UFC Rankings: Power Ranking Every Fighter in Every Division

The reliability of MMA rankings have long been debated due to their subjective nature. However, with the help of math, personal opinions can be removed from ranking systems as much as possible. That is the aim of the following monthly UFC ranking system, which orders fighters in each division based on a formula that heavily weighs results against similar competition.

By removing non-UFC fighters from the equation, many of whom have not proven themselves against elite competition, these rankings eliminate much of the guesswork that goes into personal rankings. That is not to say there are not elite fighters competing outside of the Octagon, but the UFC has become the major league of MMA, and there is no denying that.

Take a look at the complete UFC rankings on the following pages of this slideshow and leave your opinions in the comment section below. Alterations to the ranking formula will be made based on the response from the Bleacher Report community. 

Rankings Guidelines

The following rankings are computerized based primarily on comparing similar competition among fighters. Exhibition bouts are not considered in determining rankings.

All fighters will be ranked in their current division as long as they have competed in that division within the past calender year. However, champions who compete outside the division in which they hold a belt will be ranked in both divisions unless one year has passed since they have defended their title.

Changes will be made to these guidelines at the overwhelming request of Bleacher Report readers.

Note: Rankings for potential women's divisions will be included once more details are released on the possible signing of Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and others.

Heavyweight

As a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, Roy Nelson was expected to meet opposing coach Shane Carwin at the Season 16 finale. However, Carwin has injured his knee since taping of the reality show concluded and will not be able to compete against Nelson as anticipated.

Out of action for 17 months already, Carwin's injury problems are beginning to threaten his career. At 37 years old, it wouldn't come as a shock if this latest injury results in retirement for the former interim heavyweight champion.

At the time of this publication, Nelson is without an opponent for his booked appearance at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in mid-December.

Recent Heavyweight Fights

None

Upcoming Heavyweight Fights

Update: Roy Nelson will fight Matt Mitrione at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale.

While this matchup between heavyweight kickboxers should be entertaining, it is being overshadowed by the loss of the previously scheduled Nelson-Carwin bout.

In all likelihood, Nelson will still fight at The Ultimate Fighter 16 finale show, but the UFC will have to work quickly to find him a replacement opponent, and it's unlikely that foe will draw as much interest to the event as Carwin would have.

Heavyweight Rankings

Rising: Antonio Silva—After being completely decimated by Cain Velasquez in his UFC debut, there were probably some who expected "Bigfoot" to be run out of the UFC in short order. However, Silva bounced back in a big way by knocking out Travis Browne at UFC on FX 5. That win has set Silva up for a huge opportunity to compete against Alistair Overeem in February.

Falling: Shawn Jordan—Back-to-back second-round stoppages against Lavar Johnson and Oli Thompson had some believing the athletic Jordan could make a big run up the heavyweight ladder. However, Jordan's momentum came to a screeching halt in an awful showing against Cheick Kongo in July. 

Non-Ranked Heavyweights

With Carwin battling another injury and Geronimo dos Santos recovering from Hepatitis B, Matt Mitrione is likely the only one of these non-ranked heavyweights who will find his way into the rankings in the not-too-distant future.

Having lost his most recent fight against Cheick Kongo, Mitrione would probably sit outside of the Top 20 were he currently ranked, so his upcoming bout with Phil De Fries will give him a chance to break through that barrier and avoid a second straight loss.

Light Heavyweight

In submitting Stanislav Nedkov at UFC on Fuel TV 6, Thiago Silva showed fans that Alexander Gustafsson's win over him was not something to be shrugged off, and that sets the stage nicely for the Swedish fighter's upcoming bout with Mauricio Rua.

A fight with Rua gives Gustafsson a chance to prove he is one of the best fighters in the light heavyweight division. With many hoping to see Gustafsson put his reach to use against the long-limbed Jon Jones, a victory over Rua could potentially set the 25-year-old up for a title fight.

Whether he wins or loses against the Brazilian, the fact that Gustafsson is already competing against a fighter like Rua at his young age shows that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the 205-pound division for quite some time.

Recent Light Heavyweight Fights

While it wasn't pretty, Silva's win over the Bulgarian gave him his first official win since knocking out Keith Jardine in August 2009. 

When healthy and active, Silva has the potential to contend in the light heavyweight division, but back problems took away some of the Brazilian's best years. Silva was getting injured so frequently that it eventually got to the point where he decided to use prohibited substances to help him recover prior to a January 2011 bout with Brandon Vera.

That poor decision led to a failed drug test, which took another year away from Silva's career due to suspension.

