MMA Top 10 Per Weight Class

Heavyweight

1. Junior dos Santos (14-1)

Now that his highly anticipated clash against Alistair Overeem has been scrapped, the UFC heavyweight champion turns his attention toward an entirely different type of challenge. After shocking the world with his 64-second knockout of Cain Velasquez last November, dos Santos locks horns with submission specialist Frank Mir in the UFC 146 main event on May 26.

2. Cain Velasquez (9-1)

The shuffling of the UFC 146 card affected Velasquez as well, as the American Kickboxing Academy product will now face former Strikeforce talent Antonio Silva in the evening’s co-main event. With a victory over “Bigfoot,” Velasquez will likely earn another shot at the heavyweight title that he first captured by defeating Brock Lesnar at UFC 121.

3. Alistair Overeem (36-11, 1 NC)

The future of the hulking Dutchman is in serious limbo. Removed from his UFC 146 title shot against Junior dos Santos a few weeks after failing a random drug test, Overeem will need to plead his case before the Nevada Athletic Commission. In a recent statement, the former Strikeforce, Dream and K-1 World Grand Prix Champion blamed his result on an anti-inflammatory medication that contained testosterone.

4. Fabricio Werdum (15-5-1)

In his last outing, Werdum administered a one-sided beating to the durable Roy Nelson at UFC 143, battering the “TUF 10” alumnus with multiple knees en route to a unanimous decision triumph and a “Fight of the Night” bonus. Since then, Werdum has lobbied hard for a spot on the next Brazilian card. While nothing is official, it is rumored that he will square off with Mike Russow at UFC 147 in June.

5. Shane Carwin (12-2)

Faced with the first two-fight skid of his career after suffering losses to Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos, Carwin was expected to compete at UFC 141 in December. However, the Grudge Training Center product was dealt yet another injury setback in October and will instead undergo back surgery with eyes on a mid-2012 return.

6. Frank Mir (16-5)

Alistair Overeem’s misfortune is Mir’s gain. A former UFC heavyweight champion and interim title holder, Mir gets his fourth shot at championship gold against the heavy-handed Junior dos Santos on May 26. The Las Vegas resident has defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Roy Nelson and Mirko Filipovic in his last three Octagon appearances.

7. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7-1, 1 NC)

Long regarded as one of MMA’s finest heavyweight grapplers, Nogueira suffered his first submission loss in more than 40 bouts on Dec. 10 when he had his right arm snapped by a Frank Mir kimura. The 35-year-old underwent surgery on the broken limb at the end of 2011 and is expected to resume training in mid-2012.

8. Josh Barnett (31-5)

After being granted a conditional license by the California State Athletic Commission, the once-suspended Barnett is back on track to compete in the final of Strikeforce’s world heavyweight grand prix. The “Warmaster” is slated to face unbeaten AKA wrestler Daniel Cormier on May 19 in San Jose, Calif.

9. Daniel Cormier (9-0)

Cormier’s breakout win over Antonio Silva came at a cost, as his broken hand delayed his Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix final against Josh Barnett. Now, with the wrestler’s hand healed and his catch-wrestling opponent once again licensed to fight in California, the big men are set to collide on May 19 in San Jose.

10. Antonio Silva (16-3)

The former EliteXC king fell short in his bid to win the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, suffering a first-round knockout loss to Daniel Cormier last September. Originally paired with Roy Nelson at UFC 146, “Pezao” will now face former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez on May 26.

Other contenders:
Fedor Emelianenko, Mark Hunt, Ben Rothwell, Mike Russow, Brendan Schaub.

Light Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones (16-1)

In a fight that was more than a year in the making, Jones dominated former training partner Rashad Evans over the course of five rounds to retain his light heavyweight crown at UFC 145. Shortly thereafter, UFC President Dana White announced that “Bones” will face former Strikeforce and Pride Fighting Championships title holder Dan Henderson at an as-yet-to-be determined event.

2. Dan Henderson (29-8)

Who could have guessed that Henderson would be more relevant than ever at age 41? With a four-fight winning streak that includes victories over fellow MMA icons Fedor Emelianenko and Mauricio Rua, “Hendo” is now looked upon as one of the only possible foils to UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones. While no date has been put forth, UFC brass has confirmed that a Jones-Henderson title match is in the cards for 2012.

