Bloody Elbow, for MMA and UFC news

Brazil runs away with a clean sweep of the top three as slimmed down light heavyweight Antonio Braga Neto (7-1) chimes it at #1 on this year's report.

If there is a simple anthro-stylistic explanation for the success of Brazilian mixed martial arts fighters, it's that the intersection of Muay Thai, boxing and Jiu-Jitsu training produces athletes who naturally excel at finishing fights.

Interestingly enough, Brazil's Claudio Henrique da Silva (8-1), a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Ricardo Vieira, is plowing through the international scene with a grappling-centric attack that would make Brazil's grappling elite proud.

Hailing from Novi Sad, Serbia, Bojan Velickovic (6-0) is likely a shock to most readers of our report. How is it that this 23-year-old, originating from Serbia, is slotted in our #4 spot? That's a good question.

The theme of brotherly love continues on this year's report as Brazil's Ildemar Alcantara (12-5), the brother of UFC veteran Yuri Alcantara, claims his spot at #5 on the 2012 World MMA Middleweight Scouting Report.

Polish mixed martial artist Michal Materla (16-3) hopes to become another name we mention alongside Siver. The 27-year-old has recorded sixteen wins since debuting in 2003, capping off a four-fight win streak in November against Matt Horwich at KSW 17.

Having grown up in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elvis Mutapcic (9-2) is no stranger to adversity. Whether it was daily life in the midst of the Bosnian War of the early 1990s or emigrating to Des Moines, Iowa as a teenager before learning how to speak English...

Sweden's Tor Troeng (14-4-1) has done everything he can to become an upper-echelon mixed martial artist. He's accumulated fourteen wins in nineteen appearances in a six-year period.

Fortunately, man's ingenuity came through years ago, creating shiny, aerodynamic structures with wings and jet-fueled engines. For Norway's Jack Hermansson (4-0), the airport is the start of a journey to his next challenge, the next battle of an ongoing war to become one of the world's best middleweight fighters.

For Ohioan Tim Ruberg (8-0), wrestling was already in his blood when he began a lifelong commitment to the sport in high school. His father Mark, two cousins Jason and Jeff, and even his sister Shelly all experienced the "grind" on the mats. Tim took it a step further.