We’ve compiled our rankings for each weight class into one easy-to-digest post. These rankings run through the “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva” card and are voted on by HeavyMMA.com staff members.
Note: Our rankings are entirely subjective and are weighted heavily on recent performance and not overall career record.
HEAVYWEIGHT
1. Cain Velasquez
Velasquez will be on the mend for the foreseeable future after undergoing a medical prodecure, but he has returned to light cardio work at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose. Of course, “light cardio” for Cain Velasquez is about 10 times longer than we’ve ever run in our entire life.
2. Brock Lesnar
You’d never know it to be true, but Lesnar is still in Vegas and is said to be enjoying his time coaching The Ultimate Fighter a great deal. Once he finishes the coaching gig, he’ll return to Minnesota and begin preparations for Junior dos Santos.
3. Fabricio Werdum
Werdum meets Alistair Overeem in the final leg of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix. We don’t know when and we don’t know where, but we’re pretty sure the fight is happening. And with Fedor’s loss, Werdum’s road to the grand prix title suddenly got a lot easier.
4. Junior dos Santos
Dos Santo is bringing a slew of big-name coaches to help him on The Ultimate Fighter. Sadly, none of them are Steven Seagal. That would have been awesome.
5. Antonio Silva
The big win over Emelianenko rockets Silva up the rankings. But more importantly, let’s talk about how much he sounds like Andre The Giant. The resemblance is uncanny. In all seriousness, though, Silva’s stock went through the roof when he dismantled Emelianenko, and he’ll face the winner of Werdum/Overeem in one of the more anticipated fights Strikeforce has to offer.
6. Shane Carwin
Shane returns from injury in June. Against who? We have no idea, at least not yet. But we can guarantee you that he’s probably ready to put a hurting on one unsuspecting UFC heavyweight.
7. Alistair Overeem
If Overeem runs the table in the Strikeforce grand prix, it’ll be tough to put him anywhere outside of the top three. For now, though, he stays here. Although his K-1 accomplishments are mighty impressive, we can’t put him high in MMA rankings based on what he accomplishes in other sports.
8. Frank Mir
The locals are calling Mir’s May bout with fellow Vegas citizen Roy Nelson “The Battle of Vegas.” It may not resonate with fans around the world, but there are plenty of bragging rights at stake for the winner.
9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Nogueira wants to return at UFC Rio, and he’s asked for Brock Lesnar as an opponent. That’s not going to happen, but we’re sure they’ll find Big Nog a suitable opponent by August.
10. Roy Nelson
People forget that Big Country is a jiu-jitsu black belt. He’ll seek to remind the world why he’s a feared heavyweight grappler come May when he tries to tap out Frank Mir.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
1. Mauricio Shogun Rua
Shogun had his UFC 128 opponent switched on him at the last second, going from Rashad Evans to Jon Jones in a matter of 24 hours. He also went from being a favorite over Evans to the underdog to Jones. All in a day’s work for the Pride legend, right?
2. Rashad Evans
“Sugar” is paying the price for his decision to wait around on a title shot. Evans injured his knee in training and was forced to the shelf, so the UFC decided to give his title shot to teammate Jon Jones. Which means that, should Jones win, Evans will have to vacate the decision, because he’s not going to fight Jones.
3. Jon Jones
Jones was given the chance of a lifetime after easily defeating Ryan Bader at UFC 126. He’ll go into his first world title bout as the favorite to bring home the belt. That’s heady stuff for such a young fighter, but we have no reason to believe that Jones won’t respond in the mature fashion he’s known for.
4. Rampage Jackson
Jackson went from fighting Thiago Silva to fighting Rashad Evans to fighting Matt Hamill. No matter the opponent, Jackson is just a win or two away from another title shot. Hamill’s a tough kid, though, and Jackson will have his hands full with the kind of kryptonite wrestler that has given him problems in the past.
5. Forrest Griffin
His UFC 126 win over Rich Franklin was nothing to write home about, but Griffin will always be a perennial contender due to his popularity. If Antonio Rogerio Nogueira beats Tito Ortiz next month in Seattle, he’d be the perfect opponent for the popular former Ultimate Fighter.
6. Lyoto Machida
Machida may feel like the odd man out in the light heavyweight division, but a win over Randy Couture at the biggest UFC show of all time in Toronto should go a long way towards rehabiliating his image with the fans.
7. Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva’s UFC 125 drug screening is clouded in mystery. We know he was supposed to face Rampage Jackson in May but was removed from the bout due to concerns about his drug test results. Silva could find himself on the shelf for a year or more if he tested positive for PED’s.
