Edgar vs Henderson 2, Sonnen vs Silva 2, Condit vs GSP…these three fights could forever change the landscape of any Pound-for-Pound MMA fighter list. We all know Anderson Silva is the cream of the crop in mixed martial arts, but who comes after him?
1. Anderson Silva (31-4)
No surprise here, Anderson Silva tops the list as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Silva has run through absolutely everyone at 185 pounds, and even some of the best at 205 pounds as well. However, after his recent dismantling of Yushin Okami at UFC 134, it is time to start thinking about life after Silva at the top of this list. He has achieved basically everything one could ask for in the sport of mixed martial arts. After beating fighters like Rich Franklin (twice), Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia, Vitor Belfort, and Yushin Okami, is there really anything left for him to do? The answer is yes, just one thing: beat his arch rival, and MMA bad boy, Chael Sonnen decisively. After 4+ rounds of being beaten like a schoolboy at UFC 134, Silva pulled off a miraculous comeback and choked out Sonnen with less than 90 ticks on the clock. If Silva can beat Sonnen without any hiccups like their last fight, he can ride into the sunset as arguably the greatest fighter of all time.
Next fight: Chael Sonnen, UFC 148
2. George St. Pierre (22-2)
The injury bug is a nasty foe to many UFC fighters, but not as nasty as it has been to our Welterweight king of the world. George St. Pierre tore his ACL while training for his bout with now interm Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit this past winter. GSP has been hounded for his lack of finishing skills in the octagon. Although he stopped BJ Penn at UFC 94 via doctor stoppage, he has not truly finished an opponent since his TKO stoppage of Matt Serra at UFC 83 in 2008. Despite his lack of finishes in the UFC, no one can doubt his true athletic ability and talent as a mixed martial arts fighter. (Please see Josh Koscheck’s face after their UFC 129 fight as a reference.) With GSP sidelined, in all likelihood until late 2012, up and coming fighters like Hendricks and Ellenberger will have to wait their turns. The question is, with the new breed of elite Welterweights making their names known, can GSP truly continue his reign as king of the division? If not Condit, could Ellenberger or Hendricks dethrone St. Pierre? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: once GSP returns from his injury he could face the toughest stretch of fights in his career.
Next fight: Carlos Condit, TBA
3. Jon Jones (16-1)
Speaking of the new breed of elite fighters in the UFC, Jon Jones has truly epitomized the new, exciting talent that the UFC has brought in over the past few years. Although his record clearly says 16-1, many consider him to be still undefeated. His only loss came at the hands of the now-retired Matt Hamill via DQ at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale. Since winning the UFC Light Heavyweight title at UFC 128 from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, all Jones has done is rattle off 3 consecutive title defenses, all of which have been against former champions. His most recent victory came at the hands of former teammate, and now rival, Rashad Evans. Jones picked apart Evans for 5 rounds to earn the Unanimous decision victory. However, that was the first time in 3 + years that Jones has been pushed to a decision. Since joining the UFC, Jones has rattled off 10 victories, while finishing off 7 of those opponents. With GSP being injured and having not fought in over a year already, many think that Jones belongs at the number two spot on this list. Although he has fought and finished much tougher opponents than GSP has, Jones still has a little work to do to take over that spot from St. Pierre. If Jones can easily handle Dan Henderson in their match up on September 1st, there might only be one more fight left for him at 205. Once he is finished with his work at Light Heavyweight, a move to heavyweight might be in order. If that move happens, and Jones is successful, expect him to jump up to number 2 on this list down the line, and eventually overtake Silva for the number 1 spot in a year or two.
Next fight: Dan Henderson, UFC 151
4. Jose Aldo (21-1)
The first WEC alum on this list is Jose Aldo, the King at 145 pounds. Aldo was last seen finishing Chad Mendes in the first round with a vicious knee. Aldo has strung together three straight wins since joining the UFC. He has beaten Mark Hominick so bad that something grew out of his head (take a look at the pictures), beaten Kenny Florian basically into retirement, and kneed Chad Mendes into next year. Add onto that victories over UFC alum Manny Gamburyan, California pretty boy Urijah Faber, and Mike Brown in the WEC; Aldo is one bad man at 145 pounds. Many believe a future matchup with former UFC Lightweight Champ Frankie Edgar is in order. With Jose due to face Erik Koch at UFC 149 in July, then possibly “The Korean Zombie” after that, a matchup with Edgar next summer or in the beginning of 2014 would fit perfectly. No matter who comes his way, expect Aldo to stay firmly on this list, at least through this summer.
Next fight: Erik Koch, UFC 149
5. Dominick Cruz (19-1)
We were all looking forward to the rubber match between the number five fighter on this list, Dominick Cruz, and the “California Kid” Urijah Faber. However, plans change and injuries occur. Just like the number two fighter on the list, George St. Pierre, Cruz has been sidelined with a torn ACL. His current stint on The Ultimate Fighter Live was slated to set us up for an epic rematch with Faber. Their last bout saw Cruz win a close and controversial decision back at UFC 132. Even with his recent injury, Cruz stands at number 5 on this list for the simple reason of his beating some of the best bantamweight fighters in the world. When one thinks about the best fighters at this weight class, names like Urijah Faber, Scott Jorgensen, Brian Bowles, Joseph Benavidez, and Demetrious Johnson all come to mind. Well, Cruz has beaten them all, and done it within the last 3 years. The only blemish on his otherwise perfect resume is a first round loss, via choke, to the opposing coach on this season of The Ultimate Fighter, Urijah Faber. If Faber can win his upcoming interim title match with Renen Barao at UFC 148, and possibly defend that title one more time, Cruz will get to once again prove he is the best 135-pound fighter in the world against Faber.