Silva has now begun training with the Blackzilians. Perhaps the new surroundings will cause a rebirth in Silva's career, as he is still only 30 years old and capable of becoming a Top 10 light heavyweight with the right mindset and preparation.

Upcoming Light Heavyweight Fights

After losing to Travis Browne in his UFC debut, former Strikeforce heavyweight Chad Griggs has decided to move to the light heavyweight division, where he hoped to gain a size advantage over more slender opponents like Cyrille Diabate.

Another former heavyweight, Joey Beltran, will also be looking to avoid back-to-back UFC losses. Beltran was expected to fight Anthony Perosh, but a nasty toe injury forced the Australian out of that bout and allowed Igor Pokrajac to step in as a replacement.

Light Heavyweight Rankings

Rising: Thiago Silva—When picking up your first win in more than three years, it's hard for a fighter to not raise their standing to some degree. Silva is still on the outside of the Top 10, but his knockout power and underrated ground game put him one punch away from becoming a serious contender.

Falling: Mauricio Rua—Despite his lofty ranking, Mauricio Rua has not won back-to-back fights since knocking out Chuck Liddell in April 2009. The Brazilian remains very close to a rematch with Jon Jones, but his most recent showing against Brandon Vera did nothing to move him forward. If he can stifle the rising Gustafsson at UFC on Fox 5, it will get the ball rolling in the right direction once again.

Non-Ranked Light Heavyweights

Though he hasn't competed at light heavyweight during his current run with the UFC, Chael Sonnen has talked his way into a 205-pound title fight with Jon Jones. Sonnen will oppose Jones as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 17 and is expected to receive his shot at the belt in April.

Middleweight

Anderson Silva has said a lot of things that turned out to be false during his career, having contemplated retirement multiple times, but his most recent claim is one that MMA fans are hoping doesn't come to fruition.

The middleweight champion recently stated that he doesn't plan on competing until late 2013, which would mean a one-year absence from competition for the most accomplished athlete to ever step into the Octagon.

Prior to this disappointing news, it was rumored Silva would be attending Georges St-Pierre's title fight against Carlos Condit and was planning on calling out the Canadian should he prove victorious. Silva is still planning on attending that fight, but he has since squashed the idea that he would confront St-Pierre inside the cage.

Recent Middleweight Fights

After being brutally knocked out by Cung Le at UFC on Fuel TV 6, there's a real possibility that fans may have seen the last of former middleweight champion Rich Franklin. The 38-year-old was hoping to make one last run at a middleweight title shot, but the chances of that happening now are near zero.

Upcoming Middleweight Fights

Hector Lombard disappointed in his UFC debut, losing by decision in a lackluster fight against Tim Boetsch. However, the former Bellator champion is still one of the top middleweights in the world and will get another chance to prove it against dangerous grappler Rousimar Palhares.

Middleweight Rankings

Rising: Riki Fukuda—If you're among the many who believe he should have been given a win in his fight with Nick Ring, Fukuda has only been truly beaten once in his four-fight UFC career. The Japanese fighter won't be contending for a title anytime soon, but he's proven to be a tough opponent for anyone and looked better than ever in his latest win over Tom DeBlass.

Falling: Rich Franklin—Without much of a chance at ever competing for another championship, Franklin doesn't have anything left to prove. He could continue collecting paychecks by fighting big names, but that's no different than what he's been doing for the past few years. It may be time for Franklin to start thinking about life after fighting.

Non-Ranked Middleweights

Chris Leben has served his suspension for a failed drug test and is ready to bring his exciting fighting style back to the Octagon in December. "The Crippler" will meet Karlos Vemola, who started his UFC career at heavyweight before dropping all the way down to the 185-pound division, where he has had mixed success thus far.

Welterweight

Georges St-Pierre has been out of action for far too long, but he'll finally return at UFC 154, and Carlos Condit will be ready to welcome him back. 

The bout between the pair of 170-pound champions was previously scheduled to happen in October 2011, but St-Pierre was injured and Condit ended up fighting Nick Diaz for an interim title. 

At this point, neither St-Pierre nor Condit believe themselves to be a true champion of the welterweight division. Following their meeting in St-Pierre's home country, one will stand above the rest at 170 pounds.

Recent Welterweight Fights

At one point, judo black belts Dong Hyun Kim and Paulo Thiago were both considered potential welterweight contenders. After their fight for relevance, only Kim looks to be a fighter who can climb the ranks and become a title threat in the 170-pound division.

Kim dominated Thiago for three rounds, handing the Brazilian his fourth loss in five fights. At this point, Thiago needs a win to simply keep his spot on the UFC roster.