8. Ryan Bader
Bader certainly didn’t look like the top light heavyweight prospect everyone thought he was against Jon Jones. But, let’s be real: he was facing Jon Jones, a fighter with the ability to make great fighters look merely average.
9. Rafael Cavalcante
The Strikeforce light heavyweight champion meets Dan Henderson next month. After that? Your guess is as good as ours.
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Nogueira finds himself in desperate need of a win over Tito Ortiz at UFC Fight Night 24 next month. We’re not going to say that Nogueira will be released from his contract if he loses to Ortiz, but let’s just say that it won’t look good on his record.
UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva
UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva
MIDDLEWEIGHT
1. Anderson Silva
Silva’s emphatic front-kick knockout of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 cemented his place as the greatest fighter in the world, regardless of weight class. If UFC 129 turns out the way the majority of the world hopes, Silva’s next opponent will come in the form of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. It’s the superfight everybody wants to see and perhaps the defining fight of our lifetime.
2. Chael Sonnen
Sonnen’s ludicrious trash-talking fell to new levels after Silva’s victory over Belfort. He no longer seems fresh and funny, but tired and desperate. He’s still the second-best middleweight in the world by virtue of his performance against Silva, but his next opponent will depend on the outcome of his sentencing for federal money laundering. It’s not a good time to be Chael Sonnen, friends.
3. Yushin Okami
Okami is probably Jake Shields‘ biggest fan these days. Dana White said that Okami will get his long-awaited title shot at Silva if Shields beats St. Pierre. Look for Okami in the front row at UFC 129 sporting a GSP shirt and waving a Canadian flag.
4. Nate Marquardt
Marquardt faces Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 128 in March. A win would put him one step closer to another title shot, but he’ll have to wait in line for quite some time.
5. Ronaldo Souza
Souza doesn’t have many credible contenders left in the Strikeforce middleweight division, and he’s not interested in a rematch with Jason Miller.
6. Demian Maia
Maia is itching to get back in the Octagon, but doesn’t have a fight book as of press time. We’d like to see him paired up with Wanderlei Silva in a battle of Brazilians, but don’t expect to see that fight any time soon, as we expect to see Silva facing off against Vitor Belfort.
7. Dan Henderson
Henderson won’t be in the middleweight division for much longer; he faces off against Rafael Cavalcante for the Strikeforce light heavyweight title next month in conjunction with the Arnold Classic in Ohio.
8. Vitor Belfort
Belfort’s crushing defeat to Silva left him in limbo, but Wanderlei Silva may have rescued him from the post-loss doldrums by challenging him to a fight. That bout is a perfect fit for UFC Rio, if they see fit to wait that long.
9. Jorge Santiago
Santiago left Sengoku and signed with the UFC last week. He’ll face Brian Stann in May.
10. Brian Stann
Stann spent the better part of a month challenging Wanderlei Silva to a fight, but Silva wanted no part of the American hero. Instead, he’ll welcome Jorge Santiago to the UFC at UFC 130. A win puts Stann dangerously close to a title shot.
UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre
UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre
WELTERWEIGHT
1. Georges St. Pierre
St. Pierre’s time in the welterweight division may draw to a close in April if he beats Jake Shields at UFC 129. St. Pierre’s dominance over the welterweight division – at least in recent years – cannot be overstated. If he walks through Shields like he has everyone else, sticking around for a long series of rematches makes no sense. While St. Pierre will be a very small middleweight, he may also be a very good one, and everybody in the world wants to see him face Anderson Silva in one of the defining fights of our lifetime. St. Pierre cannot look past Shields, however. If he does, he’ll find himself on the losing end of a decision.
2. Jon Fitch
Fitch faces B.J Penn next weekend to determine the new top contender for the welterweight title. Lucky for him, he may have a much better chance of winning the belt with St. Pierre possibly vacating the division. If he loses? It’ll be a long time before he sniffs a title shot again. He has to make this fight count.
3. Jake Shields
Shields is going into the St. Pierre fight as a massive underdog, which seems to be an injustice considering the kind of career Shields has had. A 15-fight win streak with victories over Dan Henderson, Yushin Okami, Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit and Paul Daley is nothing to laugh at. He’ll present a stern challenge for St. Pierre.
4. Thiago Alves
Next up for Alves is Rick Story at UFC 130 in May. He’ll be a perennial contender at welterweight and, with the help of uber-nutritionist Mike Dolce, he’s never looked better.
5. Josh Koscheck
Koscheck is healing from the crushed orbital socket he suffered at the hands of GSP’s left hand in December. If Fitch beats Penn next week, I wouldn’t mind seeing a Koscheck/Penn pairing at some point this summer. The trash talk would be off the charts.
