Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Bantamweight

1. Dominick Cruz (16-1)
As the WEC gained momentum, it seemed like Miguel Torres would be the fighter to carry the bantamweight division on his back and bring it to the masses. Now, Cruz has that chance. After a successful first title defense against Joseph Benavidez in August, Cruz will try to prove he’s the real deal -- and not just a placeholder -- when he defends his crown against a red-hot Scott Jorgensen in December.

2. Brian Bowles (8-1)
Injury woes have struck Bowles again. After breaking his hand in his March defeat to Dominick Cruz -- the fight in which he lost the WEC bantamweight title -- he was expected to return against Wagnney Fabiano at WEC 52 in November. However, a foot injury has put Bowles back on the shelf.

3. Joseph Benavidez (12-2)
After a hard-fought split decision loss to Dominick Cruz -- the only man to ever beat him -- Benavidez will get right back in the saddle. Brian Bowles’ foot injury allowed Benavidez to get onto the WEC 52 lineup on Nov. 11, when he will meet Wagnney Fabiano.

4. Scott Jorgensen (11-3)
After steadily rising up the ranks of the bantamweight division, Jorgensen has earned his shot at the throne. When WEC 53 heads to Glendale, Ariz., on Dec. 16, “Young Guns” will have his chance to prove he’s the top 135-pounder in the world. There, the former Boise State Bronco takes on champion Dominick Cruz.

5. Miguel Torres (38-3)
It’s too early to say if hooking up with trainer Firas Zahabi will lead Torres back to the WEC bantamweight title. However, in the pair’s first outing together at WEC 51 on Sept. 30, Torres looked fantastic in breaking down and eventually submitting sturdy veteran Charlie Valencia in the second round.

6. Takeya Mizugaki (13-4-2)
Mizugaki will still get his marquee fight. A knee injury took former featherweight king Urijah Faber out of a bout with the Japanese ace at WEC 50, but Mizugaki will be given another chance to welcome “The California Kid” to 135 pounds in the WEC 52 headliner in November.

7. Damacio Page (15-4)
Page anticipated a return to action against rugged striker Eddie Wineland at WEC 52 on Nov. 11. With a shoulder injury taking Wineland off the card, Page will now face tiny powerhouse Demetrious Johnson instead.

8. Rani Yahya (15-6)
Yahya’s road to another shot at the WEC bantamweight title has grown longer. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace dropped his second straight bout at WEC 48, losing a unanimous verdict to Takeya Mizugaki in a ho-hum affair that drops him behind the pack in the WEC’s 135-pound division.

9. Masakatsu Ueda (11-1-2)
Desperately needing an impressive win to erase the memories of his March upset loss to Shuichiro Katsumura, Ueda was on point in his May 30 bout with WEC veteran Akitoshi Tamura. The former Shooto world champion used all phases of his game -- developing striking included -- to take a well-appointed unanimous decision.

10. Wagnney Fabiano (14-2)
Unbeaten at 135 pounds, Fabiano looked to take a major step up in competition on Nov. 11, when he was slated to meet former WEC champion Brian Bowles. Even with injury taking Bowles out of the bout, Fabiano will still get an elite bantamweight, as he meets Joseph Benavidez at WEC 52.

Other contenders: Antonio Banuelos, Zach Makovsky, Michael McDonald, Charlie Valencia, Eddie Wineland.