Ok fight fans, it's been well over a month and we've had some dynamite fights happen. A few new champions were crowned, and we could see a few more crowned in the coming months. Without further adieu, let's get down to business.
HEAVYWEIGHTS 206lbs - 265lbs
1. Brock Lesnar 5-1. After dispatching Shane Carwin in his last bout, Lesnar is prepping for his next defense against Cain Velasquez at UFC 121.
2. Fedor Emelianenko 31-2. Fedor is still a force at 265, and he'll have his chance to capture his third championship when he faces off with Alistair Overeem. The fight still has not been announced, but is expected.
3. Junior dos Santos 12-1. Cigano is still waiting to hear who he draws next. I have a feeling after defeating Roy Nelson, dos Santos will likely draw the winner of Lesnar vs. Velasquez.
4. Alistair Overeem 33-11. The Demolition Man will most likely be defending against Fedor in his next bout.
5. Fabricio Werdum 14-4. After shocking the MMA world with his submission victory over Fedor, Vai Cavalo is on the shelf right now with injury. Should be back in early 2011.
6. Cain Velasquez 8-0. Cain will be going at it with the champ at UFC 121. Can the young upstart take the gold from around Brock's waist??? Time will tell.
7. Frank Mir 14-5. Mir once again came back well off of a loss at UFC 119. While not an overpowering win over CroCop, it's still a solid KO win for Mir who's title hopes are now back in the mix.
8. Josh Barnett 29-5. The Babyface Assassin will be coming back to the states to fight as he's inked a 4 fight deal with Strikeforce. Stay tuned for his first bout.
9. Shane Carwin 12-1. Carwin was sent reeling after his loss to Lesnar. He's now in the midst of a steroid investigation. No word on when he fights next.
10. Roy Nelson 15-5. Big Country suffered his first loss in the UFC to JDS. No word on who's up next for him. Stay tuned to see if he can rebound.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS 186lbs - 205lbs.
1. Mauricio Rua 19-4. Shogun realized his dream and captured the UFC 205lb title. With another injury, he's out still. No word on his return, but it's looking like Rashad Evans will be getting the first crack at his title.
2. Rashad Evans 15-1-1. Suga is rumored to be getting the first shot at Shoguns newly won title. With Shogun on the Injured List, it may be a few months before this fight takes place.
3. Rich Franklin 28-5. After suffering a 1st round loss to Vitor, Ace rebounded quite well by defeating former UFC 205lb king, Chuck Liddell. No word on who's up next.
4. Lyoto Machida 16-1. Machida will be looking to bounce back at UFC 123 when he takes on Rampage Jackson.
5. Jon Jones 11-1. Bones moves up in the rankings after his beautiful dismantling of Vlad Matyushenko.
6. Gegard Mousasi 30-3-1. After dropping the Strikeforce 205lb title, the Dreamcather rebounded to capture the DREAM 205lb championship. His 3rd title in 3 years.
7. Ryan Bader 12-0. Bader took a huge step up after a solid showing at UFC 119 against Lil Nog. Bader has staked his claim to a future title shot in the UFC. I think he may need 1 or 2 more wins before that happens.
8. Rafael Cavalcante 10-2 (debut). The new Strikeforce 205lb champion has finished all 10 of his opponents. His next fight comes against Josh Thomson at SF: Diaz vs. Noons II.
9. Quinton Jackson 30-8. Rampage stays put, but will be looking to make a leap when he fights Machida in November.
10. Rogerio Noguiera 19-4. Lil Nog drops 4 slots after falling to upstart Ryan Bader at UFC 119. I don't think we'll have to wait very long before Lil Nog is back on track.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS 171lbs - 185lbs.
1. Anderson Silva 27-4. Anderson will be looking to improve on his last performance when he defends his title against Vitor Belfort at UFC 125.
2. Jake Shields 25-4-1. This will most likely be Shieds last appearance at 185. He'll be returning to 170 next month at UFC 121 when he makes his Octogon debut against the tough Martin Kampmann. If he wins, look in the 170lb division for him.
3. Chael Sonnen 24-11-1. After a superb peformance for 99% of the fight, Sonnen got caught against champ, Anderson Silva. Now he's faced with a year suspension for a steroid-like substance by the Calfornia SAC, costing him his rematch with Silva. No word on what the drug was that was found.
4. Hector Lombard 26-2-1. Lombard picked up another win, but he'll finally be defending his belt at Bellator 34 against Season 2 tourney winner, Alex Shlemenko.