3. Rashad Evans (17-2-1)

Evans become the first person to go the distance with Jon Jones since Stephan Bonnar accomplished the feat in a three-round affair in 2009, but he was unable to solve his opponent’s considerable reach advantage during their 25-minute encounter. Though Evans is not especially large for a light heavyweight, he expressed his desire to remain at 205 pounds during the UFC 145 post-fight press conference.

4. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (20-6)

The former UFC light heavyweight champ is still without a return date following his heartbreaking decision loss to Dan Henderson in November, but change is nonetheless afoot. In February, Rua announced a split from manager Eduardo Alonso and stated that he will return to training with Andre “Dida” Amado in Curitiba, Brazil.

5. Lyoto Machida (17-3)

Things have been quiet for “The Dragon” since his submission loss to Jon Jones at UFC 140. After undergoing surgery on his injured left elbow in January, Machida reportedly resumed training in February. Machida stated an interest in fighting the likes of Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen in a recent interview with Sherdog.com, but both men are currently booked with other fights.

6. Phil Davis (9-1)

On Jan. 28, Davis returned from a 10-month layoff and went straight into the toughest bout of his nascent career. It also proved his longest outing, as “Mr. Wonderful” was outclassed across 25 minutes by former UFC champ Rashad Evans en route to a unanimous decision loss.

7. Alexander Gustafsson (14-1)

Sweden’s top MMA export didn’t miss the biggest opportunity of his young career: April 14 at UFC on Fuel TV 2, the 25-year-old “Mauler” dominated Thiago Silva for three rounds before a partisan crowd in Stockholm. While it still may be too early for a shot at the UFC title, Gustafsson has undeniably positioned himself near the top of the 205-pound class.

8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5)

Injury derailed Nogueira’s second UFC main event, which was to come against Swedish up-and-comer Alexander Gustafsson on April 14. Instead, “Lil Nog” opted for surgery for an injured patella and watch from the sidelines as Gustafsson went out and cruised past Thiago Silva.

9. Ryan Bader (14-2)

Bader grinded out the biggest win of his career on Feb. 26, a unanimous decision victory over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in his foe’s old stomping grounds of Saitama, Japan. The 28-year-old wrestler from Arizona State is now 2-0 since his shocking loss to Tito Ortiz, with wins over Jackson and Jason Brilz.

10. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-10)

What might have been a grand homecoming for the onetime Pride star turned out to be a one-sided drubbing, as Jackson fell to Ryan Bader via unanimous decision Feb. 26 in Saitama, Japan. Just one week later, Rampage took to Twitter and declared himself finished with the UFC -- which, according to him, stands for “U Fight Cheap” -- though he plans to continue fighting.

Other contenders:
Rafael Cavalcante, Forrest Griffin, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Vladimir Matyushenko, Gegard Mousasi.

Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (31-4)

The pound-for-pound king will fight Chael Sonnen, but it just won’t be in front of 50,000-plus countrymen at Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro as originally anticipated. Due to a conflict with a United Nations Conference on June 20-22, the much-hyped rematch is expected to take place on July 7 in Las Vegas. “The Spider” last competed at UFC 134 in August, where he earned a second-round TKO victory against Yushin Okami.

2. Chael Sonnen (27-11-1)

This summer, Sonnen will finally get the chance to avenge his UFC 117 loss to Anderson Silva, a bout he controlled for the better part of four rounds before falling prey to a triangle armbar from “The Spider.” Sonnen has bounced back well from the heartbreaking defeat, besting Top-10 middleweights Brian Stann and Michael Bisping in his last two appearances.

3. Mark Munoz (12-2)

The former Oklahoma State wrestler notched the biggest win of his career on Nov. 5, stopping Chris Leben between the second and third rounds of their UFC 138 main event. The “Filipino Wrecking Machine” appeared to be on the brink of title contention before an elbow injury took him out of his Jan. 28 meeting with Chael Sonnen.

4. Michael Bisping (22-4)

Bisping, who had a four-fight winning streak halted by Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2, jumps back into the fray on July 7, when he takes on the red-hot Tim Boetsch at UFC 148. The fight will have a different feel for the Englishman, who announced his split from longtime gym Wolfslair Academy in February.

