Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Light Heavyweight

1. Forrest Griffin (16-4-0)
The sport's unlikely 205-pound king will make the first defense of his UFC title against fellow “Ultimate Fighter” winner Rashad Evans at UFC 92 on Dec. 27. While a fight against Chuck Liddell may have been promotionally more appealing, the Evans matchup has given a previously unthinkable validation to the UFC and the TUF brand as a whole.

2. Quinton Jackson (28-7-0)
While his legal brouhaha is not completely done yet, the former UFC champ is moving on and in a major way. No tune-up fights are in order for Jackson, who will return at UFC 92 on Dec. 27 for a third meeting with his archrival, Wanderlei Silva, who has twice brutally stopped the Memphis native.

3. Rashad Evans (12-0-1)
There is little left to be said for Evans' thrilling knockout of Chuck Liddell. Evans has successfully vaulted himself to elite light heavyweight status with what may be 2008's KO of the year. He will get his chance to challenge for the UFC 205-pound title against Forrest Griffin on Dec. 27.

4. Lyoto Machida (13-0-0)
Unfortunately, Machida's slated October bout with Thiago Silva fell apart due to Silva injuring his back. However, Machida will have his big chance to convince all doubters and UFC brass that he is the undisputed top challenger to the light heavyweight title on an even bigger stage. He'll meet Silva on Super Bowl weekend in Vegas at UFC 94.

5. Chuck Liddell (21-6-0)
While still a dangerous and bankable fighter, Liddell's planned run to a second UFC light heavyweight championship was brutally thwarted by Rashad Evans in their Sept. 6 encounter. Liddell still has considerable superfight potential, but he may never get another chance to be UFC light heavyweight king.

6. Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1, 1 NC)
Wanderlei Silva has two vicious stoppages of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on his resume. However, if "The Axe Murderer" wants to restore his status as a top-of-the-top light heavyweight, he'll need to get a third victory over his rival on Dec. 27 when they meet again at UFC 92.

7. Keith Jardine (13-4-1)
Undoubtedly keen on erasing his brutal beating at the hands of Wanderlei Silva in May, Jardine will return to action at UFC 89 on Oct. 18. "The Dean of Mean" faces a tall order in former heavyweight prospect turned light heavyweight contender Brandon Vera, who will look to rehabilitate his own hype following a string of uninspiring performances.

8. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2-0)
Sokoudjou will see action on the UFC 89 card in October from Birmingham, England. The 24-year-old Cameroonian has been done no favors by the UFC, as he'll have to back up his hype when he takes on Brazilian punisher Luiz Arthur Cane in a fight that would seem to render scorecards unnecessary.

9. Thiago Silva (13-0-0)
A back injury postponed an October bout with Lyoto Machida, but fortunately the battle of undefeated fighters is still a go. In the biggest fight of his career, Silva will have a massive stage when he meets his fellow Brazilian at UFC 94 on Jan. 31.

10. Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3-0)
After injury threatened to retire him, Matyushenko has resuscitated his career in a major way. The 37-year-old Belarusian has put together eight straight wins in a late career surge, and he will look to make it nine if his slated rematch with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira makes January's rescheduled Affliction card.

*Formerly sixth-ranked Mauricio "Shogun" Rua exits the light heavyweight top 10 after not competing for 365 days and with no bout scheduled within the next 30.