5. Alan Belcher 16-6. No world on who Belcher draws next.
6. Ronaldo Souza 13-2 (debut). Jacare won the vacated Strikeforce 185lb title and is now awaiting his first defense.
7. Paulo Filho 20-1-1. No word yet on who Ely will be fighting next. Rumor has it, his camp still wants to make up the fight he missed against Bellator champ, Hector Lombard.
8. Yushin Okami 25-5. Thunder will have his chance to stake his claim on the next UFC title fight when he takes on Nate Marquardt at UFC 122.
9. Chris Leben 21-6. The Crippler is rumored to be fighting MMA stalwart, Brian Stann at UFC 125.
10. Nate Marquardt 30-9-2 (debut). Nate returns to the list after completely dismantling Rousimar Palhares. He draws Yushin Okami next.
WELTERWEIGHTS 156lbs - 170lbs.
1. Georges St. Pierre 20-2. GSP is currently coaching on TUF 12. He'll be defending after the show against Josh Koscheck at UFC 124.
2. Jon Fitch 23-3. Yes he's boring, yes he pulls out decisions, but he also pulls out wins. He could draw the winner of Hughes vs. Penn III.
3. Josh Koscheck 15-4. The other coach on TUF 12. Once the show is done, he gets his chance to capture a championship.
4. Nick Diaz 22-7. The current Strikeforce champ gets to avenge his loss to KJ Noons tomorrow night!!!
5. Lyman Good 10-0. The current Bellator champ will have his chance to silence his critics next month when he defends his title against up and comer Ben Askren at Bellator 33.
6. Dan Hardy 23-7. The Outlaw makes his return to the cage after losing to GSP. It won't get any easier as he takes on the dangerous Carlost Condit at UFC 120.
7. Martin Kampmann 17-3. The Hitman gets his chance to stake a title shot when he draws MMA stalwart and UFC newcomer, Jake Shields.
8. Jay Hieron 19-4. The Thoroughbread hasn't fought since January, but rumors have it that the UFC is interested in brining him back.
9. Dan Hornbuckle 22-3. After a disappointing loss to Ben Askren, Hornbuckle rebounded to Unanimous decision Brad Blackburn in his last fight. No word on who's next for the Handler.
10 Matt Hughes 45-7. Hughes has steadily made his case for another title fight. Fans thought he was on the verge of retirement, but has realed off 3 straight against Serra, Gracie, and Almeida. He will be settling the score with nemesis BJ Penn at UFC 123.
LIGHTWEIGHTS 146lbs - 155lbs.
1. Frankie Edgar 13-1. Edgar made sure to leave nothing open for discussion after he defeated BJ Penn for a second straight time at UFC 118. Edgar will next take on Gray Maynard, the only fighter to defeat him.
2. Gilbert Melendez 18-2. No word on who El Nino will be defending against just yet. His camp still wants a Superfight against Bellator champ, Eddie Alvarez.
3. Benson Henderson 12-1. Smooth is up a spot and will be defending his title at WEC 53 against Anthony Pettis.
4. Eddie Alvarez 20-2. Next up for the Bellator champ, Roger Huerta in a nontitle tilt at Bellator 33.
5. Gray Maynard 10-0. The Bully holds the only win over UFC champ Frankie Edgar, he's next up for a title shot after defeating Kenny Florian.
6. Shinya Aoki 25-5. After dropping a fight to Melendez, Aoki has won 2 in a row.
7. Takanori Gomi 32-6. Gomi rebounded nicely after dropping his UFC debut. No word on who the Fireball Kid fights next.
8. Evan Dunham 11-1. Dunham stays ranked despite his loss to Sherk. Many fans thought he won that fight, inluding myself. Keep your eyes on this big 155lber.
9. BJ Penn 15-6-1. After 2 straight losses, Penn looks almost human. He drops to 9 because he may not be in the rankings here much longer as he makes his return to 170 at UFC 123 against Matt Hughes.
10. Kenny Florian 13-5. Florian had a chance at his 3rd title shot, but fell to Gray Maynard. He's very talented, but I think he may be relegated to "gatekeeper" status for his career.
FEATHERWEIGHTS 136lbs -145lbs.
1. Jose Aldo 17-1. Aldo defends his belt tomorrow night against the very game Manny Gamburyan at WEC 51.
2. Joe Warren 6-1 (debut) The new Bellator champ rebounded from a disasterous first round against Joe Soto, to brutally KO the champ and capture his first title. Keep your eyes on him.
3. Manny Gamburyan 11-4. The Pitbull gets his chance to knock off one of the very best Pound for Pound tomorrow night against Aldo.
