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Heavyweight
1. Fedor Emelianenko (28-1, 1 NC)
If there has been one criticism of MMA’s premier heavyweight, it’s that Emelianenko has not met the best of his contemporaries over the last three years. He responded with a 36-second thrashing of Tim Sylvia in July, and he will look to further prove his supremacy over the division on Jan. 24 when he takes on another former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski, in the Affliction “Day of Reckoning” headliner.
2. Andrei Arlovski (14-5)
This year offered Arlovski a great opportunity to rebuild himself, and he did so brilliantly. With his knockouts of Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson, he has earned himself the biggest fight of his career -- a meeting with the sport’s finest heavyweight, Emelianenko, in the main event of Affliction’s sophomore effort on Jan. 24.
3. Josh Barnett (23-5)
Gilbert Yvel will be next for Barnett at Affliction “Day of Reckoning,” should the California State Athletic Commission choose to forgive the dirty Dutchman’s past indiscretions. The real prize for catch wrestling’s proudest proponent, provided Barnett wins, would be a showdown with the winner of the Emelianenko-Arlovski bout.
4. Frank Mir (12-3)
In a fight that he was almost universally counted out of, the former UFC champion turned in the best performance of his career, technically trumping Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira en route to becoming the first man to ever stop “Minotauro.” Now, sometime in 2009, Mir will have to duplicate his February win over Brock Lesnar to become the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight king.
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Nogueira, the early favorite in the UFC’s ad hoc heavyweight tournament, turned in a woeful performance against Mir, who completely took apart the former Pride heavyweight champion before finishing him off with punches in the second round. He’s still a top heavyweight, but Nogueira has a long way to go to erase memories of such a lopsided loss.
6. Brock Lesnar (3-1)
With the first legs of the UFC’s heavyweight tournament over, Lesnar will have the chance to make an enormous statement in just his fifth professional bout. He will take on Mir -- the man who handed him his first career loss at UFC 81 -- in a UFC heavyweight title unification match.
7. Randy Couture (16-9)
Couture’s post-retirement run came to a screeching halt in his first post-resignation bout, as he returned to the Octagon for the first time in 15 months and was knocked out by Lesnar in the second round at UFC 91. The defeat left questions about what “The Natural” has left in the tank.
8. Tim Sylvia (24-5)
There’s no clear next step for Sylvia. The two-time UFC champion’s looking to drum up interest from Japanese promoters, as well as chasing a potentially lamentable bout with elder statesman Ken Shamrock, who would hardly offer Sylvia real competition.
9. Ben Rothwell (29-6)
A bout with Pedro Rizzo at Affliction’s Jan. 24 show did not materialize. Instead, Rothwell got in a tidy tune-up bout, bashing an overmatched Chris Guillen at Adrenaline MMA’s second event on Dec. 11.
10. Alistair Overeem (29-11, 1 NC)
Despite his outstanding trash talking efforts, Overeem was unable to secure a rematch with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at K-1 “Premium 2008 Dynamite” on New Year’s Eve. Instead, Overeem will get a K-1 rules bout with K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up and resident Bad Boy Badr Hari.
Light Heavyweight
1. Rashad Evans (13-0-1)
With his brilliant knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 in September, Evans took an enormous leap into light heavyweight legitimacy. However, he truly validated himself when he halted Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to capture the 205-pound crown and, with it, divisional supremacy.
2. Forrest Griffin (16-5)
Through the first 10 minutes, Griffin looked every bit the champ, as he was the cage general in his first UFC light heavyweight title defense against Evans. However, the third round saw Griffin pounded out, as he relinquished the crown to his fellow “The Ultimate Fighter” winner at UFC 92.
3. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (29-7)
Fans and critics alike questioned whether meeting his archrival, Wanderlei Silva, in wake of his July title loss to Griffin and subsequent run-in with the law was right for Jackson. However, “Rampage” took a strong step toward regaining his UFC light heavyweight crown, crushing Silva in the first round and exorcising prominent demons of his past.
4. Lyoto Machida (13-0)
Unfortunately, Machida's slated October match with Thiago Silva fell apart after Silva injured his back. However, Machida will get his big chance to convince all doubters and UFC brass on an even bigger stage that he’s the undisputed top challenger for the light heavyweight title. He’ll meet Silva at UFC 94 on Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas.
5. Chuck Liddell (21-6)
Despite talks of a fourth meeting with Randy Couture and a superfight with UFC middleweight king Anderson Silva, Liddell's camp hopes to pursue a rematch with Keith Jardine, who upset "The Iceman" in September 2007.
6. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1, 1 NC)
Despite his brutal pair of victories over Jackson in Pride, Silva was summarily starched in his third meeting with “Rampage” at UFC 92, as he was knocked cold in the first round. The defeat sparked more debate as to whether “The Axe Murderer” still belongs in the 205-pound division.
7. Keith Jardine (14-4-1)
After a hard-fought win over Brandon Vera in October, Jardine has been left with no clear dance partner and may wind up in a rematch with Liddell -- a man he defeated last year -- at UFC 96 in March.
8. Thiago Silva (13-0)
A back injury postponed an October showdown with Machida, but, fortunately, the battle of undefeated fighters was given a second green light at UFC 94. In the most significant fight of his career, Silva will compete on a massive stage when he meets his fellow Brazilian on Jan. 31.
9. Luis Arthur Cane (9-1)
MMA’s pool of young and talented light heavyweights got deeper with Cane’s arrival. His Oct. 18 stoppage of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou gave the Brazilian banger his ninth stoppage in nine victories and thrust him into the mix inside one of the sport’s richest divisions.
10. Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3)
After injury threatened to retire him, Matyushenko resuscitated his career in a major way. The 37-year-old Belarusian has put together eight straight wins in a late-career surge, and he will look to make it nine in a row when he rematches Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Affliction’s Jan. 24 bill.
Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva (23-4)
After considerable clamor over which division and which opponent Silva would tackle in his next bout, it is near official that "The Spider" will main event April's UFC 97 in Montreal against fellow Brazilian Thales Leites. The bout will mark Silva’s fifth UFC middleweight title defense.
2. Rich Franklin (24-3, 1 NC)
Franklin was dominant in returning to the light heavyweight division against Matt Hamill in September. Now, the former UFC middleweight champ will look to take a leap into 205-pound contention when he meets Dan Henderson in a headliner at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland.
3. Robbie Lawler (16-4, 1 NC)
Slated to defend his EliteXC middleweight title against Joey Villasenor, Lawler has been left in no man's land after EliteXC ceased operations. Now attention turns to where the "Ruthless" middleweight will end up in a post-EliteXC world.
4. Yushin Okami (23-4)
The 185-pound elephant in the room for the UFC, Okami racked up his seventh win in the Octagon with an easy albeit awful unanimous decision over Dean Lister at UFC 92. The question now is whether the UFC will match Okami with a worthwhile opponent who will come to fight and whether Okami can be stirring enough to earn a title shot against Anderson Silva.
5. Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1)
After a sensational breakout year in 2008, Dream's young middleweight maestro will see kickboxing duties on New Year's Eve at K-1 Dynamite. In a bit of linguistically fun matchmaking, Mousasi meets near-homophonous opposition in K-1 standout Musashi.
6. Nate Marquardt (27-8-2)
Following an outstanding demolition of Martin Kampmann in September, Marquardt will look to continue his march to another middleweight title bid when he takes on Wilson Gouveia at UFC 95 in London on Feb. 21.
7. Dan Henderson (23-7)
Henderson announced his return to middleweight triumphantly in September with a well-appointed decision over a very tough Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares. Now the former Pride 205-pound champ will make an unexpected return to 205 to meet Rich Franklin in a high-stakes headliner in Dublin, Ireland, for UFC 93.
8. Thales Leites (14-1)
Thales Leites has had luck smile upon him: The Nova Uniao product is the likely winner of the Anderson Silva sweepstakes. Barring any changes of heart from Zuffa, the gifted grappler will challenge "The Spider" for his title at UFC 97 in Montreal on April 18.
9. Jorge Santiago (20-7)
A sensational resurgence over the last two years has earned Santiago a marquee matchup with Kazuo Misaki. The winner will be crowned Sengoku's first divisional king.
10. Chael Sonnen (21-9-1)
After emerging victorious in a truly bizarre November rematch with Paulo Filho, Chael Sonnen may face a much more serious challenge in his next bout. The former U.S. Olympic wrestling team alternate could face undefeated prospect Demian Maia at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London.
Welterweight
1. Georges St. Pierre (17-2)
His bout with B.J. Penn is now official, and the welterweight division's ruler -- having vanquished the only two men to defeat him -- will have a golden opportunity to answer perhaps the last nagging question surrounding him. He will attempt to earn a second but more clear and emphatic victory over Penn when they meet on Jan. 31.