6. BJ Penn
Penn gets a chance to drastically improve his welterweight fortunes against Fitch. A win gives him another welterweight title shot, at least according to Dana White, so he has to make this one count.
7. Nick Diaz
It’ll be difficult for Diaz to move up the rankings with the kind of competition he’s facing in Strikeforce. But Dana White says he’s the best fighter on the planet who isn’t currently in the UFC.
8. Martin Kampmann
The Dane headlines “UFC on Versus 3” next month against Diego Sanchez, where he’ll try to rebound from a close decision loss to Shields last fall.
9. Carlos Condit
Condit was scheduled to face Chris Lytle at UFC 127, but a knee injury suffered in training forced him to pull out of the fight. Depending on how long he’s out of action, I wouldn’t mind seeing him face Lytle should Lytle beat Brian Ebersole.
10. Chris Lytle
Lytle faces Brian Ebersole instead of Condit at UFC 127, but a win is a win at this point. Lytle’s been very vocal about facing Georges St. Pierre in the future, saying that he wants to fight the best. If he keeps on winning, he might just get his chance.
Frankie Edgar would like to fight in NYC
Frankie Edgar would like to fight in NYC
LIGHTWEIGHT
1. Frank Edgar
Edgar split with manager Shari Spencer early this month, leaving him in limbo from a managerial standpoint. He doesn’t have to worry about a lack of stability in his fighting career, however; Edgar knows exactly who he’s facing and when. He’ll face Gray Maynard in the main event of UFC 130. They say the third time’s the charm, and Edgar will be looking to cement his place as the best lightweight in the world.
2. Gilbert Melendez
Melendez signed a six-fight, two-year extension with Strikeforce late last month, dashing the hopes of fans who wanted to see him end up in the UFC. Truth is, Melendez had no choice. He has a champion’s clause in his contract that tied him to Strikeforce and there was no way to break it, so his only real option was to re-sign. In the meantime, Melendez will continue hosting Skrap Pack Radio right here on HeavyMMA.com. Yeah, that’s a cheap plug. Sue us.
3. Gray Maynard
Maynard told us this week that he’ll start his camp for the third Edgar fight in mid-March. He believes in his abilities and is more confident than ever that he has what it takes to beat Edgar and win the belt.
4. Eddie Alvarez
The Bellator lightweight champion defends his title against Pat Curran at Bellator 39 in April.
5. Shinya Aoki
It’s difficult to know what to make of Aoki. One moment he’s screaming obscenities and being his usual competitive self; the next he’s talking about retiring and training other fighters for a living. He’d certainly like to get his hands on Gilbert Melendez again, but this time in a Dream ring. Of course, that rematch depends on how long Dream sticks around.
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri
Kawajiri will likely face Gilbert Melendez at a Strikeforce event in April. A win would do wonders for his career, but he may run into the same problems with the cage that Aoki did when he fought Melendez.
7. Jim Miller
Miller has taken plenty of shots at the WEC lightweights that were absorbed into the UFC in January. He’ll get the chance to back up his words when he welcomes former WEC lightweight contender Kamal Shalorus to the UFC at UFC 128. Miller’s only two career losses came at the hands of Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, so he has a strong case for title contention.
8. George Sotiropolous
Sotiropolous will fight in front of his home country once more at UFC 127, this time against the resilient German Dennis Siver. A win would give Sots 8 UFC victories in a row. You’d think he’d be nearing title contention, but he’ll have to wait until the Edgar/Maynard/Pettis/Guida web is untangled this summer. If Sotiropolous keeps winning, he’ll get his shot.
9. Clay Guida
Guida’s Greg Jackson-led career resurgence could take a dramatic step forward if he beats Anthony Pettis at the TUF 13 Finale. Pettis was scheduled to face the winner of Edgar/Maynard 2, but a draw prevented that from happening. One of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster could punch his ticket to a title shot with a win over “Showtime.”
10. Anthony Pettis
Pettis opted to take a fight against Guida rather than wait until the fall to face the winner of Edgar/Maynard 3. Was it a smart decision? Only time will tell. In the meantime, Pettis must focus on Guida or risk losing his title shot.
Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo
FEATHERWEIGHT
1. Jose Aldo
Aldo makes his long-awaited UFC debut (as champion, no less) when he takes on Mark Hominick at UFC 129 in Toronto. There will be 55,000 people in the stadium when Aldo takes to the cage; that’s pretty good exposure for a guy you’re wanting to push as one of the best fighters in the world. Everybody wants to talk about Hominick’s striking and how good it is, but Aldo should dispatch him with ease. Aldo’s biggest fight this year could come in the form of Kenny Florian, who dropped to featherweight and hopes to win one big fight and then get his title shot.
