Power Ranking UFC Champ Jon Jones and the All-Time Best UFC Light Heavyweights

Light heavyweight has been MMA's showcase division since Frank Shamrock beat Olympian Kevin Jackson to become the division's first ever champion back in 1997. That was so long ago that 205 pounds was considered "middleweight" and current champion Jon Jones was just 10 years old.

When Shamrock retired after dispatching Tito Ortiz, a new generation of stars dominated the division, including Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva. Today, Jon Jones rules the roost.

All of this great talent in a single weight class leads to plenty of divisive discussion about who can lay claim to being the division's top star. Allow me to add my two cents.

Using science as my guide, I ranked the top 10 fighters in history in five statistical categories (wins, winning percentage, quality wins, finishing percentage, wins in title fights).

My subjective opinion was not enough. Behold the power of math.

10. Lyoto Machida

Wins: 17 (3 points)

Winning Percentage: .850 (9 points)

Quality Wins: 8 (1.5 points)

Finishing Percentage: .470 (1 point)

Wins in Title Fights: 2 (2 points)

Total: 16.5 Points

The elusive Machida was hurt by his relatively sparse schedule and his passive style of fighting. His finishing percentage was the lowest of all the contenders for the crown, and his single successful defense of the UFC title limits his historical legacy.

9. Tito Ortiz

Wins: 16 (1.5 points)

Winning Percentage: .61 (1 point)

Quality Wins: 9 (3.5 points)

Finishing Percentage: .687 (6 points)

Wins in Title Fights: 6 (8 points)

Total: 20 Points

Ortiz was one of the sport's most dominant fighters at the turn of the century. Zuffa's first big star, Ortiz was held back by a string of injuries and contract holdouts that limited his productivity during his peak years.

8. Randy Couture

Wins: 19 (4 points)

Winning Percentage: .633 (2 points)

Quality Wins: 12 (6 points)

Finishing Percentage: .578 (3 points)

Wins in Title Fights: 9 (10 points)

Total: 25 Points

Couture is rewarded greatly for his success at heavyweight, where he was also a UFC champion. Couture fought the best of the best. That helps him in the quality win department, but hurts his standing because he wasn't able to finish his high-level foes and lost his fair share of bouts as well.

7. Jon Jones

Wins: 16 (1.5 points)

Winning Percentage: 941 (10 points)

Quality Wins: 8 (1.5 points)

Finishing Percentage: .812 (9 points)

Wins in Title Fights: 4 (5 points)

Total: 27 Points

The only thing holding Jones back is time. His winning and finishing percentages are among the elite. He just hasn't had enough time to accumulate the wins he needs to compete with the top fighters in history. I suspect when we revisit this list in a couple of years, he will be comfortably on top.

6. Mauricio Rua

Wins: 20 (5 points)

Winning Percentage: .769 (7 points)

Quality Wins: 9 (3.5 points)

Finishing Percentage: .900 (10 points)

Wins in Title Fights: 2 (2 points)

Total: 27.5 Points

"Shogun" Rua is the best finisher in light heavyweight history. If given the opportunity, the merest hint of an opening, he put opponents to sleep. Rua was hurt by his lack of title fights, a product of biding his time behind teammate Wanderlei Silva for years when he was at the top of his game.

5. Quinton Jackson

Wins: 32 (9 points)

Winning Percentage: .755 (6 points)

Quality Wins: 13 (7 points)

Finishing Percentage: .656 (4 points)

Wins in Title Fights: 2 (2 points)

Total: 28 Points

Rampage has been a top fighter for most of the decade. That's helped him accumulate a lot of points in each category. However, the lack of a sustained run at the championship level prevents him from being among the very best.

4. Chuck Liddell

Wins: 21 (6 points)

Winning Percentage: .724 (4 points)

Quality Wins: 15 (8.5 points)

Finishing Percentage: .666 (5 points)

Wins in Title Fights: 5 (6 points)

Total: 29.5 Points

Chuck Liddell's laid-back demeanor outside the cage contrasted greatly with his fearsome mohawk and bad intentions inside the Octagon. Liddell was fighting the best of the best before getting his title shot. When he reached the summit, he made the most of it.

3. Frank Shamrock

Wins: 23 (7 points)

Winning Percentage: .696 (3 points)

Quality Wins: 10 (5 points)

Finishing Percentage: .739 (7 points)

Wins in Title Fights: 6 (8 points)

Total: 30 Points

Frank Shamrock was the definition of dominant. He never lost in his UFC tenure. Struggles early in his career and a retirement in his prime cost Shamrock precious points. A feud with UFC brass also guarantees few modern fans will ever learn about this all-time great.

2. Dan Henderson

Wins: 29 (8 points)

Winning Percentage: .783 (8 points)

Quality Wins: 19 (10 points)

Finishing Percentage: .517 (2 points)

Wins in Title Fights: 3 (4 points)

Total: 32 Points

Dan Henderson has quietly amassed some startling statistics. He's fought top guys in four weight classes and beaten most, topping the charts with 19 quality wins. His lack of finishes hurts—they called him "Decision Dan" for a reason, and it's cost him the top spot.

1. Wanderlei Silva

Wins: 34 (10 points)

Winning Percentage: .755 (5 points)

Quality Wins: 15 (8.5 points)

Finishing Percentage: .794 (8 points)

Wins in Title Fights: 6 (8 points)

Total: 39.5 Points

When the "Axe Murderer" was in his prime, the PRIDE promotion lined them up for him on a regular basis. Almost without fail he'd knock them down (and out). That busy schedule is what truly separated Silva from his peers like Liddell and Shamrock.