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Light Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones (17-1)

After a relatively farcical win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 in Toronto, many were expecting Jones to get a do-over date with Dan Henderson or to rematch former champion Lyoto Machida. Instead, “Bones” is coaching opposite Chael Sonnen on the 17th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” before defending his UFC light heavyweight title against the brash Oregonian on April 27.

2. Dan Henderson (29-8)

Henderson’s knee injury was the pivotal event in what quickly escalated into one of MMA’s biggest stories of 2012: the cancellation of UFC 151. Many hoped Henderson would finally get a crack at Jon Jones in 2013, but the former two-division Pride titleholder is now taking a backseat to occasional training partner Chael Sonnen and will instead tackle Lyoto Machida at UFC 157 on Feb. 23.

3. Lyoto Machida (18-3)

Machida had a chance to challenge Jon Jones for the UFC crown for a second time in September, but he turned it down in hopes of securing a full training camp date down the line. Instead, Chael Sonnen got the call as Jones’ next foe, leaving the Belem, Brazil, native to go back to work in the 205-pound division. Next up: a date with Dan Henderson on Feb. 23.

4. Rashad Evans (17-3-1)

Before UFC 156, there was talk of former UFC 205-pound champion Evans heading down the scale for a bout against middleweight ace Anderson Silva. As it turned out, he could not get past Silva’s teammate, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who outboxed an unusually lackadaisical and passive Evans in a tepid three-round affair on Feb. 2.

5. Phil Davis (10-1, 1 NC)

An injury to Forrest Griffin left Davis without a dance partner for the UFC 155 co-headliner, but the Alliance MMA product has a new target in his sights. After a back-and-forth feud on Twitter, Davis will get the chance to settle the score with 2011 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Vinny Magalhaes in the Octagon at UFC 159.

6. Alexander Gustafsson (15-1)

While many felt his December dismantling of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua would be enough to merit a title shot, Gustafsson will have another hurdle to clear. While champion Jon Jones and challenger Chael Sonnen handle their “Ultimate Fighter” business, the up-and-coming Swede will take on former Strikeforce ace Gegard Mousasi in an April 6 showdown that seems likely to serve as a No. 1 contender bout.

7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5)

Nogueira entered his UFC 156 bout against Rashad Evans as a sizeable underdog but left as an upset winner. Though the fight was unremarkable, the Brazilian veteran nonetheless used his superior striking to earn a unanimous decision over Evans, marking Nogueira’s first Top 10 win inside the Octagon.

8. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-7)

Despite moments of effective fighting, the former Pride grand prix winner looked like a faded force against young lion Alexander Gustafsson in Seattle. Rua was battered en route to a unanimous decision loss in his second straight appearance on a UFC on Fox bill, leaving “Shogun” without a clear direction at 205 pounds.

9. Glover Teixeira (20-2)

Teixeira finally cracked the rankings after the highest-profile victory of his 10-year career -- a Jan. 26 unanimous decision over durable veteran Quinton Jackson. The one-sided win moved Teixeira’s winning streak to 18 in a row, including three in the UFC. However, with champion Jon Jones occupied, the Brazilian may have to add a few more before he is “in the mix.”

10. Ryan Bader (15-3)

Bader painted over the memory of his last Fox appearance -- a nasty knockout loss to Lyoto Machida in August -- with his most recent one. The former Arizona State University Sun Devil needed just 50 seconds to knock down and guillotine Vladimir Matyushenko, a veteran with nearly twice Bader’s fight experience who had never before been submitted.

Other contenders:

Rafael Cavalcante, Forrest Griffin, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Gegard Mousasi, Attila Vegh.

Continue Reading » MMA Middleweight Rankings