MMA Rankings

[Plates]

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HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)

#1 Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko

2. Josh Barnett

3. Frank Mir

4. Andrei Arlovski

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

6. Randy Couture

7. Tim Sylvia

8. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic

9. Brock Lesnar

10. Fabricio Werdum

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LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)

#1 Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Rashad Evans

2. Lyoto Machida

3. Forrest Griffin

4. Quinton Jackson

5. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

6. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

7. Wanderlei Silva

8. Keith Jardine

9. Thiago Silva

10. Renato "Babalu" Sobral

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MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185-pound limit)

#1 Middleweight Fighter in the World: Anderson Silva

2. Robbie Lawler

3. Yushin Okami

4. Nathan Marquardt

5. Jorge Santiago

6. Dan Henderson

7. Gegard Mousasi

8. Vitor Belfort

9. Kazuo Misaki

10. Yoshihiro Akiyama

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WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)

#1 Welterweight Fighter in the World: Georges St. Pierre

2. Jon Fitch

3. Thiago Alves

4. Jake Shields

5. Josh Koscheck

6. Matt Hughes

7. Martin Kampmann

8. Carlos Condit

9. Nick Thompson

10. Mike Swick

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LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (160-pound limit)

#1 Lightweight Fighter in the World: Shinya Aoki

2. B.J. Penn

3. Eddie Alvarez

4. Tatsuya Kawajiri

5. Joachim Hansen

6. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante

7. Kenny Florian

8. Mitsuhiro Ishida

9. Josh Thomson

10. Satoru Kitaoka

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FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION (145 pound-limit)

#1 Featherweight Fighter in the World: Mike Brown

2. Urijah Faber

3. Hatsu Hioki

4. Wagnney Fabiano

5. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue

6. Jose Aldo

7. Raphael Assuncao

8. Nam Phan

9. Leonard Garcia

10. Antonio Carvalho

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BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION (135 pounds or less)

#1 Featherweight Fighter in the World: Miguel Torres

2. Brian Bowles

3. Masakatsu Ueda

4. Takeya Mizugaki

5. Akitoshi Tamura

6. Will Ribeiro

7. Damacio Page

8. Joseph Benavidez

9. Manny Tapia

10. Marcos Galvao










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[Bryan Hildebrand]

BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION (135 pounds or less)

#1 Featherweight Fighter in the World: Miguel Torres

love to see this kid fight in Dream or at least in japan. this kid is amazing. broad skill set (saw him attempt a rolling heal/ax kick vs tapia) cardio is second to none. amazing skills up and down, massive rubber guard, knockout power in both hands equal to a lightweight.

[Plates]

Agreed. The guy is amazing!

[-Z-]

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (up to 265 LBS.)

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Josh Barnett
3. Brock Lesnar
4. Frank Mir
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
6. Randy Couture
7. Brett Rogers
8. Andrei Arlovski
9. Cane Velasquez
10. Alistair Overeem

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205 LBS.)

1. Lyoto Machida
2. Rashad Evans
3. Quinton Jackson
4. Forrest Griffin
5. Mauricio Rua
6. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
7. Luiz Cane
8. Keith Jardine
9. Wanderlei Silva
10. Thiago Silva

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185 LBS.)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Yushin Okami
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Dan Henderson
5. Jorge Santiago
6. Robbie Lawler
7. Thales Leites
8. Vitor Belfort
9. Chael Sonnen
10. Demian Maia

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170 LBS.)

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Thiago Alves
4. Jake Shields
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Matt Hughes
7. Martin Kampmann
8. Mike Swick
9. Carlos Condit
10. Dan Hardy

LIGHT WEIGHT DIVISION (155 LBS.)

1. B.J. Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Joachim Hansen
5. Tatsuya Kawajiri
6. Gesias Calvancante
7. Kenny Florian
8. Josh Thomson
9. Frankie Edgar
10. Satoru Kitaoka

POUND FOR POUND (No Limit)

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Anderson Silva
3. Georges St. Pierre
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Miguel Torres
6. Mike Brown
7. BJ Penn
8. Quinton Jackson
9. Jon Fitch
10. Rashad Evans

mmanews.com rankings

[Mirko Cro Cop]

Gegard Mousasi should be in the top 10 LHW rankings in my opinion, he's been incredibly impressive since the DREAM Middleweight tournament. I've got him for the win over Babalu aswell when they meeting on the next Strikeforce card.

[-Z-]

These are sherdog's rankings as of 8-2009.


Heavyweights

1. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC)
Unfortunately for Emelianenko, his scheduled Aug. 1 bout with Josh Barnett and Affliction’s third show were scrapped after Barnett tested positive for steroids in a pre-fight licensing test. Fortunately for Emelianenko, his brand new deal with Strikeforce will allow him to get back in the ring this fall.

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)
In just five fights, Lesnar now owns the undisputed UFC heavyweight crown and sports stoppages over the likes of Frank Mir and Randy Couture. However, despite his overwhelming performance against Mir at UFC 100, Lesnar’s post-fight professional wrestling theatrics seem to have overshadowed his victory.

3. Josh Barnett (24-5)
Barnett had the chance to vie for the sport’s heavyweight mantle in his slated Aug. 1 bout with Emelianenko. Instead, another positive steroids test for Barnett destroyed the matchup, put the final nail in the coffin of Affliction’s promotional wing and marred the former UFC champion’s career.

4. Frank Mir (12-4)
Mir was in his best shape in years for his rematch with Lesnar at UFC 100. However, it was not enough for him to duplicate his first-round submission win from February 2008, as Lesnar brutally pounded him out in the second stanza.

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Whether it will wind up being the fight for which fans had long hoped remains to be seen, but two of the sport’s most enduring icons will square off at UFC 102 on Aug. 29 when Nogueira finally meets up with Randy Couture.

6. Randy Couture (16-9)
His bout with Nogueira is long overdue. Hopefully, when “The Natural” and “Minotauro” square off at UFC 102 on Aug. 29, the clash of heavyweight legends will not prove past its expiration date.

7. Brett Rogers (10-0)
After his blistering 22-second knockout of Andrei Arlovski, Rogers was expected to be fast-tracked to a Strikeforce title shot against champion Alistair Overeem. Instead, the unbeaten prospect will continue honing his craft on Strikeforce’s October offering against a yet-to-be-named opponent.

8. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)
Despite having knocked off the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson in the recent past, those accomplishments now seem like distant memories for Arlovski. “The Pitbull” has been brutally smashed in his last two outings against Emelianenko and Rogers, and conversation now centers on the fragile chin that has betrayed him again.

9. Shane Carwin (11-0)
Carwin will be back in action at UFC 104 on Oct. 24, when he will find opposition in fellow unbeaten heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez in a bout rich with risk and reward for both up-and-coming fighters.

10. Alistair Overeem (29-11, 1 NC)
The wait for Overeem’s first Strikeforce heavyweight title defense continues. The hand injury the Dutchman sustained in a nightclub dustup in Holland earlier this year has continued to plague him, postponing his return to Strikeforce yet again.


Light Heavyweights

1. Lyoto Machida (15-0)
Fresh off his May 23 blowout of Rashad Evans, it appeared as though Machida would soon start preparing for a challenge from former light heavyweight ruler Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. However, with Jackson opting for a second coaching stint on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Machida’s first title defense will come in October against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104.

2. Quinton Jackson (30-7)
Jackson was handed a title shot against Machida, but he opted to settle his beef with Evans instead. The pair will coach opposite each other on the 10th season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

3. Rashad Evans (13-1-1)
After his first career loss -- and a brutal loss no less -- Evans is not taking it easy. “The Ultimate Fighter 2” winner will return to the show on which he first made his name, coaching against rival Jackson on Season 10. The two light heavyweights will meet later this year.

4. Mauricio Rua (18-3)
Fortune has smiled upon Rua. After UFC 98, it looked as if “Shogun” was a fight or more away from challenging for the UFC title. Now, however, the consensus 2005 “Fighter of the Year” will have a chance to regain light heavyweight supremacy against divisional champion Machida at UFC 104 in October.

5. Forrest Griffin (16-6)
Not long ago, Griffin was UFC light heavyweight champion and had picked up pound-for-pound quality wins over Rua and Jackson. However, after his destruction at the hands of middleweight king Anderson Silva (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Anderson-Silva-1356) at UFC 101, those wins seem like a distant memory for the original “Ultimate Fighter.”

6. Luis Arthur Cane (10-1)
It was his toughest test to date, but “Banha” showed poise in toughing out an entertaining decision in his April 18 bout with former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Steve Cantwell. It should be onward and upward for the hot prospect in the 205-pound division.

7. Rich Franklin (25-4, 1 NC)
Franklin was tabbed for a rematch with Dan Henderson at UFC 103 in September. However, when the MMA media and fans decided they were not keen on the matchup, Zuffa gave the people what they wanted. Franklin will now meet Vitor Belfort at a 195-pound catchweight come Sept. 19.

8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (17-3)
Though an appearance at Affliction “Trilogy” did not materialize for Nogueira, “Minotoro” will not settle for inactivity. Having made his homeland MMA debut in his native Brazil in May, Nogueira will go back for seconds when he takes on “The Brazilian Killa” Alex Stiebling under the Bitetti Combat banner on Sept. 12.

9. Keith Jardine (14-5-1)
With his up-and-down performances, Jardine’s place in the light heavyweight division has been hard to peg. However, “The Dean of Mean” will get the chance to show where he stacks up when he takes on Brazilian brawler Thiago Silva at UFC 102 on Aug. 29.

10. Wanderlei Silva (32-10-1, 1 NC)
Though Silva dropped a unanimous verdict to Franklin at UFC 99, “The Axe Murderer” fought gamely throughout, and many thought he deserved the decision. His days at 205 pounds seem numbered, but his performance against Franklin has at least kept him relevant for a middleweight run.


Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Anderson-Silva-1356) (25-4)
In one of the most impressive performances of his career, MMA’s middleweight king moved up to 205 pounds and blew away former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin in a horrifically lopsided affair. The brilliant performance has already sparked talk of “The Spider” vacating his middleweight mantle and moving up to 205 pounds permanently.

2. Yushin Okami (23-4)
Inopportune injuries have slowed Okami’s bid to earn a rematch with middleweight king Silva. A healthy Okami will have the chance to solidify himself as a top contender on Oct. 24 when he takes on Chael Sonnen at UFC 104.

3. Nate Marquardt (28-8-2)
Marquardt wants another crack at the UFC middleweight title. However, in order to get another chance at 185-pound glory, he will need to take out his biggest challenge since his bout with Silva two years ago -- undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu king Demian Maia at UFC 102 on Aug. 29.

4. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Henderson put an exclamation point on the end of “The Ultimate Fighter 9” at UFC 100 by brutally starching rival coach Michael Bisping in the second frame. For the former two-division champion of Pride, getting another crack at the UFC middleweight championship could depend on the Aug. 29 bout between fellow top contenders Marquardt and Maia.

5. Demian Maia (10-0)
Few fighters, if any, have been as impressive as Maia over the last 14 months. His road to a shot at the UFC middleweight title now runs through Marquardt at UFC 102 on Aug. 29.

6. Jorge Santiago (21-7)
Perhaps the most unfortunate victim of Affliciton’s demise, Santiago was left without a clear direction after the cancellation of his match with Vitor Belfort. While he expects to defend his Sengoku middleweight title sometime in the near future, the surging Brazilian now looks at a clean calendar with no fights.

