Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Light Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones (18-1)

Jones cruised to victory against rival “Ultimate Fighter 17” coach Chael Sonnen at UFC 159, but the young champion did not emerge unscathed. Moments after dismantling Sonnen with first-round ground-and-pound, Jones noticed he had suffered a gruesome fracture to the big toe on his left foot. There is no word yet on how long the injury -- which was surgically repaired the same night -- will keep Jones sidelined.

2. Lyoto Machida (19-3)

Criticize him if you must, but Machida did what he does best in earning a split verdict over Dan Henderson on Feb. 23. The elusive karateka utilized selective striking while avoiding his opponent’s powerful punches for the better part of three rounds to potentially set up another shot at light heavyweight gold. If that bout does not materialize, Alexander Gustafsson has already said he would like to face the former 205-pound king.

3. Dan Henderson (29-9)

Henderson had his UFC title hopes dashed once again at UFC 157, this time by the younger, quicker Lyoto Machida. With no plans to retire on the radar, the 42-year-old will dive right back into the fray on June 15, when he takes on another former champion, Rashad Evans, in the UFC 161 headliner.

4. Rashad Evans (17-3-1)

Before UFC 156, there was talk of former UFC 205-pound champion Evans heading down the scale for a bout against middleweight ace Anderson Silva. As it turned out, he could not get past Silva’s teammate, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who outboxed an unusually lackadaisical and passive Evans in a tepid three-round affair on Feb. 2. Evans will get another big name in his next outing against Dan Henderson at UFC 161.

5. Phil Davis (11-1, 1 NC)

Following a year of ups and downs, Davis got 2013 off to a strong start at UFC 159. The former Penn State University wrestler showcased improved striking and a particularly stiff jab in his unanimous decision win against fellow ground specialist Vinny Magalhaes.

6. Alexander Gustafsson (15-1)

While UFC President Dana White did not agree, the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation ruled that Gustafsson was unfit to compete in the UFC on Fuel TV 9 headliner against Gegard Mousasi after suffering a cut near his eye in training. The Swede will probably need another victory before receiving serious title consideration, and he has already mentioned Lyoto Machida as a potential opponent of interest.

7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5)

Nogueira entered his UFC 156 bout against Rashad Evans as a sizeable underdog but left as an upset winner. Though the fight was unremarkable, the Brazilian veteran nonetheless used his superior striking to earn a unanimous decision over Evans, marking Nogueira’s first top 10 win inside the Octagon. Next up for “Minotoro” is a return bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, who came out on top in the pair’s 2005 meeting in Pride Fighting Championships.

8. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-7)

Despite moments of effective fighting, the former Pride grand prix winner looked like a faded force against young lion Alexander Gustafsson in Seattle. Rua was battered en route to a unanimous decision loss in his second straight appearance in a UFC on Fox bill, leaving “Shogun” without a clear direction at 205 pounds. The Brazilian will look to correct his course against a familiar foe, countryman Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, at UFC 161.

9. Glover Teixeira (21-2)

Teixeira picked up a quick win and a $50,000 “Submission of the Night” check by submitting James Te Huna with a guillotine midway through the first round of their UFC 160 encounter. The Brazilian is now unbeaten in his last 19 fights, including four strong victories in his first 12 months with the UFC.

10. Ryan Bader (15-3)

Bader needed just 50 seconds to dispatch veteran Vladimir Matyushenko with a guillotine choke on Jan. 26, marking the first time the Belarusian had ever been submitted. The Power MMA Team product was set to locks horns with highly touted Brazilian standout Glover Teixiera on May 25 before an injury forced his exit.

Other contenders:

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, Gegard Mousasi, Emanuel Newton, James Te Huna, Attila Vegh.

Continue Reading » MMA Middleweight Rankings