2. Thiago Alves (16-3)
If there were any doubts as to who deserves the next crack at the UFC welterweight title after the St. Pierre-Penn rematch, Alves erased them with his sensational showing against Josh Koscheck at UFC 90 on Oct. 25. With an exciting and well-earned decision, the Brazilian has, in part, atoned for his weight-related indiscretions of the past and more than earned his crack at the UFC’s welterweight crown.
3. Jon Fitch (17-3, 1 NC)
Although Fitch could not hold a competitive candle to St. Pierre in their UFC 87 bout, he likely gained a measure of respect from fans and his contemporaries with the guts he demonstrated in making it all five rounds under heavy fire.
4. Josh Koscheck (12-3)
After a competitive but ultimately unsuccessful effort against Thiago Alves in October, Koscheck bounced back in impressive fashion on Dec. 10. He brutally corked Yoshiyuki Yoshida and created a fantastic bit of highlight reel footage that puts him firmly back in the UFC's welterweight mix.
5. Diego Sanchez (19-2)
Although Sanchez previously announced that his future was as a welterweight, the "Nightmare" will take his act to the lightweight division. He will have the chance to inject himself into the midst of the 155-pound division when he meets Joe Stevenson in his lightweight debut at UFC 95 in London on Feb. 21.
6. Jake Shields (22-4-1)
EliteXC's welterweight champ was extremely keen on finally heading to the UFC, but the legal wrangling within the promotion's still gasping parent company ProElite has stalled Shields' immediate jump into the Octagon.
7. Matt Hughes (42-7)
Already in the twilight of his career, Hughes was exploited by another young, up-and-coming welterweight in Alves at UFC 85. Although some have called for the longtime welterweight king to retire, a grudge match with Matt Serra is likely next up for Hughes, who continues to recuperate from a knee injury.
8. Matt Serra (9-5)
The slipper dropped for Serra, who was destroyed in his rematch with St. Pierre in April. However, he might not be done in big bouts, as the potential for a clash with Hughes seems high in the near future.
9. Karo Parisyan (18-5)
After a freak, last-minute injury killed his anticipated Sept. 6 bout with Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 88, Parisyan will get a chance to take on another tough fellow judoka. He is slated to meet rugged South Korean star **** Hyun Kim at UFC 94 on Jan. 31.
10. Carlos Condit (23-4)
While challengers are running thin for the talented Condit within the confines of the WEC, "The Natural Born Killer" will likely defend his title in March, possibly against former victim Brock Larson.
Lightweight
1. B.J. Penn (13-4-1)
Always on the lookout for marquee challenges, the UFC’s lightweight champion will return to the welterweight division to rekindle his rivalry with Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 on Jan. 31. However, when Penn returns to 155, there should be no shortage of suitors in the UFC's red-hot lightweight division.
2. Eddie Alvarez (15-1)
Although he was forced to bow out of the Dream lightweight grand prix due to injury, Alvarez will have the chance to end a banner year with a bang and entrench himself as the world's best lightweight not from Hilo. He'll take on fellow top-10 lightweight Shinya Aoki at K-1 Dynamite on New Year's Eve.
3. Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)
"Hellboy" surprised the world by re-entering Dream's lightweight grand prix as a reserve and smashing Shinya Aoki. On Dec. 31 at K-1 Dynamite, he'll get the opportunity to acquire another major scalp when he rematches Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante, whom he took a razor-thin majority decision over in July 2004.
4. Shinya Aoki (18-3, 1 NC)
Although he had challenged Yoshihiro Akiyama and Badr Hari for New Year’s Eve, Aoki will still be in for a tough evening as he takes on Eddie Alvarez in a high-stakes lightweight affair at K-1 Dynamite.
5. Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (14-2-1, 1 NC)
Back in 2004, a green 21-year-old Cavalcante took entrenched lightweight star Joachim Hansen to a hotly contested majority decision. On New Year's Eve, "JZ" will have a shot to avenge his first loss when he meets his Norwegian nemesis at K-1 Dynamite.
6. Sean Sherk (33-3-1)
The last year has not been kind to Sherk. However, in his first action since his May thumping at Penn’s hands, the Minnesotan put on his most entertaining performance in recent memory, taking a well-deserved unanimous decision over a high-caliber fighter in Tyson Griffin.
7. Kenny Florian (11-3)
Florian affirmed his status as the top contender to B.J. Penn's UFC lightweight crown with his complete dismantling of Joe Stevenson at UFC 91. Florian's first-round blowout victory earns him re-entry into these rankings and, more than likely, the second UFC title bid of his career.
