The Spider goes back to the top of the class
1. Anderson Silva
Jeremy Botter: Can there be any doubt? Silva’s lightning-quick destruction of Vitor Belfort cements his place as the greatest fighter walking the planet today, and perhaps the greatest fighter of all time. A proposed dream match with Georges St. Pierre is nearly a reality, with only Jake Shields standing in the way.
Jeff Cain: With his UFC 126 knockout of Vitor Belfort, Anderson ends the debate over who is the pound for pound best in the world. He’s on a 14 fight win streak, undefeated in the UFC and has cleared out the middleweight division. We are witnessing the greatest fighter of all time in Silva.
Matt Brown: I’ll be the first to admit, I was on the Aldo bandwagon. Take nothing away from the fast-rising prospect, but Anderson Silva is in a class by himself. In my opinion, he’s three or four more wins away from going down as the greatest fighter that has ever lived – in any combat sport.
2. Georges St. Pierre
Jeremy Botter: St. Pierre is wise to not look past Shields, a competitor who always seems to find a way to beat the guys he’s not supposed to. But St. Pierre’s dominance over the past few years has been beautiful to watch, and as he nears what could be his final fight in the welterweight division, we need to realize that we’re watching the guy who may go down as the best welterweight of all time.
Jeff Cain: St. Pierre hasn’t lost a round in his last seven fights. What he lacks in finishes, he makes up for with complete domination of his opponents. He’s one fight away from clearing out he welterweight division.
Matt Brown: GSP certainly has a resume that could claim the top spot on this list. Fortunately for all of us, if he beats Jake Shields at UFC 129, we’ll finally get to see who truly deserves the top spot as Dana White indicated that he’ll have the top two fighters in the world get it on. A true student of the game, St. Pierre looks more impressive every time you see him in the Octagon.
3. Jose Aldo
Jeremy Botter: Aldo’s UFC debut will come in Toronto, and it’ll be quite the opportunity for the Brazilian to make a statement in front of the largest crowd in UFC history.
Jeff Cain: No champion in the sport is running through opponents like Aldo is, and he’s making it look easy.
Matt Brown: Perhaps the most exciting fighter in the entire sport of mixed martial arts, Jose Aldo will face one of the best strikers in MMA when he squares off with Mark Hominick in April. Another highlight reel victory here would blur the line and stir debate as to whether or not he deserves the #1 spot on the list.
Jake Shields
Jeremy Botter: I’m not quite ready to go on the record with my pick, but I will say this: Shields will present a much tougher challenge for St. Pierre than most are giving him credit for.
Jeff Cain: Jake Shields simply doesn’t get enough recognition or what’s he’s accomplished. He’s on a 15-fight win streak, a longer run than Anderson Silva or Georges St. Pierre. He has wins over ranked middleweights.
Matt Brown: All the guys does is win. People can talk about how boring he is and how one dimensional he is all they want. Fact of the matter is, nobody has been able to stop the force that is Jake Shields since December of 2004.
5. Jon Fitch
Jeremy Botter: A welterweight dream fight with B.J. Penn in just a few weeks could determine not only Fitch’s fate in the welterweight division, but in the UFC as well.
Jeff Cain: Jon Fitch has one loss since 2003. Simply put, he beats everyone at welterweight put in front of him except Georges St. Pierre.
Matt Brown: If it weren’t for Georges St. Pierre, Jon Fitch would be getting all the welterweight love right now. He’s beaten everyone whose initials aren’t GSP and if he beats BJ Penn at the end of this month, he will probably gain the title of the best non-champion fighter in MMA.
6. Frankie Edgar
Jeremy Botter: Edgar’s guts and determination in surviving against Gray Maynard were something to behold. He’ll get a chance to redeem himself in May during the rubber match.
Jeff Cain: Edgar is a featherweight who holds the world lightweight title. That says it all.
Matt Brown: Everyone continues to doubt Frankie Edgar and Frankie Edgar keeps giving them the finger. His “defy the odds” attitude is quite endearing. His toughness is that of a man twice his size. Until he’s derailed, he deserves this spot, no questions asked.
7. Shogun Rua
Jeremy Botter: Rua went from being the top dog in the division to the underdog against a 23-year-old prospect. Instead of facing Rashad Evans, Rua will defend his title against Jon Jones, and the oddmakers have installed Jones as the favorite.
Jeff Cain: Shogun has accomplished more than any light heavyweight in the world. The only thing that keeps him from being higher is that he’s been plagued with injuries over the last several years.
Matt Brown: How will the champ respond coming back from yet another major surgery? That is the question. When he’s on, the talent is phenomenal. When it’s off (see Mark Coleman and Forrest Griffin fights), he’s merely average. We’ll find out in March.
Jon Jones
Jon Jones
Jeremy Botter: Cruz’ next challenger will likely come in the form of Urijah Faber, providing Faber gets past Eddie Wineland next month. For now, he’ll continue to nurse his badly broken hands.
Jeff Cain: Cruz is undefeated as a bantamweight and no one is coming close to beating him.
Matt Brown: There’s something about Cruz. You hear that from everyone that has faced the bantamweight champ. His footwork and head movement have separated him from the competition at 135lbs so far. We’re sure Urijah Faber will have something to say about that should he beat Eddie Wineland at UFC 128.
9. Jon Jones
Jeremy Botter: Jones’ breakthrough superstar moment came at UFC 126, when he walked right through Ryan Bader and then received a title shot in the cage after the fight. He’s the favorite going into the Rua bout, and for good reason.
Jeff Cain: Jones has run through the light heavyweight division leaving a mound of finished fighters in his wake. The scary part? We don’t know how good he’s really going to be.
Matt Brown: Ryan Bader can attest that all the hype surrounding Jon Jones is warranted. Easily the hottest prospect in MMA today, Jones will get his chance to add “champion” to his list of accolades on March 19 as he steps in for an injured Rashad Evans to face Shogun Rua.
10. Nick Diaz
Jeremy Botter: Diaz just keeps on finding ways to win. A submission win over Evangelista Santos kept the Strikeforce welterweight title around his waist, and bouts with Paul Daley and others don’t seem to present much of a challenge for the Stockton kid.
Jeff Cain: Nick Diaz just wins, and he’s done it in three different weight classes. A difficult match up for anyone, Diaz has become the most notable fighter outside of the UFC with the exception of Alistair Overeem.
Matt Brown: Love him or hate him, the dude can flat out fight. It’s not always flashy and it’s not always pretty, but Diaz just keeps getting it done. He’s quietly put together a nine-fight win streak, last losing in November of 2007.
On the cusp: Gilbert Melendez, Fedor Emelianenko, Cain Velasquez