7. Robbie Lawler (16-5, 1 NC)
Lawler appeared to be in control on the feet in his June 6 bout with Jake Shields. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was tapping out to a Shields guillotine choke, leaving his next move in Strikeforce’s middleweight division uncertain.

8. Vitor Belfort (18-8)
The fall of Affliction killed Belfort’s anticipated bout with fellow Brazilian Santiago, but “The Phenom” will not be on the sidelines for long. The former UFC light heavyweight champion will return to the Octagon at UFC 103 on Sept. 19 to meet Rich Franklin at a 195-pound catchweight.

9. Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)
After grinding out a nice win over former International Fight League middleweight champion Dan Miller in May, Sonnen’s climb up the 185-pound ladder will only get more difficult. The Team Quest product will take on Okami at UFC 104 on Oct. 24.

10. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 2 NC)
It was not his best performance, but Akiyama gritted through a split decision verdict over a game Alan Belcher at UFC 100 in July and has thrown himself into the UFC’s deepening middleweight mix.


Welterweight
1. Georges St. Pierre (19-2)
Another title defense, another elite contender, another dominant victory for St. Pierre. GSP’s lopsided decision over an elite challenger in Thiago Alves at UFC 100 showed why he remains one of the sport’s pound-for-pound kings and caused many fans and pundits to begin demanding a move to middleweight. However, St. Pierre’s next challenge will come from the winner of the September bout between Mike Swick and Martin Kampmann.

2. Jon Fitch (19-3, 1 NC)
Hardly flashy, but Fitch racked up yet another solid victory at UFC 100, taking a hard-fought unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Paulo Thiago. The victory moved Fitch’s mark in the Octagon to an impressive 10-1.

3. Thiago Alves (16-4)
Though Alves struggled to muster much offense in his 25-minute decision loss to St. Pierre at UFC 100, the Brazilian stalwart showed considerable grit by making it to the final bell against the vastly superior French Canadian. The other silver lining for the “Pitbull”? He’s only 25 years old.

4. Jake Shields (23-4-1)
He has established himself as one of the best welterweights in the world, but Shields is set to start campaigning as a middleweight. With Cung Le’s acting schedule holding up Strikeforce’s middleweight division, Shields is set to square off with a yet-to-be-determined foe for a 185-pound interim title in October.

5. Martin Kampmann (15-2)
Kampmann said he’s only interested in big fights at 170. Fortunately for Denmark’s top MMA export, he has one: Kampmann will take on Swick at UFC 103 on Sept. 19. The winner will be next in line for a crack at St. Pierre’s welterweight throne.

6. Paulo Thiago (11-1)
Thiago finally got one put in the loss column at UFC 100. However, the still relatively unknown Brazilian did prove that he was tougher than previously thought following his upset over Josh Koscheck in February, as he dragged Fitch through three competitive rounds.

7. Josh Koscheck (12-4)
A foot injury deprived Koscheck of a chance to get back into action against Chris Wilson (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Chris-Wilson-9281) at UFC 98 in May. Koscheck’s next bout will be even sterner now. His opponent for UFC 103 on Sept. 19 will be former UFC welterweight title challenger Frank Trigg, who returns to the promotion and the division after a run at middleweight.

8. Carlos Condit (22-5)
Condit was unsuccessful in his UFC debut in April, losing a hotly contested split decision to Kampmann. However, the former World Extreme Cagefighting champion may get a crack at some extra money in his second Octagon appearance, as he will take on regular “Fight of the Night” bonus recipient Chris Lytle at UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16.

9. Mike Swick (14-2)
Having put together a 4-0 mark as a welterweight, Swick’s big moment at 170 has arrived. The fleet-handed American Kickboxing Academy product will take on Kampmann on Sept. 19 at UFC 103, with the winner gaining the right to challenge St. Pierre.

10. Dan Hardy (22-6, 1 NC)
With his split decision over Marcus Davis at UFC 99 in June, Hardy has emerged as yet another contender in the UFC’s startlingly deep welterweight division. The victory was his 11th in his last 12 fights, his lone loss in that span coming via contested disqualification against Yoshiyuki Yoshida in December 2007.


Lightweight
1. B.J. Penn (14-5-1)
The world has always wanted B.J. Penn to reign as a lightweight, and reign he did at UFC 101. After nullifying top contender Kenny Florian for 15 minutes, Penn turned on the heat in the fourth round and notched a beautiful rear-naked choke. Up next, "The Prodigy" figures to tame Diego Sanchez in the coming months.

2. Shinya Aoki (21-4, 1 NC)
Shinya Aoki drew criticism for pot-shotting his way to a unanimous decision win over Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro on July 20. However, the win set up a high-stakes rubber match for the rubbery grappler, as he's slated to meet Joachim Hansen for the Dream lightweight title on Oct. 6.

3. Eddie Alvarez (18-2)
Alvarez ended the Cinderella run of likely "Submission of the Year" winner Toby Imada on June 19, choking him out in the second round. A rumored bout against Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante didn't come to fruition, but Bellator's lightweight champion will have the luxury of courting high-quality opponents from both Bellator and Dream in the near future.

4. Kenny Florian (11-4)
Kenny Florian was game, but could mount little offense against lightweight ruler B.J. Penn in their Aug. 8 showdown. The loss was Florian's second in UFC lightweight title fights, and now he'll take his spot at the back of the line in an ultra-deep division.

5. Tatsuya Kawajiri (24-5-2)
Tatsuya Kawajiri showed the MMA world he still has a pulse when he took a unanimous verdict over Gesias Cavalcante in May. Unfortunately for the "Crusher," he was unable to make good on his promise of defeating superstar striker Masato under K-1 rules, and was knocked out in one-and-a-half lopsided rounds on July 13.

6. Gray Maynard (7-0, 1 NC)
Maynard has continued to rack up one-sided wins inside the UFC, but talk of a title shot has been elusive for the former Michigan State Spartan. Maynard's next chance at impressing fans and UFC brass alike will come Sept. 16 in Oklahoma City, when he meets returning Roger Huerta on a Spike TV telecast.

7. Frankie Edgar (10-1)
Not wanting to hear any more discussion about him cutting to 145 pounds, Edgar made a strong statement that he can hang against elite lightweights, staying a step ahead of former UFC champ Sean Sherk for the full 15 minutes of their May 23 bout.

8. Sean Sherk (33-4-1)
A deflating loss to Frank Edgar in May left Sherk with no clear place in the UFC's lightweight division. In order to stay afloat and remain relevant, the former UFC 155-pound champion will need to knock off tough Brazilian Gleison Tibau, a fighter who shares his predicament, at UFC 104 on Oct. 24.

9. Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1)
In their Aug. 2 encounter, Mizuto Hirota withstood Satoru Kitaoka's early submission storm and wore down the Sengoku champ. Hirota smashed Kitaoka with a barrage of knees in the fourth round to claim Sengoku's lightweight crown.

10. Satoru Kitaoka (25-9-9)
In the first defense of his Sengoku lightweight title, Kitaoka was outlasted by the hard-hitting Mizuto Hirota, who battered him with knees to take his title in the fourth round. The defeat was Kitaoka's first as a lightweight.


Featherweight
1. Mike Thomas Brown (22-4)
Though it was just over two months ago that Mike Thomas Brown gritted out his second win over featherweight star Urijah Faber, the 145-pound kingpin can't necessarily rest easy. With pistol prospect Jose Aldo his next challenger, Brown may face his toughest task to date in November.

2. Urijah Faber (22-3)
Faber failed to recover the WEC title and featherweight mantle in his June 7 rematch with Mike Thomas Brown. However, Faber fought gamely for the better part of 25 minutes with a broken hand, proving he still ranks among the featherweight elite.

3. Wagnney Fabiano (12-1)
Quietly one of the world's best featherweights, Fabiano could secure a crack at the WEC's title if he beats undefeated Midwesterner Erik Koch at WEC 43 on Sept. 2.

4. Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2)
The finale of the Sengoku featherweight grand prix on Aug. 2 didn't exactly go according to plan for Hatsu Hioki. After dominating Masanori Kanehara in the semi-finals, Hioki was forced to watch the man he defeated go on to become champion while he sat on the sidelines with a concussion. Hioki will likely be first on deck to challenge Kanehara for the title later this year.

5. Leonard Garcia (13-4)
It was not especially convincing, but Leonard Garcia picked up his first win since his March blowout loss to Mike Thomas Brown, taking a contentious split decision over Jameel Massouh at WEC 42 on Aug. 9.

6. Jose Aldo (15-1)
After cutting a swath through the WEC's featherweight division, 22-year-old wunderkind Jose Aldo has been chosen as the next man to challenge divisional ruler Mike Thomas Brown. The moment of truth for the Manaus native will come at WEC 45 in November, where he figures to be Brown's most explosive challenger to date.

7. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2)
After missing out Sengoku's featherweight tournament due to a knee injury, the 37-year-old Mishima defend his Deep featherweight title for the first time on Aug. 23. The colorful Cobra Kai leader will risk his throne against 22-year-old stud Takafumi Otsuka, who competed in Dream's featherweight grand prix earlier this year.

8. Takeshi Inoue (16-3)
In a bout that was more symbolic than relevant, professional Shooto’s current poster boy defended his 143-pound world title against Shooto icon Rumina Sato. After his usual dramatic early struggle, “Lion Takeshi” predictably punched out Sato in the first frame.

9. Raphael Assuncao (13-1)
The second WEC outing for the highly touted Assuncao will come at WEC 43 on Sept. 2, where the once-beaten Brazilian will meet dynamic Georges St. Pierre training partner Yves Jabouin.

10. Masanori Kanehara (14-6-5)
It's was highly improbable, but despite dropping a decision loss to Hatsu Hioki in the Sengoku featherweight grand prix semi-finals on Aug. 2, Masanori Kanehara became Sengoku’s first featherweight champion. After Hioki was forced out of the final due to a concussion, Kanehara stepped back in to take a well-earned decision win over Michihiro Omigawa.


Bantamweight
1. Brian Bowles (8-0)
Going into his WEC bantamweight title bout with Miguel Torres, Brian Bowles was thought to be a game challenger, but not a major-league threat. In the cage, Bowles was far more than that, as he smashed Torres in the first round to snatch the 135-pound mantle.

2. Miguel Torres (37-2)
Miguel Torres was heralded as one of the sport's pound-for-pound stalwarts and the man to put the 135-pound division on the map, but in his fourth defense of the WEC bantamweight title, he was flattened in the first round by impressive upstart Brian Bowles, who handed Torres his first loss in 18 fights.

3. Masakatsu Ueda (10-0-2)
He had to overcome both rope-grabbing and eye-gouging, but Masakatsu Ueda kept his unbeaten record and Shooto world title on July 19 by taking a well-appointed unanimous verdict over tough Brazilian youngster Eduardo "Dudu" Dantas.

4. Takeya Mizugaki (12-3-2)
Coming off of his wildly entertaining 25-minute brawl with Miguel Torres in April, Takeya Mizugaki was done no favors in his second bout in the promotion by facing off with veteran Jeff Curran on Aug. 9. However, the Cage Force bantamweight champ survived a last-minute submission scare from Curran to take a hard-fought split decision win.