Upcoming Welterweight Fights

On the same night that St-Pierre and Condit square off for the undisputed welterweight title, Martin Kampmann and Johnny Hendricks will battle to become next in line for a shot at the belt.

Additionally, B.J. Penn's return from a brief retirement is on the horizon. Rory MacDonald has developed some bad blood with Penn over recent months and will be looking to spoil Penn's comeback on national television.

Welterweight Rankings

Rising: Justin Edwards—Despite losing to Clay Harvison in his follow-up fight after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter, Edwards was given more chances to prove himself inside the Octagon. With a first-round submission victory over Josh Neer, Edwards is making the most of the opportunities he has been give by the UFC and now finds himself in the Top 20.

Falling: Paulo Thiago—Since submitting Mike Swick in February 2010, Thiago has only beaten David Mitchell. The 31-year-old Brazilian hasn't given the UFC much reason to keep him around as of late, so his career could depend on a win in his next fight.

Non-Ranked Welterweights

In the next month, St-Pierre and Penn will both return to competition and bolster an already deep division. Should they both win their upcoming fights, both fighters should find themselves in the top five on the 170-pound ladder.

Lightweight

It is has been a long road to the top for Nate Diaz, but he's finally ready to rock and roll in the first title fight of his career. Diaz earned his shot at lightweight champion Benson Henderson by submitting Jim Miller in May, and he will get his shot to dethrone the titleholder on network television.

Henderson is coming off of a controversial decision win that sent Frankie Edgar to the featherweight division. While Henderson rid himself of Edgar's threat for now, the champion has some proving to do after such a heavily-debated title defense.

A bout between Henderson and Diaz is sure to be one of the most entertaining of 2012. Both fighters have unlimited gas tanks and push a tremendous pace.

Recent Lightweight Fights

Though he's not the title contender the UFC hoped he'd be when they signed him, former Pride champion Takanori Gomi continues to pick up wins inside the Octagon. After losing three of his first four UFC bouts, the Japanese lightweight has now won back-to-back fights to remain relevant near the top of the 155-pound division.

Upcoming Lightweight Fights

A busy month is upcoming for the lightweight division. Besides the title fight between Henderson and Diaz, a number of notable competitors will attempt to climb the ranks by finish 2012 on a high note.

In their most recent appearances, Jamie Varner and Melvin Guillard suffered disappointing losses, but a top 10 spot will be on the line when the two meet next month. 

Longtime UFC fighters Mark Bocek and Rafael dos Anjos will also be looking for a big win in the coming weeks, as they will battle against one another for a third straight win.

Lightweight Rankings

Rising: Mac Danzig—Yes, despite losing to Takanori Gomi at UFC on Fuel TV 6, Danzig is moving in the right direction. Many, including UFC president Dana White, believed Danzig deserved a win over Gomi in what turned out to be a split decision loss. Even in defeat, fighting to such a close decision with an opponent like Gomi is the best performance Danzig has had since knocking out Joe Stevenson in December 2010.

Falling: Tiequan Zhang—Though Zhang wasn't ranked at lightweight heading into this month, his career is just headed in a downward trajectory in general. The face of Chinese MMA has lost four of his past five fights, but he'll get another shot inside the Octagon because he is expected to help grow MMA in his home country.

Non-Ranked Lightweights

Correction: Sotiropoulos is fighting Pearson. He is not fighting himself.

After coaching The Ultimate Fighter: Smashes, George Sotiropoulos and Ross Pearson will return to lightweight competition at UFC on FX 6. The pair have developed a bit of a rivalry in their time opposite one another on the reality show, so they should bring a little something extra to the Octagon when they meet in December.

Featherweight

With Jose Aldo still out of action until February, Chad Mendes has had some time to lay the groundwork for an eventual rematch with the dominant featherweight champion. 

After easily disposing of Cody McKenzie in a mismatch, Mendes has been matched up with Hacran Dias. While Dias isn't considered a contender yet, he beat a solid opponent in Yuri Alcantara with relative ease in his UFC debut, making him a fighter to watch.

Should Mendes beat Dias at UFC on FX 6, he'll be ready to start mixing it up with elite 145-pound fighters once again. At 27 years old, it's only a matter of time until Mendes gets another shot at the belt.

Recent Featherweight Fights

None

Upcoming Featherweight Fights

Quickly rising in the featherweight division, Dennis Siver was expected to fight Eddie Yagin in an important matchup for the division at UFC on Fox 5. Unfortunately, Yagin was forced out of that bout, leaving Nam Phan as a replacement opponent for the German.

The coming month will also see Dustin Poirier try to get back on track after losing to Chan Sung Jung in his most recent outing. Poirier has been booked for a fight with Jonathan Brookins, who has had trouble gaining any moments in the 145-pound division.

