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 (16-5-0)
Not only did Griffin lose his 205-pound UFC crown to Rashad Evans at UFC 92 in December, he also broke his right hand -- an injury that will keep him on the shelf until early autumn.
3. Quinton Jackson (29-7)
After his brutal swatting of arch-nemesis Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 in December, it seemed Jackson would be content to wait until the early summer for a blockbuster showdown with UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. However, with Zuffa needing a main event for the March 7 UFC 96 bill in Columbus, Ohio, we'll now get an extra dose of "Rampage" as he takes on Evans' teammate, Keith Jardine.
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)
The on-again, off-again bout with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is on again: They will finally meet in the co-main event of UFC 97 in Montreal on April 17. It’s a do-or-die bout for two men desperate to turn their fortunes in the 205-pound division.
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)
Jardine was already slated for a tough bout against Luis Arthur Cane when Zuffa asked him to headline UFC 96. "The Dean of Mean" stepped up, and now he’ll take on former light heavyweight king Quinton Jackson on March 7 in Columbus, Ohio. The match will be perhaps Jardine's biggest to date.
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)
Keith Jardine's promotion to main event duty at UFC 96 didn't leave "Banha" without an opponent for long. The surging Brazilian banger will take on former WEC light heavyweight champ Steve Cantwell at UFC 97 in Montreal on April 18.
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (16-3)
Thrilling it was not, but Nogueira avenged his August 2002 loss to Vladimir Matyushenko with a second-round stoppage at Affliction's Jan. 24 "Day of Reckoning." Next for Rogerio is likely a bout in Brazilian mainstay promotion Jungle Fight on April 25.
*Following his Jan. 24 loss to Nogueira, formerly 10th-ranked Vladimir Matyushenko falls outside of the top 10.