Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Featherweight

1. Mike Thomas Brown (21-4)
Brown destroyed deserved contender Leonard Garcia in their March 1 encounter, proving he's the sport's superlative 145-pounder. However, in order to win over all critics, he'll need to replicate his November victory over Urijah Faber when the two rematch at WEC 41 on June 7.

2. Urijah Faber (22-2)
Faber's chance for revenge will come at WEC 41 on June 7. He’ll get a second shot against Mike Thomas Brown for the promotion's 145-pound title and MMA's featherweight throne in front of a partisan Sacramento crowd.

3. Wagnney Fabiano (12-1)
Fabiano didn't get the stoppage he sought, but the Nova Uniao product put another win on his ledger on April 5. He took a commanding unanimous decision over fellow grappling stalwart Fredson Paixao.

4. Leonard Garcia (12-4)
Garcia originally had hoped to recoup from his brutal March 1 loss to WEC champ Mike Thomas Brown by hopping on the WEC 41 bill on June 7. Although that didn't pan out, the Texan "Bad Boy" may find a home on Aug. 9's WEC 42 card.

5. Hatsu Hioki (19-3-2)
Hioki made the second round of the Sengoku tournament look just as easy as the first, easily tapping Briton Ronnie Mann. Hioki's road to the tournament final goes through ZST rep Masanori Kanehara on Aug. 2.

6. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2)
Mishima was originally sought as an entrant in Sengoku’s featherweight tournament, where he would have been an early favorite. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered in training will keep him on the shelf for the early portion of 2009. The colorful veteran plans to return to action in the early summer and defend his Deep featherweight title.

7. Jose Aldo (14-1)
One of the sport's hottest prospects, Aldo will be back in action June 7 at WEC 41. The 22-year-old pistol will be meeting a fellow young prospect, Cub Swanson, with upward mobility in the featherweight division at stake.

8. Takeshi Inoue (16-3)
In a bout that was more symbolic than relevant, pro Shooto's current poster boy defended his 143-pound world title against Shooto icon Rumina Sato. After his usual dramatic early struggle, "Lion Takeshi" predictably punched Sato out in the first frame.

9. Rafael Assuncao (13-1)
In his awaited WEC debut, Rafael Assuncao showed why critics have afforded him blue-chip prospect status. He took a one-sided decision over a game Jameel Massouh and firmly implanted himself in the promotion's featherweight plans.

10. Marlon Sandro (14-0)
On paper, Sandro's Sengoku featherweight tournament bout against fellow undefeated Nick Denis was one of the most compelling. In actuality, it took Sandro just 19 seconds to knock the Canadian unconscious. The featherweight King of Pancrase will now take on red-hot Michihiro Omigawa on Aug. 2, with a spot in the tournament final on the line.

Other contenders: Bibiano Fernandes, Yuji Hoshino, Masakazu Imanari, Joe Soto, Cub Swanson.

*With his loss to Bibiano Fernandes, formerly eighth-ranked Masakazu Imanari falls just outside of the top 10.