Anderson Silva file photo: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com
After one of the most over-the-top and memorable fight build-ups we've ever seen, Chael Sonnen walked the walk for 23 minutes, dominating pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva. Then, in the blink of an eye, "The Spider" struck with a triangle armbar, exploiting Sonnen's well-known Achilles heel, submission defense.
Between the perfect foil in Sonnen, Silva's ability to snatch victory from the seemingly hopeless and the narrative of having done so with a rib injury, it's exactly the sort of folklore we've come to expect from transcendental athletes in other sports. However, Silva has still been subject to criticism, questioning whether his dominance is deteriorating, and whether or not he should still be considered the sport's numero uno.
Similarly, welterweight Jon Fitch won his 21st fight in his last 22 efforts in Oakland. He dominated Thiago Alves from bell to bell to stake his claim as the second-best welterweight in the game. However, Fitch's no-frills fight style continues to enrage those thirsting for action over accomplishment. Fortunately for Fitch, only one of those criteria counts on this list.
1. Anderson Silva (27-4)
If great champions need signature moments, Silva may have excelled himself in Oakland on Aug. 7. The brash and bombastic Chael Sonnen bombed on a hapless Silva for 23 minutes. Then a sudden triangle armbar earned "The Spider" the come-from-behind victory. In spite of his win and the rib injury he reportedly carried into the bout, post-fight discussion has focused on the waning dominance and increasing fragility of Silva. However, Silva continues to achieve the most important criterion of this list: winning decisively.
2. Georges St. Pierre (20-2)
The story remains the same for St. Pierre. Coming off a dominant title performance against Dan Hardy in March, he has been positioned for a rematch with yet another elite welterweight in Josh Koscheck, courtesy of the former NCAA national wrestling champion’s May 8 win over Paul Daley. They met previously in August 2007, with St. Pierre winning a unanimous decision. Now, when they collide three-plus years later, it will be on the heels of the 12th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which figures to build the second GSP-Koscheck bout with an easy and obvious face-heel dynamic.
3. Jose Aldo (17-1)
Though Alexandre Franca Nogueira was perhaps the first true dominant featherweight during the division's embryonic stages, it is his countryman Aldo who is now situated as the first truly great 145-pounder. Coming off a brutal blowout of divisional posterboy Urijah Faber in April, Aldo will return to action at WEC 51 on Sept. 30 to make his second title defense. Taking on the enormous task of trying to be a dent in the Brazilian dynamo will be veteran Manny Gamburyan, who has been rejuvenated after cutting down to the more appropriate featherweight division.
4. Frankie Edgar (12-1)
At UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Edgar scored one of the most significant wins of 2010, dethroning lightweight kingpin B.J. Penn and taking the UFC 155-pound title. Though it was not exactly a popular decision, Edgar took all three judges’ scorecards on the back of his aggressive combination punching and stellar movement. However, the surprise champion will have to replicate his feat in order to earn unanimous consideration as the sport’s top lightweight. He meets Penn again at UFC 118 on Aug. 28.
5. B.J. Penn (15-6-1)
From one controversy to another, Penn lost his UFC lightweight title and MMA’s 155-pound mantle on April 12 with his shocking upset to Frankie Edgar. With debate still raging over the bout’s outcome, Penn started his book tour to promote his eye-opening biography. The book has drawn the particular ire of UFC President Dana White over its anecdotes on the Hawaiian’s past dealings with the company. Brouhahas notwithstanding, “The Prodigy” will get his chance for redemption and the opportunity to regain top status at 155 pounds. He fights Edgar for a second time at UFC 118 in Boston on Aug. 28.
6. Jon Fitch (23-3, 1 NC)
Love him or hate him, Fitch was in his element at UFC 117, where he duplicated his June 2006 win over Thiago Alves with a commanding, one-sided unanimous decision. Whether or not the victory will earn Fitch another shot at the UFC welterweight title is as yet unclear. What is clear, however, is that Fitch has entrenched himself as the hands-down second-best fighter in one of MMA's historically rich weight classes. His grinding fight style will continue to make him a polarizing figure among fans, but Fitch absolutely meets the most pivotal requirement -- consistently beating great fighters -- of this list.
7. Mauricio Rua (19-4)
“Shogun” Rua’s current resume remains a far cry from where it was in 2005, when he tore through four top-10 opponents in half a year. However, assuming his recovery from a worrying third knee surgery goes swimmingly, the Curitiba native will have plenty of opportunity to carve out more outstanding pound-for-pound-quality wins in a talent-rich 205-pound division. First on deck for "Shogun" post-recovery will be former champion Rashad Evans in a highly alluring clash of premier fighters in one of MMA's premier divisions.
8. Jake Shields (25-4-1)
There was a time just a few short years ago when Shields was reviled for being one of MMA’s most loathsome fighters to watch. During the last five years, the Cesar Gracie protégé has transformed himself from a drab, peripheral contender to one of the sport’s elite fighters. With elite credentials at both 170 and 185 pounds, the former Strikeforce middleweight champion has now signed with the UFC, where he'll head back to the talent-rich welterweight division. The first step for Shields inside the Octagon will come Oct. 23 at UFC 121 in Anaheim, when he takes on Martin Kampmann.
9. Lyoto Machida (16-1)
"The Machida Era" lasted less than a year, as Mauricio "Shogun" Rua brutally plunked MMA's proudest karateka in Montreal to take the UFC light heavyweight title and 205-pound supremacy. However, Machida still enjoys considerable stature in MMA with high-quality wins in one of MMA's most talented and star-laden weight classes. Though it won't restore him to the lofty status he previously enjoyed as champion, Machida will have the chance to build on his resume at UFC 123 this coming November. He's likely to face fellow former champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in a high-stakes bout for both men.
10. Rashad Evans (15-1-1)
Evans' May 29 win over rival Quinton "Rampage" Jackson didn't exactly set the world on fire. Evans walked away with a unanimous decision win, though, that gave him yet another high-quality victory in MMA's historically strongest division. Better still, Evans will have the chance to take his resume from "very strong" to "exceptional" in the near future, as his win over Jackson installed him as the UFC's top 205-pound contender. Whenever Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is recovered from knee surgery, Evans will have the chance to regain the UFC light heavyweight title and even loftier pound-for-pound status.