Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Light Heavyweight

1. Daniel Cormier (18-1)

A torn right adductor muscle scuttled Cormier's slated rematch with Anthony Johnson at UFC 206 in December, but with so little activity at the top of the 205-pound division, it was a no-brainer that the second bout between the two would be re-booked. Now, Cormier will defend the crown against “Rumble” at UFC 210 on April 8, when the UFC is bound for Buffalo, New York.

2. Anthony Johnson (22-5)

The only man to beat Johnson in his last 13 fights was Daniel Cormier in their May 2015 interim UFC title bout. When Johnson gained a rematch with Cormier for the undisputed UFC 205-pound crown and then had it fall apart due to a Cormier injury, “Rumble” opted to decline a replacement opponent and wait for his shot at the championship. The move paid off, as Cormier-Johnson 2 has now been re-booked for UFC 210 in Buffalo, New York, on April 8.

3. Alexander Gustafsson (17-4)

The last time Gustafsson fought in his native Sweden, “The Mauler” was brutally knocked out and humiliated by Anthony Johnson in just over two minutes in front of an estimated 30,000 fans. Gustafsson will get the chance to exorcise some of those demons on May 28, when he main events the UFC’s return to the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm against perennial contender Glover Teixeira.

4. Ryan Bader (22-5)

At a time when the 205-pound division is so weak and with Bader being one of the few elite fighters to not have earned a UFC light heavyweight title shot, you would think re-signing him would be a priority. Instead, after enjoying eight successful years with the promotion and going 7-1 in his last eight bouts, the former Arizona State wrestler has turned his longstanding UFC success into a free agent deal with Bellator MMA that should put him in the cage and back on Spike within a few short months.

5. Phil Davis (17-3, 1 NC)

When Davis dethroned Liam McGeary as Bellator MMA's 205-pound champion in November, it seemed inevitable that the promotion was angling for a Davis-Muhammed Lawal rematch, with Davis having earned a close, controversial decision over “King Mo” in May. Instead, Bellator has lined up a Lawal-Quinton Jackson rematch, which leaves Davis without an obvious dance partner for his first title defense -- unless Bellator wants to give the last man to beat Davis, Ryan Bader, a title shot in his promotional debut.

6. Glover Teixeira (26-5)

Teixeira at UFC 208 rebounded from his horrific, 13-second knockout loss to Anthony Johnson by dominating Jared Cannonier for 15 minutes. Now, the 37-year-old Brazilian will get a headlining assignment in a real MMA road game, as he meets Alexander Gustafsson on May 28 in Gustafsson’s native Sweden.

7. Jimi Manuwa (16-2)

Hot off a breakout win over Ovince St. Preux in October, Manuwa was briefly linked to a bout with Glover Teixeira -- until UFC 208 was relocated and rescheduled. Now, Manuwa's Octagon return will instead come on March 18 in his British backyard, as he meets Corey Anderson in the UFC Fight Night 107 main event in London.

8. Misha Cirkunov (13-2)

Considering Cirkunov’s four dominant stoppages and perfect UFC record, along with the 205-pound division’s need for prospects, it seemed absurd when UFC President Dana White publicly claimed the Latvian-Canadian “flaked” during contract negotiations and that the promotion was no longer interested in his services. Naturally, White ended up doing a 180 and recently announced that Cirkunov had re-signed with the UFC.

9. Nikita Krylov (21-5)

After a first-round loss to Misha Cirkunov cooled his hot streak and with one fight left on his UFC contract, it seemed as if Krylov was going to need a big performance in his next fight to catch a fat contract. Incredibly, Eurasia Fight Nights made a handsome offer to the Ukrainian; and seeing the writing on the wall, the UFC decided to cut Krylov loose, clearing the way for “The Miner” to fight in EFN.

10. Liam McGeary (12-1)

McGeary went through a series of less-than-desirable opponents ahead of Bellator 173 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, before ultimately facing late replacement Brett McDermott and battering him to a six-minute doctor stoppage. The former Bellator light heavyweight champion gets a much better match next time out, as he will face fellow Brit Linton Vassell at Bellator 179 in London.

Other Contenders: David Branch, Ilir Latifi, Tomasz Narkun, Volkan Oezdemir, Ovince St. Preux

Continue Reading » Middleweight