8. Josh Thomson (16-2, 1 NC)
On Nov. 21, Strikeforce's lightweight champion was given the chance to atone for his August 2004 highlight-reel KO loss to Yves Edwards. Unfortunately, Thomson tore ligaments in his toe, which forced him out of the bout and put him on the shelf.
9. Sergey Golyaev (12-6-0)
After a shocking albeit dubious split decision over Takanori Gomi on Nov. 1, Golyaev will have the chance to prove he's for real when he takes on ever-tough Eiji Mitsuoka on Jan. 4. The fight amounts to a title eliminator to meet the winner of Sengoku's lightweight title bout between Gomi and Satoru Kitaoka.
10. Takanori Gomi (29-4-0, 1 NC)
Gomi’s no stranger to falling victim to upsets. In 2003, an unknown Hansen dethroned the then-undefeated Gomi to take his Shooto title, and, in 2006, he was shockingly dispatched by Marcus Aurelio. Now, add to those a shocking split decision loss to Golyaev. Nonetheless, Gomi will have the chance to quickly atone for the loss, as he will meet Sengoku lightweight grand prix champion Satoru Kitaoka on Jan. 4.
Featherweight
1. Mike Thomas Brown (20-4)
Brown had a coming-out party with his championship clobbering of featherweight poster boy Urijah Faber in November, but now he will need to cement his place atop the 145-pound world. He'll be able to take the first step toward that goal in March, when he'll likely defend his WEC title in his adopted backyard of Florida against Leonard Garcia.
2. Urijah Faber (21-2)
As "The California Kid" looks to rebound following his November drubbing at the hands of Mike Thomas Brown, he'll meet a very familiar face. On Jan. 25, he takes on Jens Pulver, whom he defeated just this past June in a fantastic five-round bout.
3. Leonard Garcia (12-3)
Garcia beat Hiroyuki Takaya and federal drug trafficking charges in a resurgent 2008. Then he stepped into the cage with Jens Pulver in November and blew out the former UFC champion in just 72 seconds. Now Garcia is the No. 1 contender to the WEC featherweight crown and will likely meet Mike Thomas Brown in March.
4. Wagnney Fabiano (11-1)
It took him nearly the full 15 minutes, but Fabiano finished off former Shooto world champ Akitoshi Tamura after a dominating performance. With a Mike Thomas Brown-Leonard Garcia bout on the horizon, Fabiano could be a bout away from meeting the winner and trying to add to his mantle.
5. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2)
Mishima impressively finished off the tough Toshiaki Kitada on Dec. 22 in a bout in which his Deep featherweight crown was not at stake. He will likely make his first title defense in the first half of 2009.
6. Hatsu Hioki (17-3-2)
Hioki absolutely blew the doors off of Shooto icon Rumina Sato on Nov. 29, which should put the lanky Nagoyan on course to tangle with Shooto world champion "Lion Takeshi" Takeshi Inoue in the new year. That is, not barring any upsets from the often-flaky Hioki.
7. Jeff Curran (30-10-1)
Having decided to cut to bantamweight, it was expected that Curran would make his 135-pound debut at the WEC's Dec. 3 card. However, an injured hand will postpone his divisional debut, as the "Big Frog" will likely make his bantamweight debut in the new year.
8. Masakazu Imanari (15-6-1)
Imanari dropped to bantamweight in August and needed only 29 seconds to heel hook Hiroshi Umemura to win Deep's bantamweight title. His future has been uncertain, though, as there have been talks of him heading to Dream to compete as a featherweight.
9. Takeshi Inoue (15-3)
It was hard work, but "Lion Takeshi" became the first man to lose and regain a Shooto world title on Nov. 29 when he took a one-point unanimous decision over Hideki Kadowaki to recapture his 143-pound crown. However, if Lion is to finally be the champion Shooto promoters want him to be, he'll need some consistency in the new year.
10. Jose Aldo (12-1)
The 22-year-old Nova Uniao product earned another impressive stoppage in the WEC cage, punching out Jonathan Brookins in November. Now, the potential featherweight star will finally get some airtime come Jan. 25 when he meets fellow Brazilian Fredson Paixao.
