You don't have to be a diehard mixed martial arts fan to know that
Anderson Silva is the dominant figure in the sport at the moment.
The UFC middleweight champion affirmed his status as tops pound-for-pound with a second-round submission of
Dan Henderson (Pictures) earlier this month. And while little changed at the head of the list, new fighters debut in other spots.
In:
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures)
B.J. Penn (Pictures)
Miguel Torres (Pictures)
Out:
Dan Henderson (Pictures)
Shinya Aoki (Pictures)
Randy Couture (Pictures)
Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, demonstrated once again why he's the clear-cut pound-for-pound king. During his dismantling of
Dan Henderson (Pictures) on March 1, the 31-year-old Brazilian showed all aspects of his game en route to making Henderson tap out to a choke for the first time in his career. Japan's
Yushin Okami (Pictures) appears to be Silva's next UFC challenger, yet the 185-pound "Spider" has voiced more of an interest in boxing Roy Jones Jr.
"Rampage" sits firmly in the second spot, a couple of notches behind Silva. While a case could be made that the 29-year-old UFC light heavyweight champion belongs at the top following victories over
Chuck Liddell (Pictures) and
Dan Henderson (Pictures), "Spider" Silva's destruction of Hendo makes Jackson's five-round decision win against the Greco-Roman Olympian appear less impressive. Jackson, however, has dominated since coming to the UFC, and he will get his highest profile fight as champion when he defends against
Forrest Griffin (Pictures) this summer.
The former No. 1 P4P fighter seems poised to get back to business. Freeing himself of the impotent M-1 Global, Emelianenko is rumored to be negotiating with several MMA promoters. Regardless of where he ends up, Emelianenko must fight the best challengers if he's going to keep his mantle as the top heavyweight in MMA. The recent performance of
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) in capturing the UFC heavyweight title reminds us just how good the Russian -- who owns two decisive decision wins over Nogueira -- really can be against top competition.
The 26-year-old French-Canadian remains in the fourth spot. If he can avenge his loss to Serra this coming April in his home city of Montreal, St. Pierre -- the No. 1 ranked welterweight -- could be considered the most dominant fighter in MMA. If he defeats Serra, a fight with
Jon Fitch (Pictures) or
Karo Parisyan (Pictures) could materialize in the latter half of 2008.
(31-4-1, 1 NC)
If not for Fedor, "Minotauro" would be regarded as the top heavyweight in MMA history. As it stands, the 31-year-old Brazilian makes his first appearance in the P4P rankings at No. 5 following his submission over
Tim Sylvia (Pictures). The victory for the "interim" UFC heavyweight crown offered fans who had not followed Nogueira's career during or after his championship reign in Pride a chance to see just how tough and technical he is.
Currently standing as World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion, Faber's near-perfect record and ability to connect with fans immediately made him the best-known mixed martial artist under 145 pounds. The aggressive 28-year-old wrestler has worked diligently on rounding out his game with an improved focus on standup and submission. Faber's next challenge is likely to come in his hometown of Sacramento, Calif., against former UFC lightweight champion
Jens Pulver (Pictures).
Japan's perennial lightweight king earned his first victory since Dec. 31, 2006, with a stoppage of
Duane Ludwig (Pictures) on March 5. Gomi's overall record is impressive, yet his recent inactivity has angered many fans that feel he's failed to fight the best in the division. The fact of the matter, however, remains that Gomi, 29, owns wins over the bulk of top division talent. A rematch versus
B.J. Penn (Pictures) or bouts with other viable 155-pound fighters would go a long way in answering questions over Gomi's spirit to fight.
After establishing himself as a top featherweight, "Kid" jumped to K-1 three years ago and moved up to lightweight for payday purposes. Along the way he happened to become a superstar in Japan, where he picked up some solid wins. Yamamoto, now 31, stopped
Rani Yahya (Pictures) on New Year's Eve, showing once again how explosive he can be. Fighting at a more natural weight (near 135 pounds), Yamamoto could be a quick riser on this list if he is matched with quality opposition.
While "The Prodigy" has always had P4P talent, inconsistent performances and confusing excursions into far-too-heavy weight divisions kept him off this list. Having settled in nicely at 155 pounds, Penn has brought the sort of technical dominance that has many fans and fighters alike calling the Hawaiian the best fighter in the sport. Against
Sean Sherk (Pictures) in May, Penn has the opportunity to bust into the top three and very possibly challenge
Anderson Silva for the top spot if he dominates the steroid-tainted former UFC lightweight champion.
Torres is the reason lists like this exist. Recognizing talent across all weight divisions, Torres is the first 135-pounder to make his presence felt. He toiled in obscurity before World Extreme Cagefighting featured the bantamweight class in the United States. Then Torres captured an organizational championship title with a masterful effort versus
Chase Beebe (Pictures). The 27-year-old fighter from East Chicago, Ind., offered a varied and high-paced submission attack before catching Beebe in one of the best submissions this year.
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