4. Wagnney Fabiano 14-2-1. This may be the last time Fabiano will be ranked at 145 as he's made the move to 135. He's not fooling around as he will take on former 135lb champ, Brian Bowles at WEC 52.
5. Marlon Sandro 17-1. No word on when he fights next.
BANTAMWEIGHTS 126lbs - 135lbs
1. Dominick Cruz 16-1. A successful defense against Benvidez at WEC 50. He next defends at WEC 53 against Scott Jorgensen.
2. Scott Jorgensen 11-3. After defeating Brad Pickett at WEC 50, Young Guns earned his first title shot at WEC 53.
3. Brian Bowles 8-1. The former champ returns to action at WEC 52 against Wagnney Fabiano.
4. Joseph Benavidez 12-2. The only man to defeat Benavidez is Cruz. We'll be seeing this warrior soon.
5. Miguel Torres 37-3. Torrest returns to action at WEC 51 against Charlie Valencia.
FEATHERWEIGHTS under 125lbs.
1. Jussier da Silva 7-0. The SHOOTO champ is still awaiting to hear who he defends against next.
2. Mamoru Yamaguchi 23-5-3. Still awaiting who he fights next. SHOOTO needs more coverage.
3. Yasuhiro Urushitani 17-4-6. 2 straight over Ryuchi Miki. Kid is tough.
4. Yuki Shojo 10-5-2. No word on who he fights next.
5. Ryuchi Miki 10-4-3. As long he doesn't fight Urushitani, he's fine!!!
WOMEN
1. Megumi Fujii 21-0
2. Cristiane Santos 11-1
3. Sarah Kaufman 12-0
4. Roxanne Modafferi 15-6
5. Tara LaRosa 18-2
POUND FOR POUND - UNLIMITED WEIGHT
1. Geoges St. Pierre 20-2 170lbs
2. Jose Aldo 17-1 145lbs
3. Frankie Edgar 13-1 155lbs
4. Gilbert Melendez 18-2 155lbs
5. Anderson Silva 27-4 185lbs
6. Fedor Emelianenko 31-2 265lbs
7. Brock Lesnar 5-1 265lbs
8. Benson Henderson 12-1 155lbs
9. Jake Shields 25-4-1 170/185lbs
10. Mauricio Rua 19-4 205lbs
HEAVYWEIGHTS 206lbs - 265lbs
1. Brock Lesnar 5-1. After dispatching Shane Carwin in his last bout, Lesnar is prepping for his next defense against Cain Velasquez at UFC 121.
2. Fedor Emelianenko 31-2. Fedor is still a force at 265, and he'll have his chance to capture his third championship when he faces off with Alistair Overeem. The fight still has not been announced, but is expected.
3. Junior dos Santos 12-1. Cigano is still waiting to hear who he draws next. I have a feeling after defeating Roy Nelson, dos Santos will likely draw the winner of Lesnar vs. Velasquez.
4. Alistair Overeem 33-11. The Demolition Man will most likely be defending against Fedor in his next bout.
5. Fabricio Werdum 14-4. After shocking the MMA world with his submission victory over Fedor, Vai Cavalo is on the shelf right now with injury. Should be back in early 2011.
6. Cain Velasquez 8-0. Cain will be going at it with the champ at UFC 121. Can the young upstart take the gold from around Brock's waist??? Time will tell.
7. Frank Mir 14-5. Mir once again came back well off of a loss at UFC 119. While not an overpowering win over CroCop, it's still a solid KO win for Mir who's title hopes are now back in the mix.
8. Josh Barnett 29-5. The Babyface Assassin will be coming back to the states to fight as he's inked a 4 fight deal with Strikeforce. Stay tuned for his first bout.
9. Shane Carwin 12-1. Carwin was sent reeling after his loss to Lesnar. He's now in the midst of a steroid investigation. No word on when he fights next.
10. Roy Nelson 15-5. Big Country suffered his first loss in the UFC to JDS. No word on who's up next for him. Stay tuned to see if he can rebound.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS 186lbs - 205lbs.
1. Mauricio Rua 19-4. Shogun realized his dream and captured the UFC 205lb title. With another injury, he's out still. No word on his return, but it's looking like Rashad Evans will be getting the first crack at his title.
2. Rashad Evans 15-1-1. Suga is rumored to be getting the first shot at Shoguns newly won title. With Shogun on the Injured List, it may be a few months before this fight takes place.
