Sherdog.com’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10

---

UFC 181’s pair of title bouts showcased four of the world’s top fighters, but it was Anthony Pettis who came out looking like a true pound-for-pound great.

The 27-year-old Roufusport fighter made his first defense of the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight crown a memorable one, as Pettis handed former Strikeforce titleholder Gilbert Melendez his first submission loss. Pettis surrendered takedowns to “El Nino” in the opening round, but the storm soon subsided, clearing a path for “Showtime.” Once the champ found his range and forced Melendez to shoot for a desperation takedown, it was over in a flash, as Pettis slapped on a tight guillotine choke to end the fight. On the strength of his sensational finish of a top-tier opponent -- not to mention his impressive five-fight winning streak in the sport’s deepest division -- Pettis ascends to No. 4 in this edition of the pound-for-pound top 10.

Less clear was the outcome of Robbie Lawler and Johny Hendricks’ welterweight championship rematch in the UFC 181 main event. Same as their first encounter, the 170-pounders battled for five grueling rounds, but this time it was Lawler who came away with the belt in a much-debated split decision. The American Top Team product enters the pound-for-pound rankings at No. 9, while Hendricks slides to No. 10.

Related: Sherdog Divisional Rankings

1. Jon Jones (20-1)

It has been nearly eight months since the sport’s premier fighter stepped inside the cage, but “Bones” will be ready to defend his UFC light heavyweight title in January. An injury to Alexander Gustafsson derailed plans for a rematch at UFC 178; then it was Jones who injured a knee and had to withdraw from his booking against replacement Daniel Cormier. After minor surgery, Jones and Cormier have been rescheduled for a meeting at UFC 182 on Jan. 3, when the Jackson-Wink MMA product will attempt to defend his belt for a record eighth time in a bout that has quickly progressed from short-notice contest to legitimate grudge match.

2. Jose Aldo (25-1)

Aldo was unable to score a second knockout of Chad Mendes in their UFC 179 rematch, but the end result was perhaps even more satisfying and more indicative of Aldo’s status as a pound-for-pound great. The featherweight ruler battled through more than a little adversity across his 25 minutes with Mendes, surviving an uppercut-induced knockdown to kick things into another gear and outclass Team Alpha Male standout on the feet down the stretch. While there will continue to be questions regarding the Brazilian champion’s ability to stay healthy, the results from Aldo’s UFC title bouts to date are indisputable: seven defenses, seven wins.

3. Chris Weidman (12-0)

The “All-American” showed his all-around skills with a decisive title defense against ex-light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 175. While Machida was able to tag the Serra-Longo Fight Team representative in the waning moments of their five-round encounter, the work Weidman did with his hands, kicks and takedowns through the first four frames was more than enough to retain his UFC middleweight title. The New Yorker’s unblemished resume now includes victories over two of Brazil’s finest fighters -- Machida and Anderson Silva (twice) -- and Weidman could soon add a third, as he is expected to meet a newly testosterone replacement therapy-free Vitor Belfort at UFC 184 in February.

4. Anthony Pettis (18-2)

Few runs in the history of the lightweight division can match what Pettis has accomplished over the past three years. Though often sidelined by injuries, “Showtime” has torn through a murderers’ row of 155-pound talent, knocking out the likes of Donald Cerrone and Joe Lauzon before claiming UFC gold by submitting the nigh-unsubmittable Benson Henderson. Pettis’ latest feat came at UFC 181, where he became the first man to stop Gilbert Melendez with a brilliant second-round guillotine choke.

5. Demetrious Johnson (21-2-1)

In the two years he has held the UFC flyweight title, Johnson has made it clear: When it comes to 125-pounders, there is “Mighty Mouse,” and then there is everyone else. The 28-year-old Matt Hume pupil made an example of Chris Cariaso at UFC 178, forcing the overmatched Californian to submit to a kimura -- a first in an Ultimate Fighting Championship title bout. Johnson’s lauded speed and well-polished, all-around skill set have now carried him to seven consecutive victories, including five straight title defenses against the likes of Joseph Benavidez and John Dodson.

6. Cain Velasquez (13-1)

Velasquez removed any doubt relating to the identity of the best heavyweight in the world by administering a brutal beating to Junior dos Santos at UFC 166. The final bout of the trilogy was never really in doubt, as the American Kickboxing Academy ace dominated in the clinch and rarely allowed his opponent any space to unleash his formidable boxing. Velasquez dropped his opponent in the third round and earned the stoppage late in the fifth, where dos Santos finally wilted after hitting his head on the canvas following a failed guillotine attempt. Unfortunately, injuries have kept Velasquez from the cage in the year since, his most recent setback coming in the form of a knee sprain which knocked the champion out of his UFC 180 engagement with rival “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” coach Fabricio Werdum.

7. Anderson Silva (33-6)

When Silva suffered a gruesome leg injury in his rematch with Chris Weidman at UFC 168, many rightfully wondered if we had seen the last of the former pound-for-pound king and long-reigning UFC middleweight champ. As it turns out, “The Spider” will spend a little more than a year out of action, as Silva resumed sparring in July and recently stated that his leg was "95-percent" healed. Upon his return in January, the 39-year-old Brazilian is scheduled to face former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz in a long-discussed super fight at UFC 183.

8. Daniel Cormier (15-0)

Five years into his MMA career, Cormier has racked up an impressive 15-0 resume which includes some of the biggest names in the sport. Dan Henderson, Josh Barnett, Frank Mir and Roy Nelson all have felt the weight of Cormier’s Olympic-level wrestling, and now the downsized American Kickboxing Academy product has his sights set on the UFC 205-pound championship. While his planned September title bout with top pound-for-pounder Jon Jones was scratched due to a "Bones" knee injury, Cormier will get his chance at the champion come Jan. 3 at UFC 182.

9. Robbie Lawler (25-10, 1 NC)

Despite lagging in the middle rounds of his UFC 181 rematch with Johny Hendricks, Lawler charged hard down the home stretch and did enough to earn a split decision, along with the UFC welterweight title. Little was expected of Lawler when he re-entered the Octagon in 2013, having gone 3-5 during his stint with Strikeforce. However, the Pat Miletich protégé has blossomed in his second UFC run, knocking off contenders like Matt Brown and up-and-comers like Rory MacDonald on his way to the belt. It remains to be seen whether Lawler will next conclude his trilogy with Hendricks or make his first title defense in a rematch with MacDonald.

10. Johny Hendricks (16-3)

Hendricks kept the pressure on Robbie Lawler throughout their five-round affair at UFC 181, but pressure was not enough to sway the judges, two of whom sided with Lawler, costing “Bigg Rigg” his welterweight belt. Despite suffering losses to Lawler and Georges St. Pierre in two of his last three outings, Hendricks’ decision losses have come by the narrowest of margins, both in 25-minute title fights. With his thunderous left hand and formidable wrestling chops, the former Oklahoma State University Cowboy remains a tall task for anyone at 170 pounds. While nothing has been decided, Hendricks may get a chance to reclaim his belt from Lawler in a rubber match.