Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Light Heavyweight

1. Mauricio Rua (19-4)
Rua’s ongoing knee rehabilitation has postponed a bout with Rashad Evans. However, a Rua-Evans matchup finally has a date and destination, as “Shogun” will make the first defense of his UFC light heavyweight crown against Evans at UFC 128 on March 19 in Newark, N.J.

2. Rashad Evans (15-1-1)
It was all the way back in May when Evans bested Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and earned himself another crack at the UFC light heavyweight title. Evans will square off with champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128 on March 19, ending what will then be 10 months of waiting.

3 Quinton Jackson (31-8)
It was hardly a sterling performance, but Jackson showed more motivation and aggression in his Nov. 20 bout with Lyoto Machida than he did in his May defeat to Rashad Evans. The MMA populace seems split down the middle on who deserved the nod, but two judges had the match for Jackson, giving him a crucial split decision win.

4. Lyoto Machida (16-2)
For 16 bouts, Machida did not taste defeat and seemed unbeatable. Now, he has lost back-to-back fights after a highly contentious split decision defeat to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 123. Though Machida and his management seemed to like the idea of a rematch, it is not a bout they will be afforded by UFC President Dana White in the immediate future.

5. Forrest Griffin (17-6)
With his second book penned and injuries healed, Griffin is due for his return to the Octagon. He will take on former middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 126 on Feb. 5 in what could be a highly entertaining affair at 205 pounds.

6. Ryan Bader (12-0)
It was not a thrilling victory, but at UFC 119 on Sept. 25, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 winner earned a unanimous decision over well-established veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, the twin of his reality series coach. The win sets up Bader for a Feb. 5 showdown with fellow fast-riser Jon Jones at UFC 126.

7. Jon Jones (11-1)
The 23-year-old Jones seems destined for greatness. The next step in the evolution for “Bones” will be a major prospect-versus-prospect showdown come Super Bowl weekend. Jones will meet fellow blue chipper Ryan Bader at UFC 126 on Feb. 5.

8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-4)
Coming off of a tough decision loss to Ryan Bader in September, Nogueira will find himself in a more manageable bounce-back fight. “Minotoro” is scheduled to take on former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, winless in more than four years, at UFC 128 on March 19.

9. Rafael Cavalcante (10-2)
Dan Henderson’s Dec. 4 crushing of Renato Sobral cemented him as Strikeforce’s most obvious light heavyweight title challenger. “Feijao” expects to make the first defense of his Strikeforce 205-pound crown and take on the former two-division Pride champion sometime in early 2011.

10. Muhammed Lawal (7-1)
“King Mo” had his crown taken by Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante on Aug. 21 in Houston. A slow start and an overreliance on his stand-up skills saw Lawal play right into Cavalcante’s game. It resulted in his being stopped just 74 seconds into the third round, as he suffered the first loss of his MMA career. Now, Lawal continues to mend from knee surgery that should keep him out for the first quarter of 2011.

Other contenders: Rich Franklin, Matt Hamill, Vladimir Matyushenko, Gegard Mousasi, Thiago Silva.