Bullet time: Valentina Shevchenko surges ahead of Conor McGregor in latest UFC pound-for-pound rankings

Kyrgyzstan-born UFC flyweight champion Valentina 'Bullet' Shevchenko has been rewarded for the recent four-fight winning streak which has seen her claim a world title as she rises above Conor McGregor in the official UFC rankings.

Shevchenko claimed the championship when she defeated former world champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk last December and has appeared impressive in subsequent defenses against Jessica Eye and Liz Carmouche - so much so that her status among the UFC's elite fighters, regardless of gender or weight class, has risen. 

The UFC's official rankings were updated this week after last weekend's event in Mexico City and while there wasn't a great deal of movement, it was notable for Shevchenko moving up one place to 11th position, leapfrogging the notorious Irishman in the process.

The rankings are voted on by a series of media professionals who are asked to vote upon who they consider to be the top fighters in each weight class. The champion, or interim champion, of a division is not eligible for voting and will be placed at the top of the list. 

However, the rankings system has come in for criticism from some members of the media who argue that media companies shouldn't have control over rankings, and therefore potential matchmaking. For that reason, a majority of well-known MMA media members refuse to take part.

McGregor, meanwhile, has slipped down the rankings considerably having competed just once - a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov - since the tail-end of 2016. The Irishman is expected to compete in early 2020, at which point he can resume his rise towards the top of the UFC rankings, and maybe even another world title. 

POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Jon Jones
2. Khabib Nurmagomedov
3. Henry Cejudo
4. Stipe Miocic
5. Amanda Nunes
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Max Holloway
8. Kamaru Usman
9. Robert Whittaker (+1)
10. Tony Ferguson (-1)
11. Valentina Shevchenko (+1)
12. Conor McGregor (-1)
13. Dustin Poirier
14. Israel Adesanya
15. Tyron Woodley