The recipe for making it to the top of the sport is no secret: Win your fights. But that doesn't always get a fighter where he or she wants to be, because there can be a traffic jam ahead in the rankings. Sometimes you just have to wait for others to fall by the wayside and create space for you to shine.

That is what has happened for several fighters who are rising in the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings and others who have just showed up in the men's and women's top 10s.

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The recent retirements of Henry Cejudo and Daniel Cormier, who were ranked Nos. 3 and 6 respectively, left a void in the top 10. So did the inactivity of Tatiana Suarez, formerly No. 8 among women, who drops out after not having competed since June 2019.

With those fighters gone from the rankings, Stipe Miocic leads a procession of fighters moving up a spot or more in the top 10. New to the list are Deiveson Figueiredo and Dustin Poirier, both of whom had votes the last time the rankings were updated, but not enough to be ranked. Now they are.

There are no new entrants in the women's rankings, because previously the top 10 was really a top 11 -- there are two fighters tied for the No. 10 spot. Katlyn Chookagian and Holly Holm are still tied, but now at No. 9.

(For Brett Okamoto's division-by-division rankings, go here.)

Note: Results are current; rankings as of Sept. 9.

Men's pound-for-pound rankings

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov

Record: 28-0

Weight class: Lightweight

Last: W (SUB3) Dustin Poirier, Sept. 7

Next: Oct. 24 vs. Justin Gaethje

2. Jon Jones

Record: 26-1, 1 NC

Weight class: Light heavyweight

Last: W (UD) Dominick Reyes, Feb. 8

Next: TBD

3. Stipe Miocic

Previous ranking: 4

Record: 20-3

Weight class: Heavyweight

Last: W (UD) Daniel Cormier, Aug. 15

Next: TBD

T-4. Israel Adesanya

Previous ranking: 7

Record: 19-0

Weight class: Middleweight

Last: W (UD) Yoel Romero, March 7

Next: Sept. 26 vs. Paulo Costa

T-4. Kamaru Usman

Previous ranking: 5

Record: 17-1

Weight class: Welterweight

Last: W (UD) Jorge Masvidal, July 11

Next: Dec. 12 vs. Gilbert Burns

6. Alexander Volkanovski

Previous ranking: 9

Record: 22-1

Weight class: Featherweight

Last: W (SD) Max Holloway, July 11

Next: TBD

7. Demetrious Johnson

Previous ranking: 8

Record: 30-3-1

Weight class: Flyweight

Last: W (UD) Danny Kingad, Oct. 12

Next: TBD vs. Adriano Moraes

8. Justin Gaethje

Previous ranking: 10

Record: 22-2

Weight class: Lightweight

Last: W (TKO5) Tony Ferguson, May 9

Next: Oct. 24 vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov

9. Deiveson Figueiredo

Previous ranking: Unranked

Record: 19-1

Weight class: Flyweight

Last: W (TechSub1) Joseph Benavidez, July 19

Next: Nov. 21 vs. Cody Garbrandt

10. Dustin Poirier

Previous ranking: Unranked

Record: 25-6, 1 NC

Weight class: Lightweight

Last: W (UD) Dan Hooker, June 27

Next: TBD

Other fighters receiving votes: Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou and Petr Yan.

On the strength of winning the flyweight belt on July 19, Deiveson Figueiredo now owns a spot in the men's top 10. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How our writers voted

Brett Okamoto

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov

2. Jon Jones

3. Stipe Miocic

4. Israel Adesanya

5. Kamaru Usman

6. Alexander Volkanovski

7. Justin Gaethje

8. Deiveson Figueiredo

9. Demetrious Johnson

10. Dustin Poirier

Marc Raimondi

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov

2. Jon Jones

3. Stipe Miocic

4. Kamaru Usman

5. Israel Adesanya

6. Demetrious Johnson

7. Alexander Volkanovski

8. Deiveson Figueiredo

9. Justin Gaethje

10. Petr Yan

Ariel Helwani

1. Jon Jones

2. Khabib Nurmagomedov

3. Stipe Miocic

4. Israel Adesanya

5. Kamaru Usman

6. Justin Gaethje

7. Alexander Volkanovski

8. Dustin Poirier

9. Demetrious Johnson

10. Conor McGregor

Jeff Wagenheim

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov

2. Jon Jones

3. Stipe Miocic

4. Demetrious Johnson

5. Kamaru Usman

6. Israel Adesanya

7. Alexander Volkanovski

8. Justin Gaethje

9. Deiveson Figueiredo

10. Francis Ngannou

With two UFC championship belts in her possession, Amanda Nunes also holds the No. 1 spot pound-for-pound among women. Steve Marcus/Getty Images

1. Amanda Nunes

Record: 20-4

Weight class: Bantamweight/featherweight

Last: W (UD) Felicia Spencer, June 6

Next: Dec. 12 vs. Megan Anderson

2. Valentina Shevchenko

Record: 19-3

Weight class: Flyweight

Last: W (TKO3) Katlyn Chookagian, Feb. 8

Next: Nov. 21 vs. Jennifer Maia

3. Cris Cyborg

Record: 21-2, 1 NC

Weight class: Featherweight

Last: W (UD) Julia Budd, Jan. 25

Next: TBD

4. Zhang Weili

Record: 21-1

Weight class: Strawweight

Last: W (SD) Joanna Jedrzejczyk, March 7

Next: TBD

5. Rose Namajunas

Record: 9-4

Weight class: Strawweight

Last: W (SD) Jessica Andrade, July 11

Next: TBD

6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Record: 16-4

Weight class: Strawweight

Last: L (SD) Zhang Weili, March 7

Next: TBD

7. Jessica Andrade

Record: 20-8

Weight class: Strawweight

Last: L (SD) Rose Namajunas, July 11

Next: TBD

8. Germaine de Randamie

Previous ranking: 9

Record: 9-4

Weight class: Bantamweight

Last: L (UD) Amanda Nunes, Dec. 14

Next: TBD

T-9. Katlyn Chookagian

Previous ranking: T-10

Record: 14-3

Weight class: Flyweight

Last: W (UD) Antonina Shevchenko, May 30

Next: TBD

T-9. Holly Holm

Previous ranking: T-10

Record: 13-5

Weight class: Bantamweight

Last: W (UD) Raquel Pennington, Jan. 18

Next: Oct. 3 vs. Irene Aldana

Other fighters receiving votes: Julia Budd and Seo Hee Ham.

How our writers voted

Brett Okamoto

1. Amanda Nunes

2. Valentina Shevchenko

3. Zhang Weili

4. Rose Namajunas

5. Cris Cyborg

6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

7. Jessica Andrade

8. Germaine de Randamie

9. Katlyn Chookagian

10. Holly Holm

Marc Raimondi

1. Amanda Nunes

2. Valentina Shevchenko

3. Cris Cyborg

4. Zhang Weili

5. Rose Namajunas

6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

7. Jessica Andrade

8. Germaine de Randamie

9. Holly Holm

10. Seo Hee Ham

Ariel Helwani

1. Amanda Nunes

2. Valentina Shevchenko

3. Cris Cyborg

4. Zhang Weili

5. Rose Namajunas

6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

7. Jessica Andrade

8. Germaine de Randamie

9. Holly Holm

10. Katlyn Chookagian

Jeff Wagenheim

1. Amanda Nunes

2. Valentina Shevchenko

3. Cris Cyborg

4. Zhang Weili

5. Rose Namajunas

6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

7. Jessica Andrade

8. Germaine de Randamie

9. Katlyn Chookagian

10. Julia Budd