....The list for each are pretty much correct, except the Heavyweight division, which is pretty badly put together IMO
...Rich Franklin is now fighting Light Heavyweight, so why he is still ranked as a Middleweight is weird
1. Fedor Emelianenko (28-1, 1 NC)
If there has been one criticism of MMA’s premier heavyweight, it’s that Emelianenko has not met the best of his contemporaries over the last three years. He responded with a 36-second thrashing of Tim Sylvia in July, and he will look to further prove his supremacy over the division on Jan. 24 when he takes on another former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski, in the Affliction “Day of Reckoning” headliner.
2. Andrei Arlovski (14-5)
This year offered Arlovski a great opportunity to rebuild himself, and he did so brilliantly. With his knockouts of Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson, he has earned himself the biggest fight of his career -- a meeting with the sport’s finest heavyweight, Emelianenko, in the main event of Affliction’s sophomore effort on Jan. 24.
3. Josh Barnett (23-5)
Gilbert Yvel will be next for Barnett at Affliction “Day of Reckoning,” should the California State Athletic Commission choose to forgive the dirty Dutchman’s past indiscretions. The real prize for catch wrestling’s proudest proponent, provided Barnett wins, would be a showdown with the winner of the Emelianenko-Arlovski bout.
4. Frank Mir (12-3)
In a fight that he was almost universally counted out of, the former UFC champion turned in the best performance of his career, technically trumping Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira en route to becoming the first man to ever stop “Minotauro.” Now, sometime in 2009, Mir will have to duplicate his February win over Brock Lesnar to become the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight king.
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Nogueira, the early favorite in the UFC’s ad hoc heavyweight tournament, turned in a woeful performance against Mir, who completely took apart the former Pride heavyweight champion before finishing him off with punches in the second round. He’s still a top heavyweight, but Nogueira has a long way to go to erase memories of such a lopsided loss.
6. Brock Lesnar (3-1)
With the first legs of the UFC’s heavyweight tournament over, Lesnar will have the chance to make an enormous statement in just his fifth professional bout. He will take on Mir -- the man who handed him his first career loss at UFC 81 -- in a UFC heavyweight title unification match.
7. Randy Couture (16-9)
Couture’s post-retirement run came to a screeching halt in his first post-resignation bout, as he returned to the Octagon for the first time in 15 months and was knocked out by Lesnar in the second round at UFC 91. The defeat left questions about what “The Natural” has left in the tank.
8. Tim Sylvia (24-5)
There’s no clear next step for Sylvia. The two-time UFC champion’s looking to drum up interest from Japanese promoters, as well as chasing a potentially lamentable bout with elder statesman Ken Shamrock, who would hardly offer Sylvia real competition.
9. Ben Rothwell (29-6)
A bout with Pedro Rizzo at Affliction’s Jan. 24 show did not materialize. Instead, Rothwell got in a tidy tune-up bout, bashing an overmatched Chris Guillen at Adrenaline MMA’s second event on Dec. 11.
10. Alistair Overeem (29-11, 1 NC)
Despite his outstanding trash talking efforts, Overeem was unable to secure a rematch with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at K-1 “Premium 2008 Dynamite” on New Year’s Eve. Instead, Overeem will get a K-1 rules bout with K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up and resident Bad Boy Badr Hari.
Light Heavyweight
1. Rashad Evans (13-0-1)
With his brilliant knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 in September, Evans took an enormous leap into light heavyweight legitimacy. However, he truly validated himself when he halted Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to capture the 205-pound crown and, with it, divisional supremacy.
2. Forrest Griffin (16-5)
Through the first 10 minutes, Griffin looked every bit the champ, as he was the cage general in his first UFC light heavyweight title defense against Evans. However, the third round saw Griffin pounded out, as he relinquished the crown to his fellow “The Ultimate Fighter” winner at UFC 92.
3. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (29-7)
Fans and critics alike questioned whether meeting his archrival, Wanderlei Silva, in wake of his July title loss to Griffin and subsequent run-in with the law was right for Jackson. However, “Rampage” took a strong step toward regaining his UFC light heavyweight crown, crushing Silva in the first round and exorcising prominent demons of his past.
4. Lyoto Machida (13-0)
Unfortunately, Machida's slated October match with Thiago Silva fell apart after Silva injured his back. However, Machida will get his big chance to convince all doubters and UFC brass on an even bigger stage that he’s the undisputed top challenger for the light heavyweight title. He’ll meet Silva at UFC 94 on Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas.
5. Chuck Liddell (21-6)
Despite talks of a fourth meeting with Randy Couture and a superfight with UFC middleweight king Anderson Silva, Liddell's camp hopes to pursue a rematch with Keith Jardine, who upset "The Iceman" in September 2007.
6. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1, 1 NC)
Despite his brutal pair of victories over Jackson in Pride, Silva was summarily starched in his third meeting with “Rampage” at UFC 92, as he was knocked cold in the first round. The defeat sparked more debate as to whether “The Axe Murderer” still belongs in the 205-pound division.
7. Keith Jardine (14-4-1)
After a hard-fought win over Brandon Vera in October, Jardine has been left with no clear dance partner and may wind up in a rematch with Liddell -- a man he defeated last year -- at UFC 96 in March.
8. Thiago Silva (13-0)
A back injury postponed an October showdown with Machida, but, fortunately, the battle of undefeated fighters was given a second green light at UFC 94. In the most significant fight of his career, Silva will compete on a massive stage when he meets his fellow Brazilian on Jan. 31.
9. Luis Arthur Cane (9-1)
MMA’s pool of young and talented light heavyweights got deeper with Cane’s arrival. His Oct. 18 stoppage of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou gave the Brazilian banger his ninth stoppage in nine victories and thrust him into the mix inside one of the sport’s richest divisions.
10. Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3)
After injury threatened to retire him, Matyushenko resuscitated his career in a major way. The 37-year-old Belarusian has put together eight straight wins in a late-career surge, and he will look to make it nine in a row when he rematches Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Affliction’s Jan. 24 bill.
Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva (23-4)
After considerable clamor over which division and which opponent Silva would tackle in his next bout, it is near official that "The Spider" will main event April's UFC 97 in Montreal against fellow Brazilian Thales Leites. The bout will mark Silva’s fifth UFC middleweight title defense.
2. Rich Franklin (24-3, 1 NC)
Franklin was dominant in returning to the light heavyweight division against Matt Hamill in September. Now, the former UFC middleweight champ will look to take a leap into 205-pound contention when he meets Dan Henderson in a headliner at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland.
3. Robbie Lawler (16-4, 1 NC)
Slated to defend his EliteXC middleweight title against Joey Villasenor, Lawler has been left in no man's land after EliteXC ceased operations. Now attention turns to where the "Ruthless" middleweight will end up in a post-EliteXC world.
4. Yushin Okami (23-4)
The 185-pound elephant in the room for the UFC, Okami racked up his seventh win in the Octagon with an easy albeit awful unanimous decision over Dean Lister at UFC 92. The question now is whether the UFC will match Okami with a worthwhile opponent who will come to fight and whether Okami can be stirring enough to earn a title shot against Anderson Silva.
5. Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1)
After a sensational breakout year in 2008, Dream's young middleweight maestro will see kickboxing duties on New Year's Eve at K-1 Dynamite. In a bit of linguistically fun matchmaking, Mousasi meets near-homophonous opposition in K-1 standout Musashi.
6. Nate Marquardt (27-8-2)
Following an outstanding demolition of Martin Kampmann in September, Marquardt will look to continue his march to another middleweight title bid when he takes on Wilson Gouveia at UFC 95 in London on Feb. 21.
7. Dan Henderson (23-7)
Henderson announced his return to middleweight triumphantly in September with a well-appointed decision over a very tough Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares. Now the former Pride 205-pound champ will make an unexpected return to 205 to meet Rich Franklin in a high-stakes headliner in Dublin, Ireland, for UFC 93.
8. Thales Leites (14-1)
Thales Leites has had luck smile upon him: The Nova Uniao product is the likely winner of the Anderson Silva sweepstakes. Barring any changes of heart from Zuffa, the gifted grappler will challenge "The Spider" for his title at UFC 97 in Montreal on April 18.
9. Jorge Santiago (20-7)
A sensational resurgence over the last two years has earned Santiago a marquee matchup with Kazuo Misaki. The winner will be crowned Sengoku's first divisional king.
10. Chael Sonnen (21-9-1)
After emerging victorious in a truly bizarre November rematch with Paulo Filho, Chael Sonnen may face a much more serious challenge in his next bout. The former U.S. Olympic wrestling team alternate could face undefeated prospect Demian Maia at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London.
Welterweight
1. Georges St. Pierre (17-2)
His bout with B.J. Penn is now official, and the welterweight division's ruler -- having vanquished the only two men to defeat him -- will have a golden opportunity to answer perhaps the last nagging question surrounding him. He will attempt to earn a second but more clear and emphatic victory over Penn when they meet on Jan. 31.
