B/R Official MMA Rankings for May: The Top 25 Pound-for-Pound Fighters

The UFC made its return to FOX last weekend, and the fans ended up getting to see one of the best cards of the year on free TV.

The main card featured four bouts that were guaranteed to be exciting, but the lack of star power on the event caused some fans to write the card off as a glorified Fight Night card.

Instead, the UFC gained two new title contenders in Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks, and showed they have found he right formula to get the fans what they want to see on free TV.

While both Diaz and Hendricks earned the biggest victories of their respective careers this weekend, neither fighter was ranked in the Bleacher Report top 25 pound for pound list prior to the event.

Did one of the UFC’s new title contenders finally earn their spot among the best fighters in the world?

Or will Diaz and Hendricks be forced to actually get their hands on UFC gold before they find themselves in the top 25? 

These rankings are the combined efforts of some of Bleacher Report MMA's best writers, as we continue to try and provide you with the best content on the web.

25. Frank Mir

Promotion: UFC

Record: 16-5

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 140

Next Fight: Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146

Previous Ranking: N/A

The former UFC heavyweight champion has had some good luck lately, but it’s come at the expense of fellow contender Alistair Overeem.

When Overeem tested positive for high levels of testosterone after a press conference to promote the UFC 146 event, he was forced out of his title fight against Junior dos Santos and Mir was awarded the opportunity to fight for the belt.

Mir now faces one of the biggest tests of his career, as he will have to find a way to negate the incredible boxing of Dos Santos or he’ll end up flat on the mat.

24. Hatsu Hioki

Promotion: UFC

Record: 26-4-2

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144

Next Fight: Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4

Previous Ranking: 25

Many fans thought Hatsu Hioki was going to be the next man to challenge Jose Aldo for the UFC’s featherweight title, but the Japanese fighter turned down the title shot in favor of getting a little more Octagon experience.

Now Hioki is set to fight Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4, and a win there will ultimately lead to a title fight with the winner of the UFC 149 bout between Aldo and Erik Koch.

23. Kenny Florian

Promotion: UFC

Record: 14-6

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Jose Aldo at UFC 136

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 22

Kenny Florian has fought for a UFC title three times in his career, was the runner up on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, and finished nearly every top contender put in front of him for the majority of a decade.

To sum up, if Florian retires tomorrow, he has had an excellent career and could one day find himself in the UFC Hall of Fame.

While he is currently pondering retirement due to an ailing back, Florian won’t be leaving the UFC anytime soon, as he is now a full time commentator for the UFC’s events on FX and Fuel TV.

22. Jake Ellenberger

Promotion: UFC

Record: 27-5

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Diego Sanchez at UFC on Fuel 1

Next Fight: Martin Kampmann at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale

Previous Ranking: 23

After putting on a Fight of the Year performance with Diego Sanchez at UFC on Fuel 1 in February, Jake Ellenberger found himself deserving of a UFC title shot.

But due to the logjam of contenders in the welterweight division, as well as Carlos Condit’s willingness to wait for GSP to return from an injury, Ellenberger is being forced back into action against Martin Kampmann on June 1. 

If Ellenberger wins there, he will have done more than enough to get his shot at the title, but he may end up having to take out Johny Hendricks to solidify his spot as the sole contender to the belt.

21. Renan Barao

Promotion: UFC

Record: 28-1 (1 NC)

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Scott Jorgensen at UFC 143

Next Fight: Ivan Menjivar at UFC 148

Previous Ranking: 24

Joe Rogan has said that Renan Barao may be the best fighter in the UFC without a title around his waist.

While that may be a bit of a stretch at this point, Barao has been nothing but impressive since he started fighting inside the Octagon.

His wins over Brad Pickett and Scott Jorgensen are especially impressive, and it could end up earning him a title shot sooner than one might think.

20. Ian McCall

Promotion: UFC

Record: 11-2-1

Most Recent Fight: Draw with Demetrious Johnson at UFC on FX 2

Next Fight: Demetrious Johnson at UFC on FX 3

Previous Ranking: 20

The UFC’s first signee in the flyweight division was almost robbed of a shot at the 125-pound title in March.

