Dominick Cruz is sitting pretty until his next title challenger is announced. | Photo: Stephen Albanese
Bantamweight
The “Dominator” was dominant once again as the start of the first cable-televised bantamweight title bout in UFC history. Desite suffering yet another hand injury in the process, Cruz earned a five-round unanimous decision -- his fourth in a row -- by holding off small-but-strong challenger Demetrious Johnson on Oct. 1.
2. Joseph Benavidez (15-2)
He might not get another shot at 135-pound gold any time soon, but Benavidez continues to bulk up his bantamweight resume. At UFC Live 5 on Aug. 14, the Team Alpha Male product turned in a solid unanimous decision performance against the heavy-hitting Eddie Wineland.
3. Urijah Faber (25-5)
Faber could not take the UFC bantamweight title from Dominick Cruz in July. However, "The California Kid" is never far from prominent competition: Faber will return to the Octagon on Nov. 19 at UFC 139 in San Jose, Calif., taking on former WEC champion Brian Bowles.
4. Brian Bowles (10-1)
Bowles' path back to the top of the 135-pound division just got tougher. The former WEC champion will return to action in pursuit of his third straight win since falling to Dominick Cruz, taking on another former WEC champion, Urijah Faber, at UFC 139 on Nov. 19.
5. Scott Jorgensen (13-4)
Since dropping a lopsided, five-round decision to Dominick Cruz in his final WEC appearance, it’s been back to business for Jorgensen. “Young Guns” has won seven of his last eight starts and has started out his UFC career at 2-0, knocking out Ken Stone before outpointing tough vet Jeff Curran on Oct. 29.
6. Demetrious Johnson (9-2)
“Mighty Mouse” was banged up but never beaten over 25 minutes in his Oct. 1 decision loss to dominant UFC bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz. While the defeat predictably amplified calls for Johnson to become the first member of the UFC’s 125-pound class, the Matt Hume pupil says his sights are set on 135 for the time being.
7. Renan Barao (27-1, 1 NC)
Competing in his highest-profile bout to date, Barao placed himself on the brink of contendership with yet another sterling performance. In the co-main event of UFC 138 on Nov. 5, the 24-year-old Brazilian served up a first-round submission of tough Brit Brad Pickett, extending Barao’s remarkable unbeaten streak to 28 in a row.
8. Miguel Torres (39-4)
The former WEC bantamweight ace saw his UFC record fall to 1-1 in May with a razor-thin unanimous decision loss to Demetrious Johnson. Torres will have a chance to get back on track at UFC 139 in November when he meets another Johnson victim, Nick Pace.
9. Brad Pickett (20-6)
Pickett’s home-turf UFC debut on Nov. 5 did not go as planned. The trilby-wearing Englishman won “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC 138 in Birmingham, but lost via first-round rear-naked choke to Brazilian contender Renan Barao.
10. Masakatsu Ueda (14-1-2)
Ueda has returned to top form, rattling off four consecutive wins since his shocking submission loss to Shuichiro Katsumura in March 2010. On Sept. 14, the former Shooto 132-pound world champ moved up to the retiring Royler Gracie in Brazil; two divisions above his natural weight, Ueda walked away with a handy decision victory.
Other contenders: Bibiano Fernandes, Zach Makovsky, Michael McDonald, Takeya Mizugaki, Eddie Wineland.
With the entry of Renan Barao, previously 10th-ranked Takeya Mizugaki falls to the contenders list.
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