2. Hatsu Hioki
Hioki beat Marlon Sandro in December, but doesn’t have a fight scheduled. Sengoku is in financial trouble and is losing fighters left and right. Could Hioki follow Kid Yamamoto and Michihiro Omigawa to the UFC?
3. Chad Mendes
Mendes won his fight against Omigawa, but he hardly looked impressive. A great performance likely would have earned him a title shot at the winner of Aldo/Hominick; instead, he’ll probably have to win one more fight before getting the shot.
4. Manny Gamburyan
Gamburyan makes his UFC debut against the tough Raphael Assuncao at UFC 128 in March.
5. Marlon Sandro
Sandro’s loss to Hioki knocked him down a few rungs, but the Jose Aldo teammate is still one of the very best featherweights in the world.
6. Michihiro Omigawa
Omigawa presented a stern challenge for Mendes at UFC 126 but ultimately fell short. He’s one tough bastard, though, and will get another shot in the UFC.
7. Diego Nunes
Nunes has three wins in a row over tough competition. He doesn’t have a fight booked, but we’d like to see him face Chad Mendes. It would be a litmus test for both fighters.
8. Dustin Poirier
Poirier came out of nowhere in late 2010, and really made his mark by battering Josh Grispi around the cage at UFC 125. He’s an entertaining fighter in the Chuck Liddell mode and is someone to watch out for in 2011.
9. Joe Warren
The Bellator featherweight champion doesn’t have a fight booked, but that should change soon.
10. Mark Hominick
Hominick has the chance of a lifetime when he faces Jose Aldo in front of his hometown crowd at UFC 129. Pressure? Just think about 55,000 people cheering for you and tell us how you’d feel. Nobody expects Hominick to win the fight, but that means he has a chance to shock the world.
1. Dominick Cruz
Cruz is recovering nicely from surgery on his hands and should be ready for a late summer or early fall return. His next opponent will likely be the winner of the Urijah Faber/Eddie Wineland bout at UFC 128. Cruz vs. Faber 2 could be the money match that the new UFC bantamweight division needs to really make a mark in the company, and given the history between the two fighters and the animosity they share for one another, it’ll be an easy sell.
2. Joseph Benavidez
Benavidez finds himself in an interesting situation. He only guy he’s ever lost to was Dominick Cruz, but two losses to the champion usually means you won’t get another title shot until all other options are exhausted. Plus, Faber is now in competition for the belt, which means Benavidez must take a backseat to his Alpha Male teammate. There are plenty of compelling bouts for Benavidez outside of the title picture, though, and we suspect you’ll see the master of Joe-Jitsu in action plenty of times this year.
3. Urijah Faber
All Faber really has to do is get past Wineland. Once he does that, it’s virtually guaranteed that he’ll get a title shot against nemesis Cruz this summer. Faber is one of the only bankable stars in the lighter weight classes, so plenty of people will be pulling for him to put on an impressive performance against Wineland.
4. Brian Bowles
The former WEC bantamweight champ makes his return from injury (and UFC debut) against the hard-hitting Damacio Page at UFC on Versus 3. Bowles has been plagued by easily-broken hands in the past, so the slugfest with Page should provide an indication as to just how healed Bowles really is.
5. Scott Jorgensen
Jorgensen faces Ken Stone at the Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale in June in his UFC debut. The colorful fighter will have a long road back to title contention, but the Stone fight should be his for the taking.
6. Miguel Torres
Fans used to criticize Torres for his old balls-to-the-wall fighting style. Nowadays, they’re criticizing him for being too careful. You can’t please everybody, but Torres’ careful and tactical new fighting style makes him a dangerous opponent for anyone in the division. He’ll face the tough Brad Pickett at UFC 130.
7. Takeya Mizugaki
Mizugaki makes his UFC debut next month against Reuben Duran. He’s coming off a loss to Faber last year and needs a win to stay relevant in the division. A loss here might not mean a pink slip, but it puts him dangerously close to the unemployment line.
8. Brad Pickett
Pickett isn’t getting any hand-outs from Sean Shelby and the UFC. His last three opponents have been Demetrious Johnson, Scott Jorgensen and Ivan Menjivar. It gets even tougher when he faces Miguel Torres in May.
9. Demetrious Johnson
With wins over Nick Pace, Damacio Page and Kid Yamamoto, Johnson has become an unlikely player in a division where he faces a size disadvantage against every opponent he steps in the cage with. Against all odds, Johnson just keeps winning, and he’ll get a much tougher opponent the next time out.
10. Masakatsu Ueda
Ueda scored a win over Ralph Acosta at a Shooto event in last month, but the dwindling Japanese MMA scene may ultimately mean that follows Yamamoto and Omigawa to the UFC.
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