Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Light Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones (13-1)
It has been a bumpy ride since 23-year-old Jones became the UFC’s new 205-pound champion by blasting Mauricio Rua in March. First, he was to fight former teammate Rashad Evans. Then, he was sidelined with a nagging injured hand that required surgery. Now, “Bones” is back, forgoing the operation in order to defend his belt for the first time against Quinton Jackson at UFC 135 on Sept. 24.

2. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (20-5)
Rua turned in a vintage performance at UFC 134, disposing of former upsetter Forrest Griffin with the type of vicious assault that defined his Pride Fighting Championship tenure. With knockout victories over Griffin and Lyoto Machida on his ledger, Rua has only one UFC defeat left unavenged: his March title loss to current UFC light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones.

3. Rashad Evans (16-1-1)
In his first action in 15 months, Evans was sterling, bashing Tito Ortiz and stopping him with a crushing knee to the body in the second frame at UFC 133. However, Evans did damage to his right hand and will have to hope it heals in time for him to challenge the winner of the Jon Jones-Quinton Jackson bout later this year.

4. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8)
In his 40th professional fight, “Rampage” put on a show, shutting down every shot from fellow wrestler Matt Hamill and pounding “The Hammer” in the standup on his way to a May 28 unanimous nod. The win set up a Sept. 24 collision between Jackson and the man who currently holds the belt that was once his, Jon Jones, at UFC 135.

5. Lyoto Machida (17-2)
Machida has not been much of a topic for discussion for UFC matchmaking since he wanted big money to face Rashad Evans in the UFC 133 main event. Machida's manager, Ed Soares, has floated the name of unbeaten former NCAA wrestling champion Phil Davis as a potential opponent, but no steps have been taken in that direction.

6. Phil Davis (9-0)
Davis was forced out of the UFC 133 main event against Rashad Evans due to a knee injury. He does not yet have a timetable for his return, but a bout with Lyoto Machida has been bandied about in the media and would certainly offer Davis another high-profile opponent.

7. Forrest Griffin (18-7)
After losing his UFC light heavyweight title in 2008 and being embarrassed by Anderson Silva in 2009, Griffin strung together back-to-back victories over Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin. That streak came to an abrupt halt on Aug. 27, however, when the man Griffin shockingly submitted in 2007, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, took revenge in the form of a first-round knockout at UFC 134.

8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-5)
Nogueira was scheduled to meet Rich Franklin in an appealing light heavyweight contest at UFC 133. However, a shoulder injury put "Minotoro" on the sidelines, canceling the bout and leaving Franklin without a dance partner.

9. Dan Henderson (28-8)
Now a free agent, the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion is almost a lock to have his next tilt inside the Octagon. The question for Henderson is simply a matter of who, as his name as surfaced in relation to both a spot on the Nov. 12 UFC on Fox bill, potentially in a rematch against Anderson Silva.

10. Rafael Cavalcante (10-3)
"Feijao" lost his Strikeforce light heavyweight title in March against Dan Henderson. Now, he will meet another Olympic wrestler, when he squares off with Cuban ex-patriot and 2004 Athens Games Greco-Roman wrestling silver medalist Yoel Romero Palacio on Sept. 10 in Cincinnati.

Other contenders: Rich Franklin, Alexander Gustafsson, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Vladimir Matyushenko, Gegard Mousasi.

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