5. Vitor Belfort (21-9)

Belfort had two hurdles in place before the year even started. Last month, he cleared the first with a resounding first-round submission of Anthony Johnson in Rio de Janeiro. Next up: a June rematch with old nemesis and fellow Brazilian MMA icon Wanderlei Silva, which will come at the end of the pair’s stint as coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.”

6. Tim Boetsch (15-4)

With three straight victories to his credit since dropping from light heavyweight, “The Barbarian” is looking pretty comfortable at 185 pounds. Boetsch’s improbable comeback win over Yushin Okami at UFC 144 rocketed him to contender status, as evidenced by his July 7 showdown with Michael Bisping.

7. Yushin Okami (26-7)

After going nearly eight years between stoppage losses, Okami has now been punched out in back-to-back Octagon appearances. The perennial middleweight contender was well on his way to rebounding from an August drubbing at the hands of Anderson Silva when Tim Boetsch surged back to score a comeback win in the third round of their bout at UFC 144.

8. Brian Stann (12-4)

Stann got back on track in Sweden, scoring an emphatic first-round knockout over Alessio Sakara at UFC on Fuel TV 2. The “All-American” further reinforced his good guy image in victory by imploring referee Marc Goddard to stop the fight once Sakara was rendered unconscious.

9. Luke Rockhold (9-1)

In the first defense of his Strikeforce middleweight title, Luke Rockhold showed the offensive acumen that makes him an interesting up-and-comer in smashing veteran Keith Jardine in the first round. Unfortunately, the oft-injured Rockhold broke his hand, putting the brakes on any discussions his second title defense.

10. Chris Weidman (8-0)

It wasn’t pretty, but Weidman took a chance and wound up propelling himself into the ranks of the 185-pound elite with his Jan. 28 victory against Demian Maia. The “All-American” accepted the bout on just 11 days’ notice when Maia’s original opponent, Michael Bisping, was called up to face Chael Sonnen.

Other contenders:
Hector Lombard, Demian Maia, Rousimar Palhares, Alexander Shlemenko, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre (22-2)

The welterweight division’s French Canadian king managed only one Octagon appearance in 2011, a five-round decision win over Jake Shields in April. While there’s still no solid timeline for his return, GSP has stated that rehabilitation on his reconstructed ACL is “ahead of schedule,” possibly putting him in line for a late-2012 meeting with interim champ Carlos Condit.

2. Carlos Condit (28-5)

Nearly five years after becoming the final WEC welterweight champ, Condit has captured UFC gold. The “Natural Born Killer” used a perfectly executed game plan on Feb. 4 to steer clear of Nick Diaz and rack up points for a unanimous decision win. Now, Condit is playing the waiting game as champion Georges St. Pierre continues to heal up from his knee injury.

3. Nick Diaz (26-8, 1 ND)

Following his five-round decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, Diaz was suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission after testing positive for marijuana metabolites -- a situation which has only grown stickier in the months since. While Diaz’s attorney and the NAC continue to argue the legality of the fighter’s marijuana use, Diaz will take to the mat May 12 for a grappling match with ADCC champ Braulio Estima.

4. Johny Hendricks (12-1)

The former Oklahoma State Cowboy propelled himself into the Top 5 with a stunning, 12-second knockout of Jon Fitch on Dec. 30. Despite the current chaos atop the division, Hendricks will have a chance to further boost his status when he takes on fellow wrestler Josh Koscheck in May at UFC on Fox 3.

5. Jon Fitch (23-4-1, 1 NC)

Fitch’s first bout since drawing with B.J. Penn in February 2011 did not go well, as the American Kickboxing Academy standout was handed just his second UFC loss in the form of a 12-second knockout from Johny Hendricks. The going won’t get much easier in his next bout, as Fitch is slated to welcome fellow wrestler Aaron Simpson to the welterweight division at UFC 149 in July.

6. Jake Ellenberger (27-5)

The Nebraskan “Juggernaut” continued his march through the UFC welterweight ranks Feb. 15 by surviving a late scare to outpoint Diego Sanchez in Omaha. Ellenberger has now won six straight since dropping his Octagon debut to Carlos Condit, but the 26-year-old’s path to contendership has been stymied by Georges St. Pierre’s injury and Condit’s recent interim title win.