5. Dominick Cruz (14-1)
A healthy underdog heading into his Aug. 9 bout with Urijah Faber pupil Joseph Benavidez, Dominick Cruz was one step ahead throughout the entire bout and deftly outworked Benavidez on the feet and the floor en route to a unanimous decision win. He now figures to be the first title contender for newly minted champion Brian Bowles.

6. Joseph Benavidez (10-1)
Though he came into the bout as a considerable favorite to challenge for the WEC bantamweight title, WEC 42 saw Joseph Benavidez's undefeated record come to an end, as he was outworked in all facets of the game by the much longer and rangier Dominick Cruz.

7. Akitoshi Tamura (14-7-2)
The former Shooto world champion was stellar in his divisional debut against Manny Tapia in April. He will need to be even sharper on Sept. 2 at WEC 43 when he meets Greg Jackson-trained brawler Damacio Page, as contendership considerations on the line.

8. Will Ribeiro (10-2)
The Brazilian MMA community continues to rally around Ribeiro, who was given only a 50-50 chance to live after a horrific motorcycle accident last December. Here’s to continued recovery and progress for the Brazilian banger.

9. Manny Tapia (10-2-1)
Undefeated over his first 11 bouts, Tapia has lost his last two in the WEC. However, snapping that losing streak won't come easy, as "The Mangler" will meet former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland at WEC 43 on Sept. 2.

10. Damacio Page (11-4)
After absolutely brutalizing Marcos Galvao in just 18 seconds in March, the Greg Jackson product will have his hands full at WEC 43 on Sept. 2 when he takes on former Shooto world champion Akitoshi Tamura.

Flyweight
1. Jussier da Silva (3-0)
The little-known little man out of Natal, Brazil made a big impression in his biggest fight to date, taking a well-appointed unanimous decision over Shooto world champion Shinichi "BJ" Kojima on July 19. The logical step would be for the International Shooto Commission to sanction a rematch with Kojima's title on the line for later this year.

2. Shinichi Kojima (10-4-5)
The Shooto world champion continued his career-long streak of consistent inconsistency, dropping a unanimous verdict to Brazilian Jussier da Silva in a non-title bout on July 19. Whether Kojima will get a do-over with a title on the line remains to be seen.

3. Yuki Shojo (8-5-2)
He fought valiantly, but there was little for Shojo to do in his March 20 Shooto world title challenge against Shinichi "BJ" Kojima. The champion was in rare form, dominating Shojo before choking him out cold in the third frame.

4. Yasuhiro Urushitani (15-4-6)
Quickly looking to atone for his shocking September loss to Shojo, Urushitani got back into action and picked up an easy victory on Nov. 8, hacking open an overmatched Kiyotaka Shimizu for a first-round stoppage at Cage Force.

5. Ryuichi Miki (9-2-3)
The 26-year-old Miki continued his ascent in the flyweight division on April 10, as he put a 15-minute, lopsided beating on veteran Junji Ikoma. This figures to move Miki along toward a potential Shooto 123-pound title challenge.

6. Rambaa Somdet (6-2)
Shooto's "Revolutionary Exchanges 3" on Nov. 23 will mark Somdet's return to the ring after a yearlong, injury-filled absence. No opponent has been slated for Somdet, nor is it clear if the bout will be at 115 or 123 pounds, but it is nice to see the flamboyant Thai back in action.

7. Masaaki Sugawara (8-3-1)
Sugawara was in typically exciting form on July 19, when he took a first-round stoppage over tough veteran Yasuhiro Akagi. Next on the slate will be former bantamweight Hiroyuki Tanaka, who will make his flyweight debut against Sugawara on Sept. 20.

8. Alexis Vila (5-0)
Arguably the hottest prospect in the flyweight division, the 1996 Olympic freestyle wrestling bronze medalist racked up his fifth career win in February, corking Ben Nguyen in the second round.

9. Mitsuhisa Sunabe (10-5-3)
Pancrase finally put its flyweight title up for grabs on June 7, and Mitsuhise Sunabe snatched it with a single brutal punch, clobbering Takuya Eizumi in the first round. Sunabe will be back in action on Pancrase on Oct. 25 against a yet-to-be-named opponent.

10. Jesse Taitano (5-4-2)
One of Guam's finest talents, Taitano was a favorite heading into his 119-pound catch-weight bout with strawweight Noboru "Shinpei" Tahara on Aug. 9, but the much-improved Tahara took the final two rounds and a unanimous verdict over "The Spiderman."

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Sherdog Rankings


Heavyweight

1. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC)
It was already known that Emelianenko’s next bout would come against unbeaten heavyweight Brett Rogers. However, the man who has ruled the heavyweight division for six years and counting will get an even richer opportunity, as the bout will serve as the main event of Strikeforce’s first network television card, airing live on CBS on Nov. 7.

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)
Following victories over Randy Couture and Frank Mir, many want to see how Lesnar would deal with a fighter who can match his mammoth size. They will now get their wish, as Lesnar’s next title defense will come at UFC 106 in November, when he takes on fellow hulking heavyweight Shane Carwin.

3. Josh Barnett (24-5)
Barnett had the chance to vie for the sport’s heavyweight mantle in his slated Aug. 1 bout with Emelianenko. Instead, another positive steroid test for Barnett destroyed the matchup, put the final nail in the coffin of Affliction’s promotional wing and marred the former UFC champion’s career.

4. Frank Mir (12-4)
Most of the attention Mir has received lately has stemmed from talks of a super fight with middleweight ace Anderson Silva. However, the real next fight for Mir will come at UFC 107 in December, when he takes on French hitter Cheick Kongo.

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1, 1 NC)
Through his first three outings in the UFC, Nogueira looked like a shell of the fighter who became one of MMA’s greatest over the course of this decade. Nearly 25 pounds lighter, the 33-year-old Nogueira was in vintage form at UFC 102, however. He took an exciting unanimous verdict over Randy Couture, thrust himself back in the UFC title mix and put himself in a much better place in the minds of fans and critics.

6. Brett Rogers (10-0)
Rogers finally has a date for the biggest bout of his career. “The Grim” will vie for MMA’s heavyweight mantle on Nov. 7 when he takes on Fedor Emelianenko. Better still, he will do so on network television on CBS.

7. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)
He knocked off the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson in the recent past, but those accomplishments now seem like distant memories for Arlovski. “The Pitbull” has been brutally smashed in his last two outings against Emelianenko and Rogers, and conversation now centers on the fragile chin that has betrayed him again.

8. Junior dos Santos (9-1)
In the most significant fight of his young career, dos Santos seized the moment and dominated longtime heavyweight star Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic for 12 minutes, eventually forcing the Croatian to quit after a brutal right uppercut struck his left eye. The win will move “Cigano” along considerably in the increasingly competitive UFC heavyweight division.

9. Randy Couture (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Randy-Couture-166) (16-10)
Coming off his game decision loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Antonio-Rodrigo-Nogueira-1440) in August, Couture signed a six-fight deal that will allow “The Natural” to end his career in the Octagon. The first fight on that deal will come Nov. 14, when he moves back to the 205-pound division to meet Brandon Vera in the UFC 105 headliner in Manchester, England.

10. Shane Carwin (11-0)
Originally expected to meet fellow undefeated prospect Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 in October, Carwin was part of Zuffa reshuffling its heavyweight deck. Now the potent-punching Colorado native will take on Brock Lesnar for the UFC heavyweight crown at UFC 106 in November.

Other contenders: Aleksander Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Cain Velasquez, Fabricio Werdum.

* With his Sept. 12 loss to Pedro Rizzo, Jeff Monson falls off of the contenders list, and unbeaten heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez enters.

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Light Heavyweight

1. Lyoto Machida (15-0)
Fresh off his May 23 blowout of Rashad Evans, it appeared as though Machida would soon have to start preparing for a challenge from former light heavyweight ruler Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. However, with Jackson opting for a second coaching stint on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Machida’s first title defense will come Oct. 24 against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104.

2. Quinton Jackson (30-7)
It’s official. Despite “The Ultimate Fighter 10” getting off on a record-setting foot ratings-wise, the climax of the season will be delayed. Jackson’s slated December bout with Rashad Evans will be postponed due to “Rampage” portraying the role of B.A. Baracus in the forthcoming “The A-Team” movie.

3. Rashad Evans (13-1-1)
While Evans will get plenty of face time throughout the 10th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the former UFC light heavyweight champion has been left in the lurch, as fellow coach Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s Hollywood ambitions have left him without an opponent in December.

4. Mauricio Rua (18-3)
Fortune has smiled upon Rua. After UFC 98, it looked as if “Shogun” was a fight or more away from challenging for the UFC title. Now, however, the consensus 2005 “Fighter of the Year” will have a chance to regain light heavyweight supremacy against divisional champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 104 in October.

5. Forrest Griffin (16-6)
Not long ago, Griffin was UFC light heavyweight champion and had picked up pound-for-pound quality wins over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. However, after his destruction at the hands of middleweight king Anderson Silva at UFC 101, those wins seem like a distant memory for the original “Ultimate Fighter.”

6. Thiago Silva (14-1)
Coming off of a complete blowout defeat to current divisional king Lyoto Machida in January, Silva rebounded about as well as any fighter could hope to at UFC 102. It took him just 95 seconds to find his left hook counter and pound out Keith Jardine for the most impressive win of his career.

7. Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1)
Though he was scheduled to meet Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou on Oct. 6 in the semi-finals of Dream’s farcical Super Hulk tournament, an alleged shoulder injury in training forced him to withdraw. However, he is now expected to defend his newly won Strikeforce light heavyweight title on Nov. 7 live on CBS.

8. Luis Arthur Cane (10-1)
Cane has emerged as one of the best young fighters in a division filled with great young talent. However, to move into title contention at 205 pounds, he will need to spoil the UFC debut of fellow Brazilian Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 106 on Nov. 21.

9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (17-3)
The other Nogueira twin will make his promotional debut at UFC 106 on Nov. 21, and it will not be easy. Nogueira’s welcome to the UFC will come courtesy of his Brazilian countryman, Luis Arthur Cane.

10. Rich Franklin (25-5)
On the cusp of light heavyweight contendership, Franklin was victimized by a first-round knockout courtesy of Vitor Belfort in the UFC 103 headliner. Though Belfort will now move to 185 pounds to campaign, the loss leaves Franklin without a clear direction in the UFC’s 205-pound division.

Other contenders: Keith Jardine, Chuck Liddell, Vladimir Matyushenko, Wanderlei Silva, Renato Sobral

* Since the Sept. 19 bout between Rich Franklin and Vitor Belfort was contested at 195 pounds -- within the limits of the light heavyweight division -- it is treated as a light heavyweight bout. However, Belfort’s previous two bouts and subsequent appearances will be at middleweight, so he remains ranked at 185 pounds.

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Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (25-4)
With Dan Henderson’s brutal knockout of Michael Bisping and Nate Marquardt’s quick smashing of Demian Maia, Silva now has two former victims primed for rematches. Even if Marquardt and Henderson are not next for “The Spider,” there remains the option of another alluring super fight at light heavyweight.

2. Nate Marquardt (29-8-2)
On the back of his scintillating knockout of Demian Maia, Marquardt became the popular choice for many fans and pundits alike to challenge Anderson Silva in a rematch for his middleweight crown. Now, it appears the fight Zuffa brass prefers for Marquardt is a de facto title eliminator against Dan Henderson later this year, provided Henderson inks a new deal with the company.

