Consensus Rankings:   Official  |  Member Designed  |  This Ranking Updated 11 years, 9 months ago  |  All By RockZ

1. 1

   

   Jon Jones

   "Bones"

   27-1-0, 1 NC

   Jones' rise to the top has been nothing short of absolutely incredible. Having already defeated legends/former champs Mauricio Rua, "Rampage" Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans, Jones is looking better than ever, and probably hasn't come close to reaching his peak. Many cite Rua's being rusty, Jackson's failure to pull the trigger, Machida's winning of the first round, and Evans's failure to take any chances as reasons why Jones might not be as good as people say he is, but there is no doubting his consistency against top opposition in a streak where he has demonstrated having a good chin, great wrestling, effectively unorthodox standup, and the ability to finish fights.
   

2. 2

   

   Dan Henderson

   "Hendo"

   32-15-0

   Henderson has been near the top for a while now, having never been knocked out while holding wins over Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Fedor Emelianenko and Mauricio Rua. Even though he gassed in this last (award-winning) bout, Henderson showed that he still has game against dangerous, experienced competition, which is stunning primarily because he is 41. Only the best have finished him via submission (both Nogueiras and Anderson Silva) and he has been dominated once, in a middleweight fight against ground expert Jake Shields (Henderson has expressed dislike of cutting to make 185 for a while now, so take the loss very lightly.) Wielding what could be the most deadly right hand in MMA history, he is expected to face Jones next, and even though many say he only has a puncher's chance, "Hendo" will tell you that's all he needs.
   

3. 3

   

   Maurício Rua

   "Shogun"

   27-14-1

   Rua's biggest fault lies not with a gaping hole in his game but with his inconsistency, primarily due to knee trouble that he has had for a while. His diversified and threatening striking makes him a challenge for anyone, and his chin -- which many say could be the UFC's best -- has yet to let him down (except against Jones, who faced an unprepared, out-of-shape "Shogun".) In returning to the octagon, Rua is a fighter who will be able to get a rematch with a win after Henderson and Jones fight (which many say is unfair since Rua should have done enough to receive a 10-8 round in the fifth round versus "Hendo".)
   

4. 4

   

   Lyoto Machida

   "The Dragon"

   26-12-0

   "The Dragon" is still in the game despite going 1-3 in his last 4 bouts. After proving he had something to offer Jones in his title fight be using his unorthodox striking style (which won him the round), Machida ultimately fell victim to a vicious standing guillotine. Still equipped with powerful striking and a good chin, Machida figures to be the favorite, at least slightly, against heavy-handed wrestler Ryan Bader, who may have a hard time dealing with Machida's style, and grappling game, should he get him to the ground.
   

5. 5

   

   Rashad Evans

   "Suga"

   20-8-1

   Evans has been a polarizing figure in the UFC but is nonetheless effective end talented. His only losses are to Jones and Machida, and even though many draw attention to this loss as proof of a weak chin, it's worth mentioning he took a tremendous amount of punishment from the heavy-handed Brazilian before falling. Evans rests on a record comprising a long list of wins over top competition including Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Thiago Silva, "Rampage" Jackson and Phil Davis, and is capable of hanging around for quite a while if he continues to demonstrate his measured wrestling and striking ability.
   

6. 6

   

   Alexander Gustafsson

   "The Mauler"

   18-8-0

   Gustafsson has improved leaps and bounds lately, disposing of James Te-Huna, Matt Hamill and Vladimir Matyushenko before the third round and taking the perilous Thiago Silva three rounds en route to a win. Gustafsson figures to be a future title contender by the end of next year should he keep things up, and with further growth he can continue to impress like he has.
   

7. 7

   

   Phil Davis

   "Mr. Wonderful"

   24-7-0, 1 NC

   No longer undefeated due to Rashad Evans' efforts, the athletic and consistent Phil Davis still has room for improvement, especially in striking. Having finished Tim Boetsch and Alexander Gustafsson and beaten Brian Stann and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, however, Davis has proved he is here to stay, and with wrestling, submission skill, and size on his side, staying around is likely.
   

8. 8

   

   Ryan Bader

   "Darth"

   31-8-0, 1 NC

   Coming off of a win against a fading "Rampage" Jackson isn't too impressive when considering Jackson's relative lack of motivation, but the win is a good accomplishment for Bader, who has proven himself as tough, strong and powerful. Continuing what he started before he suffered two guillotine losses (one to Jones and one to Tito Ortiz), Bader seems to be on the right path to title contention and will benefit greatly with a win over former champ Lyoto Machida, who should be a new test.
   

9. 9

   

   Quinton Jackson

   "Rampage"

   37-14-0

   After a lackluster loss to Ryan Bader, "Rampage" better show up for his next fight or retire, based on the assumption that his motivation isn't likely to surge anytime soon. Resting on his long and decorated resume won't be enough to get a win in his next fight, and if Jackson is to become victorious he must go back to his aggressive, heavy-handed roots. Rampage likely still has it, but the question is, will he use it?
   

10. 10

    

    Glover Teixeira

    33-9-0