Featherweight Rankings

Rising: Dennis Siver—While he hasn't fought since April, Siver's standing got a bump from Diego Nunes' recent victory over Bart Palaszewski. Having only fought Nunes since moving to the featherweight division, Siver's standing goes as Nunes' standing goes. Right now, they are both moving upward.

Falling: Jason Young—Though he lost his first two fights inside the Octagon, Young was highly competitive with Dustin Poirier and Michihiro Omigawa. In defeat against Robert Peralta, Young was quickly dropped with a brutal right hand. The Englishman's ranking went down with him.

Non-Ranked Featherweights

All three of these fighters could be and should be Top 10 featherweights after their upcoming bouts. The early months of 2012 will have a huge impact on the 145-pound landscape, and these fighters will have a lot to do with that.

Bantamweight

There are plenty of solid bantamweight fights coming up, including a bout between Mike Easton and Bryan Caraway, but it's just hard to be excited about the bantamweight division when its two champions plan to be inactive for the foreseeable future.

Renan Barao is healthy by all accounts, but the interim champion will apparently wait for Dominick Cruz to return from his knee injury before fighting again. All the while, Michael McDonald remains without a named opponent.

Losing Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez to the new flyweight division also hasn't helped the 135-pound division gain much attention.

Recent Bantamweight Fights

Though he probably didn't deserve to win the fight on one judge's scorecard, Motonobu Tezuka became an interesting addition to the bantamweight division with his competitive debut against Alex Caceres. 

Tezuka has some improvements to make in order to become a contender, but he and fellow UFC on Fuel TV 6 competitor Takeya Mizugaki could be important pieces in the UFC's plans to grow MMA across the Asian market.

Upcoming Bantamweight Fights

After two straight losses, Scott Jorgensen's matchup against John Albert is clearly targeted at getting the former WEC title challenger back on track. Unfortunately for Albert, the mismatch could lead to his third straight loss unless he can shock the world with a major upset.

Bantamweight Rankings

Rising: Bryan Caraway—Following an appearance on The Ultimate Fighter, Caraway has won back-to-back fights with submissions. The boyfriend of Miesha Tate is finally on his way toward being as highly ranked in his division as his girlfriend is in hers. His chance to break into the Top 10 will come with his upcoming bout against Mike Easton.

Falling: Vaughan Lee—Submitting Norifumi Yamamoto caused Lee to shoot up the rankings, but the British fighter has come crashing back down after a submission loss to T.J. Dillashaw. Lee has faced some tough opponents in his first three UFC bouts, so a step down in competition is in order for his next appearance.

Non-Ranked Bantamweights

A number of former featherweights have decided to pursue their title hopes in the bantamweight division, and those fighters will make their cut to 135 pounds shortly. While they couldn't quite break through at featherweight, Yuri Alcantara and George Roop have the ability to make some noise in the bantamweight division. 

Flyweight

Yasuhiro Urushitani has quickly turned into a massive disappointment.

The former Shooto champion was expected to be a serious contender in the UFC's flyweight division, but he's already sunk toward the basement of the weight class. A loss to former WEC title challenger Joseph Benavidez didn't come as a shock, but Urushitani's recent loss to John Lineker was deflating to say the least.

With two straight losses, Urushitani is now in danger of losing his spot on the UFC's roster. With the organization still developing the 125-pound division, Urushitani may get more of a break than some others, but he still needs to get things turned around. 

Recent Flyweight Fights

As hard as the loss was to swallow for Urushitani, his bout with Lineker at UFC on Fuel TV 6 was very entertaining. The fighters missed out on Fight of the Night honors, but it wouldn't have been at all shocking if they would have earned the bonus checks.

Upcoming Flyweight Fights

After losing two straight fights at bantamweight, Jared Papazian is set to become the newest addition to the flyweight division. Papazian will face a tough task in Tim Elliott, who gave top contender John Dodson a good test in his UFC debut.

Flyweight Rankings

Rising: John Lineker—The 22-year-old lost in his UFC debut against Louis Gaudinot, but he improved significantly for his sophomore outing and mounted one of the bigger upsets of 2012 by out-striking Urushitani for the better part of three rounds.

Falling: Yasuhiro Urushitani—Among flyweights currently ranked, Urushitani is the only fighter with multiple UFC losses at 125 pounds. At this point, the Japanese fighter should no longer be considered even a fringe contender in the division.

Non-Ranked Flyweights

Papazian has become a fixture in FX-televised events. Even after moving divisions, he's still found his way onto an FX fight card in The Ultimate Fighter 16 finale fight card.