UFC: Power Ranking Each Division by Strength

Love power? Love rankings? Bored of the traditional divisional power rankings?

If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, you've come to the right place. If you answered "no" three times, keep reading. Please.

Rather than grade the best each division has to offer on an individual basis, I am throwing you a change up by teaming every UFC weight class together, then pitting each group against one another to establish which division is the promotion's strongest.

The criteria for the rankings is quite basic. The division with the most overall talent is ranked number one, the division with the least talent is ranked eighth.

Read on for the rankings.

8. Flyweight

Champion: Vacant

Fighters in Bleacher Report's Top Ten: Yasuhiro Urushitani (5), Demetrious Johnson (3), Ian McCall (2) and Joseph Benavidez (1)

The formation of the UFC's flyweight division will not begin in earnest until the conclusion of the grand prix to find its inaugural champion. 

At this point, the division officially consists of the tournament's four competitors, though some of the promotion's 135-pound fighters are expected to make the drop. TUF winner John Dodson is one such contender, and his arrival should help to put the 125-pounders on the map.

Additionally, once a champion is crowned, the UFC brass can begin its search for external challengers.

Though obviously not very deep at this point, the flyweight division has some serious potential. With top-ranked guys like Benavidez, McCall and Johnson leading the way, it is only a matter of time before people begin to take notice of the UFC's littlest weight class.

7. Featherweight

Champion: Jose Aldo

Fighters in Bleacher Report's Top 10: Mark Hominick (10), Diego Nunes (9), Chan Sung Jung (7), Erik Koch (6), Dustin Poirer (4), Chad Mendes (3), Hatsu Hioki (2) and Jose Aldo (1)

The featherweight division is by no means weak, but it lacks the star-power of some of the other UFC classes. Sure, champion Jose Aldo is emerging as one of the sport's brightest stars, but there is a significant gap between him and his subjects.

The 145-pound weight division took a series of blows when Urijah Faber made the cut to 135, Mike Brown started losing like it was going out of style and top-prospect Josh Grispi fell off the map. Still, lots of talent remains, but there aren't many fighters people are clamoring to see challenge Aldo.

At the time being, Hioki, Poirier and Sung Jung are the most viable contenders offered by the featherweight division, while Koch is certainly a man to keep an eye on.

6. Middleweight

Champion: Anderson Silva

Fighters in Bleacher Report's Top 10: Brian Stann (9), Yushin Okami (8), Chris Weidman (7), Jake Shields (7 on the welterweight list), Tim Boetsch (6), Michael Bisping (5), Vitor Belfort (4), Mark Munoz (3), Chael Sonnen (2) and Anderson Silva (1)

The UFC's middleweight division used to be somewhat of a weak link for the promotion, but that is the case no longer. Though ranked only sixth, the gap between middleweight and the five and four spots is incredibly narrow.

Champion Anderson Silva and rival Chael Sonnen alone warrant fan attention. Beyond these two, the division hosts dangerous finishers Vitor Belfort, Chris Leben and Rousimar Palhares. It is also home to arguably the top prospect in MMA, Chris Weidman.

The reason this division is not ranked higher is because, while deep, it does not have the same number of top-tier stars as some of the other divisions. 

5. Heavyweight

Champion: Junior Dos Santos

Fighters in the Bleacher Report's Top 10: Antonio Silva (10), Minotauro Nogueira (9), Fabricio Werdum (6), Shane Carwin (5), Frank Mir (4), Cain Velasquez (3), Alistair Overeem (2) and Junior Dos Santos (1)

Even more than the middleweight division, the heavyweight crop of the UFC was formerly regarded with little esteem. Remember when the belt was only really contested by Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski? Well, we've come along way since then.

The current stable of heavyweight fighters in the UFC has benefited from an influx of Strikeforce talent, such as Overeem, Werdum, Silva and prospect Shane Del Rosario. Though this makes the division a relatively powerful one, there are only a few guys that are serious contenders for the title.

Outside of the top three heavyweights, few fighters would enter a title fight as anything more than a significant underdog. And for good reason.  

Even so, the division is enjoying enough depth to play host to an entire five-fight main card next month, something it never would have been able to do a year ago.

Additionally, this division could climb the ladder if Daniel Cormier makes his way from Strikeforce after he concludes business with Josh Barnett.

4. Bantamweight

Champion: Dominick Cruz

Fighters in Bleacher Report's Top 10: Eddie Wineland (9), Brad Pickett (8), Michael McDonald (7), Miguel Torres (6), Scott Jorgensen (5), Brian Bowles (4), Renan Barao (3), Urijah Faber (2) and Dominick Cruz (1)

The UFC bantamweight division is without a doubt the most under-appreciated weight class in the promotion. With a champion as exciting as Cruz and a contender as worthy as Faber, its strength is apparent.

Toss in uber-prospects Barao and MacDonald, along with Jorgensen, Wineland and Pickett, who are some of the sport's most exciting combatants, and you've got one heck of a fighter stable.

Beyond the impressive talent level here, the 135-pounders put on some of the most fast-paced, back-and-forth bouts the UFC has to offer. 

3. Welterweight

Champion: Georges St-Pierre

Fighters in Bleacher Report's Top 10: Diego Sanchez (10), Martin Kampmann (9), Rory MacDonald (8), Jon Fitch (6), Johny Hendricks (5), Josh Koscheck (4), Jake Ellenberger (3), Carlos Condit (2) and George St-Pierre

Take a look at that list. Notice that Thiago Alves, Charlie Brenneman, Rick Story, Mike Pierce, Paulo Thiago and Nick Diaz are absent. That is some serious depth.

The division is in a bit of a rut right now with champion GSP sidelined and interim title-holder Carlos Condit content to sit around and wait for his return. But despite the upper-echelon moving in slow motion, the second-tier of fighters continue to bring the goods, and top-prospect Rory MacDonald will look to join the elite sooner rather than later.

The loss of Jake Shields to the middleweight division hurts, but a suitable replacement in Demian Maia weathers the blow.  

This division is truly stacked.

2. Light Heavyweight

Champion: Jon Jones

Fighters in Bleacher Report's Top 10: Quinton Jackson (10), Alexander Gustafsson (9), Forrest Griffin (8), Ryan Bader (7), Phil Davis (6), Lyoto Machida (5), Mauricio Rua (4), Dan Henderson (3), Rashad Evans (2) and Jon Jones (1)

The level of talent at the top of this division is remarkable. Jones, Evans, Rua, Machida, Griffin and Jackson have all held the UFC title, and up-and-comers Gustafsson, Bader and Davis could all reasonably join that list in the not-too-distant future.  

Of course, for the title to change hands, it would mean a Jon Jones loss. So scratch that thing about future champions....

The 205-pound division has a long history of great fights and great champions, and the current roster will ensure that that legacy continues to flourish. 

1. Lightweight

Champion: Benson Henderson

Fighters in Bleacher Report's Top 10: Anthony Pettis (8), Clay Guida (7), Nate Diaz (6), Jim Miller (5), Kenny Florian (5 on the featherweight list), Gray Maynard (4), Frankie Edgar (2) and Benson Henderson (1)

The amount of talent in the UFC's lightweight division is both unrivaled and unprecedented. A top-25 list could easily be made, with every fighter populating it a legitimate upper-level talent. 

There is no shortage of star-power at 155, with mainstays Frankie Edgar and Kenny Florian joined by risers Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis.

The Ultimate Fighter 15 could accelerate the constant influx of divisional talent even more, and the eventual arrival of Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez could ensure that the lightweight division sits atop these power rankings for a long time to come.