Ian McCall fought a three-round thriller against Demetrious Johnson at UFC on FX 2, and the original verdict announced was that Johnson had won by split decision.

However, the UFC was notified that a scoring error had been made and the fight was actually a draw. This led to a rematch being announced for UFC on FX 3 in June.

If McCall can beat Johnson on his second try, he will be locked into a title fight against Joseph Benavidez set to take place later this year.

19. Lyoto Machida

Promotion: UFC

Record: 17-3

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Jon Jones at UFC 140

Next Fight: Ryan Bader at UFC on FOX 4

Previous Ranking: 21

Looking to rebound from his loss to Jon Jones in December, Lyoto Machida is in a curious spot in the light heavyweight division.

Machida is still looked at as a top contender in the division, despite losing three of his last four fights and having been finished in two of them.

While it’s unlikely that Machida will get another shot at the belt with Jones still atop the division, “The Dragon” is still going to get treated as a main-event fighter and is set to fight on the main card of the UFC on FOX 4 event in August.

If Machida can beat Ryan Bader at the event, he could be awarded with another top opponent and a shot to get back into the title discussion.

18. Shogun Rua

Promotion: UFC

Record: 20-6

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 139

Next Fight: Thiago Silva at UFC 149

Previous Ranking: 19

While his days as a UFC champion may be over, Shogun Rua is still one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport.

In November, Shogun competed in one of the most exciting bouts in UFC history, where he lost a tough decision to Dan Henderson at UFC 139.

Now having lost two of his last three fights, the UFC is giving Rua an exciting matchup with Thiago Silva to attempt to get back on track.

Shogun is incredibly exciting, and as long as he can beat Silva, he will likely remain on this list.

17. Joseph Benavidez

Promotion: UFC

Record: 16-2

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Yasuhiro Urushitani at UFC on FX 2

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 13

After years of being stuck as the No. 2 guy in the bantamweight division, the introduction of the UFC’s flyweight division has given Joseph Benavidez a chance to prove he is a world-class fighter.

Benavidez is set to fight in the first-ever flyweight title bout at some point later this year, as he won his first bout in the mini flyweight tournament the UFC is currently running.

The winner of a June rematch between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall currently awaits Benavidez, and the winner of the eventual title bout will likely find himself in the top 10 of this list by year's end.

16. Urijah Faber

Promotion: UFC

Record: 26-5

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Brian Bowles at UFC 139

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 15

The leader of Team Alpha Male is currently coaching opposite Dominick Cruz on The Ultimate Fighter, but a recent injury to Cruz leaves his fighting future in doubt.

Faber has earned himself a shot at the bantamweight title, but with Cruz likely out for an extended period of time due to a torn ACL, he may end up getting a shot at an interim title.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Faber, but we could get an answer in the next couple of days.

15. Cain Velasquez

Promotion: UFC

Record: 9-1

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC on FOX 1

Next Fight: Antonio Silva at UFC 146

Previous Ranking: 18

Last fall, Cain Velasquez dropped his UFC heavyweight title to Junior Dos Santos on the UFC’s FOX debut.

Since he lost the belt, Velasquez has had to overcome a few injuries, but he’s now set to return against Antonio Silva later this month.

If Velasquez is able to defeat Silva, he could find himself next in line for a shot at the belt, as the only other top contender for the title, Alistair Overeem, now finds himself suspended for almost the remainder of the year.

14. Gray Maynard

Promotion: UFC

Record: 10-1-1 (1 NC)

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Frankie Edgar at UFC 136

Next Fight: Clay Guida at UFC on FX 4

Previous Ranking: 14

Gray Maynard is about to take the first step on a long journey back into lightweight title contention.

After losing to Frankie Edgar last October, Maynard has been quietly preparing for his return to the cage, which will come against Clay Guida in June.

Maynard will need to win against the always-tough Guida if he wants to get back into the title picture anytime soon, but it will take another fight or two if he wants to get another title shot.

13. Gilbert Melendez

Promotion: Strikeforce

Record: 20-2

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Jorge Masvidal at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal

Next Fight: Josh Thomson at Strikeforce 40

Previous Ranking: 17

Widely considered the best fighter in the world not currently in the UFC, Gilbert Melendez could be the best lightweight in the world.