3. Rich Franklin 28-5. After suffering a 1st round loss to Vitor, Ace rebounded quite well by defeating former UFC 205lb king, Chuck Liddell. No word on who's up next.
4. Lyoto Machida 16-1. Machida will be looking to bounce back at UFC 123 when he takes on Rampage Jackson.
5. Jon Jones 11-1. Bones moves up in the rankings after his beautiful dismantling of Vlad Matyushenko.
6. Gegard Mousasi 30-3-1. After dropping the Strikeforce 205lb title, the Dreamcather rebounded to capture the DREAM 205lb championship. His 3rd title in 3 years.
7. Ryan Bader 12-0. Bader took a huge step up after a solid showing at UFC 119 against Lil Nog. Bader has staked his claim to a future title shot in the UFC. I think he may need 1 or 2 more wins before that happens.
8. Rafael Cavalcante 10-2 (debut). The new Strikeforce 205lb champion has finished all 10 of his opponents. His next fight comes against Josh Thomson at SF: Diaz vs. Noons II.
9. Quinton Jackson 30-8. Rampage stays put, but will be looking to make a leap when he fights Machida in November.
10. Rogerio Noguiera 19-4. Lil Nog drops 4 slots after falling to upstart Ryan Bader at UFC 119. I don't think we'll have to wait very long before Lil Nog is back on track.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS 171lbs - 185lbs.
1. Anderson Silva 27-4. Anderson will be looking to improve on his last performance when he defends his title against Vitor Belfort at UFC 125.
2. Jake Shields 25-4-1. This will most likely be Shieds last appearance at 185. He'll be returning to 170 next month at UFC 121 when he makes his Octogon debut against the tough Martin Kampmann. If he wins, look in the 170lb division for him.
3. Chael Sonnen 24-11-1. After a superb peformance for 99% of the fight, Sonnen got caught against champ, Anderson Silva. Now he's faced with a year suspension for a steroid-like substance by the Calfornia SAC, costing him his rematch with Silva. No word on what the drug was that was found.
4. Hector Lombard 26-2-1. Lombard picked up another win, but he'll finally be defending his belt at Bellator 34 against Season 2 tourney winner, Alex Shlemenko.
5. Alan Belcher 16-6. No world on who Belcher draws next.
6. Ronaldo Souza 13-2 (debut). Jacare won the vacated Strikeforce 185lb title and is now awaiting his first defense.
7. Paulo Filho 20-1-1. No word yet on who Ely will be fighting next. Rumor has it, his camp still wants to make up the fight he missed against Bellator champ, Hector Lombard.
8. Yushin Okami 25-5. Thunder will have his chance to stake his claim on the next UFC title fight when he takes on Nate Marquardt at UFC 122.
9. Chris Leben 21-6. The Crippler is rumored to be fighting MMA stalwart, Brian Stann at UFC 125.
10. Nate Marquardt 30-9-2 (debut). Nate returns to the list after completely dismantling Rousimar Palhares. He draws Yushin Okami next.
WELTERWEIGHTS 156lbs - 170lbs.
1. Georges St. Pierre 20-2. GSP is currently coaching on TUF 12. He'll be defending after the show against Josh Koscheck at UFC 124.
2. Jon Fitch 23-3. Yes he's boring, yes he pulls out decisions, but he also pulls out wins. He could draw the winner of Hughes vs. Penn III.
3. Josh Koscheck 15-4. The other coach on TUF 12. Once the show is done, he gets his chance to capture a championship.
4. Nick Diaz 22-7. The current Strikeforce champ gets to avenge his loss to KJ Noons tomorrow night!!!
5. Lyman Good 10-0. The current Bellator champ will have his chance to silence his critics next month when he defends his title against up and comer Ben Askren at Bellator 33.
6. Dan Hardy 23-7. The Outlaw makes his return to the cage after losing to GSP. It won't get any easier as he takes on the dangerous Carlost Condit at UFC 120.
7. Martin Kampmann 17-3. The Hitman gets his chance to stake a title shot when he draws MMA stalwart and UFC newcomer, Jake Shields.
8. Jay Hieron 19-4. The Thoroughbread hasn't fought since January, but rumors have it that the UFC is interested in brining him back.
9. Dan Hornbuckle 22-3. After a disappointing loss to Ben Askren, Hornbuckle rebounded to Unanimous decision Brad Blackburn in his last fight. No word on who's next for the Handler.
10 Matt Hughes 45-7. Hughes has steadily made his case for another title fight. Fans thought he was on the verge of retirement, but has realed off 3 straight against Serra, Gracie, and Almeida. He will be settling the score with nemesis BJ Penn at UFC 123.
