterweight. A showdown with Lauren Price for undisputed would represent another big fight for Mayer, but it may force her to return to British soil. Could the fourth time be the charm?

9T. Lauren Price — WBA, WBC, IBF welterweight champion (Prev: Unranked)

Lauren Price’s amateur prowess, which saw her win Olympic gold, has translated perfectly to the pro ranks. The Welshwoman failed to lose a single round on any scorecard en route to capturing her first world title against Jessica McCaskill in May 2024.

When she unified against Natasha Jonas the following year, it was very much a passing-of-the-torch moment. Jonas was the first fighter to win a round against Price, but that was about as far as it got. Price was brilliant.

She has fought just once since, retaining her belts against Stephanie Piñeiro in April, and now her next defense is lined up for Nov. 20 against Michaela Kotásková.

The fight that everybody wants to see, though, is Price vs. McCaskill — and it must happen in 2027.

(Others receiving votes: Elif Nur Turhan, Mizuki Hiruta, Tiara Brown.)

Here is how Uncrowned’s boxing team voted:

Kel Dansby

MEN

WOMEN

Alan Dawson

MEN

WOMEN

Darshan Desai

MEN

WOMEN

Joseph Santoliquito

MEN

WOMEN

Lewis Watson

MEN

WOMEN

Elliot Worsell

MEN

WOMEN