Consensus Rankings:   Official  |  Member Designed  |  This Ranking Updated 11 years, 4 months ago  |  All By RockZ

1. 1

   

   Anderson Silva

   "The Spider"

   34-11-0, 1 NC

   Silva's dominance makes him arguably the best fighter of all time. His consistency, power, elusiveness and toughness make him credible, while his finish rate, prowess in all areas and avoidance of mistakes make him incredible, especially considering his age. Many point to his poor performance against outspoken gifted wrestler Chael Sonnen to criticize Silva, but in all fairness, Silva had a bruised rib coming into the fight and had never faced a wrestler of Sonnen's caliber before (and if this isn't enough, Silva did finish Sonnen with a triangle choke.) All in all, Silva plans to retire with the belt (which has never been done in the UFC at this level, especially after so many defenses) and he just might be the man to do it.
   

2. 2

   

   Jon Jones

   "Bones"

   27-1-0, 1 NC

   Jones's well-rounded game and finishing ability against so many high-level opponents solidifies his ranking, while his age and apparently solid chin, submission defense, and elusiveness could make him the next Anderson. Former titleholders Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua and "Rampage" Jackson all have a complicated history of wins, defeats, feuds and pound-for-pound great status, and Jones beat them all in dominant fashion. No one has ever done that, and if you add in Stephan Bonnar, Brandon Vera, Vladimir Matyushenko and Ryan Bader, things start to get downright stunning. So far, no one save Dan Henderson appears to have a chance against Jones, and many say that's all Henderson has -- a chance.
   

3. 3

   

   José Aldo

   "Junior"

   32-8-0

   Aldo's immense power and takedown defense put him in a position similar to that of Junior dos Santos, as his standup is so dangerous and defense so good that it is all he needs to produce knockouts, or at least dominant decisions. In addition, his ground game has looked more than sufficient and his performances against countless ranked opponents have lead many to assert his status as the world's top fighter. This is something his abilities support, and with more great performances, it could be the consensus soon enough.
   

4. 4

   

   Georges St-Pierre

   "Rush"

   26-2-0

   St. Pierre's biggest criticism from most relates to his inability to finish. Although this means there is room for improvement, he has consistently shut down or shut out tough, top opponents in nearly every outing, and has done so for years now, holding an undefeated streak of around 30 rounds up until his fight with the formidable Jake Shields. In the end, his well-rounded game and tendency to show improvement in each fight has made up for his recent lack of fight-ending ability in more ways than one. His upcoming bout with Carlos Condit should reveal how good St. Pierre still is on some level, even though he's returning from injury after a sizable layoff. Should he win -- especially if by finish -- "Rush" will arrive to once again be unquestionable king of the welterweights, which may not be a good thing sine so many contenders seem to be arising.
   

5. 5

   

   Dominick Cruz

   "The Dominator"

   24-4-0

   Cruz's presence among the best lies in his lone loss -- which he avenged, against perennial elite Urijah Faber -- and continuous show of dominance en route to decision victories. His puzzling but effective style has been his key to victory, while his experience against top opponents and young age are likely to allow him to continue as "The Dominator". His one close call in victory -- a split decision win over pound-for-pound peer Joseph Benavidez -- can be used to downgrade his resume but can also be used to bolster it, as Benavidez has never been finished and has been near the top for a while. Cruz looks to return from injury against the interim bantamweight titleholder, whoever he is, and if he does so successfully, he will have beaten most top fighters in the division.
   

6. 6

   

   Frankie Edgar

   "The Answer"

   24-11-1

   Edgar's foolproof combination of speed, wrestling, determination and a great chin have kept him at the top, defeating the likes of Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard. His losses consist only of decisions: one to Maynard (which was avenged) and one to the much larger Benson Henderson in a fight that was close enough to warrant a rematch. Edgar has shown little weakness at all if one doesn't count getting hit too much a weakness, and he improves after every fight (namely in rematches, which may be why he's getting another one.) Regardless of the outcome of his upcoming bout, he will always be the 'underdog' who defeated five previously undefeated fighters, plus an all-time great -- twice.
   

7. 7

   

   Benson Henderson

   "Smooth"

   30-12-0

   Henderson's high-energy style can also be called reckless, as it has landed him on the dangerous side of many submission attempts and big shots. Despite this, it is his strength, allowing him to blow past contenders Jim Miller and Clay Guida on the way to defeating the impressively durable and never-finished Frankie Edgar. Henderson has power and the ability to submit or outpace almost any rival, along with the taekwondo, submission defense and size to prevent being pushed around. Facing Edgar in a rematch will be far from easy, and if the turnout is favorable, more top challengers will be waiting, as a few are now.
   

8. 8

   

   Cain Velasquez

   14-3-0

9. 9

   

   Renan Barão

   "The Baron"

   34-10-0, 1 NC

10. 10

    

    Demetrious Johnson

    "Mighty Mouse"

    25-4-1