LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205 lbs)
1. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua - UFC LHW Champion
-If you are not familiar with Shogun, he trains out of Chute Boxe Academy where he has mastered Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu, and has been a top level LHW since 2005, when he won the Pride Middle Weight Grand Prix against Ricardo Arona. After amassing an 11-1 record with Pride (only loss due to suffering a broken arm against Mark Coleman), Rua made his UFC debut against Forrest Griffin, tapping out in the 3rd round due to rear naked choke. The MMA community was flipped on it's head as the renowned #1 light heavyweight at the time had been choked out by a product of The Ultimate Fighter reality series. After a couple of knee surgeries, Shogun knocked off Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell en route to a title shot against Lyoto Machida. Although Shogun dropped a decision in which many fans thought he had won, Rua earned himself a rematch, and promptly KO'd Machida in the first round to become LHW champ. Once the king of the LHW division, Shogun has reclaimed that honor nearly five years later.
2. Lyoto Machida - UFC
-Former UFC LHW champion, Machida is a practitioner of Shotokan Karate, a style very rarely seen in MMA. Machida uses this to his advantage, employing an elusive style which opponents are not used to seeing. Machida is very good at avoiding shots, stuffing takedowns, and landing powerful counter punches and knees. Machida holds wins over Thiago Silva, Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans, and Mauricio Rua, with his only career loss coming to Shogun in their second meeting. His next challenge comes at UFC 123 against Quinton Jackson.
3. Rashad Evans - UFC
-An alumni of the second season of the Ultimate Fighter, Evans is best known for his brutal knockout of Chuck Liddell. Rashad used the momentum from this fight to defeat then champion Forrest Griffin. He was quickly removed from his throne by Lyoto Machida who finished Evans via KO in the 2nd round of Rashad's first title defense. Evans has since rebounded with decision wins over Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson. Evans is currently awaiting a shot at UFC champion Shogun Rua sometime in 2011.
4. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson - UFC
-Rampage, a perennial top 5 ranked LHW, currently finds himself on the brink of becoming obsolete in the UFC. Jackson made a name for himself in Pride due to his ridiculous power and willingness to exchange. He defeated everyone he fought, excluding Wanderlei Silva (2x) and Shogun. Rampage then came to the UFC and knocked off kingpin Chuck Liddell. Rampage has since avenged his losses to Wanderlei Silva with a KO in their 3rd meeting, but has also lost to Forrest Griffin and Rashad. Let's not forget that Rampage also appeared in The A-Team movie last summer. Rampage has always been a fighter who doesn't like to train and would rather rely on brute force and ability. In this sport, that can only get you so far. With the piss poor performance Quinton put on in his last fight against Rashad, it doesn't look good for him against Machida. Another loss here and Rampage could fight himself on the fast track out of the UFC and into Hollywood.
5. Jon "Bones" Jones - UFC
-Yea, this might be a little high, but Bones has run through everyone he has faced. It's hard to even describe his style because it is so unique and he is able to transition like only Fedor seemed able to. Jones was a JuCo wrestling champion, and has shown a series of clinches, trips, throws, and takedowns that have just boggled people's minds. It should also be mentioned he has an 84.5" reach, the longest of any fighter currently in the UFC. Jones first true test comes next February against fellow up and comer Ryan Bader.
6. Ryan "Darth" Bader - UFC
-It's only fair to have Bader right below Jones in these rankings. Like Jones, Bader hasn't had much trouble against his opposition in the UFC so far, and that includes the likes of Keith Jardine and Rogerio Nogueira. Utilizing a dominant wrestling game courtesy of Arizona State Univ, where he trained with Cain Velasquez and CB Dollaway, Bader is able to dictate where most of his fights take place. It will be very interesting to see if Bader has an advantage over Jon Jones in the wrestling department when the two meet.
7. Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce/Dream
-Although he lost a disappointing bout to King Mo earlier this year, Mousasi has proven to be a very unique striker with the ability to exchange with anyone on the feet. Mousasi has made quick work of all of his opponents in Japan, while it is still to be determined who he will face next for Strikeforce. The one weakness is Gegard game has been his takedown defense, which was exploited by King Mo Lawal. Aside from that, Mousasi is one of the most lethal fighters in the division when it comes to striking.
8. Thiago Silva - UFC
-Although Thiago has lost 2 of his last 3 bouts, they have come against former champions (Evans and Machida). He still remains very dangerous on the feet with an equally dangerous BJJ game. Silva is a threat to any fighter in the division and with a couple of quality wins could find himself mixing it up with the elite of the division soon enough. His next bout will be against Brandon Vera early next year.
9. Forrest Griffin - UFC
-Former TUF winner and UFC champion, Griffin finds himself settling into a gatekeeper role in the division. After shocking Shogun and Rampage in consecutive fights, Forrest was TKO'd by Rashad, absolutely humiliated by Anderson Silva, and then earned a very close split decision victory against the aging Tito Ortiz. Griffin is desperately in need of a win in order to stay relevant in this division. If Forrest wins and Rampage loses, don't be surprised to see a rematch between the two in a very winnable fight for Griffin.
10. Rich "Ace" Franklin - UFC
-This may be a little high for Rich, but he has always been one of my favorite fighters, and in my opinion would still be dominating the MW division if Anderson Silva had never come around. After fighting a few times at a 190-195lb catch-weight, Franklin has officially made the move the 205lbs, solidified by his knockout of Chuck Liddell in June. Franklin's next bout comes against Forrest Griffin early next year. That sadly means Rich will have fought only once in 2010, but a win against Griffin will move Ace up the ladder and into contention with the elite of the division.
