Glossary: Pound-For-Pound

aka P4P.

Pound-for-pound is a term used to denote a fighter who is the most skilled, regardless of their weight class. That is, if you could somehow eliminate the advantage that greater size/weight grants, you'd be able to determine the best fighter in the world. Generally, the factors considered include: skill level, ability to finish (or dominate) opponents and the quality of opponents.

Ring Magazine's lists of the best p4p fighters (scroll all the way to the bottom) are generally considered to declare the best boxers in the world (currently, Floyd Mayweather ranks #1). In comic books, Thor or Superman generally come in #1 (with "Batman, if prepared" the perennial contender) In MMA...have fun trolling the various forums or getting into arguments with the nerds at the bar.

Given how subjective the determinants of a p4p fighter are, the term becomes essentially meaningless.