Analysis by Kid Nate
In the time we've been compiling these rankings, I've never seen a fighter shoot up to #2 after a loss, but #2 Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's loss to #1 Lyoto Machida at UFC 104 was no ordinary loss.
Compiling the rankings of twenty top mixed martial arts web sites, the USA TODAY / SB Nation Consensus MMA Rankings present the top 25 fighters in MMA for the seven major weight classes. These world MMA rankings are the most accurate reflection of how the top fighters in MMA across all promotions like UFC, WEC, Affliction and DREAM are viewed by the experts who cover the sport.
| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyoto Machida | 100 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Mauricio Rua | 92 | UFC | 4 |
| 3 | Rashad Evans | 91 | UFC | 2 |
| 4 | Quinton Jackson | 84 | UFC | 3 |
| 5 | Forrest Griffin | 79 | UFC | 5 |
| 6 | Gegard Mousasi | 74 | Strikeforce | 8 |
| 7 | Thiago Silva | 72 | UFC | 7 |
| 8 | Anderson Silva | 60 | UFC | 6 |
| 9 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 55 | UFC | 9 |
| 10 | Luis Arthur Cane | 52 | UFC | 10 |
| 11 | Rich Franklin | 43 | UFC | 11 |
| 12 | Keith Jardine | 32 | UFC | 13 |
| 13 | Dan Henderson | 31 | Free Agent | 12 |
| 14 | Renato Sobral | 29 | Strikeforce | 15 |
| 15 | Jon Jones | 25 | UFC | 18 |
| 16 | Chuck Liddell | 24 | UFC | 14 |
| 17 | Brandon Vera | 24 | UFC | 16 |
| 18 | Sokoudjou | 21 | Strikeforce/DREAM | 22 |
| 19 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 20 | UFC | 20 |
| 20 | Matt Hamill | 20 | UFC | 19 |
| 21 | Mark Coleman | 20 | UFC | 24 |
| 22 | Wanderlei Silva | 19 | UFC | 16 |
| 23 | Vitor Belfort | 19 | UFC | 22 |
| 24 | Paulo Filho | 18 | DREAM | 25 |
| 25 | Tito Ortiz | 17 | UFC | 21 |
In the time we've been compiling these rankings, I've never seen a fighter shoot up to #2 after a loss, but #2 Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's loss to #1 Lyoto Machida at UFC 104 was no ordinary loss.
| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyoto Machida | 100 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Rashad Evans | 93 | UFC | 3 |
| 3 | Quinton Jackson | 86 | UFC | 2 |
| 4 | Mauricio Rua | 84 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Forrest Griffin | 80 | UFC | 5 |
| 6 | Anderson Silva | 71 | UFC | 9 |
| 7 | Thiago Silva | 71 | UFC | 7 |
| 8 | Gegard Mousasi | 65 | Strikeforce | 6 |
| 9 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 56 | UFC | 8 |
| 10 | Luiz Cane | 50 | UFC | 11 |
| 11 | Rich Franklin | 38 | UFC | 10 |
| 12 | Dan Henderson | 38 | UFC | 13 |
| 13 | Keith Jardine | 31 | UFC | 12 |
| 14 | Chuck Liddell | 26 | UFC | 14 |
| 15 | Renato Sobral | 25 | Strikeforce | 16 |
| 16 | Brandon Vera | 23 | UFC | 17 |
| 16 | Wanderlei Silva | 23 | UFC | 15 |
| 18 | Jon Jones | 23 | UFC | 18 |
| 19 | Matt Hamill | 19 | UFC | 19 |
| 20 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 18 | UFC | 20 |
| 21 | Tito Ortiz | 17 | UFC | 21 |
| 22 | Vitor Belfort | 16 | UFC | 22 |
| 22 | Sokoudjou |
16 | DREAM | 23 |
| 24 | Mark Coleman | 16 | UFC | 25 |
| 25 | Paulo Filho | 15 | DREAM | 24 |
Well #1 Lyoto Machida broke the string of UFC Light Heavyweight champions who failed to make a single title defense. But after his UFC 104 bout with #4 Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, we're not hearing much talk of the "Machida Era."
| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyoto Machida | 100 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Quinton Jackson | 94 | UFC | 2 |
| 3 | Rashad Evans | 93 | UFC | 3 |
| 4 | Mauricio Rua | 83 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Forrest Griffin | 79 | UFC | 5 |
| 6 | Gegard Mousasi | 63 | Strikeforce | 11 |
| 7 | Thiago Silva | 62 | UFC | 13 |
| 8 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 60 | UFC | 7 |
| 9 | Anderson Silva | 59 | UFC | 10 |
| 10 | Rich Franklin | 47 | UFC | 8 |
| 11 | Luiz Cane | 44 | UFC | 9 |
| 12 | Keith Jardine | 41 | UFC | 6 |
| 13 | Dan Henderson | 33 | UFC | 16 |
| 14 | Chuck Liddell | 25 | UFC | 15 |
| 15 | Wanderlei Silva | 25 | UFC | 14 |
| 16 | Renato Sobral | 23 | Strikeforce | 12 |
| 17 | Brandon Vera | 22 | UFC | 20 |
| 18 | Jon Jones | 21 | UFC | 17 |
| 19 | Matt Hamill | 18 | UFC | 18 |
| 20 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 18 | UFC | 19 |
| 21 | Tito Ortiz | 17 | UFC | 21 |
| 22 | Vitor Belfort | 16 | UFC | NR |
| 23 | Sokoudjou | 16 | DREAM | 22 |
| 24 | Paulo Filho | 16 | DREAM | NR |
| 25 | Mark Coleman | 15 | UFC | 23 |
Despite the fact that October's UFC 104 will see #1 Lyoto Machida defend his UFC title against #4 Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, the division has been dominated by talk of who's not going to be fighting anytime soon. That would be #2 Quinton "Rampage" Jackson who has declared himself retired after a falling out with Dana White over the A-Team movie.
| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyoto Machida | 100 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Quinton Jackson | 95 | UFC | 2 |
| 3 | Rashad Evans | 93 | UFC | 3 |
| 4 | Mauricio Rua | 81 | UFC | 5 |
| 5 | Forrest Griffin | 79 | UFC | 4 |
| 6 | Keith Jardine | 65 | UFC | 6 |
| 7 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 64 | UFC | 7 |
| 8 | Rich Franklin | 57 | UFC | 9 |
| 9 | Luiz Cane | 54 | UFC | 8 |
| 10 | Anderson Silva | 42 | UFC | NR |
| 11 | Gegard Mousasi | 42 | Strikeforce/DREAM | 27 |
| 12 | Renato Sobral | 38 | Strikeforce | 10 |
| 13 | Thiago Silva | 34 | UFC | 11 |
| 14 | Wanderlei Silva | 32 | UFC | 14 |
| 15 | Chuck Liddell | 30 | UFC | 12 |
| 16 | Dan Henderson | 30 | UFC | 13 |
| 17 | Jon Jones | 25 | UFC | 15 |
| 18 | Matt Hamill | 21 | UFC | 16 |
| 19 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 20 | UFC | 17 |
| 20 | Brandon Vera | 20 | UFC | 18 |
| 21 | Tito Ortiz | 20 | UFC | 18 |
| 22 | Sokoudjou | 18 | DREAM | 20 |
| 23 | Mark Coleman | 17 | UFC | 21 |
| 24 | Krzysztof Soszynski | 17 | UFC | 22 |
| 25 | Steve Cantwell | 16 | UFC | 23 |
At UFC 104, we'll get to see if #1 Lyoto Machida is really going to have an "era" all of his own when he faces off with #4 Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyoto Machida | 100 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Quinton Jackson | 94 | UFC | 2 |
| 3 | Rashad Evans | 93 | UFC | 3 |
| 4 | Forrest Griffin | 87 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Mauricio Rua | 84 | UFC | 5 |
| 6 | Keith Jardine | 70 | UFC | 6 |
| 7 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 63 | ??? | 7 |
| 8 | Luiz Cane | 62 | UFC | 8 |
| 9 | Rich Franklin | 58 | UFC | 10 |
| 10 | Renato Sobral | 54 | Strikeforce | 9 |
| 11 | Thiago Silva | 40 | UFC | 13 |
| 12 | Chuck Liddell | 35 | UFC | 14 |
| 13 | Dan Henderson | 34 | UFC | 11 |
| 14 | Wanderlei Silva | 30 | UFC | 12 |
| 15 | Jon Jones | 24 | UFC | 31 |
| 16 | Matt Hamill | 21 | UFC | 17 |
| 17 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 20 | Free Agent | 16 |
| 18 | Brandon Vera | 20 | UFC | 19 |
| 18 | Tito Ortiz | 20 | UFC | 15 |
| 20 | Sokoudjou | 17 | DREAM | 27 |
| 21 | Mark Coleman | 17 | UFC | 23 |
| 22 | Krzysztof Soszynski | 17 | UFC | 19 |
| 23 | Steve Cantwell | 16 | UFC | 26 |
| 23 | Muhammed Lawal | 16 | M-1 Global |
22 |
| 25 | Trevor Prangley | 15 | MaximumFC | 27 |
In contrast to the crazy mixed up Heavyweight division, all is calm in the Light Heavyweight class. There is a clear #1 and he's set to defend his title against the best for the foreseeable future since the UFC has 20 of the top 25 Light Heavies under contract.
| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyoto Machida | 100 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Quinton Jackson | 94 | UFC | 3 |
| 3 | Rashad Evans | 93 | UFC | 2 |
| 4 | Forrest Griffin | 86 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Mauricio Rua | 84 | UFC | 5 |
| 6 | Keith Jardine | 67 | UFC | 6 |
| 7 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 62 | Affliction | 8 |
| 8 | Luiz Cane | 61 | UFC | 10 |
| 9 | Renato Sobral | 58 | Strikeforce/Affliction | 9 |
| 10 | Rich Franklin | 52 | UFC | 14 |
| 11 | Dan Henderson | 41 | UFC | 13 |
| 12 | Wanderlei Silva | 38 | UFC | 7 |
| 13 | Thiago Silva | 34 | UFC | 11 |
| 14 | Chuck Liddell | 34 | UFC | 11 |
| 15 | Tito Ortiz | 21 | Unsigned | 15 |
| 16 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 21 | Free Agent | 16 |
| 17 | Matt Hamill | 21 | UFC | 17 |
| 18 | Mike Whitehead | 20 | Strikeforce | 28 |
| 19 | Brandon Vera | 19 | UFC | 18 |
| 19 | Krzysztof Soszynski | 19 | UFC | 27 |
| 21 | Jason Brilz | 17 | UFC | 23 |
| 22 | Muhammed Lawal | 17 | WVR | 25 |
| 23 | Mark Coleman | 16 | UFC | 30 |
| 24 | Jared Hamman | 16 | Strikeforce | 24 |
| 25 | Mamed Khalidov | 16 | Konfrontacja | 30 |
The collective MMA community has had a month to process the meaning of #1 Lyoto Machida's crushing win at UFC 98. Machida's dominance is sinking in with MMA pundits and consequently, former champ #3 Rashad Evans slides down a slot.
| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyoto Machida | 96 | UFC | 3 |
| 2 | Rashad Evans | 96 | UFC | 1 |
| 3 | Quinton Jackson | 94 | UFC | 2 |
| 4 | Forrest Griffin | 87 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Mauricio Rua | 84 | UFC | 5 |
| 6 | Keith Jardine | 68 | UFC | 6 |
| 7 | Wanderlei Silva | 59 | UFC | 7 |
| 8 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 55 | Affliction | 8 |
| 9 | Renato Sobral | 53 | Strikeforce | 9 |
| 10 | Luiz Cane | 48 | UFC | 13 |
| 11 | Thiago Silva | 45 | UFC | 11 |
| 11 | Chuck Liddell | 45 | UFC | 10 |
| 13 | Dan Henderson | 40 | UFC | 12 |
| 14 | Rich Franklin | 30 | UFC | 14 |
| 15 | Tito Ortiz | 22 | Unsigned | 15 |
| 16 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 20 | Free Agent | 16 |
| 17 | Matt Hamill | 19 | UFC | 18 |
| 18 | Brandon Vera | 17 | UFC | 17 |
| 19 | Goran Reljic | 15 | UFC | 28 |
| 20 | Sokoudjou | 15 | DREAM | 20 |
| 21 | Jon Jones | 14 | UFC | 22 |
| 22 | Steve Cantwell | 14 | UFC | 19 |
| 23 | Jason Brilz | 14 | UFC | 22 |
| 24 | Jared Hamman | 13 | Strikeforce | 24 |
| 25 | Muhammed Lawal | 13 | WVR | 24 |
| 25 | Rafael Cavalcante | 13 | Strikeforce | 20 |
With the emphatic rise of new #1 Lyoto Machida, the 205lb division rankings are probably as definitive as they have been in ten years. Not since the heyday of Frank Shamrock as UFC champ has there been an undisputed champion. Throughout the runs of Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell atop the UFC Light Heavyweight division, Wanderlei Silva was in the midst of his impressive run as the PRIDE champion.
| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rashad Evans | 99 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Quinton Jackson | 94 | UFC | 2 |
| 3 | Lyoto Machida | 92 | UFC | 3 |
| 4 | Forrest Griffin | 89 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Mauricio Rua | 78 | UFC | 8 |
| 6 | Keith Jardine | 67 | UFC | 7 |
| 7 | Wanderlei Silva | 60 | UFC | 6 |
| 8 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 58 | Affliction | 9 |
| 9 | Renato Sobral | 53 | Strikeforce | 10 |
| 10 | Chuck Liddell | 48 | UFC | 5 |
| 11 | Thiago Silva | 46 | UFC | 11 |
| 12 | Dan Henderson | 45 | UFC | 12 |
| 13 | Luiz Cane | 44 | UFC | 13 |
| 14 | Rich Franklin | 29 | UFC | 14 |
| 15 | Tito Ortiz | 25 | Unsigned | 15 |
| 16 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 21 | Free Agent |
16 |
| 17 | Brandon Vera | 19 | UFC | 17 |
| 18 | Matt Hamill | 18 | UFC | 18 |
| 19 | Steve Cantwell | 15 | UFC | 19 |
| 20 | Sokoudjou | 14 | Affliction | 20 |
| 20 | Rafael Cavalcante | 14 | Strikeforce | 21 |
| 22 | Jason Brilz | 13 | UFC | 25 |
| 22 | Jon Jones | 13 | UFC | 22 |
| 24 | Muhammed Lawal | 13 | WVR | 23 |
| 24 | Jared Hamman | 13 | Strikeforce | 23 |
It's not quite a #1 vs #2 match, but May 23rd's UFC 98 Light Heavyweight title fight between #1 Rashad Evans and #3 Lyoto Machida will just have to do.
| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rashad Evans | 99 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Quinton Jackson | 94 | UFC | 2 |
| 3 | Lyoto Machida | 92 | UFC | 3 |
| 4 | Forrest Griffin | 89 | UFC | 4 |
| 5 | Chuck Liddell | 77 | UFC | 5 |
| 6 | Wanderlei Silva | 71 | UFC | 6 |
| 7 | Keith Jardine | 64 | UFC | 7 |
| 8 | Mauricio Rua | 60 | UFC | 8 |
| 9 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 53 | Affliction | 9 |
| 10 | Renato Sobral | 52 | Strikeforce | 11 |
| 11 | Thiago Silva | 49 | UFC | 10 |
| 12 | Dan Henderson | 42 | UFC | 12 |
| 13 | Luis Cane | 37 | UFC | 13 |
| 14 | Rich Franklin | 29 | UFC | 14 |
| 15 | Tito Ortiz | 25 | UFC | 15 |
| 16 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 21 | Affliction | 16 |
| 17 | Brandon Vera | 19 | UFC | 20 |
| 18 | Matt Hamill | 18 | UFC | 17 |
| 19 | Steve Cantwell | 16 | UFC | 18 |
| 20 | Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou | 15 | Affliction | 19 |
| 21 | Rafael Cavalcante | 15 | Strikeforce | 22 |
| 22 | Jon Jones | 14 | UFC | 30 |
| 23 | Muhammed Lawal | 13 | WVR | 23 |
| 23 | Jared Hamman | 13 | Strikeforce | 21 |
| 25 | Jason Brilz | 13 | UFC | 27 |
The next major fight at Light Heavyweight will be #5 Chuck Liddell against #8 Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 97 on April 18th. It's hard to believe that this fight is very close to being a "loser leaves town" match.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. Show more »
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