Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Bantamweight

1. Dominick Cruz (16-1)
As the WEC gained momentum, it seemed like Miguel Torres would be the fighter to carry the bantamweight division on his back and bring it to the masses. Now, Cruz has that chance. After a successful first title defense against Joseph Benavidez in August, Cruz will try to prove he’s the real deal -- and not just a placeholder -- when he defends his crown against a red-hot Scott Jorgensen.

2. Brian Bowles (8-1)
It was only March, but it seems like eons ago that Bowles wore the WEC bantamweight crown. After rehabbing from a badly broken hand sustained in his encounter with Dominick Cruz, Bowles will return to action on Nov. 11 at WEC 52, where he will take on Wagnney Fabiano.

3. Joseph Benavidez (12-2)
Benavidez now owns two career losses, both of them to Dominick Cruz. In a rematch of their August 2009 clash, Benavidez was more competitive in his quest for the WEC bantamweight title but lost a split decision to the fleeter, more active Cruz after 25 minutes.

4. Scott Jorgensen (11-3)
After steadily rising up the ranks of the bantamweight division, Jorgensen has earned his shot at the throne. When WEC 53 heads to Glendale, Ariz., on Dec. 16, “Young Guns” will have his chance to prove he’s the top 135-pounder in the world. There, the former Boise State Bronco takes on champion Dominick Cruz.

5. Miguel Torres (38-3)
It’s too early to say if hooking up with trainer Firas Zahabi will lead Torres back to the WEC bantamweight title. However, in the pair’s first outing together at WEC 51 on Sept. 30, Torres looked fantastic in breaking down and eventually submitting sturdy veteran Charlie Valencia in the second round.

6. Takeya Mizugaki (13-4-2)
Mizugaki will still get his marquee fight. A knee injury took former featherweight king Urijah Faber out of a bout with the Japanese ace at WEC 50, but Mizugaki will be given another chance to welcome “The California Kid” to 135 pounds in the WEC 52 headliner in November.

7. Damacio Page (15-4)
A string of injuries have kept Page out of the cage over the last 12 months. However, “The Angel of Death” is set for a lively return to action on Nov. 11 at WEC 52, where he squares off with Eddie Wineland in what should make for a brutal and exciting bantamweight tilt.

8. Rani Yahya (15-6)
Yahya’s road to another shot at the WEC bantamweight title just got longer. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace dropped his second straight bout at WEC 48, losing a unanimous verdict to Takeya Mizugaki in a ho-hum affair that drops him behind the pack in the WEC’s 135-pound division.

9. Masakatsu Ueda (11-1-2)
Desperately needing an impressive win to erase the memories of his March upset loss to Shuichiro Katsumura, Ueda was on point in his May 30 bout with WEC veteran Akitoshi Tamura. The former Shooto world champion used all phases of his game -- developing striking included -- to take a well-appointed unanimous decision.

10. Wagnney Fabiano (14-2)
Fabiano has been solid if not spectacular since his cut to 135 pounds. At WEC 52 on Nov. 11, he will take his first step up into elite competition at bantamweight when he squares off with former WEC champion Brian Bowles in a fight with considerable title implications in Zuffa’s blue Octagon.

Other contenders: Antonio Banuelos, Zach Makovsky, Michael McDonald, Charlie Valencia, Eddie Wineland.

* With his Sept. 23 loss to Darren Uyenoyama, previously ninth-ranked Shuichiro Katsumura falls from the top 10 and beyond the contenders list.