LIGHTWEIGHTS 146lbs - 155lbs.
1. Frankie Edgar 13-1. Edgar made sure to leave nothing open for discussion after he defeated BJ Penn for a second straight time at UFC 118. Edgar will next take on Gray Maynard, the only fighter to defeat him.
2. Gilbert Melendez 18-2. No word on who El Nino will be defending against just yet. His camp still wants a Superfight against Bellator champ, Eddie Alvarez.
3. Benson Henderson 12-1. Smooth is up a spot and will be defending his title at WEC 53 against Anthony Pettis.
4. Eddie Alvarez 20-2. Next up for the Bellator champ, Roger Huerta in a nontitle tilt at Bellator 33.
5. Gray Maynard 10-0. The Bully holds the only win over UFC champ Frankie Edgar, he's next up for a title shot after defeating Kenny Florian.
6. Shinya Aoki 25-5. After dropping a fight to Melendez, Aoki has won 2 in a row.
7. Takanori Gomi 32-6. Gomi rebounded nicely after dropping his UFC debut. No word on who the Fireball Kid fights next.
8. Evan Dunham 11-1. Dunham stays ranked despite his loss to Sherk. Many fans thought he won that fight, inluding myself. Keep your eyes on this big 155lber.
9. BJ Penn 15-6-1. After 2 straight losses, Penn looks almost human. He drops to 9 because he may not be in the rankings here much longer as he makes his return to 170 at UFC 123 against Matt Hughes.
10. Kenny Florian 13-5. Florian had a chance at his 3rd title shot, but fell to Gray Maynard. He's very talented, but I think he may be relegated to "gatekeeper" status for his career.
FEATHERWEIGHTS 136lbs -145lbs.
1. Jose Aldo 17-1. Aldo defends his belt tomorrow night against the very game Manny Gamburyan at WEC 51.
2. Joe Warren 6-1 (debut) The new Bellator champ rebounded from a disasterous first round against Joe Soto, to brutally KO the champ and capture his first title. Keep your eyes on him.
3. Manny Gamburyan 11-4. The Pitbull gets his chance to knock off one of the very best Pound for Pound tomorrow night against Aldo.
4. Wagnney Fabiano 14-2-1. This may be the last time Fabiano will be ranked at 145 as he's made the move to 135. He's not fooling around as he will take on former 135lb champ, Brian Bowles at WEC 52.
5. Marlon Sandro 17-1. No word on when he fights next.
BANTAMWEIGHTS 126lbs - 135lbs
1. Dominick Cruz 16-1. A successful defense against Benvidez at WEC 50. He next defends at WEC 53 against Scott Jorgensen.
2. Scott Jorgensen 11-3. After defeating Brad Pickett at WEC 50, Young Guns earned his first title shot at WEC 53.
3. Brian Bowles 8-1. The former champ returns to action at WEC 52 against Wagnney Fabiano.
4. Joseph Benavidez 12-2. The only man to defeat Benavidez is Cruz. We'll be seeing this warrior soon.
5. Miguel Torres 37-3. Torrest returns to action at WEC 51 against Charlie Valencia.
FEATHERWEIGHTS under 125lbs.
1. Jussier da Silva 7-0. The SHOOTO champ is still awaiting to hear who he defends against next.
2. Mamoru Yamaguchi 23-5-3. Still awaiting who he fights next. SHOOTO needs more coverage.
3. Yasuhiro Urushitani 17-4-6. 2 straight over Ryuchi Miki. Kid is tough.
4. Yuki Shojo 10-5-2. No word on who he fights next.
5. Ryuchi Miki 10-4-3. As long he doesn't fight Urushitani, he's fine!!!
WOMEN
1. Megumi Fujii 21-0
2. Cristiane Santos 11-1
3. Sarah Kaufman 12-0
4. Roxanne Modafferi 15-6
5. Tara LaRosa 18-2
POUND FOR POUND - UNLIMITED WEIGHT
1. Geoges St. Pierre 20-2 170lbs
2. Jose Aldo 17-1 145lbs
3. Frankie Edgar 13-1 155lbs
4. Gilbert Melendez 18-2 155lbs
5. Anderson Silva 27-4 185lbs
6. Fedor Emelianenko 31-2 265lbs
7. Brock Lesnar 5-1 265lbs
8. Benson Henderson 12-1 155lbs
9. Jake Shields 25-4-1 170/185lbs
10. Mauricio Rua 19-4 205lbs