UFC 163 Results: Top 25 Pound-for-Pound Fighters in the UFC

After back-to-back Saturdays with high-ranking fighters, we have a fresh new set of rankings following UFC 163. Jose Aldo looked genuinely unimpressive against Chan Sung Jung but maintains his spot among the elite in MMA, while Lyoto Machida's semi-controversial loss to Phil Davis punts him off this list.

What else, though, has happened over the last few weeks? Which fighters are better than others? What happens when we throw women into the mix?

Find out right here!

No. 25: Cub Swanson

Record: 20-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Dennis Siver

Next Fight: TBD

Cub Swanson is one of the best lower-weight-class fighters right now. He has racked up five straight victories against some strong opponents, and the way he came back to overcome Dennis Siver was remarkable.

Unfortunately for him, his three most recent losses came from Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes and Ricardo Lamas. That will haunt him for a while yet, and while he still finds himself on this list, he is going to have a tough time getting a crack at the featherweight belt.

No. 24: TJ Grant

Record: 21-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Gray Maynard

Next Fight: TBD

Since dropping from welterweight to lightweight, T.J. Grant has looked amazing. I don't know what happened, but he went from being a crafty grappler to a dynamite-handed striker seemingly overnight. That rocketed him into title contention, but it isn't all rainbows for Grant.

He finds himself buried behind a few other lightweights on these rankings. Here's hoping he can bounce back from the concussion that robbed him of a title shot in short order.

No. 23: Daniel Cormier

Record: 12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Frank Mir

Next Fight: Roy Nelson at UFC 166

Daniel Cormier's wins over Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, Frank Mir and Josh Barnett put him among the most elite of elite heavyweights. Too bad he's not planning on staying there.

The former Olympic wrestler has all the tools to be a champion at heavyweight, but having his BFF, Cain Velasquez, atop the division is nudging him in the direction of making a run at 205 lbs. If he can make that weight, he will be a legitimate threat to Jon Jones. However, his standing in the division (and as such, these rankings), suffers with his insistence on leaving his current division.

No. 22: Yushin Okami

Record: 30-7 MMA, 13-4 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Hector Lombard 

Next Fight: Ronaldo Souza at UFC Fight Night 28

Yushin Okami is among the greatest middleweights in MMA history. I said it, and I meant it. He has deceptively good striking, formidable wrestling and the most powerful frame in the division.

He has used that to dominate opponents and has run through highly skilled veterans in Alan Belcher and Hector Lombard in his last two fights. He remains forever perched in title contention and is actually a legitimate threat to newly minted middleweight champion Chris Weidman.

No. 21: Chad Mendes

Record: 14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Darren Elkins

Next Fight: Clay Guida at UFC 164

Chad Mendes is a scary dude, but the specter of Jose Aldo kneeing his skull clean out of his head continues to haunt him. So does the UFC inexplicably reducing him to honest-to-goodness can-crushing duty for a while.

Even though he is supremely talented and owns wins over Cub Swanson, Erik Koch and Rani Yahya, he had found himself fighting guys like Cody McKenzie and Yaotzin Meza. It made no sense, and there is no explanation for it. He finds his ship righted now and will fight Clay Guida next month, but he has wrongly been put back into a position where he needs to prove himself.

No. 20: Urijah Faber

Record: 28-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Scott Jorgensen

Next Fight: Yuri Alcantara at UFC Fight Night 26

The awkward relationship between fans and the UFC with Urijah Faber seems to have found an odd parity. While he is obviously the only legitimately excellent fighter outside the champions of the UFC's bantamweight division, the promotion has him dedicating his time to pushing down perennial non-contender mainstays like Scott Jorgensen and Ivan Menjivar.

Another title shot for Faber is inevitable, though. He is just so much better than everyone who isn't Dominick Cruz or Renan Barao. Unfortunately for him, though, the UFC's utter indifference when it comes to having a stocked bantamweight division leaves him with basically no compelling opponents. He next faces Yuri Alcantara on Fox Sports 1.

No. 19: Frankie Edgar

Record: 15-4-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Charles Oliveira

Next Fight: TBD

Frankie Edgar's career, at least now, remains defined by his time at lightweight. That works out well for him in these pound-for-pound rankings, but he finds himself in an awkward position in the actual featherweight standings.

Either way, we know how good he is, with endless cardio, savvy wrestling and point-scoring hands. While he seems far off from a title shot right now, he is as skilled as anybody in the featherweight division.

No. 18: Anthony Pettis

Record: 14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Donald Cerrone

Next Fight: Benson Henderson at UFC 164

Anthony "Showtime" Pettis is back at lightweight following a brief foray into the featherweight division. Even so, I don't think many regarded him as a true member of the 145-lb division.

At 155, it's easy to slot him as the third-best lightweight. He has wins over Joe Lauzon, Donald Cerrone and champion Benson Henderson in the WEC. That's a great trio of fighters, and it doesn't hurt that he knocked out two of them in devastating fashion.

The big question mark for Pettis, though, is the lack of wrestling savvy he demonstrated when he was beaten handily by Clay Guida. It's tough to envision Pettis beating Bendo again or holding onto the belt for long if he does somehow triumph.

No. 17: Ronda Rousey

Record: 7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Liz Carmouche

Next Fight: Miesha Tate at UFC 168

Ronda Rousey is the only female fighter to appear on this list. While she has the fewest in-the-cage accomplishments of anybody on this list, her victories over Miesha Tate and Sarah Kaufman suggest superiority over two of the most decorated fighters in women's MMA. On the horizon, there are few threats to Rousey's title reign. 

Part of that is due to a lack of well-developed competition. But part of it is also because her world-class grappling and second-to-none athleticism give her a clear edge over every potential opponent.

