Light Heavyweight
1. Jon Jones (21-1)
Jones was stripped of the UFC light heavyweight belt and suspended indefinitely following his April arrest on a felony hit-and-run charge, but “Bones” remains unparalleled in the 205-pound division. The 27-year-old’s reign included a record eight title defenses and a level of dominance over top competition rarely seen in any weight class. Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson will vie for the now-vacant championship at UFC 187, but questions about the legitimacy of the title are sure to persist for as long as Jones remains inactive.2. Anthony Johnson (19-4)
Johnson added a major knockout to his résumé on Jan. 24, punching out Alexander Gustafsson in front of a 30,000-strong crowd on the Swede’s home turf. “Rumble” is currently riding a nine-fight winning streak, including victories over Gustafsson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis since rejoining the UFC last year. Johnson will get his chance at the 205-pound belt at UFC 187, though it will come against Daniel Cormier and not former champion Jon Jones.3. Alexander Gustafsson (16-3)
Gustafsson was one win away from his desired rematch with Jon Jones -- and then he ran into Anthony Johnson. “The Mauler” became the mauled before a hometown crowd in Stockholm on Jan. 24, as Gustafsson fell victim to Johnson’s heavy hands and succumbed to first-round punches in the main event of UFC on Fox 14. After winning seven of his first eight Octagon appearances, Gustafsson has now dropped two of his last three, prompting the Swede to tell reporters that he needs to “get back and work harder” if he is to vie for the title again. Once slated to face Glover Teixeira in Germany in June, Gustafsson’s return to the cage has been delayed by injury.4. Daniel Cormier (15-1)
Cormier threw everything he had at Jon Jones in their highly anticipated UFC 182 main event, but it seems there is just no breaking “Bones.” Despite winning round two, Cormier was overtaken in the latter frames of the five-round affair, bending under constant pressure, clinch work and takedowns from the rangy champion. The former Olympic wrestler saw his unblemished MMA record tarnished after 15 consecutive wins, including finishes against the likes of Dan Henderson and Antonio Silva. With Jones now out of the picture, Cormier will once again try to grab gold, this time against Anthony Johnson in the main event of UFC 187.5. Ryan Bader (19-4)
While it was hardly a crowd-pleasing performance, Bader picked up his fourth straight win Jan. 24 in Stockholm, this time edging fellow wrestler Phil Davis in a split decision. All four of the former “Ultimate Fighter” winner’s recent victories have been awarded by the judges, including a five-round grinder against Ovince St. Preux in August. After seeing his June 6 bout with Daniel Cormier fall apart, Bader is now angling for a shot at the winner of the UFC 187 title fight between Cormier and Anthony Johnson.6. Phil Davis (13-3, 1 NC)
Davis narrowly outstruck Ryan Bader in their Jan. 24 meeting, but it was not enough to sway the judges. “Mr. Wonderful” dropped a split decision to Bader in the lackluster three-rounder, marking Davis’ second loss in three appearances -- the first such stretch of his MMA career. Still, the former Penn State Nittany Lion holds significant victories at 205 pounds, like his decisions over Lyoto Machida and Glover Teixeira. Davis recently agreed to a multi-fight deal with the Bellator MMA organization.7. Ovince St. Preux (18-6)
“OSP” used strong counter-wrestling to shut down the grapple-minded Patrick Cummins and set up a big first-round knockout on April 18. The win comes on the heels of St. Preux’s November drubbing of Brazilian star Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The former Tennessee Volunteer has lost only one of his seven UFC appearances and has finished four of his Octagon wins in the opening round.8. Glover Teixeira (22-4)
Teixeira struggled to find his range and to stay upright against Phil Davis at UFC 179, succumbing to multiple takedowns and chippy range striking from the former NCAA Division I wrestling champion over the course of a three-round decision loss. After racking up 20 straight wins between 2006 and 2013, Teixeira has now suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in his career. The Marco Ruas student was slated to face Alexander Gustafsson in June, but Gustafsson came up injured and withdrew from the bout.9. Liam McGeary (10-0)
McGeary became the first Englishman to wear Bellator MMA gold when he dethroned Emanuel Newton in a tight, five-round decision on Feb. 27. The unbeaten submission specialist moved to 10-0 by keeping Newton in constant danger on the ground with triangle chokes and armbars. The bout was the first of McGeary’s seven Bellator appearances which he did not finish in the opening round.10. Emanuel Newton (25-8-1)
When Newton fell behind early in his October title defense against Linton Vassell, “The Hardcore Kid” managed to mount a gritty comeback and secure a fifth-round finish. He could not repeat the feat on Feb. 27, when Liam McGeary repeatedly threatened Newton with submissions en route to snatching the Bellator 205-pound strap in a narrow decision. Newton tested positive for marijuana following the loss and received a three-month suspension.Other Contenders: Jan Blachowicz, Quinton Jackson, Muhammed Lawal, Jimi Manuwa, Attila Vegh.
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