Seldom does hyperactivity look easy, but that is Cruz. “The Dominator” continued to show evolution in his slick punching, unpredictable style on Dec. 16, as he shut out a tough Scott Jorgensen over five rounds at WEC 53. The win sets the table for a major bantamweight showdown against the only man to ever beat Cruz, former WEC featherweight king Urijah Faber.
2. Joseph Benavidez (13-2)
He might have two losses to Dominick Cruz and he might be best suited to fight at 125 pounds, but, apart from the WEC bantamweight champion himself, no 135-pound fighter picks off more top fighters than Benavidez. Stepping in for an injured Brian Bowles, Benavidez put another top 10 win on his ledger by dominating Wagnney Fabiano, choking the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt into submission in the second round at WEC 52.
3. 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.
4. Urijah Faber (24-4)
With Dominick Cruz’s blowout of Scott Jorgensen, Faber seems poised to be the next challenger for “The Dominator.” The former featherweight ace handed Cruz his first and only loss, choking him out in just 98 seconds in March 2007, when Faber was WEC champ at 145 pounds.
5. Scott Jorgensen (11-4)
Jorgensen was game and valiant until the end, but he simply had nothing to offer bantamweight kingpin Dominick Cruz in their Dec. 16 clash. For 25 minutes, Jorgensen was hit with punches in bunches on the feet and taken down repeatedly in a humbling, one-sided decision loss.
6. Miguel Torres (38-3)
Torres will be one of the first WEC talents to receive major UFC exposure. The former WEC bantamweight titleholder will make his Octagon debut on Super Bowl weekend, when he meets Antonio Banuelos on the main card at UFC 126 on Feb. 5 in Las Vegas.
7. Takeya Mizugaki (13-5-2)
In his Nov. 11 bout with Urijah Faber, Mizugaki was viciously choked unconscious by the former featherweight star in his bantamweight debut. Mizugaki’s next bout will be a comparatively softer touch, as he is tentatively scheduled to meet Francisco Rivera at UFC Live 3 “Sanchez vs. Kampmann” on March 3.
8. Brad Pickett (20-5)
Always a thrill, Pickett excited again at WEC 53 against dynamic Canadian Ivan Menjivar, earning a unanimous decision victory in a highly entertaining back-and-forth contest. The victory was the third for Pickett in four fights since joining Zuffa LLC’s bantamweight ranks 12 months ago.
9. Rani Yahya (15-6)
A lackluster effort against Takeya Mizugaki in April, coupled with a growing difficulty to make 135 pounds, has Yahya eying a featherweight return. He will step back up to 145 pounds to take on “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung at UFC “Fight for the Troops 2” on Jan. 22.
10. Masakatsu Ueda (11-1-2)
Ueda finally has an opponent for his return to the Shooto ring on Jan. 10, and it is a difficult one. The former Shooto world champion will take on gritty wrestler Farkhad Sharipov, a Kyrgyz grappler who has walked out with victories in nine of his last 10 fights.
Other contenders: Wagnney Fabiano, Demetrious Johnson, Zach Makovsky, Michael McDonald, Eddie Wineland.
* With the entry of eighth-ranked Brad Pickett, previously 10th-ranked Wagnney Fabiano falls to the contenders list.