Next fight: TBD
6. Dan Henderson (29-8)
After his epic 5-round war with Shogun at UFC 139, can anyone really doubt Dan Henderson? He has beaten some of the best fighters at 185 pounds, as well as 205 pounds. Add onto that a win at heavyweight, yes I said heavyweight, against, the man once considered number 1 on this list, Fedor Emelianenko. Not only did he beat Fedor, but he knocked him out in the first round. Yes, that win over Fedor may not carry as much weight as it once did, but it is still a huge win for Hendo. Henderson is 7-1 in his last 8 fights, with wins coming over Fedor, Rousimar Palhares, Rich Franklin, Michael Bisping (look up that fight, please; I think Bisping is still unconscious), Renato Sobral, and Shogun. Henderson now will face his biggest test since taking on Anderson Silva back at UFC 82. On September 1st, Dan Henderson will take on Jon “Bones” Jones, in what could be an absolute war. Jones has not been tested by anyone with the power of Hendo. And if the “H Bomb” connects, expect Hendo to walk out of Las Vegas as the newly-crowned UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
Next fight: Jon Jones, UFC 151
7. Benson Henderson (16-2)
Welcome to the list, Mr. Benson Henderson. Benson was last seen in the Octagon taking on and beating Frankie Edgar to become the new UFC Lightweight champion. Don’t blink twice though, Benson; you will be seeing Frankie again very soon. At the monumental UFC 150, Henderson will once again face the man he took the title from. Everyone remembers the negative about Henderson, when he was on the receiving end of “The Showtime Kick“, thanks to Anthony Pettis, but Benson has faced and beaten some of the best fighters at 155 pounds. With a resume of wins that includes Donald Cerrone (twice), Clay Guida, Jim Miller, Mark Bocek, and Jamie Varner, Henderson has plowed through the 155-pound weight classes of both WEC and the UFC. With a combined record of 9-1 in his last 10 fights, Henderson has proven time in and time out that he is a great fighter. With a second, more decisive, victory over Edgar, Benson could easily climb the ranks of the pound-for-pound list.
Next fight: Frankie Edgar, UFC 150
8. Frankie Edgar (14-2-1)
Frankie Edgar epitomizes the heart and soul of a mixed martial arts fighter. Not only did he beat the legendary BJ Penn twice, but he came back from the brink of defeat against Gray Maynard on two occasions as well. His two bouts against Maynard may go down as all time greats. In his first fight with Maynard at UFC 125, Frankie was beaten beyond belief in the first round, only to come back and show his true spirit by going the distance and squeaking out a draw. In their third and final bout, Edgar was once again in trouble early, but weathered the storm and put an exclamation point on the trilogy by knocking out Gray in the fourth round. With wins over Maynard, Penn, Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin, and Sean Sherk, among others, Edgar’s resume speaks for itself. A victory over Henderson at UFC 150 would not only put the strap back around Frankie’s waist, but it would solidify him as the best 155-pound fighter in the world.
Next fight: Benson Henderson, UFC 150
9. Gilbert Melendez (21-2)
This man could be the best fighter in the world never to have fought inside the Octagon. Melendez is the man behind the banner in Strikeforce. After Nate Diaz’s recent victory on UFC on Fox 3, he stated, “Gilbert Melendez is the best fighter in the world.” That statement is hard to argue with.. The Santa Anna, California native may not have beaten big names to the casual fan, but for those who follow all organizations closely, his resume is quite impressive. Wins over Clay Guida, Josh Thomson (Twice), Shinya Aoki, and Jorge Masvidal have proven how well-rounded he really is. Melendez has never been finished in his 22-fight pro career. With his recent, yet controversial, decision victory over Thompson this past weekend, there is only one thing left for him to do: join the UFC. If Melendez finally does make his way over to the UFC, expect him to get top-level competition right away.
Next fight: TBD
10. Carlos Condit (28-5)
The Interm UFC Welterweight Champion has had a lot on his mind since squaring off against Nick Diaz this past February. Fans all over the world wondered whether Condit would take another fight and defend his title, or wait for GSP and unify the two titles. Condit chose the latter of the two, and is going to wait for his big payday. Condit vs. GSP doesn’t have a date set yet, but it will more than likely be in St. Pierre’s home country of Canada. As a former WEC Welterweight Champion, Condit is no stranger to tough fights. Beating veterans of the sport such as Brock Larson and Frank Trigg, as well as Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, and Dan Hardy, equals one heck of resume. If Condit can somehow get through GSP, expect him to have a long line of challengers. At the head of that line will be Nick Diaz, Jake Ellenberger, and Johnny Hendricks. We may have to wait a while to see how it all plays out, but something tells me Condit won’t be a stranger to this list down the line.
Next fight: George St. Pierre, TBA
