Bantamweight

1. Brian Bowles (8-0)
Going into his WEC bantamweight title bout with Miguel Torres, Bowles was thought to be a game challenger but not a major-league threat. In the cage, Bowles was far more than that, as he smashed Torres in the first round to snatch the 135-pound mantle.

2. Miguel Torres (37-2)
Torres was heralded as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound stalwarts and the man to put the 135-pound division on the map. In his fourth defense of the WEC bantamweight title, he was flattened in the first round by impressive upstart Brian Bowles, who handed Torres his first loss in 18 fights.

3. Masakatsu Ueda (10-0-2)
He had to overcome rope grabbing and eye gouging, but Ueda kept his unbeaten record and Shooto world title on July 19 by taking a well-appointed unanimous verdict over tough Brazilian youngster Eduardo Dantas.

4. Takeya Mizugaki (12-3-2)
Mizugaki gritted out his first WEC victory in August with a split decision over Jeff Curran. To earn a second victory in the blue cage, he'll need to topple brutal banger and Greg Jackson pupil Damacio Page when they meet at WEC 45 on Dec. 19.

5. Dominick Cruz (14-1)
A healthy underdog heading into his Aug. 9 bout with Urijah Faber understudy Joseph Benavidez, Cruz was one step ahead throughout the entire bout, deftly outworking Benavidez on the feet and the floor en route to a unanimous decision win. He now figures to be the first title contender for newly minted champion Brian Bowles.

6. Joseph Benavidez (10-1)
Though he came into the bout as a considerable favorite to challenge for the WEC bantamweight title, Benavidez’s undefeated record came to an end at WEC 42. He was outworked in all facets of the game by the much longer and rangier Dominick Cruz.

7. Akitoshi Tamura (14-7-2)
Following the delay and relocation of WEC 43, Tamura was a cruel victim of fate. He sustained a broken rib in training for his fight with Damacio Page after extending his preparation for the postponed event.

8. Damacio Page (12-4)
Page's quick-and-easy submission dispatching of an overmatched Will Campuzano on Oct. 10 has given way to a much more appealing fight: On Dec. 19 at WEC 45, he'll take on former WEC title challenger Takeya Mizugaki in a guaranteed action bout.

9. Rani Yahya (15-4)
Against John Hosman on Aug. 9, Yahya added another first-round submission to his resume. Three straight first-round tapouts have put the grappling all-star back in contention for another crack at the WEC bantamweight crown.

10. Eddie Wineland (15-6-1)
Following a 67-second submission loss to Rani Yahya in his WEC return in April, the former WEC bantamweight champion earned himself a tidy unanimous verdict over Manny Tapia on Oct. 10 to get back into the mix at 135 pounds.

Other contenders: Antonio Banuelos, Mike Easton, Marcos Galvao, Scott Jorgensen, Manny Tapia.