His teammate and current UFC contender Nate Diaz obviously believes it, as he made it a point to acknowledge Melendez as the top dog at 155 in his post-fight speech this weekend.

Until Melendez finds himself in the UFC, he will likely be stuck outside of the top ten in the world, but if can find some solid competition outside of the Octagon, he could make his way up the rankings.

12. Rashad Evans

Promotion: UFC

Record: 17-2-1

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Jon Jones at UFC 145

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 10

The man who was supposed to be Jon Jones’ greatest threat turned out to be not much of a threat at all.

This isn’t meant to be a knock on Rashad Evans, but the former light heavyweight champion had a minimal amount of success against Jones, only really giving the champion trouble when he rocked him with a head kick in the first round.

Evans has vowed to earn himself a rematch with the champion, but he’ll need a couple of victories to get near Jones or the light heavyweight title again.

11. Chael Sonnen

Promotion: UFC

Record: 28-11-1

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Michael Bisping at UFC on FOX 2

Next Fight: Anderson Silva at UFC 148

Previous Ranking: 12

After being just two minutes away from defeating Anderson Silva and taking away the UFC middleweight title back at UFC 117, Chael Sonnen has to feel confident going into their rematch at UFC 148.

After earning his way back to the title with wins over top competitors Brian Stann and Michael Bisping, Sonnen is riding a lot of momentum going into the most important bout of his career.

After watching him dominate Silva for the majority of their last fight, many fans are predicting that Silva’s reign will end at the hands of Sonnen.

10. Carlos Condit

Promotion: UFC

Record: 28-5

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Nick Diaz at UFC 143

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 9

Carlos Condit shocked a lot of people when he out-struck and outsmarted Nick Diaz at UFC 143, and whether you agreed with the decision or not, Condit is now the interim welterweight champion.

Despite contenders like Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks knocking on the door of title contention, Condit has decided to make the smart play and wait for Georges St-Pierre and the big payday that goes along with a title unification bout.

Now stuck on the sidelines until late this year while he waits for St-Pierre to recover, Condit is going to have plenty of time to try and figure out what he needs to do to stop one of the best in the world.

9. Dan Henderson

Promotion: UFC

Record: 29-8

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Shogun Rua at UFC 139

Next Fight: Jon Jones at TBA

Previous Ranking: 11

The next challenger for Jon Jones’ light heavyweight title is going to have his work cut out for him, but fans have known for a long time not to count out Dan Henderson completely.

Henderson has been on the most impressive run of his career as of late, winning the Strikeforce 205-pound title, taking out all-time great Fedor Emelianenko and winning a war in one of the best fights in UFC history against Shogun Rua.

Despite all of that, Henderson will be the heavy underdog when he fights Jones later this year.

Even though Henderson is one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport, Jones has just looked too dominant over the last year and a half to give Henderson anything more than a puncher’s chance

8. Frankie Edgar

Promotion: UFC

Record: 14-2-1

Most Recent Fight: Loss to Benson Henderson at UFC 144

Next Fight: Benson Henderson at TBA

Previous Ranking: 8

After a lightweight title run that saw him take out Gray Maynard and BJ Penn, it’s hard to deny Frankie Edgar a spot in the top 10.

“The Answer” has proven he is one of the best lightweights in the world, despite giving up a ton of size against nearly every opponent he fights.

If Edgar is able to take his title back from Benson Henderson later this year, expect him to move closer to the top five, but a loss will likely push him out of the top ten and out of title contention at 155.

7. Benson Henderson

Promotion: UFC

Record: 16-2

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Frankie Edgar at UFC 144

Next Fight: Frankie Edgar at TBA

Previous Ranking: 7

The newest UFC champion has a handful of fighters looking for a shot to take away what he has earned, but first Benson Henderson is going to have to shut down Frankie Edgar for a second time.

The first fight between Henderson and Edgar was fought at a torrid pace and saw both men go toe to toe for the full 25 minutes, with Henderson earning the (somewhat) controversial decision.

Now the two are set to fight again late this summer, and a win for Henderson will prove he has earned his spot at the top of his division.

