Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Heavyweight

1. Cain Velasquez (12-1)

Velasquez successfully defended the UFC heavyweight title for the first time on May 25 with an 81-second battering of Antonio Silva -- a full two minutes faster than their bloody first encounter one year earlier. The decisive win solidified the 30-year-old American Kickboxing Academy fighter’s reputation as MMA’s premier big man; more importantly, it set the stage for a rubber match with Junior dos Santos, a fight UFC President Dana White called “a no-brainer.”

2. Junior dos Santos (16-2)

In his first fight since relinquishing the UFC title to Cain Velasquez in December, “Cigano” used superior speed and a varied offensive attack to take out Mark Hunt at UFC 160. Dos Santos finished Hunt late in the third frame with a spinning hook kick, a highlight-reel knockout that puts the Brazilian on course for a third bout against Velasquez.

3. Fabricio Werdum (16-5-1)

In his first fight on home soil in eight years, Werdum was sensational at UFC 147 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. “Vai Cavalo” stormed Mike Russow out of the gate, knocking him down and out in a little more than two minutes. Werdum now finds himself on the cusp of serious UFC title contention. His next assignment will come in a rematch with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, his coaching rival on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil,” at UFC on Fuel TV 10.

4. Daniel Cormier (12-0)

It might not have been the most spectacular of beginnings, but Cormier dominated former heavyweight king Frank Mir from bell to bell in his Octagon debut at UFC on Fox 7. Javier Mendez, Cormier’s trainer at American Kickboxing Academy, recently said the Strikeforce veteran will prepare for an eventual move to light heavyweight by competing at less than 230 pounds in his next heavyweight appearance.

5. Antonio Silva (18-5)

Back-to-back finishes of Alistair Overeem and Travis Browne earned “Bigfoot” a rematch with Cain Velasquez, but that’s where the magic ran out for the 6-foot-4 heavyweight. Silva once again succumbed to first-round punches from Velasquez at UFC 160, ending the Brazilian’s hopes of claiming UFC gold anytime in the near future.

6. Alistair Overeem (36-12, 1 NC)

After returning to the Octagon from a year-long suspension, Overeem’s arrogance led to his demise in the form of a third-round knockout loss to Antonio Silva at UFC 156. An injury forced the former Strikeforce champion out of a proposed meeting with Junior dos Santos at UFC 160, but the “Demolition Man” has a new target, as he will lock horns with Travis Browne at UFC on Fox Sports 1 on Aug. 17.

7. Frank Mir (16-7)

Mir relocated his camp to Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts prior to facing Daniel Cormier at UFC on Fox 7. Despite the change, the Las Vegas resident struggled to mount anything in the way of meaningful offense against the Strikeforce import, as Cormier controlled much of the bout in the clinch. On the heels of back-to-back losses to two of the division’s best -- Cormier and Junior dos Santos -- Mir’s next move is uncertain, but he has stated he will continue to train at the Albuquerque, N.M.-based camp.

8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-7-1, 1 NC)

Though he was expected to triumph, “Minotauro” nonetheless thrilled the fans inside HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro at UFC 153, easily besting an overmatched Dave Herman on the feet before tapping him with an armbar in the second round. Nogueira may be in the twilight of his career, but as Brazil’s most beloved MMA fighter, the ultra-popular former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder will keep catching marquee fights in the UFC. He will next face Fabricio Werdum in a rematch in June following their stint as opposing coaches on Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.”

9. Josh Barnett (32-6)

For the first time since March 22, 2002, Barnett is a UFC employee. “The Warmaster” recently came to terms with the Las Vegas-based promotion on a multi-fight contract and is expected to step into the Octagon later this year. The ex-heavyweight titlist has lost just once in 10 bouts since 2008 -- a decision defeat to Daniel Cormier in last year’s Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix final.

10. Roy Nelson (19-7)

Nelson has gone on a tear since his one-sided loss to Fabricio Werdum in February 2012, punching his way to three consecutive first-round knockouts. The latest man to come out on the wrong side of “Big Country” was Cheick Kongo, who went down in just over two minutes at UFC 159.

Other contenders:

Travis Browne, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mark Hunt, Stipe Miocic, Stefan Struve.

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