7. Josh Koscheck (17-5)

Koscheck survived early pressure from Mike Pierce to squeak out a narrow decision victory Feb. 4 at UFC 143. Despite a recent split from his longtime home at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., “Kos” will still have revenge on his mind come May 5 when he meets Johny Hendricks, who comes off a 12-second knockout of Koscheck training partner Jon Fitch.

8. Jake Shields (27-6-1)

After a 2-2 run in the UFC welterweight division, Shields is headed back to the weight class where he held Strikeforce gold. No opponent has been announced for the American jiu-jitsu practitioner’s next outing, but Shields is tentatively scheduled to make his middleweight return in August.

9. Martin Kampmann (19-5)

Less than a minute away from dropping a decision to Thiago Alves, “The Hitman” took out his Brazilian foe with a remarkable, come-from-behind guillotine choke on March 3 in Sydney. With back-to-back wins against Alves and Rick Story, Kampmann has put himself near the top of the division, though whether he’ll get a shot at interim champ Carlos Condit remains to be seen.

10. Ben Askren (10-0)

It wasn’t flashy, but Askren wrestled his way to another dominating win over perhaps his most dangerous opponent to date with an April 6 routing of Douglas Lima. Now a perfect 10-0, Bellator’s welterweight ace awaits the winner of the company’s ongoing Season 6 tournament, which currently sits in the semifinal stage.

Other contenders:
Charlie Brenneman, Rory MacDonald, B.J. Penn, Rick Story, Tyron Woodley.

Lightweight

1. Ben Henderson (16-2)

Twenty-five months after winning the WEC lightweight title, Henderson has positioned himself atop the UFC’s 155-pound division. “Bendo” continued his sterling streak inside the Octagon by wrestling the belt from Frankie Edgar in a five-round thriller at UFC 144. The best part: we get to see them do it again this summer, when UFC President Dana White said the pair will rematch.

2. Frankie Edgar (14-2-1)

The man often compared to Rocky Balboa fought valiantly but could not hang on to his UFC title against the bigger, stronger Benson Henderson at UFC 144. After losing a close decision to the former WEC champ, Edgar will have a chance to reclaim his gold this summer when the top-tier lightweights collide again at an as-yet-unannounced event.

3. Gilbert Melendez (20-2)

Strikeforce’s lightweight ace turned in another strong performance on Dec. 17, out-punching American Top Team slugger Jorge Masvidal across five rounds to retain his 155-pound strap. While all signs pointed to Melendez’s imminent UFC signing, it was recently announced that “El Nino” will remain in the hexagon for the time being, where he figures to have a rubber match with Josh Thomson later this year.

4. Gray Maynard (10-1-1, 1 NC)

Maynard’s first defeat could not have come at less opportune moment, as “The Bully” was knocked out late in his crucial third meeting with Frankie Edgar last October. The former Michigan State Spartan will have a chance to get right back “in the mix,” however, when he faces always tenacious veteran Clay Guida in New Jersey come June.

5. Jim Miller (21-3)

Miller’s first starring role in the Octagon went so well, he’s headed straight for another. The tenacious New Jerseyan took out Melvin Guillard with a first-round rear-naked choke Jan. 20 in the main event of UFC on FX 1. Now, Miller moves up to headlining duty for the UFC’s May 5 Fox show, where he’ll collide with Nate Diaz in a likely title eliminator.

6. Clay Guida (29-12)

Guida was just one win away from the lightweight title shot which has eluded him since joining the UFC in 2006, but a November decision loss to Ben Henderson put him back on standby in the company’s crowded 155-pound waiting room. “The Carpenter” could move several places up in line if he can take out recent contender Gray Maynard on June 22.

7. Anthony Pettis (15-2)

Frank Edgar and Benson Henderson might have stolen the show at UFC 144 in the main event, but Anthony Pettis wasn’t content to let his 155-pound brethren get all the shine. “Showtime” showed up in sizzling style in Saitama, kicking Joe Lauzon upside the head and knocking out the respected “J-Lau” early in the first frame.