3. Yushin Okami (23-4)
Inopportune injuries have slowed Okami’s bid to earn a rematch with middleweight king Anderson Silva. A healthy Okami will have the chance to solidify himself as a top contender on Oct. 24 when he takes on Chael Sonnen at UFC 104 in Los Angeles.

4. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Henderson was adamant that he deserved another shot at Anderson Silva, who handed him his last loss in March 2008. However, it appears Henderson’s position has softened enough that both he and Zuffa expect the former Pride champion to sign a new UFC contract soon that would see him take on fellow top contender Nate Marquardt. The winner would get his chance to rematch Silva.

5. Demian Maia (11-1)
In a fight that could have earned him a crack at middleweight overlord Anderson Silva, Maia found out what competition is like at the top of the 185-pound division. Nate Marquardt blew him away with a single right hand in just 21 seconds at UFC 102.

6. Jorge Santiago (21-7)
Arguably the cruelest victim of Affliction’s demise, Santiago finally may have himself a fight. After watching his slated August opponent, Vitor Belfort, main event a UFC, the Sengoku middleweight champion is expected to return to action at Sengoku’s Nov. 7 show.

7. Vitor Belfort (19-8)
Though it was fairly anti-climactic, Belfort earned arguably the biggest win of his career in his UFC return on Sept. 19, punching out Rich Franklin in the first round of their 195-pound catchweight bout. With Belfort’s UFC future coming at 185 pounds, he has already become the favorite of UFC President Dana White to challenge Anderson Silva for the middleweight crown.

8. Robbie Lawler (16-5, 1 NC)
Lawler appeared to be in control on the feet in his June 6 bout with Jake Shields. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was tapping out to a Shields guillotine choke, leaving his next move in Strikeforce’s middleweight division uncertain.

9. Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)
After grinding out a nice win over former International Fight League middleweight champion Dan Miller in May, Sonnen’s climb up the 185-pound ladder will only get more difficult. The Team Quest product will take on Yushin Okami at UFC 104 on Oct. 24.

10. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 2 NC)
It was not his best performance, but Akiyama gritted through a split decision verdict over a game Alan Belcher at UFC 100 in July and has thrown himself into the UFC’s deepening middleweight mix.

Other contenders: Michael Bisping, Patrick Cote, Paulo Filho, Dan Miller, Kazuo Misaki.

* Since the Sept. 19 bout between Rich Franklin and Vitor Belfort was contested at 195 pounds -- within the limits of the light heavyweight division -- it is treated as a light heavyweight bout. However, Belfort’s previous two bouts and subsequent bouts will be at middleweight, so he remains ranked at 185 pounds.

* With his formally announced return to the welterweight division, Frank Trigg exits the contenders list, giving way to Kazuo Misaki.

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Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre (19-2)
Another title defense, another elite contender, another dominant victory for St. Pierre. GSP’s lopsided decision over an elite challenger in Thiago Alves at UFC 100 showed why he remains one of the sport’s pound-for-pound kings and caused many fans and pundits to begin demanding a move to middleweight.

2. Jon Fitch (19-3, 1 NC)
Fitch earned himself a hard-fought and well-deserved unanimous verdict over Paulo Thiago in July. Next on tap for the American Kickboxing Academy product will be former middleweight King of Pancrase Ricardo Almeida in the Brazilian’s welterweight debut at UFC 106 on Nov. 21.

3. Thiago Alves (16-6)
Coming off a unanimous decision loss in his July UFC title bid against Georges St. Pierre, Alves’ return to the cage in December will not be a “gimme,” as he will meet once-beaten fellow Brazilian Paulo Thiago at UFC 107.

4. Jake Shields (23-4-1)
As expected, Shields will return to the middleweight division for Strikeforce’s Nov. 7 card on CBS, where he will take on Jason “Mayhem” Miller. As an extra perk for the former EliteXC champion, the bout will be for the promotion’s middleweight crown, recently vacated by Cung Le.

5. Josh Koscheck (13-4)
In his first appearance in the cage since his upset loss to Paulo Thiago in February, Koscheck -- who also rebounded from a broken toe that sidelined him in May -- needed less than a round to punch out sturdy veteran Frank Trigg. The win put Koscheck back in the welterweight title picture in the UFC.

6. Paulo Thiago (11-1)
Thiago is certainly getting no favors from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. After meeting Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch in his first two UFC bouts, the Brazilian Military Police member will take on another elite 170-pounder at UFC 107 in December, when he meets fellow Brazilian Thiago Alves.

7. Mike Swick (14-2)
A concussion took Swick out of a proposed Sept. 19 bout with Martin Kampmann that would have given him the chance to fight Georges St. Pierre in the near future. However, the welterweight title picture is now foggier than before, with Kampmann getting blitzed in the first round by replacement Paul Daley.

8. Paul Daley (22-8-2)
Daley came to the UFC with a reputation as one of Britain’s best talents and one of the welterweight division’s most dangerous strikers. Even so, he was an underdog to divisional standout Martin Kampmann. However, Daley needed fewer than three minutes to blow away Kampmann at UFC 103 and signal his arrival in the UFC’s 170-pound division.

9. Martin Kampmann (15-3)
UFC 103 was supposed to feature Kampmann meeting Mike Swick with the next crack at Georges St. Pierre on the line. After Swick pulled out due to injury, Kampmann was a considerable favorite to debuting British banger Paul Daley, who responded by demolishing the Dane in the first round.

10. Carlos Condit (23-5)
Many hardcore fans felt Condit would find himself in rough waters in his Sept. 16 bout with the relatively unknown Jake Ellenberger, but few could have imagined the extent. Condit had to overcome an onslaught from Ellenberger in the opening stanza in order to take a split decision win by the skin of his teeth.

Other contenders: Marcus Davis, Dan Hardy, Jay Hieron, Dan Hornbuckle, Matt Hughes.

* With the entrance of Paul Daley into these rankings due to his Sept. 19 win over Martin Kampmann, Daley’s Rough House teammate, Dan Hardy, moves from 10th to the contenders list.

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Lightweight

1. B.J. Penn (14-5-1)
Penn is slated to make the next defense of his UFC lightweight crown Dec. 12 at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tenn., where he will take on another solid contender in Diego Sanchez, who is unbeaten as a lightweight. That will make for two title defenses in just four months for “The Prodigy,” who has been known more than anything for his preoccupations outside the lightweight division.

2. Shinya Aoki (21-4, 1 NC)
Aoki drew criticism for pot-shotting his way to a unanimous decision win over Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro on July 20. However, the win set up a high-stakes rubber match for the rubbery grappler, as he is slated to meet Joachim Hansen for the Dream lightweight title on Oct. 6.

3. Eddie Alvarez (18-2)
Alvarez ended the Cinderella run of likely “Submission of the Year” winner Toby Imada on June 19, as he choked him out in the second round. A rumored bout against Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante did not come to fruition, but Bellator’s lightweight champion will have the luxury of courting high-quality opponents from both Bellator and Dream in the near future.

4. Kenny Florian (11-4)
Coming off of his August loss in his title bid against B.J. Penn, Florian did not have to wait long to find another opponent. The fighter-turned-analyst will take on divisional motor fighter Clay Guida at UFC 107 on Dec. 12.

5. Tatsuya Kawajiri (24-5-2)
It’s far from the most challenging opposition he has ever faced, but Kawajiri will return to the ring for tune-up action at Dream 11 on Oct. 6, when he will meet Guam’s Melchor Manibusan.

6. Gray Maynard (8-0, 1 NC)
In his Sept. 16 win over Roger Huerta, Maynard showed both the evolution of his striking skills and the increasing potency of his top game. Furthermore, the well-appointed decision win has seemingly put him on the doorstep of a UFC lightweight title shot.

7. Frankie Edgar (10-1)
In order to continue ascending in the UFC lightweight division, Edgar will need to dispatch one of his New Jersey brethren when he takes on fellow northeasterner Kurt Pellegrino at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Live Finale on Dec. 5.

8. Sean Sherk (33-4-1)
With a deflating loss to Frankie Edgar in May, Sherk was set to face Gleison Tibau, another lightweight in a must-win scenario, at UFC 104 on Oct. 24. However, a shoulder injury in training has taken Sherk out of the bout, and Josh Neer will fill his place.

9. Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1)
In their Aug. 2 encounter, Hirota withstood Satoru Kitaoka’s early submission storm and wore down the Sengoku champion. He then smashed Kitaoka with a barrage of knees in the fourth round to claim Sengoku’s lightweight crown.

10. Satoru Kitaoka (25-9-9)
In the first defense of his Sengoku lightweight title, Kitaoka was outlasted by the hard-hitting Mizuto Hirota, who battered him with knees and took his title in the fourth round. The defeat was Kitaoka’s first as a lightweight.

Other contenders: Gesias Cavalcante, Tyson Griffin, Gilbert Melendez, Eiji Mitsuoka, Diego Sanchez.

* With no activity in the last 365 days and no scheduled bouts in the next 30, Josh Thomson is ineligible to be ranked and has been removed from the contenders list, allowing for the entrance of Tyson Griffin.

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Featherweight

1. Mike Thomas Brown (22-4)
It was no secret that Brown’s featherweight mantle would be at stake against hot-shot Brazilian prospect Jose Aldo; the question was simply when. Now we know: WEC 44 on Nov. 18 in Las Vegas.

2. Urijah Faber (22-3)
Faber failed to recover the World Extreme Cagefighting title and featherweight mantle in his June 7 rematch with Mike Thomas Brown. However, Faber fought gamely for the better part of 25 minutes with a broken hand and proved he still ranks among the featherweight elite.

3. Wagnney Fabiano (12-1)
The former International Fight League featherweight champion was scheduled for duty on Sept. 2 against Erik Koch. However, the postponement of WEC 43 means Fabiano will have to wait until Oct. 10 to step back into the cage.

4. Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2)
The finale of the Sengoku featherweight grand prix on Aug. 2 did not exactly go according to plan for Hioki. After dominating Masanori Kanehara in the semi-finals, Hioki was forced to watch the man he defeated go on to become champion while he sat on the sidelines with a concussion.

5. Leonard Garcia (13-4)
His split decision win over Jameel Massouh in August was hardly enthusing, and a better performance will be hard to come by, as Garcia’s next outing will see him take on Manny Gamburyan at WEC 44 on Nov. 18.

6. Jose Aldo (15-1)
Aldo was already official as Mike Thomas Brown’s next challenger for the WEC title. Now, a date has been set for the biggest fight of the 23-year-old Brazilian’s career. He will tangle with Brown at WEC 44 on Nov. 18.

7. Takeshi Inoue (16-3)
In a battle of past and present, the current Shooto 143-pound world champion will take on former titleholder Alexandre Franca “Pequeno” Nogueira -- who reigned for seven years (1999-2006) -- at Vale Tudo Japan 2009 on Oct. 20.

8. Raphael Assuncao (13-1)
Though he will have to wait six weeks longer than expected, Assuncao will still get his moment to shine on Oct. 10, when he takes on exciting Georges St. Pierre training partner Yves Jabouin at WEC 43 in San Antonio.