2. Thiago Alves (16-3)
If there were any doubts as to who deserves the next crack at the UFC welterweight title after the St. Pierre-Penn rematch, Alves erased them with his sensational showing against Josh Koscheck at UFC 90 on Oct. 25. With an exciting and well-earned decision, the Brazilian has, in part, atoned for his weight-related indiscretions of the past and more than earned his crack at the UFC’s welterweight crown.
3. Jon Fitch (17-3, 1 NC)
Although Fitch could not hold a competitive candle to St. Pierre in their UFC 87 bout, he likely gained a measure of respect from fans and his contemporaries with the guts he demonstrated in making it all five rounds under heavy fire.
4. Josh Koscheck (12-3)
After a competitive but ultimately unsuccessful effort against Thiago Alves in October, Koscheck bounced back in impressive fashion on Dec. 10. He brutally corked Yoshiyuki Yoshida and created a fantastic bit of highlight reel footage that puts him firmly back in the UFC's welterweight mix.
5. Diego Sanchez (19-2)
Although Sanchez previously announced that his future was as a welterweight, the "Nightmare" will take his act to the lightweight division. He will have the chance to inject himself into the midst of the 155-pound division when he meets Joe Stevenson in his lightweight debut at UFC 95 in London on Feb. 21.
6. Jake Shields (22-4-1)
EliteXC's welterweight champ was extremely keen on finally heading to the UFC, but the legal wrangling within the promotion's still gasping parent company ProElite has stalled Shields' immediate jump into the Octagon.
7. Matt Hughes (42-7)
Already in the twilight of his career, Hughes was exploited by another young, up-and-coming welterweight in Alves at UFC 85. Although some have called for the longtime welterweight king to retire, a grudge match with Matt Serra is likely next up for Hughes, who continues to recuperate from a knee injury.
8. Matt Serra (9-5)
The slipper dropped for Serra, who was destroyed in his rematch with St. Pierre in April. However, he might not be done in big bouts, as the potential for a clash with Hughes seems high in the near future.
9. Karo Parisyan (18-5)
After a freak, last-minute injury killed his anticipated Sept. 6 bout with Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 88, Parisyan will get a chance to take on another tough fellow judoka. He is slated to meet rugged South Korean star **** Hyun Kim at UFC 94 on Jan. 31.
10. Carlos Condit (23-4)
While challengers are running thin for the talented Condit within the confines of the WEC, "The Natural Born Killer" will likely defend his title in March, possibly against former victim Brock Larson.
Lightweight
1. B.J. Penn (13-4-1)
Always on the lookout for marquee challenges, the UFC’s lightweight champion will return to the welterweight division to rekindle his rivalry with Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 on Jan. 31. However, when Penn returns to 155, there should be no shortage of suitors in the UFC's red-hot lightweight division.
2. Eddie Alvarez (15-1)
Although he was forced to bow out of the Dream lightweight grand prix due to injury, Alvarez will have the chance to end a banner year with a bang and entrench himself as the world's best lightweight not from Hilo. He'll take on fellow top-10 lightweight Shinya Aoki at K-1 Dynamite on New Year's Eve.
3. Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)
"Hellboy" surprised the world by re-entering Dream's lightweight grand prix as a reserve and smashing Shinya Aoki. On Dec. 31 at K-1 Dynamite, he'll get the opportunity to acquire another major scalp when he rematches Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante, whom he took a razor-thin majority decision over in July 2004.
4. Shinya Aoki (18-3, 1 NC)
Although he had challenged Yoshihiro Akiyama and Badr Hari for New Year’s Eve, Aoki will still be in for a tough evening as he takes on Eddie Alvarez in a high-stakes lightweight affair at K-1 Dynamite.
5. Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (14-2-1, 1 NC)
Back in 2004, a green 21-year-old Cavalcante took entrenched lightweight star Joachim Hansen to a hotly contested majority decision. On New Year's Eve, "JZ" will have a shot to avenge his first loss when he meets his Norwegian nemesis at K-1 Dynamite.
6. Sean Sherk (33-3-1)
The last year has not been kind to Sherk. However, in his first action since his May thumping at Penn’s hands, the Minnesotan put on his most entertaining performance in recent memory, taking a well-deserved unanimous decision over a high-caliber fighter in Tyson Griffin.
7. Kenny Florian (11-3)
Florian affirmed his status as the top contender to B.J. Penn's UFC lightweight crown with his complete dismantling of Joe Stevenson at UFC 91. Florian's first-round blowout victory earns him re-entry into these rankings and, more than likely, the second UFC title bid of his career.