This division continues to be very deep, with guys like Phil Davis, Matt Hamill, and Stephan Bonnar knocking on the door to get in to the top 10. Biggest disappointment is having to wait for Shogun and Rashad to fight next year.
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (265 lbs)
1. Cain Velasquez - UFC HW Champion
-After romping through the division and building up a formidable hype train, Velasquez silenced his critics by demolishing Brock Lesnar in the first round of their October bout. Next up? Junior Dos Santos. Cain has a sick wrestling game as well as impressive standup, making him a tough match up for almost everyone in the division. In my opinion he may be the most complete HW fighter we've seen since Fedor.
2. Junior dos Santos - UFC
-The current #1 contender, dos Santos came out of seemingly nowhere with an impressive knockout of Fabricio Werdum. He then dismantled Cro Cop for three rounds before Mirko tapped to strikes. Throw in a couple of knockouts against Gilbert Yvel and Gabriel Gonzaga, along with a thorough beating of Roy Nelson, and JDS has earned himself a title shot. He easily has the best stand up in the UFC HW division, and his bout against Velasquez is a dream come true for all die hard fans. That fight is going to be BATSHIT CRAZY!
3. Alistair Overeem - Strikeforce HW Champion
-I hate putting Overeem here because I still think he's a bit overrated and untested against elite HWs. That being said, he's still a K-1 level striker who is the size of a fucking dump truck. He was able to toss Brett Rogers around with ease, and put his striking on display at the most recent K-1 Grand Prix. The one problem remains that in MMA, the takedown is always a threat, and this limits Overeems ability to let his hands and legs go. Either way, people are dying to see him fight again, and until he's stopped, he will remain in the top 5.
4. Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko - Strikeforce
-It finally happened. Fedor finally got caught. Fabricio Werdum caught Fedor in a triangle early in the first round of their bout, causing the legend to tap for the first time in his career. We will have to wait and see how Fedor performs in his next bout, but win or lose he will most likely remain in the top 5 and will forever be considered one of the greatest fighters of all time.
5. Fabricio Werdum - Strikeforce
-After floating around the top 10 for the past couple of years, Werdum shocked the world with his submission of Fedor earlier this year, and has elevated himself to an elite status. Always dangerous on the ground, Werdum boasts some sick BJJ accompanied by a mid level striking game. It has been rumored that his next bout will come against Overeem, where Werdum would need to take the fight to the mat if he stands any chance of winning.
6. Brock Lesnar - UFC
-It's hard to pick whether Brock's recent spell of poor performances is due to his bout with diverticulitis or whether he is in fact overrated. Brock looked beaten after the first round of his fight with Shane Carwin, only to rebound in the 2nd and win via decision. He wasn't as lucky in his fight against Cain Velasquez, as Cain was able to compose himself and put a systematic beat down on the champ. Brock's weakness has proven to be that he has trouble composing himself when he is pressured or rushed. Still, his size and power are enough to beat most guys in the division.
7. Shane Carwin - UFC
-Carwin should have been the one fighting Cain Velasquez in October. He dominated the entire first round against Lesnar before completely gassing out in the 2nd. Whether it was a cardio issue or that Carwin just blew his wad, he showed he has the ability to take people out. He has good enough wrestling and crazy power in his hands, making him a threat to most anyone in the division.
8. Frank Mir - UFC
-Mir is lucky to find himself in the top 10 after a very poor showing in his most recent bout against Mirko Cro Cop. Aside from the big knee at the end of the fight, Mir showed almost nothing of significance throughout the fight. Mir has also come up short against top level opposition, being brutally finished by both Carwin and Lesnar. Being the cerebral fighter he is, Frank has usually been able to put away less talented opponents, which is why he is in the top 10.
9. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira - UFC
Big Nog has only fought four times in the past threes, and seems to be aging in dog years. He looked slow against both Mir and Velasquez, but claimed to have staph infections during those fights. Whatever the truth may be, Nogueira is definitely past his prime and is on his way out in a division being taken over by stronger, younger fighters.
10. Roy "Big Country" Nelson - UFC
-Nelson most likely doesn't belong to be in here. With guys still out there like Aleks Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, and Antonio Silva, it seems a bit far fetched that Roy be in here. But god damn, who wasn't impressed by this guy when he fought JDS. After appearing on TUF, and receiving some scrutiny from Dana White for not finishing his opponents, Nelson KO'd Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve. He then went toe to toe with possibly the best striker in the division for three rounds. dos Santos laid a beating on Nelson, but Roy kept coming forward and wouldn't back down. A heart like that deserves some praise, so until Roy loses again, he will sit snug at #10.
So there it is, the end of the rankings. 5 weight classes worth of top quality fighters to become familiar with and look forward to watching. Unfortunately there aren't many HW bouts coming up soon because most of them have either just fought or are injured. As for LHWs, there is plenty in store. Here's what to look out for
UFC 123
-Main Event: #2 Lyoto Machida vs #4 Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
-Also keep an eye on up and comer Phil Davis as he takes on Tim Boetsch.
UFC 125
-#8 Thiago Silva vs Brandon Vera
UFC 126
- #5 Jon Jones vs #6 Ryan Bader
- #9 Forrest Griffin vs #10 Rich Franklin
TBD
-#1 Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs Rashad Evans for LHW Championship
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