Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Light Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones (21-1)

Jones was stripped of the UFC light heavyweight belt and suspended indefinitely following his April arrest on a felony hit-and-run charge, but “Bones” remains unparalleled in the 205-pound division. The 28-year-old’s reign included a record eight title defenses and a level of dominance over top competition rarely seen in any weight class, including a decisive victory against the man who now holds his belt, Daniel Cormier. Formally reinstated by the UFC in September, Jones is set to return on April 23, when he will attempt to reclaim his title from Cormier.

2. Daniel Cormier (17-1)

While the validity of Cormier’s title reign will be challenged for as long as Jon Jones remains inactive, there is no doubt that the American Kickboxing Academy fighter possesses the grit and tenacity of a tried and true champion. “DC” got off to a hot start against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192, only to be roughed up by the resurgent Swede in the middle rounds of their 25-minute encounter. The wrestler’s ever-improving offense carried him to a split decision win against Gustafsson, setting the stage for an April 23 rematch with Jones at UFC 197.

3. Anthony Johnson (21-5)

The stunning power of “Rumble” got the job done once again on Jan. 30, when a barrage of ground punches ended the evening -- and the five-fight winning streak -- of Ryan Bader in just 86 seconds. Now two wins removed from his failed title bid, Johnson is aiming for a shot at the winner of the eventual Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier championship rematch.

4. Alexander Gustafsson (16-4)

Gustafsson put on another spirited showing in a five-round title fight, but his bid to take the crown from Daniel Cormier at UFC 192 yielded the same result as his effort to dethrone Jon Jones. “The Mauler” came up short on the judges’ scorecards, giving the Swede his third loss in four outings and making uncertain Gustafsson’s immediate future in the upper echelon of the division.

5. Ryan Bader (20-5)

Bader entered his Jan. 30 bout riding a two-year, five-fight unbeaten streak. That statistic did not help the Arizona wrestler against Anthony Johnson, who powered through an early submission attempt to punch “Darth” unconscious in just 86 seconds. It was the fastest loss in the 25-fight career of Bader, who now finds himself on the outside of the UFC light heavyweight title picture.

6. Phil Davis (15-3, 1 NC)

The last five fights of Davis’ UFC tenure went the distance, but the judges were not needed when “Mr. Wonderful” made his Bellator debut on Sept. 19 in the company’s one-night, four-man tournament. Davis tapped former Bellator champ Emanuel Newton with a first-round kimura before flattening tourney alternate Francis Carmont with a first-round knockout. Davis will return to the cage opposite former Strikeforce champion Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 154 in May.

7. Glover Teixeira (24-4)

Teixeira has returned to his winning ways in the year since his failed UFC title bid against Jon Jones and frustrating decision loss to Phil Davis snapped a seven-year unbeaten run. The hard-hitting Brazilian choked out Ovince St. Preux in August and returned to the cage just three months later for a Nov. 7 knockout of Patrick Cummins.

8. Ovince St. Preux (19-7)

St. Preux overcame an early ankle injury in his Feb. 6 bout with Rafael Cavalcante and dominated a passive “Feijao” on the ground to claim a unanimous decision. The win put “OSP” back in the win column following an August submission loss to Glover Teixeira, and the former University of Tennessee linebacker has now won three of his last four.

9. Liam McGeary (11-0)

McGeary looked to be in trouble on Sept. 19, as his first Bellator title defense began with him being taken down by Tito Ortiz. McGeary stayed busy off his back, however, and soon caught the former UFC champ in a nifty inverted triangle choke to force a first-round submission. The unbeaten Englishman was expected to defend his title against Phil Davis before an injury put him on the shelf.

10. Corey Anderson (8-1)

Less than 10 fights into his professional career, Anderson is moving up in the UFC light heavyweight division. “Beastin’ 25/8” has rebounded from his first defeat with a trio of decision wins against far more experienced opposition: Fabio Maldonado, Jan Blachowicz and, most recently, Tom Lawlor at UFC 196.

Other Contenders: Quinton Jackson, Ilir Latifi, Muhammed Lawal, Jimi Manuwa, Tomasz Narkun.

Continue Reading » Middleweight