With his brilliant knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 in September, Evans took an enormous leap into light heavyweight legitimacy. However, he truly validated himself when he halted Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to capture the 205-pound crown and, with it, divisional supremacy.
2. Forrest Griffin (16-5)
Through the first 10 minutes, Griffin looked every bit the champ, as he was the cage general in his first UFC light heavyweight title defense against Evans. However, the third round saw Griffin pounded out, as he relinquished the crown to his fellow “The Ultimate Fighter” winner at UFC 92.
3. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (29-7)
Fans and critics alike questioned whether meeting his archrival, Wanderlei Silva, in wake of his July title loss to Griffin and subsequent run-in with the law was right for Jackson. However, “Rampage” took a strong step toward regaining his UFC light heavyweight crown, crushing Silva in the first round and exorcising prominent demons of his past.
4. Lyoto Machida (13-0)
Unfortunately, Machida's slated October match with Thiago Silva fell apart after Silva injured his back. However, Machida will get his big chance to convince all doubters and UFC brass on an even bigger stage that he’s the undisputed top challenger for the light heavyweight title. He’ll meet Silva at UFC 94 on Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas.
5. Chuck Liddell (21-6)
Despite talks of a fourth meeting with Randy Couture and a superfight with UFC middleweight king Anderson Silva, Liddell's camp hopes to pursue a rematch with Keith Jardine, who upset "The Iceman" in September 2007.
6. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1, 1 NC)
Despite his brutal pair of victories over Jackson in Pride, Silva was summarily starched in his third meeting with “Rampage” at UFC 92, as he was knocked cold in the first round. The defeat sparked more debate as to whether “The Axe Murderer” still belongs in the 205-pound division.
7. Keith Jardine (14-4-1)
After a hard-fought win over Brandon Vera in October, Jardine has been left with no clear dance partner and may wind up in a rematch with Liddell -- a man he defeated last year -- at UFC 96 in March.
8. Thiago Silva (13-0)
A back injury postponed an October showdown with Machida, but, fortunately, the battle of undefeated fighters was given a second green light at UFC 94. In the most significant fight of his career, Silva will compete on a massive stage when he meets his fellow Brazilian on Jan. 31.
9. Luis Arthur Cane (9-1)
MMA’s pool of young and talented light heavyweights got deeper with Cane’s arrival. His Oct. 18 stoppage of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou gave the Brazilian banger his ninth stoppage in nine victories and thrust him into the mix inside one of the sport’s richest divisions.
10. Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3)
After injury threatened to retire him, Matyushenko resuscitated his career in a major way. The 37-year-old Belarusian has put together eight straight wins in a late-career surge, and he will look to make it nine in a row when he rematches Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Affliction’s Jan. 24 bill.