9. Masanori Kanehara (14-6-5)
It was highly improbable, but despite dropping a decision loss to Hatsu Hioki in the Sengoku featherweight grand prix semi-finals on Aug. 2, Kanehara became Sengoku’s first featherweight champion. After Hioki was forced out of the final due to a concussion, Kanehara stepped back in and took a well-earned decision win over Michihiro Omigawa.

10. Bibiano Fernandes (5-2)
Fernandes was baptized by fire early in his MMA career, with two of his first three bouts coming against Urijah Faber and Norifumi Yamamoto. In the Dream featherweight grand prix semi-finals, the roles will be reversed, as Fernandes will take on fast-rising upstart Joe Warren, who knocked off the aforementioned Yamamoto in just his second professional MMA bout.

Other contenders: Yuji Hoshino, Michihiro Omigawa, Takafumi Otsuka, Marlon Sandro, Joe Soto.

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Bantamweight

1. Brian Bowles (8-0)
Going into his WEC bantamweight title bout with Miguel Torres, Bowles was thought to be a game challenger but not a major-league threat. In the cage, Bowles was far more than that, as he smashed Torres in the first round to snatch the 135-pound mantle.

2. Miguel Torres (37-2)
Torres was heralded as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound stalwarts and the man to put the 135-pound division on the map. In his fourth defense of the WEC bantamweight title, he was flattened in the first round by impressive upstart Brian Bowles, who handed Torres his first loss in 18 fights.

3. Masakatsu Ueda (10-0-2)
He had to overcome both rope grabbing and eye gouging, but Ueda kept his unbeaten record and Shooto world title on July 19 by taking a well-appointed unanimous verdict over tough Brazilian youngster Eduardo Dantas.

4. Takeya Mizugaki (12-3-2)
Coming off of his wildly entertaining 25-minute brawl with Miguel Torres in April, Mizugaki was done no favors in his second bout in the promotion, as he faced off with veteran Jeff Curran on Aug. 9. However, the Cage Force bantamweight champion survived a last-minute submission scare from Curran to take a hard-fought split decision win.

5. Dominick Cruz (14-1)
A healthy underdog heading into his Aug. 9 bout with Urijah Faber understudy Joseph Benavidez, Cruz was one step ahead throughout the entire bout, deftly outworking Benavidez on the feet and the floor en route to a unanimous decision win. He now figures to be the first title contender for newly minted champion Brian Bowles.

6. Joseph Benavidez (10-1)
Though he came into the bout as a considerable favorite to challenge for the WEC bantamweight title, Benavidez’s undefeated record came to an end at WEC 42. He was outworked in all facets of the game by the much longer and rangier Dominick Cruz.

7. Akitoshi Tamura (14-7-2)
With a successful bantamweight debut over Manny Tapia in April, Tamura was keen to move his divisional record to 2-0 against Damacio Page at WEC 43 on Sept. 2. With the event’s postponement, he will square off with the Greg Jackson charge on Oct. 10.

8. Manny Tapia (10-2-1)
Having lost two in a row, a win becomes imperative for Tapia when he takes on tough midwesterner Eddie Wineland. However, “The Mangler” will have to wait until Oct. 10 for the bout after WEC 43 was moved to San Antonio.

9. Damacio Page (11-4)
Page was set to square off with Akitoshi Tamura on Sept. 2 in Youngtown, Ohio. With the postponement of the show, the hard-hitting Greg Jackson disciple will now face the former Shooto world champion on Oct. 10 in San Antonio.

10. Rani Yahya (15-4)
Against John Hosman on Aug. 9, Yahya added another first-round submission to his resume. Three straight first-round tapouts have put the grappling all-star back into contention for another crack at the WEC bantamweight crown.

Other contenders: Antonio Banuelos, Mike Easton, Marcos Galvao, Scott Jorgensen, Eddie Wineland.

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Flyweight

1. Jussier da Silva (3-0)
The little-known little man out of Natal, Brazil, made a big impression in his biggest fight to date, as he took a well-appointed unanimous decision over Shooto world champion Shinichi “BJ” Kojima on July 19. The logical step would be for the International Shooto Commission to sanction a rematch with Kojima’s title on the line for later this year.

2. Shinichi Kojima (10-4-5)
The Shooto world champion continued his career-long streak of inconsistency, dropping a unanimous verdict to Brazilian Jussier da Silva in a non-title bout on July 19. Whether or not Kojima will get a do-over with a title on the line remains to be seen.

3. Yuki Shojo (9-5-2)
In his first bout since falling to Shooto world champion Shinichi “BJ” Kojima in March, Shojo took a competitive, albeit pedestrian, majority decision over former bantamweight Junya Kudo and kept pace in Shooto’s active 123-pound class.

4. Yasuhiro Urushitani (16-4-6)
Though he deserved the victory the first time they fought in May 2008, justice prevailed in Urushitani’s Sept. 22 rematch with Ryuichi Miki, as he slickly boxed his way to a unanimous decision verdict over the former Shooto rookie champion.

5. Ryuichi Miki (9-3-3)
The rematch between Miki and Yasuhiro Urushitani was largely a replay of the first bout, but this time Miki’s aggression did not sway the judges, and he lost a unanimous decision. The loss was Miki's first since March 2006.

6. Rambaa Somdet (6-2)
As expected, Somdet will take part in a bout to crown the first ever Shooto 115-pound world champion on Nov. 23. He will take on surging strawweight Noboru “Shinpei” Tahara, whom he previously defeated in September 2008.

7. Masaaki Sugawara (9-3-1)
Sugawara earned a first-round stoppage over Yasuhiro Akagi on July 19. He returned just over two months later on Sept. 20 and took a well-deserved split decision over Hiroyuki Tanaka to keep moving up the ladder in Shooto’s 123-pound class.

8. Mitsuhisa Sunabe (10-5-3)
Sunabe captured the first flyweight King of Pancrase championship by crushing Takuya Eizumi in June. Now, the Okinawa native will make his first defense against unbeaten Isao Hirose on Oct. 25.

9. Alexis Vila (5-0)
The hottest prospect in the flyweight division, the 1996 Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling will see his first action since February when he takes on Cody Bell on Sept. 26.

10. Jesse Taitano (6-5-2)
One of Guam’s finest talents, Taitano was a favorite heading into his 119-pound catchweight bout with strawweight Noboru “Shinpei” Tahara on Aug. 9. However, the much-improved Tahara took the final two rounds and a unanimous verdict over “The Spiderman.”

Other contenders: John Dodson, Isao Hirose, Junji Ikoma, Pat Runez, Sam Thao.

[Plates]

Jake Shields is fucking terrible in my opinion. Kos would murder him in 1. Its weird though that hes fighting the hand thats feeding him at the moment. He always fights on Bully Beatdown that Jason Miller hosts. Lol! Hopefully it stays standing. Miller has enough power to KO Jake.

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New rankings from sherdog.

Heavyweight

1. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC)
It was already known that Emelianenko’s next bout would come against unbeaten heavyweight Brett Rogers. However, the man who has ruled the heavyweight division for six years and counting will get an even richer opportunity, as the bout will serve as the main event of Strikeforce’s first network television card, airing live on CBS on Nov. 7.

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)
Following victories over Randy Couture and Frank Mir, many want to see how Lesnar would deal with a fighter who can match his mammoth size. They will now get their wish, as Lesnar’s next title defense will come at UFC 106 in November, when he takes on fellow hulking heavyweight Shane Carwin.

3. Josh Barnett (24-5)
Barnett had the chance to vie for the sport’s heavyweight mantle in his slated Aug. 1 bout with Emelianenko. Instead, another positive steroid test for Barnett destroyed the matchup, put the final nail in the coffin of Affliction’s promotional wing and marred the former UFC champion’s career.

4. Frank Mir (12-4)
Most of the attention Mir has received lately has stemmed from talks of a super fight with middleweight ace Anderson Silva. However, the real next fight for Mir will come at UFC 107 in December, when he takes on French hitter Cheick Kongo.

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1, 1 NC)
Through his first three outings in the UFC, Nogueira looked like a shell of the fighter who became one of MMA’s greatest over the course of this decade. Nearly 25 pounds lighter, the 33-year-old Nogueira was in vintage form at UFC 102, however. He took an exciting unanimous verdict over Randy Couture, thrust himself back in the UFC title mix and put himself in a much better place in the minds of fans and critics.

6. Brett Rogers (10-0)
Rogers finally has a date for the biggest bout of his career. “The Grim” will vie for MMA’s heavyweight mantle on Nov. 7, when he takes on Fedor Emelianenko under the Strikeforce umbrella. Better still, he will do so on network television on CBS.

7. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)
He knocked off the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson in the recent past, but those accomplishments now seem like distant memories for Arlovski. “The Pitbull” has been brutally smashed in his last two outings against Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers, and conversation now centers on the fragile chin that has betrayed him again.

8. Junior dos Santos (9-1)
“Cigano” emerged as a serious heavyweight threat by battering Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic on Sept. 19. In order to earn his contender’s stripes, he will have to take out another Brazilian known for his win over Filipovic -- Gabriel Gonzaga -- at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.
9. Randy Couture (16-10)
Coming off his game decision loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in August, Couture signed a six-fight deal that will allow “The Natural” to end his career in the Octagon. The first fight on that deal will come Nov. 14, when he moves back to the 205-pound division to meet Brandon Vera in the UFC 105 headliner in Manchester, England.

10. Shane Carwin (11-0)
Originally expected to meet fellow undefeated prospect Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 in October, Carwin was part of Zuffa’s decision to reshuffle its heavyweight deck. Now the potent-punching Colorado native will take on Brock Lesnar for the UFC heavyweight crown at UFC 106 in November.

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Light Heavyweight

1. Lyoto Machida (15-0)
Fresh off his May 23 blowout of Rashad Evans, it appeared as though Machida would soon have to start preparing for a challenge from former light heavyweight ruler Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. However, with Jackson opting for a second coaching stint on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Machida’s first title defense will come Oct. 24 against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104.

2. Quinton Jackson (30-7)
While viewers continue to watch the shortcomings of Team Rampage on “The Ultimate Fighter 10,” Jackson remains hard at work away from the sport of MMA. He can be found on the set of Hollywood’s “The A-Team,” playing B.A. Baracus, much to the chagrin of the MMA world, which eagerly awaited his showdown with Rashad Evans.

3. Rashad Evans (13-1-1)
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 rolls on, but MMA’s hardcore contingent is now well aware Evans will not get his chance to square off with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson later this year. However, Evans will meet up with a standout light heavyweight when he takes on [/URL]Thiago Silva at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

4. Mauricio Rua (18-3)
Fortune has smiled upon Rua. After UFC 98, it looked as if “Shogun” was a fight or more away from challenging for the UFC title. Now, however, the consensus 2005 “Fighter of the Year” will have a chance to regain light heavyweight supremacy against divisional champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 104 in October.

5. Forrest Griffin (16-6)
Griffin’s April 2006 split decision loss to Tito Ortiz was his moment of validation in the light heavyweight division. Now, Griffin will have the chance to defeat the man over whom many feel he deserved the decision three and a half years ago, when he rematches Ortiz at UFC 106 on Nov. 21.

6. [URL="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Thiago-Silva-14396"] (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Thiago-Silva-14396)Thiago Silva (14-1)
To continue ascending in the light heavyweight division, Silva will have to topple another Greg Jackson-trained standout. Having already felled Keith Jardine, Silva will now meet former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans at UFC 108.

7. Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1)
Having escaped the clutches of Dream’s inane Super Hulk competition, Mousasi will take on the man he was originally supposed to face in the tournament semi-final -- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. The pair will meet on the main card of Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Rogers” on Nov. 7, though Mousasi’s Strikeforce crown will not be at stake.

8. Luis Arthur Cane (10-1)
Cane has emerged as one of the best young fighters in a division filled with great young talent. However, to move into title contention at 205 pounds, he will need to spoil the UFC debut of fellow Brazilian Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 106 on Nov. 21.

9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (17-3)
The other Nogueira twin will make his promotional debut at UFC 106 on Nov. 21, and it will not be easy. Nogueira’s welcome to the UFC will come courtesy of his Brazilian countryman, Luis Arthur Cane.

10. Rich Franklin (25-5)
On the cusp of becoming a light heavyweight contender, Franklin was victimized by a first-round knockout from Vitor Belfort in the UFC 103 headliner. Though Belfort will now move to 185 pounds to campaign, the loss leaves Franklin without a clear direction in the UFC’s 205-pound division.

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Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (25-4)
The Last time Silva fought a fellow Brazilian, his bout with Thales Leites turned into a complete debacle. However, the MMA world seems far more receptive to this clash of countrymen, as Silva will defend his middleweight mantle against Vitor Belfort at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

2. Nate Marquardt (29-8-2)
On the back of his scintillating knockout of Demian Maia, Marquardt became the popular choice for many fans and pundits alike to challenge Anderson Silva in a rematch for his middleweight crown. Now, it appears the fight Zuffa brass prefers for Marquardt is a de facto title eliminator against Dan Henderson later this year, provided Henderson inks a new deal with the company.

3. Yushin Okami (23-4)
Inopportune injuries have slowed Okami’s bid to earn a rematch with middleweight king Anderson Silva. A healthy Okami will have the chance to solidify himself as a top contender on Oct. 24 when he takes on Chael Sonnen at UFC 104 in Los Angeles.

4. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Henderson was adamant that he deserved another shot at Anderson Silva, who handed him his last loss in March 2008. However, it appears Henderson’s position has softened enough that both he and Zuffa expect the former Pride champion to sign a new UFC contract soon that would see him take on fellow top contender Nate Marquardt. The winner would get his chance to rematch Silva.

5. Demian Maia (11-1)
In a fight that could have earned him a crack at middleweight overlord Anderson Silva, Maia found out what competition is like at the top of the 185-pound division. Nate Marquardt blew him away with a single right hand in just 21 seconds at UFC 102.

6. Jorge Santiago (21-7)
Arguably the cruelest victim of Affliction’s promotional demise, Santiago may finally have himself a fight. After watching his slated August opponent, Vitor Belfort, main event a UFC, the Sengoku middleweight champion expects to return to action at Sengoku’s Nov. 7 show.

7. Vitor Belfort (19-8)
Many prefer Dan Henderson or Nate Marquardt as title contenders for Anderson Silva. Nonetheless, “The Phenom” is the chosen foil for “The Spider” in his next middleweight title defense at UFC 108.

8. Robbie Lawler (16-5, 1 NC)
Lawler appeared to be in control on the feet in his June 6 bout with Jake Shields. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was tapping out to a Shields guillotine choke, leaving his next move in Strikeforce’s middleweight division uncertain.

9. Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)
After grinding out a nice win over former International Fight League middleweight champion Dan Miller in May, Sonnen’s climb up the 185-pound ladder will only get more difficult. The Team Quest product will take on Yushin Okami at UFC 104 on Oct. 24.

10. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 2 NC)
It was not his best performance, but Akiyama gritted through a split decision verdict over a game Alan Belcher at UFC 100 in July and has thrown himself into the UFC’s deepening middleweight mix.

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Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre (19-2)
Another title defense, another elite contender, another dominant victory for St. Pierre. GSP’s lopsided decision over an elite challenger in Thiago Alves at UFC 100 showed why he remains one of the sport’s pound-for-pound kings and caused many fans and observers to begin demanding a move to middleweight.

2. Jon Fitch (19-3, 1 NC)
Fitch earned himself a hard-fought and well-deserved unanimous verdict over Paulo Thiago in July. Next on tap for the American Kickboxing Academy product will be former middleweight King of Pancrase Ricardo Almeida in the Brazilian’s welterweight debut at UFC 106 on Nov. 21.

3. Thiago Alves (16-6)
Coming off a unanimous decision loss in his July UFC title bid against Georges St. Pierre, Alves’ return to the cage in December will not be a “gimme,” as he will meet once-beaten fellow Brazilian Paul Thiago at UFC 107.

4. Jake Shields (23-4-1)
As expected, Shields will return to the middleweight division for Strikeforce’s Nov. 7 show on CBS, where he will take on Jason “Mayhem” Miller. As an extra perk for the former EliteXC champion, the bout will be for the promotion’s middleweight crown, recently vacated by Cung Le.

5. Josh Koscheck (13-4)
In his first appearance in the cage since his upset loss to Paulo Thiago in February, Koscheck -- who also rebounded from a broken toe that sidelined him in May -- needed less than a round to punch out sturdy veteran Frank Trigg. The win put Koscheck back in the welterweight title picture in the UFC.

6. Paulo Thiago (11-1)
Thiago certainly receives no favors from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. After meeting Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch in his first two UFC bouts, the Brazilian Military Police member will take on another elite 170-pounder at UFC 107 in December, when he meets fellow Brazilian Thiago Alves.

7. Mike Swick (14-2)
If Swick wants to become the next challenger to George St. Pierre’s welterweight throne, he’ll have to earn it on Nov. 14 at UFC 105. There, he’ll take on surging Brit Dan Hardy with a title shot on the line.

8. Paul Daley (22-8-2)
Daley came to the UFC with a reputation as one of Britain’s best talents and one of the welterweight division’s most dangerous strikers. Even so, he was an underdog to divisional standout Martin Kampmann. However, Daley needed fewer than three minutes to blow away Kampmann at UFC 103 and signal his arrival in the UFC’s 170-pound division.

9. Martin Kampmann (15-3)
UFC 103 was supposed to feature Kampmann meeting Mike Swick with the next crack at Georges St. Pierre on the line. After Swick pulled out due to injury, Kampmann was a considerable favorite to debuting British banger Paul Daley, who responded by demolishing the Dane in the first round.

10. Carlos Condit (24-5)
Many hardcore fans felt Condit would find himself in rough waters in his Sept. 16 bout with the relatively unknown Jake Ellenberger, but few could have imagined the extent. Condit had to overcome an onslaught from Ellenberger in the opening stanza in order to take a split decision win by the skin of his teeth.

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Lightweight

1. B.J. Penn (14-5-1)
Penn will make the next defense of his UFC lightweight crown on Dec. 12 at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tenn. There, he will take on another solid contender in Diego Sanchez, who remains unbeaten as a lightweight. That will make for two title defenses in just four months for “The Prodigy,” who has been known more than anything for his preoccupations outside the lightweight division.

2. Shinya Aoki (22-4, 1 NC)
The biggest fight of his career yielded a finish for Aoki, as the Japanese submission stalwart armbarred Norwegian rival Joachim Hansen in the dying moments of their Oct. 6 rubber match. The victory gave Aoki a 2-1 win in the trilogy, along with Dream’s lightweight title.

3. Eddie Alvarez (18-2)
Having swept through Bellator's lightweight tournament, Alvarez will face his stiffest competition of the year when he takes on Japan’s hottest prospect in heavy-hitting karateka Katsunori Kikuno on Oct. 25 at Dream 12.

4. Kenny Florian (11-4)
Coming off of his August loss in a title bid against B.J. Penn, Florian did not have to wait long to find another opponent. The fighter-turned-analyst will take on divisional motor fighter Clay Guida at UFC 107 on Dec. 12.

5. Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)
It was perfunctory and meaningless, but Kawajiri had little trouble smashing an overmatched Melchor Manibusan on Oct. 6. The real question remains whether Kawajiri will get the Dream title fight he so richly desires against Shinya Aoki come New Year’s Eve.

6. Gray Maynard (8-0, 1 NC)
In his Sept. 16 win over Roger Huerta, Maynard showed both the evolution of his striking skills and the increasing potency of his top game. Furthermore, the well-appointed decision win has seemingly put him on the doorstep of a UFC lightweight title shot.

7. Frankie Edgar (10-1)
In order to continue ascending in the UFC lightweight division, Edgar will need to dispatch one of his New Jersey brethren when he takes on fellow northeasterner Kurt Pellegrino at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Live Finale on Dec. 5.

8. Sean Sherk (33-4-1)
With a deflating loss to Frankie Edgar in May, Sherk was set to face Gleison Tibau, another lightweight in a must-win scenario, at UFC 104 on Oct. 24. However, a shoulder injury in training has taken Sherk out of the bout, and Josh Neer will fill his place.

9. Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1)
In their Aug. 2 encounter, Hirota withstood Satoru Kitaoka’s early submission storm and wore down the Sengoku champion. He then smashed Kitaoka with a barrage of knees in the fourth round to claim Sengoku’s lightweight crown.

10. Joachim Hansen (19-8-1)
After a nearly 15-month layoff, Joachim Hansen was game in his Oct. 6 rubber match with Shinya Aoki, but succumbed to an armbar in the latter stages of the bout, losing the Dream lightweight title and spoiling his return to the ring.

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1. Mike Thomas Brown (22-4)
It was no secret that Brown’s featherweight mantle would be at stake against hot-shot Brazilian prospect Jose Aldo; the question was simply when. Now we know: WEC 44 on Nov. 18 in Las Vegas.

2. Urijah Faber (22-3)
Faber failed to reclaim the World Extreme Cagefighting title and featherweight mantle in his June 7 rematch with Mike Thomas Brown. However, Faber fought gamely for the better part of 25 minutes with a broken hand and proved he still ranks among the featherweight elite.

3. Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2)
Despite winning the fight, a concussion in his August featherweight tournament semi-final with Masanori Kanehara robbed Hioki of the chance to compete for the Sengoku featherweight title. He’ll have a chance to rematch Kanehara for that title on Dec. 31, but first, he’ll have to beat the much-improved Michihiro Omigawa in a Nov. 7 title eliminator.

4. Leonard Garcia (13-4)
His split decision win over Jameel Massouh in August was hardly enthusing, and a better performance will be hard to come by, as Garcia’s next outing will see him take on “The Ultimate Fighter 5” finalist Manny Gamburyan at WEC 44 on Nov. 18.

5. Jose Aldo (15-1)
Aldo was already official as (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Mike-Thomas-Brown-3069)Mike Thomas Brown’s next challenger for the WEC title. Now, a date has been set for the biggest fight of the 23-year-old Brazilian’s career. He will tangle with Brown at WEC 44 on Nov. 18.

6. Bibiano Fernandes (7-2)
The former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion has finally arrived in mixed martial arts. At Dream 11, Fernandes quickly armbarred former Greco-Roman world champion Joe Warren before toughing out a split decision win over Hiroyuki Takaya in the grand prix final. With that, he became Dream’s first featherweight champion.

7. Raphael Assuncao (14-1)
The fast-rising Assuncao showed well-rounded skills in his Oct. 10 victory over Georges St. Pierre training partner Yves Jabouin. The well-appointed split decision win should move Assuncao into talk of title contention in the WEC featherweight division.