8. Josh Thomson (16-2, 1 NC)
On Nov. 21, Strikeforce's lightweight champion was given the chance to atone for his August 2004 highlight-reel KO loss to Yves Edwards. Unfortunately, Thomson tore ligaments in his toe, which forced him out of the bout and put him on the shelf.
9. Sergey Golyaev (12-6-0)
After a shocking albeit dubious split decision over Takanori Gomi on Nov. 1, Golyaev will have the chance to prove he's for real when he takes on ever-tough Eiji Mitsuoka on Jan. 4. The fight amounts to a title eliminator to meet the winner of Sengoku's lightweight title bout between Gomi and Satoru Kitaoka.
10. Takanori Gomi (29-4-0, 1 NC)
Gomi’s no stranger to falling victim to upsets. In 2003, an unknown Hansen dethroned the then-undefeated Gomi to take his Shooto title, and, in 2006, he was shockingly dispatched by Marcus Aurelio. Now, add to those a shocking split decision loss to Golyaev. Nonetheless, Gomi will have the chance to quickly atone for the loss, as he will meet Sengoku lightweight grand prix champion Satoru Kitaoka on Jan. 4.
Featherweight
1. Mike Thomas Brown (20-4)
Brown had a coming-out party with his championship clobbering of featherweight poster boy Urijah Faber in November, but now he will need to cement his place atop the 145-pound world. He'll be able to take the first step toward that goal in March, when he'll likely defend his WEC title in his adopted backyard of Florida against Leonard Garcia.
2. Urijah Faber (21-2)
As "The California Kid" looks to rebound following his November drubbing at the hands of Mike Thomas Brown, he'll meet a very familiar face. On Jan. 25, he takes on Jens Pulver, whom he defeated just this past June in a fantastic five-round bout.
3. Leonard Garcia (12-3)
Garcia beat Hiroyuki Takaya and federal drug trafficking charges in a resurgent 2008. Then he stepped into the cage with Jens Pulver in November and blew out the former UFC champion in just 72 seconds. Now Garcia is the No. 1 contender to the WEC featherweight crown and will likely meet Mike Thomas Brown in March.
4. Wagnney Fabiano (11-1)
It took him nearly the full 15 minutes, but Fabiano finished off former Shooto world champ Akitoshi Tamura after a dominating performance. With a Mike Thomas Brown-Leonard Garcia bout on the horizon, Fabiano could be a bout away from meeting the winner and trying to add to his mantle.
5. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2)
Mishima impressively finished off the tough Toshiaki Kitada on Dec. 22 in a bout in which his Deep featherweight crown was not at stake. He will likely make his first title defense in the first half of 2009.
6. Hatsu Hioki (17-3-2)
Hioki absolutely blew the doors off of Shooto icon Rumina Sato on Nov. 29, which should put the lanky Nagoyan on course to tangle with Shooto world champion "Lion Takeshi" Takeshi Inoue in the new year. That is, not barring any upsets from the often-flaky Hioki.
7. Jeff Curran (30-10-1)
Having decided to cut to bantamweight, it was expected that Curran would make his 135-pound debut at the WEC's Dec. 3 card. However, an injured hand will postpone his divisional debut, as the "Big Frog" will likely make his bantamweight debut in the new year.
8. Masakazu Imanari (15-6-1)
Imanari dropped to bantamweight in August and needed only 29 seconds to heel hook Hiroshi Umemura to win Deep's bantamweight title. His future has been uncertain, though, as there have been talks of him heading to Dream to compete as a featherweight.
9. Takeshi Inoue (15-3)
It was hard work, but "Lion Takeshi" became the first man to lose and regain a Shooto world title on Nov. 29 when he took a one-point unanimous decision over Hideki Kadowaki to recapture his 143-pound crown. However, if Lion is to finally be the champion Shooto promoters want him to be, he'll need some consistency in the new year.
10. Jose Aldo (12-1)
The 22-year-old Nova Uniao product earned another impressive stoppage in the WEC cage, punching out Jonathan Brookins in November. Now, the potential featherweight star will finally get some airtime come Jan. 25 when he meets fellow Brazilian Fredson Paixao.
....The list for each are pretty much correct, except the Heavyweight division, which is pretty badly put together IMO
...Rich Franklin is now fighting Light Heavyweight, so why he is still ranked as a Middleweight is weird
