UFC top 10 pound-for-pound list
by Ben Blackmore, 29 May 2008
It is the unanswerable debate of The UFC, the one that divides opinion more than a Heath Herring haircut: Who are the current top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in The UFC?
Setantasports.com have come up with our very own exclusive list of the current top 10 fighters in the world, which will be updated following every UFC event.
BJ Penn showed he is the ruler of the lightweights at "UFC 84", see how it has affected the rankings. Have we got it right? Let us know using the feedback form below.
Let the games begin…
1. Anderson Silva: Middleweight (21-4)
Is anybody shocked? The current middleweight champion has the world at his feet, and dangerous feet they are too! To coin a phrase of Joe Rogan, this man brings a ‘ballet of violence’ to The Octagon. Silva has everything. Lethal hands, vicious kicks, he’s destructive in the clinch and is as dangerous on his back as he is on top. Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson have both felt the Brazilian’s force, and he is widely-recognised as the best pound-for-pounder around. Soon he may be forced to step up to 205 to prove it.
2. Georges St Pierre: Welterweight (16-2)
The big mover in our list, St-Pierre not only reclaimed his UFC welterweight title at "UFC 83", he showed that he is an MMA phenomenon. Such was GSP's dominance over Matt Serra, there seemed to be no space inside The Octagon in which for Serra to breathe - let alone move. GSP is class-personified, we knew that before Montreal, but now he is the current two-time UFC welterweight champion. Maybe Silva's biggest test isn't at 205 afterall. Silva v GSP superfight anyone?
3. BJ Penn: Lightweight (14-4-1)
What a technician the current interim lightweight champion is. And now it seems he has the necessary desire to drive him on to become a UFC all-time legend. One of only two men to have ruled two different weight categories, Penn is an absolute master of BJJ. Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Jens Pulver and now Sean Sherk feature among his victims, and now it seems the only way he can move up this list is by avenging his previous defeat to St-Pierre.
4. Rampage Jackson: Light-Heavyweight (27-6)
“Strong as an ox” according to Michael Bisping. I’d say Bisping was being generous to the ox. Rampage has been awesome since landing in The UFC, slaying Chuck Liddell with one punch before unifying the light-heavyweight belts against Dan Henderson. He does have one Achilles heel in Wanderlei Silva, who has beaten Jackson twice, although Bisping would tell you there is a second weakness: ‘Asian women’ (we must point out this is merely hearsay!) Jackson fights Forrest Griffin in his next fight before a potential rematch with Liddell.
5. Antonio Nogueira: Heavyweight (31-4-1)
What this guy doesn’t know about fighting probably isn’t worth knowing. The most experienced of our top five, current UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira. The first man to ever hold the UFC and PRIDE heavyweight crowns, Nogueira has the heart of a champion – as he showed when recovering from a two-round pounding from Tim Sylvia to snap on the guillotine. Dan Henderson and Heath Herring feature among his victims, and there are few in the business who can rival Minotauro’s BJJ.
6. Chuck Liddell: Light-heavyweight (21-5-0)
Quite simply a legend of The UFC, “The Iceman” has given fight fans some of the most memorable moments in MMA history. The four-minute classic against Vernon White, the first round knock-out of Randy Couture, the three-round war with Wanderlei Silva. A year ago Liddell’s name would have featured a lot higher but after losses to Rampage Jackson and Keith Jardine he is rebuilding his reputation – the epic with Silva wasn’t a bad way to start! A relentlessly savage striker, Liddell would have been top of the queue for a shot at becoming a three-time light-heavyweight champion before a hamstring tear stopped him fighting Rashad Evans at “UFC 85”.
7. Forrest Griffin: Light-heavyweight (15-4-0)
The perennial underdog – at least in his own eyes – Griffin has the chance to finally move from ‘nearly man’ to ‘the man’ when he takes on Rampage Jackson for the UFC light-heavyweight championship at “UFC 86”. The original winner of the Ultimate Fighter reality show, Griffin has progressed so much that he now coaches in series seven, although as he admits himself – he’s a ‘horrible coach!’. The heart of a lion and superb grappling skills enabled him to choke out the highly-rated Mauricio Shogun Rua to give him a first shot at the big prize.
8. Dan Henderson: Middleweight (22-7-0)
If there is one man who can be expected to rise in this list over the next few years it must by Dan Henderson, a wrestling powerhouse and former PRIDE middleweight champion. The Team Quest fighter was given the toughest of initiations into The UFC, losing on points to Rampage Jackson before falling into Anderson Silva’s trap. His quality is undoubted though as wins over Wanderlei Silva and Antonio Nogueira will testify, and you won’t find many men willing to back a third straight loss for the Californian.
9. Wanderlei Silva: Light-heavyweight (32-8-1)
After defeat to BJ Penn, Sean Sherk drops out of the list - so we've decided to replace one of The UFC's least popular fighters with a fans' favourite. Faced with Keith Jardine, a man on a title mission, Silva needed all of 36 seconds to knock out "The Dean of Mean" in typically explosive fashion. An undoubted MMA legend, Silva now believes he has adapted his game to the Octagon. Watch out potential opponents...
10. Rich Frankin: Middleweight (25-3)
A tough and controversial newcomer to the list, Franklin's record is nonetheless hugely impressive after his victory over Travis Lutter at "UFC 83". Only two men have beaten him in 28 fights, one of whom tops this list. Franklin's other loss came back in 2003 against Lyoto Machida, who could muscle his way into the top 10 himself when he faces Tito Ortiz at "UFC 84". Franklin's maturity against a shattered Lutter was impressive though, and few are as well-rounded as the former middleweight champ.