Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Light Heavyweight

1. Rashad Evans (13-0-1)
Evans’ May 23 defense against the ever-dangerous Quinton “Rampage” Jackson fell through. However, that will not save Evans from taking on an enormously dangerous opponent. He’ll meet the undefeated Lyoto Machida in the UFC 98 headliner on May 23.

2. Quinton Jackson (30-7)
Jackson’s hard-fought unanimous verdict over Keith Jardine on March 7 earned him a crack at UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans at UFC 98 on May 23. However, with just over a two-month turnaround for such a high-stakes clash, “Rampage” opted to step aside, allowing Lyoto Machida to challenge Evans instead.

3. Forrest Griffin (16-5)
With his injured hand healing better than expected, the former UFC light heavyweight champion will return to action at UFC 101 on Aug. 8. He’s slated to meet Thiago Silva.

4. Lyoto Machida (14-0)
After putting together a 6-0 mark in the Octagon, “The Dragon” will finally get his crack at UFC gold. He takes on fellow undefeated 205-pounder Rashad Evans for the UFC title and light heavyweight supremacy in the UFC 98 main event on May 23.

5. Mauricio Rua (18-3)
Rua was in the middle of a career tailspin heading into his April 18 do-or-die bout with Chuck Liddell. However, 2005’s unanimous “Fighter of the Year” turned in his best performance in recent memory, as an in-shape and technically sound “Shogun” stopped Liddell in the first round to get back on the light heavyweight map.

6. Luis Arthur Cane (10-1)
It was his toughest test to date, but “Banha” showed poise in toughing out an entertaining decision in his April 18 bout with former WEC champion Steve Cantwell. It should be onward and upward for the hot prospect in the 205-pound division.

7. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1, 1 NC)
While a move to the 185-pound division may be imminent, “The Axe Murderer” will only slide partway down the scale for the time being. He will fight former middleweight champion Rich Franklin in a catchweight contest at UFC 99 on June 13 in Cologne, Germany.

8. Keith Jardine (14-5-1)
Jardine did not walk away with a win in his March 7 meeting with Quinton Jackson, but “The Dean of Mean” did extract something of a moral victory. He fought the former 205-pound king tooth-and-nail to a competitive decision, far exceeding expectations.

9. 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 Nogueira is a slated bout in Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight against a yet-to-be-named opponent on May 9.

10. Thiago Silva (13-1)
Silva was blown out by Lyoto Machida on Jan. 31. Now, the Brazilian banger will look to recover from his first loss when he meets former divisional ruler Forrest Griffin on Aug. 8 at UFC 101.

Other contenders: Rich Franklin, Jon Jones, Chuck Liddell, Vladimir Matyushenko, Renato Sobral.

* With another first-round stoppage to, this time to Mauricio Rua, formerly fifth-ranked Chuck Liddell falls outside of the top 10.