8. Mackens Semerzier (4-0)
The MMA world is used to upsets by now, but style points can make them all the more shocking. In his WEC debut as a late replacement, “Mack da Menace” swiftly and deftly triangled an outstanding BJJ player and elite featherweight in Wagnney Fabiano in just over two minutes, notching one of MMA’s most stirring big show debuts ever.

9. Wagnney Fabiano (12-2)
Before his Oct. 10 bout with Mackens Semerzier, discussion about Fabiano centered on what would happen if his Nova Uniao teammate, Jose Aldo, defeated (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Mike-Thomas-Brown-3069)Mike Thomas Brown in November, causing a logjam at the top of the WEC 145-pound class. However, with Semerzier’s remarkable upset, discussion has now turned to how exactly Fabiano was tapped by the unknown Semerzier and where he goes next in the red-hot WEC featherweight division.

10. Takeshi Inoue (16-3)
In a battle of past and present, the current Shooto 143-pound world champion will take on former titleholder Alexandre Franca Nogueira -- who reigned for seven years (1999-2006) -- at Vale Tudo Japan 2009 on Oct. 30.

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Bantamweight

1. Brian Bowles (8-0)
Going into his WEC bantamweight title bout with [/URL]Miguel Torres, Bowles was thought to be a game challenger but not a major-league threat. In the cage, Bowles was far more than that, as he smashed Torres in the first round to snatch the 135-pound mantle.

2. (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Miguel-Torres-3006)Miguel Torres (37-2)
Torres was heralded as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound stalwarts and the man to put the 135-pound division on the map. In his fourth defense of the WEC bantamweight title, he was flattened in the first round by impressive upstart Brian Bowles, who handed Torres his first loss in 18 fights.

3. Masakatsu Ueda (10-0-2)
He had to overcome rope grabbing and eye gouging, but Ueda kept his unbeaten record and Shooto world title on July 19 by taking a well-appointed unanimous verdict over tough Brazilian youngster Eduardo Dantas.

4. Takeya Mizugaki (12-3-2)
Coming off of his wildly entertaining 25-minute brawl with Miguel Torres in April, Mizugaki was done no favors in his second bout in the promotion, as he faced off with veteran Jeff Curran on Aug. 9. However, the Cage Force bantamweight champion survived a last-minute submission scare from Curran to take a hard-fought split decision win.

5. Dominick Cruz (14-1)
A healthy underdog heading into his Aug. 9 bout with Urijah Faber understudy Joseph Benavidez, Cruz was one step ahead throughout the entire bout, deftly outworking Benavidez on the feet and the floor en route to a unanimous decision win. He now figures to be the first title contender for newly minted champion Brian Bowles.

6. Joseph Benavidez (10-1)
Though he came into the bout as a considerable favorite to challenge for the WEC bantamweight title, Benavidez’s undefeated record came to an end at WEC 42. He was outworked in all facets of the game by the much longer and rangier Dominick Cruz.

7. Akitoshi Tamura (14-7-2)
Following the delay and relocation of WEC 43, Tamura was a cruel victim of fate. He sustained a broken rib in training for his fight with Damacio Page after extending his preparation for the postponed event.

8. Damacio Page (12-4)
It was not as competitive as a bout with Akitoshi Tamura might have been, but Page took a quick and impressive rear-naked choke victory over previously unbeaten Will Campuzano at WEC 43. It took the [URL="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Greg-Jackson-14457"] (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Miguel-Torres-3006)Greg Jackson-trained wild child just 62 seconds to get the tap.

9. Rani Yahya (15-4)
Against John Hosman on Aug. 9, Yahya added another first-round submission to his resume. Three straight first-round tapouts have put the grappling all-star back in contention for another crack at the WEC bantamweight crown.

10. Eddie Wineland (15-6-1)
Following a 67-second submission loss to Rani Yahya in his WEC return in April, the former WEC bantamweight champion earned himself a tidy unanimous verdict over Manny Tapia on Oct. 10 to get back into the mix at 135 pounds.

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Flyweight

1. Jussier da Silva (3-0)
The little-known little man out of Natal, Brazil, made a big impression in his biggest fight to date, as he took a well-appointed unanimous decision over Shooto world champion Shinichi “BJ” Kojima on July 19. The logical next step would be for the International Shooto Commission to sanction a rematch with Kojima’s title on the line for later this year.

2. Shinichi Kojima (10-4-5)
The Shooto world champion continued his career-long streak of inconsistency, dropping a unanimous verdict to Brazilian Jussier da Silva in a non-title bout on July 19. Whether or not Kojima will get a do-over with a title on the line remains to be seen.

3. Yuki Shojo (9-5-2)
In his first bout since falling to Shooto world champion Shinichi “BJ” Kojima in March, Shojo took a competitive, albeit pedestrian, majority decision over former bantamweight Junya Kudo and kept pace in Shooto’s active 123-pound class.

4. Yasuhiro Urushitani (16-4-6)
Though he deserved the victory the first time they fought in May 2008, justice prevailed in Urushitani’s Sept. 22 rematch with Ryuichi Miki, as he slickly boxed his way to a unanimous decision verdict over the former Shooto rookie champion.

5. Ryuichi Miki (9-3-3)
The rematch between Miki and Yasuhiro Urushitani was largely a replay of their first bout, but this time Miki’s aggression did not sway the judges, and he lost a unanimous decision. The loss was Miki’s first since March 2006.

6. Rambaa Somdet (6-2)
As expected, Somdet will take part in a match to crown the first-ever Shooto 115-pound world champion on Nov. 23. He will take on surging strawweight Noboru “Shinpei” Tahara, whom he previously defeated in September 2008.

7. Pat Runez (3-0)
Showing savvy far beyond his actual MMA experience, Runez overcame an early shellacking from John Dodson to take a well-earned split decision win on Oct. 3, as he claimed the Ultimate Warrior Challenge flyweight title in what was the most significant 125-pound bout to date outside of Japan.

8. Masaaki Sugawara (9-3-1)
Sugawara earned a first-round stoppage over Yasuhiro Akagi on July 19. He returned two months later on Sept. 20 and took a well-deserved split decision over Hiroyuki Tanaka to keep moving up the ladder in Shooto’s 123-pound class.

9. Mitsuhisa Sunabe (10-5-3)
Sunabe captured the first flyweight King of Pancrase championship by crushing Takuya Eizumi in June. Now, the Okinawa native will make his first defense against unbeaten Isao Hirose on Oct. 25.

10. Alexis Vila (6-0)
One of the flyweight division’s most intriguing prospects, Vila punched out Cody Bell in the second round on Sept. 26. The stoppage was the fifth in six career bouts for the 1996 Olympic freestyle wrestling bronze medalist.

[Plates]

1. Brian Bowles (8-0)
Going into his WEC bantamweight title bout with Miguel Torres, Bowles was thought to be a game challenger but not a major-league threat. In the cage, Bowles was far more than that, as he smashed Torres in the first round to snatch the 135-pound mantle.


This one kills me. I know he beat Torres, but I dont think he is #1. My personal opinion about these rankings are that someone should have to prove themselves multiple times in order to be ranked accordingly; or have beaten a certain crop of fighters to place themselves at that ranking.
Take Quinton Jackson for example......#2 light-heavy???? are you serious?

Thoughts??

[kratos47]

Wait tim sylvia is ahead of mirko?? Wtf

[Plates]

Ummm.........why does it say I started this thread??? I didnt. lol....

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I merged a bunch of ranking threads and you happened to be the creator.

[Plates]

Oh! gotcha

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Heavyweight

1. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC)
It was already known that Emelianenko’s next bout would come against unbeaten heavyweight Brett Rogers. However, the man who has ruled the heavyweight division for six years and counting will get an even richer opportunity Nov. 7, as the bout will serve as the main event of Strikeforce’s first live network television card on CBS.

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)
Three weeks of unshakable illness in the middle of training camp has forced the UFC heavyweight champion to postpone his bout with challenger Shane Carwin. Originally scheduled for UFC 106 on Nov. 21, the bout will now likely take place in early 2010.

3. Josh Barnett (24-5)
Barnett's appeal in front of the California State Athletic Commission regarding his positive steroid test was set for Oct. 26. However, with his legal team still awaiting additional lab results, Barnett was granted a second extension. His case will now be heard Dec. 8.

4. Frank Mir (12-4)
Most of the attention Mir has received lately has stemmed from talks of a superfight with middleweight ace Anderson Silva. Instead, the real next fight for Mir will come at UFC 107 in December, when he takes on French hitter Cheick Kongo.

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1, 1 NC)
Through his first three outings in the UFC, Nogueira looked like a shell of the fighter who had become one of MMA’s greatest over the course of this decade. Nearly 25 pounds lighter, the 33-year-old Nogueira was in vintage form at UFC 102, though. He took an exciting unanimous verdict over Randy Couture, thrusting himself back in the UFC title mix and putting himself in a much better place in the minds of fans and critics.

6. Brett Rogers (10-0)
Rogers finally has a date for the biggest bout of his career. “The Grim” will vie for MMA’s heavyweight mantle on Nov. 7, when he takes on Fedor Emelianenko under the Strikeforce umbrella. Better still, he will do so on network television on CBS.

7. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)
He knocked off the likes of Fabricio Werdum (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Fabricio-Werdum-8390), Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson in the recent past, but those accomplishments now seem like distant memories for Arlovski. “The Pitbull” has been brutally smashed in his last two outings against Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers, and conversation now centers on the fragile chin that has betrayed him again.

8. Junior dos Santos (9-1)
“Cigano” emerged as a serious heavyweight threat by battering Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic on Sept. 19. In order to earn his contender’s stripes, he will have to take out another Brazilian known for his win over Filipovic -- Gabriel Gonzaga -- at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

9. Cain Velasquez (7-0)
Velasquez's Oct. 24 meeting with Ben Rothwell was supposed to be a major step-up for the developing prospect. However, instead of a competitive learning process, Velasquez turned the bout into a one-sided beatdown, as he demolished Rothwell in just less than six minutes.

10. Shane Carwin (11-0)
Lesnar's ongoing illness has forced Carwin to wait for his UFC heavyweight title shot. Rather than getting his crack at UFC 106 on Nov. 21, Carwin's shot may come as soon as UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

Other contenders: Randy Couture, Aleksander Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Fabricio Werdum.

*With the entry of Velasquez following his victory over Ben Rothwell, and no wins in over two years, formerly ninth-ranked Randy Couture falls to the contenders list.

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http://www.cdn.sherdog.com/_images/pictures/20090129112858_lyoto.JPG
(http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/gallery/fighter/f_7513/33431/53)Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com

Lyoto Machida

Light Heavyweight

1. Lyoto Machida (16-0)
Machida kept his undefeated record and his UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 104. However, the native of Belem, Brazil, is hardly the darling of the MMA world any longer. His unanimous points win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has come under such scrutiny that an immediate rematch between the two Brazilians is anticipated for early next year.

2. Mauricio Rua (18-4)
UFC 104 was the best of times and the worst of times for Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The consensus 2005 "Fighter of the Year" showed a level of poise and strategy he'd never demonstrated prior in his career, and he used it to -- in the eyes of most spectators -- defeat Lyoto Machida. Instead, though, he lost a unanimous decision that has so riled the MMA world, an immediate rematch is in the works for early 2009.

