Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Bantamweight

1. Renan Barao (31-1, 1 NC)

With one spectacular spinning back kick to the face of challenger Eddie Wineland, Barao continued to put more distance between himself and the “temporary” label at UFC 165. The Brazilian will attempt to lose that status for good when he welcomes reigning 135-pound titlist Dominick Cruz back to the Octagon at UFC 169.

2. Urijah Faber (28-6)

Faber continued his dominance in non-title bouts at UFC Fight Night 26, taking a unanimous decision over Iuri Alcantara; it was his third straight victory at bantamweight. The Team Alpha Male product gets a more well-known foe in December, when he faces fellow Californian Michael McDonald at UFC on Fox 9.

3. Michael McDonald (16-2)

Perhaps no fighter on the UFC Fight Night 26 bill was more impressive than McDonald, who scored a dominant stoppage of tough veteran Brad Pickett with a second-round triangle choke. As a reward, “Mayday” has been paired with fan favorite and perennial title contender Urijah Faber at UFC on Fox 9. A win would cement McDonald’s place among the division’s elite.

4. Eddie Wineland (20-9-1)

The hard-punching former WEC titlist was simply the latest in a long line of opponents -- 21 to be exact -- who were unable to solve the Renan Barao riddle. After a fairly competitive initial stanza with the interim bantamweight champ, Wineland was rudely separated from his title aspirations by a perfectly timed spinning back kick in the second round. Despite the loss, Wineland remains a dangerous foe for most anyone in the division.

5. Raphael Assuncao (21-4)

Assuncao earned his most significant bantamweight victory to date, taking a hard-fought split decision against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Fight Night 29. Though it was not the most decisive of triumphs, the Brazilian’s success since moving to 135 pounds cannot be overlooked: Assuncao is now 5-0 in the division.

6. Brad Pickett (23-8)

“One Punch” was certainly game in his UFC Fight Night 26 showdown with Michael McDonald, surviving a furious barrage of power punches in the bout’s first 90 seconds. While Pickett’s chin held up in round one, his submission defense ultimately failed him, as “Mayday” locked in a triangle choke to elicit a tap from the Brit in round two.

7. Scott Jorgensen (14-7)

While he remains a difficult matchup for anyone in the bantamweight division, three losses in his last four outings have Jorgensen at a crossroads in his career. With that in mind, “Young Guns” has elected to try his hand at 125 pounds. Ian McCall was expected to be his first flyweight opponent at UFC on Fox 9, but “Uncle Creepy” was forced to withdraw due to injury. Jorgensen will now face former flyweight title challenger John Dodson at the Dec. 14 event.

8. Eduardo Dantas (15-3)

Dantas needed to erase the sting of an upset loss to Tyson Nam, and he did so at the expense of Nova Uniao stablemate Marcos Galvao. In dispatching Galvao via second-round knockout, “Dudu” showcased the hand speed and precise striking that made him a highly regarded prospect. An ankle injury will keep the Bellator bantamweight champion out of action until early 2014. He is expected to face Rafael Silva upon his return.

9. T.J. Dillashaw (8-2)

In a bout that could have just as easily gone the other way, Dillashaw wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against fellow top 10 bantamweight Raphael Assuncao at UFC Fight Night 29. That setback put a disappointing end to Dillashaw’s four-fight winning streak. The Team Alpha Male product will attempt to return to his winning ways against Mike Easton at UFC Fight Night 35.

10. Marlon Moraes (12-4)

The hits just keep on coming for one of the World Series of Fighting’s breakout stars. Moraes overwhelmed wrestler Carson Beebe at the promotion’s sixth event, defending all of his opponent’s takedowns before winning via knockout 32 seconds into the first round. In addition to Beebe, the muay Thai specialist owns triumphs over Miguel Torres, Tyson Nam and Brandon Hempleman under the WSOF banner.

Other contenders:

Iuri Alcantara, Bibiano Fernandes, Marcos Galvao, Takeya Mizugaki, Tyson Nam.

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