8. Michael Chandler (9-0)

With six impressive Bellator victories and a shiny new gold belt, Chandler is awaiting the winner of the promotion’s next lightweight tournament in 2012. In the meantime, however, the Mizzou Tiger alum will take on slick Japanese veteran Akihiro Gono in a non-title bout at Bellator 67 on May 4 in a stay-busy affair.

9. Nate Diaz (15-7)

In a critical beatdown, Nate Diaz announced his entry into UFC lightweight contendership on Dec. 30 with his thrashing of Donald Cerrone. The Cesar Gracie pupil could become the company’s next 155-pound challenger, but he’ll first have to get through Jim Miller in the May 5 main event of UFC on Fox 3.

10. Donald Cerrone (17-4, 1 NC)

Though it ended with a lopsided decision loss to Nate Diaz, it would be hard to qualify Cerrone’s first year in the UFC as anything but a success. The Greg Jackson-trained “Cowboy” took out Paul Kelly and Vagner Rocha, then made Charles Oliveira and Dennis Siver drop to featherweight before running into Diaz. Next up is a date with longtime Octagon resident Jeremy Stephens on May 15 in Virginia.

Other contenders:
Shinya Aoki, Eddie Alvarez, Pat Healy, Joe Lauzon, Gleison Tibau.

Featherweight

1. Jose Aldo (21-1)

After his Jan. 14 knockout of Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo was the king of Rio de Janeiro for a moment. Come July, “Scarface” will have the chance to win over the fighting faithful of another country, as Aldo will travel to Calgary, Alberta, to meet a yet-to-be-named challenger in the headliner of UFC 149.

2. Hatsu Hioki (26-4-2)

Following a lackluster performance in his UFC debut, the “Son of Shooto” showed what he was capable of in his sophomore outing. Fighting on his home turf at UFC 144, Hioki took a hard-fought victory over tough veteran Bart Palaszewski, all but confirming his status as the true No. 1 contender to Jose Aldo’s throne.

3. Pat Curran (17-4)

You thought his knockout of Marlon Sandro last August was brutal? On March 9, Pat Curran destroyed Joe Warren in eye-popping, jaw-dropping fashion, as the 24-year-old brutally assaulted “The Baddest Man on the Planet” with furious punches while referee Jeff Malott stood by idly. The result? Curran took home the Bellator featherweight crown, and a frontrunner for “Knockout of the Year” and “Beatdown of the Year.”

4. Chad Mendes (11-1)

Chad Mendes might be one of the world’s best featherweights, but as he found out at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro, that tends not to matter against Jose Aldo. Mendes came to fight, but still wound up unconscious with one second to go in the first round, and losing his unbeaten record, to boot.

5. Marlon Sandro (22-3)

Since his August loss to Pat Curran in the Bellator “Summer Series” featherweight tournament final, Sandro has quietly been pounding out quality win after quality win. After tapping Rafael Dias and Roberto Vargas in the first round, Sandro took a well-deserved split decision over talented fellow Brazilian Alexandre Bezerra on April 6. The win advanced Sandro to the finals of Bellator’s Season 6 featherweight tournament, where he’ll meet the gritty Daniel Straus on May 11 with another shot at Pat Curran -- and a shot at the Bellator featherweight title -- on the line.

6. Kenny Florian (14-6)

After falling short in his third UFC title bout -- this time an October decision loss to featherweight ace Jose Aldo -- Florian decided to take some time off to reassess his career. While his fighting future remains uncertain, the hiatus has led the former lightweight contender back to the commentary booth, where he has become part of the UFC’s broadcasting “B Team” on FX.

7. Dustin Poirier (12-1)

In just over one year, Poirier has moved from WEC unknown to one step away from UFC contendership. “The Diamond” will have a chance to cement his status as Jose Aldo’s next challenger come May 15, when he’ll meet Korean star Chan Sung Jung at UFC on Fuel TV 3.

8. Dennis Siver (20-8)

Dennis Siver looked pretty desperate on the scale before his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes at UFC on Fuel 2. However, a day later in Stockholm, the Russian-born, German-based fighter looked like his regular self, using sharp kicks and heavy hooks to pound out a unanimous verdict against crafty Brazilian Diego Nunes and announcing his arrival at 145 pounds.

