Light Heavyweight
1. Jon Jones (18-1)
Not long after Jones dismantled “The Ultimate Fighter 17” coaching rival Chael Sonnen at UFC 159, the young champion mentioned he would like to face Alexander Gustafsson upon his return to the Octagon. “Bones” will get his wish on Sept. 21, when he squares off with Gustafsson -- the opponent who some claim most closely resembles Jones -- at UFC 165 in Toronto.
2. Lyoto Machida (19-3)
With victories over Ryan Bader and Dan Henderson in his last two outings, Machida appeared to be the light heavyweight division’s No. 1 contender-in-waiting. A rematch with Jon Jones will have to wait for now, however, as “The Dragon” has been booked to face talented wrestler Phil Davis at UFC 163 in Rio de Janeiro.
3. Rashad Evans (18-3-1)
Evans took care of business in the UFC 161 headliner, as he claimed a split decision over Dan Henderson in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The victory halted the first two-fight losing streak of Evans' career and put the former champion in position for another meaningful bout near the top of the light heavyweight division.
4. Dan Henderson (29-10)
After back-to-back split decision losses to Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans, Henderson's hopes of challenging for UFC gold again may have been put permanently on hold. The two-time Olympian had Evans reeling in the first round of their UFC 161 clash, but he failed to capitalize and wound up on the wrong side on the scorecards.
5. Phil Davis (11-1, 1 NC)
Following a year of ups and downs, Davis got 2013 off to a strong start at UFC 159. The former Penn State University wrestler showcased improved striking and a particularly stiff jab in his unanimous decision win against fellow ground specialist Vinny Magalhaes. “Mr. Wonderful” will have to demonstrate even more improvement in his next bout: a UFC 163 showdown against former 205-pound champ Lyoto Machida.
6. Alexander Gustafsson (15-1)
Gustafsson has not competed since December, when he took a clear-cut unanimous decision over Mauricio Rua at UFC on Fox 5. Despite missing an April engagement against Gegard Mousasi due to a cut suffered in training, the Swede will challenge Jon Jones for light heavyweight gold in his next appearance at UFC 165.
7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5)
Nogueira was set to face Mauricio Rua at UFC 161 in a rematch of a 2005 Pride Fighting Championships clash between the two heavyweights. A herniated disc forced “Minotoro” out of that matchup, and the Brazilian’s next move is currently unclear.
8. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-7)
When Antonio Rogerio Nogueira pulled out of the UFC 161 co-main event against Rua, it initially looked as though Chael Sonnen would be able to step in on short notice to face “Shogun.” However, visa troubles blocked Sonnen’s path to Canada, so now Rua and the two-time middleweight title contender will headline the UFC’s debut on Fox Sports 1 on Aug. 17.
9. Glover Teixeira (21-2)
Teixeira picked up a quick win and a $50,000 “Submission of the Night” check by submitting James Te Huna with a guillotine midway through the first round of their UFC 160 encounter. The Brazilian is now unbeaten in his last 19 fights, including four strong victories in his first 12 months with the UFC.
10. Ryan Bader (15-3)
Bader needed just 50 seconds to dispatch veteran Vladimir Matyushenko with a guillotine choke on Jan. 26, marking the first time the Belarusian had ever been submitted. The Power MMA Team product was set to locks horns with highly touted Brazilian standout Glover Teixiera on May 25 before an injury forced his exit.
Other contenders:
Gegard Mousasi, Emanuel Newton, James Te Huna, Thiago Silva, Attila Vegh.Continue Reading » MMA Middleweight Rankings