Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Heavyweight

1. Cain Velasquez (13-1)

While Velasquez has not lost a bout inside the Octagon since 2011, injuries continue to get the better of the undisputed heavyweight champion outside the cage. Already out of action for one year, the American Kickboxing Academy star was forced to bow out of his Nov. 15 meeting with rival “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” coach Fabricio Werdum after suffering a knee injury in training. Instead, Velasquez underwent surgery on his right knee and, upon his return in 2015, will look to unify his belt with that of interim champion Werdum.

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. Having recovered from a thumb injury that has shelved him for almost a year, dos Santos will headline UFC on Fox 13 against Stipe Miocic on Dec. 13 in Phoenix.

3. Fabricio Werdum (19-5-1)

It was not the belt for which he hoped, but Werdum nonetheless captured Ultimate Fighting Championship gold at UFC 180. Faced with hard-hitting late replacement Mark Hunt, the Brazilian fought cautiously until midway through the second round, where he leveled Hunt with a knee and punches to claim the interim heavyweight title. Now unbeaten in five appearances since returning to the UFC, Werdum will attempt to unify the titles in 2015 when champ Cain Velasquez returns from the sideline.

4. Travis Browne (16-2-1)

After a remarkable 2013 campaign 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. The Hawaiian will return to the Octagon at UFC 181 in December, when he takes on Brendan Schaub in Las Vegas.

5. Mark Hunt (10-9-1)

Called up on short notice to replace Cain Velasquez in the main event of UFC 180, Hunt carried a puncher’s chance into his interim title bout with Fabricio Werdum -- and for a moment, it looked like the “Super Samoan” just might pull it off. However, after tagging Werdum with some hard shots early, Hunt succumbed to a second-round knee and follow-up punches, ending the 40-year-old New Zealander’s dream of UFC gold.

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. Stipe Miocic (12-1)

When former champion Junior dos Santos dropped out of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” Finale headliner, Miocic was left with a bout against late replacement Fabio Maldonado. The heavy-handed Ohioan showed why he is considered one of the heavyweight division’s top talents by blasting through the overmatched 205er in just 35 seconds. Miocic will get his match with dos Santos at UFC on Fox 13 in December.

8. Andrei Arlovski (23-10, 1 NC)

After barely edging Brendan Schaub in a June split decision, few expected Arlovski to excel against Antonio Silva, a man to whom he had already lost in 2010. The former UFC heavyweight champ proved the oddsmakers wrong by rendering “Bigfoot” unconscious with a violent barrage of punches on Sept. 13, marking Arlovski’s first four-fight win streak since 2008.

9. Antonio Silva (18-6, 1 NC)

Silva returned from a nine-month suspension for elevated testosterone on Sept. 13 with plenty to prove, especially fighting for the first time in his home country of Brazil. Unfortunately for “Bigfoot,” he encountered a much different Andrei Arlovski than the one he faced in 2010. The Belarusian turned out Silva’s lights with punches in less than three minutes, leaving Silva winless in his last three fights. Silva will return to the Octagon at UFC 184 in February, when he meets former champion Frank Mir.

10. Roy Nelson (20-10)

It was a foregone conclusion that Nelson and Mark Hunt’s Sept. 20 bout in Japan would end in a knockout, but it was shocking nonetheless to see “Big Country” put to sleep by the “Super Samoan.” Nelson’s chin, which held up in three-rounders with Stipe Miocic and Junior dos Santos, could not handle a huge, second-round Hunt uppercut.

Other Contenders: Vitaly Minakov, Alexey Oleinik, Brendan Schaub, Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov.

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