6. Junior Dos Santos

Promotion: UFC

Record: 14-1

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Cain Velasquez at UFC on FOX 1

Next Fight: Frank Mir at UFC 146

Previous Ranking: 6

Fans won’t get to see the heavyweight title fight between Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem that they were promised due to a failed drug test by the challenger, but Dos Santos has been given a suitable replacement in former champion Frank Mir.

With Overeem out of the picture until next year, Dos Santos is without a doubt the top heavyweight in the world and he will look to keep his title and his spot in the rankings against Mir later this month.

Mir poses a threat on the ground that Dos Santos has never had to deal with, but as long as JDS is able to keep this fight standing, he should leave Las Vegas with his belt still wrapped firmly around his waist after UFC 146.

5. Dominick Cruz

Promotion: UFC

Record: 19-1

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Demetrious Johnson at UFC Live 6: Cruz vs. Johnson

Next Fight: N/A

Previous Ranking: 5

Once Dominick Cruz gets done coaching on Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, he will finally be able to end his rivalry with Urijah Faber.

Whether he wins the rivalry remains to be seen.

Cruz was originally set to fight Faber at UFC 148 in July, but a recent injury has forced him out of the bout and it looks like the champion may be out of action for quite some time.

It is unknown if the UFC will create an interim belt while Cruz is stuck on the sidelines.

4. Jose Aldo

Promotion: UFC

Record: 21-1

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Chad Mendes at UFC 142

Next Fight: Erik Koch at UFC 149

Previous Ranking: 4

The UFC’s featherweight champion has looked unstoppable since winning the belt, but a lack of high-profile opponents has killed his chances at being called the best in the world.

Wins over Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian and Chad Mendes are solid resume builders, but until Aldo finds himself against an opponent that fans view as a real threat, his lack of competition is going to leave him a level behind the best in the world.

Aldo is set to defend his title at UFC 149 in Calgary this July, but once again he will be fighting an opponent that the casual fan will know next to nothing about in Erik Koch.

3. Jon Jones

Promotion: UFC

Record: 16-1

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Rashad Evans at UFC 145

Next Fight: Dan Henderson at TBA

Previous Ranking: 3

After watching Jon Jones completely dominate Rashad Evans at UFC 145, fans are now wondering if there is anyone in the sport who can even give Jones a decent fight.

Next on the agenda for “Bones” is current top contender and all-time great Dan Henderson, who is going to attempt to land his patented “H-Bomb” of a right hand to put the champ to sleep.

If Jones is able to get past Henderson, he will have defeated five straight opponents who at one time held a title for a major organization, which may be the greatest stretch of wins put together by any fighter in MMA history.

2. Georges St-Pierre

Promotion: UFC

Record: 22-2

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Jake Shields at UFC 129

Next Fight: Carlos Condit at TBA

Previous Ranking: 2

With Jon Jones quietly trying to steal his spot as the second-best fighter in the world, Georges St-Pierre is in desperate need of an impressive win when he returns to the Octagon this fall.

Injuries have forced GSP out of the spotlight for the last year, but his reputation as one of the most dominant fighters in the history of the sport has remained intact, and he needs to showcase his dominance against Carlos Condit.

A finish would do wonders for St-Pierre’s resume, as he’s struggled to put his opponents away in recent fights, but a one-sided victory over the interim welterweight champion will suffice for now.

1. Anderson Silva

Promotion: UFC

Record: 31-4

Most Recent Fight: Defeated Yushin Okami at UFC 134

Next Fight: Chael Sonnen at UFC 148

Previous Ranking: 1

Unless Anderson Silva loses sometime in the next couple of years, the odds of anyone stealing the top spot from him are slim to none.

Jon Jones has admittedly gained some ground on Silva and GSP over the last year, but Silva’s extended run of dominance is going to make it nearly impossible for anyone to pass him as long as he doesn’t slip up.

Chael Sonnen has proven to be Silva’s greatest threat in the middleweight division, and “The Spider” is going to have to find away to shut down Sonnen’s merciless top game this summer at UFC 148 if he wants to hold onto his spot at the top of the sport.