Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Heavyweight

1. Cain Velasquez (13-1)

Velasquez removed any doubt as to who is the best heavyweight in the world by administering a brutal beating to Junior dos Santos at UFC 166. The final bout of the trilogy was never really in doubt, as the American Kickboxing Academy representative dominated in the clinch and rarely allowed his opponent any space to unleash his formidable boxing. Velaquez is expected to defend his title against Fabricio Werdum at UFC 180 in Mexico City following a stint opposite the Brazilian on “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America.”

2. Junior dos Santos (16-3)

No one can question the heart of “Cigano,” but the former heavyweight titleholder is likely to remain exactly that as long as Cain Velasquez sits atop the division. The Brazilian was unable to deal with the constant pressure of the American Kickboxing Academy standout at UFC 166, eventually losing via technical knockout in the fifth round. Dos Santos’ return to the Octagon will be delayed, however, as a thumb injury forced him to withdraw from a matchup against Stipe Miocic at “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” Finale.

3. Fabricio Werdum (18-5-1)

After an extended layoff, Werdum cemented his status as the division’s No. 1 contender with a decisive five-round verdict against Travis Browne at UFC on Fox 11. Rather than control the bout through his grappling as expected, “Vai Cavalo” utilized a multi-faceted striking arsenal to batter the 6-foot-7 Hawaiian. Barring injury, Werdum will challenge reigning champ Cain Velasquez when the promotion makes its inaugural journey to Mexico.

4. Antonio Silva (18-5, 1 NC)

In one of the UFC’s most memorable heavyweight slugfests, the massive Brazilian traded blows with Mark Hunt for a full 25 minutes at UFC Fight Night 33. What appeared to be one of the most satisfying draws in history lost much of its luster when “Bigfoot” was flagged for elevated testosterone after the bout, resulting in a nine-month suspension for the former No. 1 contender.

5. Travis Browne (16-2-1)

After a remarkable 2013 that saw “Hapa” notch triumphs over Gabriel Gonzaga, Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett, the Jackson-Wink MMA product came up short in a five-round battle against Fabricio Werdum at UFC on Fox 11. While many expected Browne to hold an advantage on the feet, Werdum outstruck his foe for the majority of their 25-minute encounter to capture a unanimous decision.

6. Josh Barnett (33-7)

Barnett entered UFC 168 as the odds-on favorite in his showdown against Travis Browne, and a win was expected to propel “The Warmaster” into the title discussion. The former UFC heavyweight champion’s significant edge in experience proved meaningless, however, as a series of vicious Browne elbows ended Barnett’s night just 60 seconds into their encounter.

7. Alistair Overeem (37-13, 1 NC)

With his back against the wall, “The Reem” put a beating of epic proportions on former heavyweight titlist Frank Mir at UFC 169. Displaying much-improved cardio, the hulking Dutchman battered Mir for 15 minutes at the Prudential Center in New Jersey to halt a two-fight skid in the Octagon. While no date has been set for his Octagon return, Overeem recently made headlines for his decision to move his training camp to Jackson-Wink MMA.

8. Stipe Miocic (11-1)

Miocic has rebounded nicely from a second-round knockout loss at the hands of Stefan Struve in September 2012, posting back-to-back unanimous verdicts over Roy Nelson and Gabriel Gonzaga. The 31-year-old Ohioan probably needs at least one more victory over a top-10 foe to merit serious title consideration, but that will have to wait. A marquee matchup with Junior dos Santos at “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” Finale was scrapped when “Cigano” suffered an injury. Instead, Miocic will face Fabio Maldonado, a converted light heavyweight.

9. Mark Hunt (9-8-1)

Hunt’s improbable drive toward title contention was cut short by Junior dos Santos at UFC 160, but the “Super Samoan” rebounded to give one of 2013’s most memorable performances in his next outing. The 39-year-old Pride Fighting Championships veteran went toe-to-toe with Antonio Silva for 25 enthralling minutes at UFC Fight Night 33, with the end result being one of the most satisfying draws in recent memory.

10. Roy Nelson (20-9)

“Big Country” halted a two-fight skid in emphatic fashion at UFC Fight Night “Nogueira vs. Nelson” on April 11, knocking out former Pride Fighting Championships titlist Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira with a massive right hand 3:37 into the opening frame. Nelson’s knockout power always gives him a puncher’s chance, but his conditioning and lack of diversity will likely continue to hold him back against the division’s best.

Other Contenders: Gabriel Gonzaga, Vitaly Minakov, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brendan Schaub, Alexander Volkov.

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