3. Quinton Jackson (30-7)
While viewers continue to watch the shortcomings of Team Rampage on “The Ultimate Fighter 10,” Jackson remains hard at work away from the sport of MMA. He can be found on the set of Hollywood’s “The A-Team,” playing B.A. Baracus, much to the chagrin of the MMA world, which eagerly awaited his showdown with Rashad Evans.

4. Rashad Evans (13-1-1)
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 rolls on, but MMA’s hardcore contingent is now well aware Evans will not get his chance to square off with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson later this year. However, Evans will meet up with a standout light heavyweight when he takes on [/URL]Thiago Silva at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

5. Forrest Griffin (16-6)
Griffin’s April 2006 split decision loss to Tito Ortiz was his moment of validation in the light heavyweight division. Now, Griffin will have the chance to defeat the man over whom many feel he deserved the decision three and a half years ago, when he rematches Ortiz at UFC 106 on Nov. 21.

6. [URL="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Thiago-Silva-14396"] (http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Thiago-Silva-14396)Thiago Silva (14-1)
To continue ascending in the light heavyweight division, Silva will have to topple another Greg Jackson-trained standout. Having already felled Keith Jardine, Silva will now meet former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans at UFC 108.

7. Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1)
Having escaped the clutches of Dream’s inane Super Hulk competition, Mousasi will take on the man he was originally supposed to face in the tournament semi-final -- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. The pair will meet on the main card of Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Rogers” on Nov. 7, though Mousasi’s Strikeforce crown will not be at stake.

8. Luis Arthur Cane (10-1)
Cane has emerged as one of the best young fighters in a division filled with great young talent. However, to move into title contention at 205 pounds, he will need to spoil the UFC debut of fellow Brazilian Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 106 on Nov. 21.

9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (17-3)
The other Nogueira twin will make his promotional debut at UFC 106 on Nov. 21, and it will not be easy. Nogueira’s welcome to the UFC will come courtesy of his Brazilian countryman, Luis Arthur Cane.

10. Rich Franklin (25-5)
On the cusp of becoming a light heavyweight contender, Franklin was victimized by a first-round knockout from Vitor Belfort in the UFC 103 headliner. Though Belfort will now move to 185 pounds to campaign, the loss leaves Franklin without a clear direction in the UFC’s 205-pound division.

Other contenders: Keith Jardine, Vladimir Matyushenko, Renato Sobral, Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell.

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Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (25-4)
Pending the status of an enigmatic elbow injury, MMA's middleweight king will be back in action in the headliner of UFC 108 on Jan. 2. If all goes according to plan, "The Spider" will meet fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort, who is unbeaten as a middleweight.

2. Nate Marquardt (29-8-2)
It was anticipated that Marquardt would wind up in a title eliminator against Dan Henderson as soon as the former Pride champ re-signed with the UFC. With those negotiations in limbo, though, Marquardt is left without a defined place in the UFC's middleweight division despite his recent standout performances.

3. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Drama continues to encircle "Dangerous Dan." After expressing confidence that he would come to terms with the UFC on a new contact, Dana White announced to the media that Henderson wanted a deal that would make him the UFC's highest paid fighter. Henderson's camp has denied the claim, and thus the dance continues.

4. Demian Maia (11-1)
After his deflating loss to Nate Marquardt in August, Maia will return to action at UFC 109 on Feb. 6. In opposition, the BJJ world champion will find himself against another savvy grappler in former IFL champion Dan Miller.

5. Jorge Santiago (21-7)
The demise of Affliction as a fight promotion left Santiago in limbo. Fortunately, the American Top Team product has finally found himself a quality bout, as he'll meet top Polish prospect Mamed Khalidov at Sengoku's "11th Battle" on Nov. 7. Santiago's promotional middleweight title will not be at stake.

6. Vitor Belfort (19-8)
It isn't 100 percent yet, but unless Anderson Silva's elbow recovery gets erratic, Belfort will have a chance to win his second UFC title in a second weight class when he takes on "The Spider" at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

7. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)
Just as he was in his rematch with Paulo Filho and his May bout with Dan Miller, Sonnen was an underdog to Yushin Okami at UFC 104. Just as he did in both of those bouts, the Team Quest product outworked his foe to a unanimous points victory to stake his claim in the middleweight division.

8. Yushin Okami (23-5)
The fervor for Okami to be granted a UFC middleweight title shot has likely died following the Japanese export's unanimous decision loss to Chael Sonnen at UFC 104. It'll be a long road back to acclaim for the polarizing Okami.

9. Robbie Lawler (16-5, 1 NC)
Lawler will likely return to action Dec. 19 when Strikeforce returns to the HP Pavilion in San Jose. No opponent has been firmed up for the former EliteXC middleweight champion, though the promotion is keen to match him against grappling all-star Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza or Nick Diaz, who knocked him out in April 2004.

10. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 2 NC)
In just his second bout in the UFC, Akiyama will be getting marquee treatment on a major card for the promotion. When the Octagon heads to Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21, the former standout judoka will meet up with longtime light heavyweight star Wanderlei Silva in his first bout at 185 pounds.

Other contenders: Michael Bisping, Patrick Cote, Paulo Filho, Dan Miller, Kazuo Misaki.

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Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre (19-2)
The toe-tapping process to find the next challenger for St. Pierre continues. The new bout designated as a title eliminator in the UFC 170-pound division will come at UFC 105 on Nov. 14, when surging contenders Mike Swick and Dan Hardy square off.

2. Jon Fitch (19-3, 1 NC)
Originally set to face Ricardo Almeida in his welterweight debut at UFC 107, Fitch got a new foe for Dec. 12 in Memphis when Almeida was forced out due to a knee injury. His new opponent is a familiar one: He'll rematch fellow divisional star Thiago Alves, whom he defeated in June 2006.

3. Thiago Alves (16-6)
Ricardo Almeida's knee injury was a bringer of good news for Alves. The scrape to "The Big Dog" means that Alves will now get the chance to avenge his June 2006 loss to fellow welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 107 on Dec. 12.

4. Jake Shields (23-4-1)
As expected, Shields will return to the middleweight division for Strikeforce’s Nov. 7 show on CBS, where he will take on Jason “Mayhem” Miller. As an extra perk for the former EliteXC champion, the bout will be for the promotion’s middleweight crown recently vacated by Cung Le.

5. Josh Koscheck (13-4)
Now injury-free and coming off of a first-round stoppage of Frank Trigg in September, Koscheck's desire to stay active has seemingly been granted. He announced Tuesday that he will be co-headlining UFC 106 on Nov. 21 against a to-be-named opponent.

6. Paulo Thiago (11-1)
The reconfiguration of UFC welterweight matchups has saved Thiago from facing his third straight top-five welterweight, as his slated opponent, Thiago Alves, will now meet Jon Fitch in a much-anticipated rematch. However, Thiago's next outing at UFC 106 on Nov. 21 will hardly be a cakewalk, as he meets unbeaten prospect Jacob Volkmann.

7. Mike Swick (14-2)
If Swick wants to become the next challenger to Georges St. Pierre’s welterweight throne, he’ll have to earn it on Nov. 14 at UFC 105. There, he’ll take on surging Brit Dan Hardy with a title shot on the line.

8. Paul Daley (22-8-2)
Daley came to the UFC with a reputation as one of Britain’s best talents and one of the welterweight division’s most dangerous strikers. Even so, he was an underdog to divisional standout Martin Kampmann. However, Daley needed less than three minutes to blow away Kampmann at UFC 103 and signal his arrival in the UFC’s 170-pound division.

9. Martin Kampmann (15-3)
Kampmann was quickly bashed by British banger Paul Daley at UFC 103 in September. His return bout will feature another heavy-handed opponent when he takes on Rory Markham at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

10. Carlos Condit (24-5)
Following his Sept. 16 split decision win over Jake Ellenberger, Condit announced that he was leaving Arizona Combat Sports and returning to his native New Mexico. None too surprisingly, "The Natural Born Killer" will be hooking up with Albuquerque-based fight guru Greg Jackson and company.

Other contenders: Dan Hardy, Marcus Davis, Jay Hieron, Dan Hornbuckle, Matt Hughes.

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http://www.cdn.sherdog.com/_images/pictures/20080911022429_penn.JPG
(http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/gallery/fighter/f_1307/54688/32)Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn

Lightweight

1. B.J. Penn (14-5-1)
Penn will make the next defense of his UFC lightweight crown on Dec. 12 at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tenn. There, he will take on another solid contender in Diego Sanchez, who remains unbeaten as a lightweight. That will make for two title defenses in just four months for “The Prodigy,” countering his history of wanting to venture outside the lightweight division.

2. Shinya Aoki (22-4, 1 NC)
The biggest fight of his career yielded a finish for Aoki, as the Japanese submission stalwart armbarred Norwegian rival Joachim Hansen in the dying moments of their Oct. 6 rubber match. The victory gave Aoki a 2-1 win in the trilogy, along with Dream’s lightweight title.

3. Eddie Alvarez (19-2)
In an entertaining and tougher-than-expected bout with Japanese prospect Katsunori Kikuno, the sure-fisted Alvarez continued to flaunt his grappling prowess, submitting the karateka with an arm-triangle in the second round. The victory moved Bellator's lightweight champ to 4-0 on the year with four submissions.

4. Kenny Florian (11-4)
Coming off of his August loss in a title bid against B.J. Penn, Florian did not have to wait long to find another opponent. The fighter-turned-analyst will take on divisional motor fighter Clay Guida at UFC 107 on Dec. 12.

5. Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)
It was perfunctory and meaningless, but Kawajiri had little trouble smashing an overmatched Melchor Manibusan on Oct. 6. The real question remains whether Kawajiri will get the Dream title fight he so richly desires against Shinya Aoki come New Year’s Eve.

6. Gray Maynard (8-0, 1 NC)
Gray Maynard is viewed by many as the UFC's lightweight title challenger in waiting. However, the former Michigan State wrestler will need to clear another hurdle before he can challenge the winner of the December B.J. Penn-Diego Sanchez bout, when he takes on Nate Diaz in the headliner of the promotion's Jan. 20 "Fight Night" card.

7. Frankie Edgar (10-1)
In order to continue ascending in the UFC lightweight division, Edgar will need to dispatch one of his New Jersey brethren when he fights fellow Northeasterner Kurt Pellegrino at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” finale on Dec. 5.

8. Sean Sherk (33-4-1)
The former UFC lightweight champion was scheduled to meet tough Brazilian Gleison Tibau at UFC 103. Instead, Tibau wound up facing and defeating Josh Neer after Sherk was forced out of the bout due to a shoulder injury.

9. Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1)
The first defense of Hirota's Sengoku lightweight title will come on Dec. 31. His opponent will likely be decided Nov. 7 at Sengoku's "11th Battle" card in a de facto title eliminator between Eiji Mitsuoka and the last man to defeat Hirota, Kazunori Yokota.

10. Joachim Hansen (19-8-1)
After a nearly 15-month layoff, Hansen was game in his Oct. 6 rubber match with Shinya Aoki, but he succumbed to an armbar in the latter stages of the bout, losing the Dream lightweight title and spoiling his return to the ring.

Other contenders: Gesias Cavalcante, Tyson Griffin, Satoru Kitaoka, Gilbert Melendez, Diego Sanchez.