Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Featherweight

1. Jose Aldo (23-1)

The featherweight king took a different approach to his fifth title defense against Chan Sung Jung at UFC 163, but it turned out to be no less effective. With a foot injury limiting the Brazilian’s ability to unleash his trademark leg kicks, Aldo relied on jabs and takedowns to rack up points against the “Korean Zombie” before finishing the fight in the fourth round after Jung separated his shoulder throwing a punch. The Nova Uniao star will next defend his title against streaking contender Ricardo Lamas at UFC 169.

2. Chad Mendes (15-1)

The influence of new Team Alpha Male coach Duane Ludwig showed itself once again at UFC 164, as Mendes become the first person to stop Clay Guida with strikes, finishing the “Carpenter” with a clean right hook in round three. Although he had a rematch with Jose Aldo in his sights, a UFC on Fox 9 date with fellow wrestler Nik Lentz is next on Mendes’ agenda.

3. Ricardo Lamas (13-2)

After impressive wins over Cub Swanson, Hatsu Hioki and Erik Koch -- the latest of which came at UFC on Fox 6 in January -- Lamas began lobbying for a shot at 145-pound king Jose Aldo. It took some time, but his wish has finally been granted: “The Bully” will square off with the talented Brazilian at UFC 169 in New Jersey.

4. Cub Swanson (20-5)

Swanson extended his UFC winning streak to five at UFC 162, stopping fellow contender Dennis Siver on third-round punches. The Jackson’s MMA product was grounded for much of the opening stanza, but his superior speed and boxing allowed him to take control over the bout’s final 10 minutes. Swanson has been adamant about wanting another crack at Jose Aldo -- he lost to the Brazilian at WEC 41 -- but he will have to wait until Ricardo Lamas receives his title shot in February.

5. Frankie Edgar (16-4-1)

Footwork and accurate punching combinations allowed Edgar to secure his first featherweight victory against a game Charles Oliveira at UFC 162. The “Fight of the Night”-winning performance came in the New Jersey export’s first non-title bout since 2009. The Toms River, N.J., native will turn back the clock when he squares off with B.J. Penn -- the man he defeated to first capture lightweight gold -- for a third time in 2014. First, the rivals will coach opposing teams on “The Ultimate Fighter 19.”

6. Darren Elkins (17-3)

After a hiccup against Chad Mendes in April, “The Damage” earned his sixth win in seven outings by outpointing Hatsu Hioki at UFC Fight Night 27. A series of Hioki body kicks in the opening round had Elkins reeling, but he ultimately recovered to get the win on the strength of takedowns, ground-and-pound and solid punching combinations. Elkins will next lock horns with the hard-hitting Jeremy Stephens at UFC on Fox 10 in Chicago.

7. Nik Lentz (24-5-2, 1 NC)

At UFC on FX 8, the American Top Team rep utilized clinches, takedowns and ground-and-pound to outpoint Hacran Dias in front of a hostile Brazilian audience. Now 3-0 at featherweight, the competition only gets tougher for Lentz, as he clashes with former No. 1 contender Chad Mendes at UFC on Fox 9.

8. Chan Sung Jung (13-4)

The popular “Korean Zombie” returned after more than a year-long absence to challenge Jose Aldo for the featherweight title at UFC 163. While it was surgery on Jung’s left shoulder that had sidelined him since his pivotal win over Dustin Poirier in May 2012, it was his right shoulder that led to his demise against the 145-pound king. Jung appeared to separate his shoulder after an errant overhand right in the fourth round, which allowed Aldo to up his aggression and secure a TKO finish two minutes into the frame.

9. Dustin Poirier (14-3)

Poirier brawled past fellow prospect Erik Koch at UFC 164, withstanding a late surge from the Roufusport fighter to earn a unanimous decision from the judges. “The Diamond” will look to continue his climb into contention when he takes on explosive Brazilian Diego Brandao at UFC 168.

10. Clay Guida (30-14)

After a lengthy tenure as a fringe contender-slash-gatekeeper of the 155-pound division, Guida took his frenetic style to the featherweight division in 2013. “The Carpenter” has split his first two bouts at 145 -- a narrow decision win over Hatsu Hioki in January was followed by a third-round knockout loss to Chad Mendes -- but the Jackson’s MMA fighter remains a daunting task for almost any opponent.

Other contenders:

Pat Curran, Patricio Freire, Erik Koch, Dennis Siver, Daniel Straus.

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