9. Diego Nunes (17-3)

At UFC on Fuel 2 on April 14, Diego Nunes was once again called upon to test another notable lightweight cutting to 145 pounds, taking on Dennis Siver. In a hotly competitive, back-and-forth battle, Nunes came up just short against Siver, asserting himself as one of the featherweight division’s toughest fighters to compete against, regardless of the outcome.

10. Bart Palaszewski (36-15)

In his second outing at featherweight, “Bartimus” ran into a roadblock. Though he rallied back from a brutal opening round, Palaszewski could not close the gap and fell via unanimous decision to Japanese standout Hatsu Hioki at UFC 144.

Other contenders:
Iuri Alcantara, Patricio Freire, Tyson Griffin, Erik Koch, Joe Warren.

Bantamweight

1. Dominick Cruz (19-1)

Cruz waited more than four years for his rematch against Urijah Faber; their third meeting will come much quicker. The bantamweights have been tabbed as coaches of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15, which will debut on FX in March and will conclude with a bantamweight title bout between Faber and Cruz at UFC 148 on July 7.

2. Urijah Faber (26-5)

Last July, Faber suffered his first loss at bantamweight in a five-round unanimous decision against UFC champ Dominick Cruz. The “California Kid” will have another opportunity to take the title in July at UFC 148, but first he will coach opposite Cruz on the 15th season of UFC reality show “The Ultimate Fighter.”

3. Renan Barao (28-1, 1 NC)

Barao’s fifth fight under the Zuffa banner didn’t end in a decisive finish, but it was impressive nonetheless, as the Brazilian took a hard-fought unanimous decision over former WEC title challenger Scott Jorgensen at UFC 143. The Nova Uniao fighter has now gone 29 straight fights without a loss and could be primed for a shot at the belt in 2012.

4. Brian Bowles (10-2)

Bowles suffered his first submission loss on Nov. 19 by way of Urijah Faber guillotine choke, and with it was dealt his first setback in the Octagon after wins over Takeya Mizugaki and Damacio Page. For now, the 31-year-old from Georgia moves down a rung in the ever-deepening UFC bantamweight division and takes a step back from a potential rematch with the man who took his WEC title, Dominick Cruz.

5. Michael McDonald (15-1)

“Mayday” is no longer a reason to panic but to rejoice: at UFC 145, Michael McDonald quickly left former WEC champion Miguel Torres dead-as-a-doornail with his brutal combination punching. The gruesome stoppage was the eighth straight win for the 21-year-old, who has quickly emerged as one of the division’s elite fighters and one of the sport’s greatest young talents.

6. Scott Jorgensen (13-5)

In February, Jorgensen was outpointed by streaking Brazilian Renan Barao at UFC 143. Now, “Young Guns” will have a chance to regroup at UFC on FX 3 on June 8, but his opportunity comes against fearsome puncher Eddie Wineland in a bantamweight clash that is high-risk for both athletes.

7. Brad Pickett (21-6)

At UFC on Fuel 2 in Stockholm, Brad Pickett turned in arguably the finest performance of his career with a nine-minute domination of gritty Greg Jackson pupil Damacio Page. From bell-to-bell, the Brit dominated with his striking, wrestling and grappling before choking “The Angel of Death” out in the second round. The rousing win has already gone a long way toward erasing the memories of Pickett’s first-round loss to surging Brazilian Renan Pegado last November.

8. Eduardo Dantas (14-2)

Michael McDonald isn’t the only young bantamweight who broke into the big time in April. At Bellator 65 on April 13, the 23-year-old Nova Uniao product absolutely throttled the rock-solid Zach Makovsky to take the promotion’s bantamweight crown, choking “Fun Size” out cold with a beautiful arm-triangle choke. The sensational performance signaled the Brazilian’s arrival amongst the divisional elite, whilst adding yet another major MMA title to the Nova Uniao trophy case.

9. Miguel Torres (40-5)

While Miguel Torres’ outside-of-the-cage battles stemming from his now-infamous “rape van” tweet were difficult, they couldn’t possibly stack up to the unenviable outcome of his UFC 145 bout with hot prospect Michael McDonald. Torres, who was knocked out in grim fashion in the first round, is 3-4 in his last seven bouts after losing just once in his previous 37 outings.

