Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre (18-2)
Despite debate over the improper use of Vaseline by St. Pierre’s cornermen, “Rush” destroyed B.J. Penn in their Jan. 31 superfight at UFC 94. The bout reinforced St. Pierre’s case to be considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the game, and he’ll have another chance to bolster his case against a brilliant opponent when he meets Thiago Alves later this year.

2. Thiago Alves (16-3)
His brilliant 2008 breakout has earned him a shot against St. Pierre, probably at UFC 100 in July. However, if his in-cage meeting with St. Pierre at UFC 94 told us anything, it’s that the “Pitbull” will not be the crowd favorite against the budding Canadian superstar.

3. Jon Fitch (18-3, 1 NC)
After getting over the shock of his opponent’s gender-bending entrance theatrics, Fitch dominated always-tough veteran Akihiro Gono on Jan. 31. The win ran his UFC record to 9-1 and showed off the increasing depth to his game.

4. Jake Shields (22-4-1)
While the former EliteXC champion had his eye on a UFC debut following the demise of his home promotion, Shields will now fulfill the remainder of his contract with Strikeforce. There, he will meet the well-traveled Joe Riggs at the promotion’s April 11 debut on Showtime.

5. Karo Parisyan (19-5)
Things went from bad to worse for Parisyan. After his lackluster and uninspiring split decision win over Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94, Parisyan tested positive for a myriad of painkillers. That leaves him at the mercy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, potentially nixing a high-profile summer welterweight bout.

6. Paulo Thiago (11-0)
Thiago was supposed to be tough -- but not too tough -- as Josh Koscheck looked to work himself into the UFC welterweight title picture. Instead, Thiago shockingly flattened the American Kickboxing Academy standout in the first round at UFC 95 and took his place in line. Now, Thiago must prove he’s a bona fide welterweight and not a flash in the pan.

7. Josh Koscheck (12-4)
In what was shaping up to be a productive tune-up bout, Koscheck quickly found himself embroiled in a nightmare at UFC 95, as the little-known Thiago landed a brutal right uppercut that closed the show on “Kos.” The loss set back “The Ultimate Fighter” alum in the hotly competitive UFC welterweight division.

8. Carlos Condit (23-4)
Condit was originally slated for an unappealing March rematch with former first-round victim Brock Larson, but now the World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion will finally make the long-awaited jump to the UFC instead. “The Natural Born Killer” will debut against Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 18 on April 1 in Nashville, Tenn.

9. Matt Hughes (42-7)
The former welterweight ruler continues to recover from a knee injury. His long-delayed grudge match with fellow former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra will finally take place at UFC 98 on May 23 in Las Vegas.

10. Nick Thompson (38-10-1)
When “The Goat” looked to break into the upper strata of the division in July, he was cruelly cast away by Shields, who took just 63 seconds to submit him. However, the bout remains Thompson’s lone blemish in 15 fights, and he added a unanimous verdict over explosive Brit Paul Daley on Feb. 20.

Other contenders: Marcus Davis, Dan Hardy, Jay Hieron, Matt Serra, Mike Swick.

* With his formal entry into the lightweight division, formerly fifth-ranked Diego Sanchez exits the welterweight rankings.