10. Bibiano Fernandes (11-3)

After losing his Dream featherweight crown on the last day of 2010, Bibiano Fernandes stormed through 2011 en route to the promotion’s bantamweight title. On New Year’s Eve 2011, Fernandes topped Rodolfo Marques Diniz before finishing off UFC veteran Antonio Banuelos in 81 seconds.

Other contenders:
Chris Cariaso, Zach Makovsky, Travis Marx, Takeya Mizugaki, Masakatsu Ueda

Flyweight

1. Ian McCall (11-2-1)

McCall couldn’t catch a break in his UFC debut: after being announced the loser of a decision against Demetrious Johnson, it was revealed that the bout had been scored a majority draw and should have gone to a fourth round. As such, “Uncle Creepy” and “Mighty Mouse” will duel again later this year, with the winner moving on to face Joseph Benavidez for the vacant UFC flyweight title.

2. Jussier da Silva (15-1)

Jussier da Silva was let down when a March bout with Darrell Montague didn’t materialize. “Formiga” continues to stay as active as he can, however, taking on all comers in either hemisphere. Most recently, da Silva stayed within Brazil and recorded a triangle choke win over Argentina’s Martin Coria to stay busy.

3. Joseph Benavidez (16-2)

During his tenure at bantamweight, it was often said that Benavidez could be the best flyweight fighter in the world. On March 3, he took the first step toward proving that claim by punching out Shooto champion Yasuhiro Urushitani at UFC on FX 2. Having guaranteed himself a shot at the UFC flyweight title, Benavidez now awaits the winner of the Demetrious Johnson-Ian McCall rematch.

4. Demetrious Johnson (14-2-1)

Demetrious Johnson, oddly, is exactly where he stood before his first bout with Ian McCall: a fight away from getting a chance to become the UFC’s first flyweight champion. Due to their controversial March draw in Australia, “Mighty Mouse” will meet “Uncle Creepy” in a rematch at UFC on FX 3 on June 8, less than a month after Johnson ties the knot with his long-time fiancée.

5. Yasuhiro Urushitani (19-5-6)

Shooto’s former 123-pound ace was dealt the first knockout loss of his lengthy career on March 3, falling in his UFC debut to former bantamweight contender Joseph Benavidez. The defeat snapped a five-fight winning streak which had seen Urushitani defeat Pancrase champ Kiyotaka Shimizu, Yuki Shojo and Ryuichi Miki.

6. Mamoru Yamaguchi (26-6-3)

The flyweight division’s longest-tenured face and star, Mamoru Yamaguchi’s MMA schedule has been lean since losing to Jussier da Silva last August. However, the former two-division Shooto champion has again busied himself working his striking in the Shoot Boxing ring, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Naguranchan Masa M-16 in their rematch on April 13.

7. Darrell Montague (9-2)

A new father, Darrell Montague’s parental duties took precedence over a potential March clash against Jussier da Silva under the Tachi Palace Fights banner. Now settled into fatherhood, “The Mongoose” will return to action at TPF 13 on May 10, where he’ll meet Taylor McCorriston.

8. Nam Jin Jo (7-4)

Since making his debut as a 14-year-old teenager, South Korean Nam Jin Jo has always had it tough, fighting above his weight class and experience level. However, on March 10, things finally came together in the way that the 21-year-old had hoped for, as he finally got a chance for a big fight at flyweight and capitalized, knocking off former Shooto world champion Shinichi Kojima by majority decision.

9. Shinichi "B.J." Kojima (12-5-5)

After two years away from action, Shinichi Kojima got back into the swing of things with consecutive wins over Masaaki Sugawara and Kiyotaka Shimizu. However, the former Shooto world champion’s tendency for inconsistence reared its ugly head again on March 10, as he dropped a majority decision to hard-charging South Korean upstart Nam Jin Jo in the Shooto ring.

10. Louis Gaudinot (5-1)

Louis Gaudinot is lucky in that next time in the Octagon, he'll get to compete at his more natural weight class at 125 pounds. However, it won't be easy for the green-haired dynamo, as he'll meet big-punching Brazilian prospect John Lineker, who will cut down from bantamweight for his flyweight debut.

Other contenders:
Timothy Elliott, Haruo Ochi, Dustin Ortiz, Sean Santella, Jose Maria Tome.