While she is still a work in progress, her hold over the division and obvious skill get her on this list.

No. 16: Ricardo Lamas

Record: 13-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Erik Koch

Next Fight: TBD

Right now, Ricardo Lamas owns the most impressive winning streak by any non-champion in the featherweight division. That run includes stoppage victories over Matt Grice, Cub Swanson and Erik Koch.

While he was penciled in by many to be the top contender of the featherweight division, he was skipped over for Anthony Pettis and then for Chan Sung Jung. He was originally scheduled to face the latter last month, but the matchup fell apart. His fate at the moment is unknown, but there are several compelling matchups for him.

No. 15: Gilbert Melendez

Record: 21-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC

Last Fight: Loss vs. Benson Henderson

Next Fight: Diego Sanchez at UFC 166

The constant struggle between Gilbert Melendez fans and UFC naysayers came to a head when he fought Benson Henderson on Fox. While Melendez lost the fight, he proved that he was deserving of almost all the praise that has been showered over him since he began dominating Strikeforce.

He maintains his second-only-to-the-UFC-champ spot in the lightweight division, and that is where he belongs. He has wrestling, jiu-jitsu and hands. That's something you can't say about many lightweights these days, despite the division's depth.

No. 14: Joseph Benavidez

Record: 18-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Darren Uyenoyama

Next Fight: Jussier Formiga at UFC Fight Night 28

In the UFC, there is no guy as deeply cemented into the No. 2 spot as Joseph Benavidez. Years ago, he demonstrated himself to be above almost every bantamweight in the world, despite being undersized compared to natural lightweights like Dominick Cruz and Renan Barao.

In the flyweight division, no fighters can challenge him, save champion Demetrious Johnson. Having been defeated by "Mighty Mouse" less than 12 months ago, he finds himself staring at a title shot if he can beat Jussier Formiga in September.

No. 13: Vitor Belfort

Record: 23-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Luke Rockhold

Next Fight: TBD

The cloud of TRT and the increasingly obvious willingness of the UFC to accommodate his likely-not-legal-in-America use of the treatment hang over the resurgence of longtime contender Vitor Belfort. That, however, does not change the fact that he is one of the scariest fighters in MMA right now.

At 36 years old and with 33 professional fights under his belt, "The Phenom" is better than ever. He owns knockouts over several solid middleweights in his current UFC stint, including Rich Franklin, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold.

He is holding out for a title fight in his next match but is likely going to have to wait until the spring to get it.

No. 12: Dominick Cruz

Record: 19-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Demetrious Johnson

Next Fight: TBD

I'll get a little personal for this slide. 

I am a huge Dominick Cruz fan. I would put him among my five favorite fighters, and I think he was the clear-cut best bantamweight of all time...before his catastrophic knee injury.

In the two years since, Renan Barao has taken over, and the interim belt has taken on a life of its own. Following UFC 165, there will have been more fights with that title at stake than Cruz's. Oh, and yeah...it's been more than two years since Cruz last fought.

What that basically adds up to is that Cruz, much to his chagrin, is no longer the top dog at 135 lbs. He was dominant enough in the WEC and in his two fights in the UFC that he stays close to the top of the crowd. Until he returns, though, it's not right to rank him as anything better than one of the well-established top contenders.

No. 11: Junior Dos Santos

Record: 16-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Mark Hunt

Next Fight: Cain Velasquez at UFC 166

Remember how some annoying kid in your class would always pull "gun" in rock-paper-scissors and claim it beats everything? 

Fabricio Werdum, Josh Barnett, Roy Nelson, Antonio Silva, etc. are rocks, papers or pairs of scissors. Junior dos Santos, Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez? They're guns.

Those three fighters are so clearly ahead of the rest of the pack, it's absurd. Dos Santos is slated to face Velasquez, whom he beat back in 2011 but was more recently demolished by. It will be interesting to see how their rubber match shakes out, but JDS has done enough to remain the No. 2 heavyweight for the foreseeable future regardless of the outcome.

No. 10: Johny Hendricks

Record: 15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Carlos Condit

Next Fight: Georges St-Pierre at UFC 167

In the UFC, there has never been as clear a top contender as Johny Hendricks right now. That is a big claim, but it is true. The winning streak he owns is the most impressive run not credited to a champion.

Carlos Condit, Martin Kampmann, Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch represent a huge portion of the top welterweights of the last decade, and with the exception of Koscheck, he has beaten each of them handily. He is opening as a big underdog to GSP, but even so, he is arguably one of the top welterweights of all time. We'll see how he measures up against the champ at UFC 167.

No. 9: Renan Barao

Record: 32-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Michael McDonald

Next Fight: Eddie Wineland at UFC 165

Renan Barao could reasonably be slotted in the top five. Honestly, he owns one of the best winning streaks in MMA and has convincingly defeated a sizable portion of the UFC's bantamweight division.

So why is he in ninth place? Because even though he has run through many top UFC bantamweights, there are simply too many high-level non-UFC bantamweights out there. While he owns a solid win over Urijah Faber, victories over guys like Brad Pickett and Scott Jorgensen, while not irrelevant, don't compare to wins over the likes of Bibiano Fernandes, Tyson Nam, Marlon Moraes, Joe Warren or Eduardo Dantas.

The only big fight left for Barao at this point is with Dominick Cruz. That harsh truth speaks volumes about the UFC and its priorities, and Barao is the one paying for it.

No. 8: Chris Weidman

Record: 10-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Anderson Silva

Next Fight: Anderson Silva at UFC 168

Look at that picture up there. Two possible things happen with that picture—either it defines Chris Weidman's entire career, or it will be largely forgotten after Weidman beats Silva again.

Despite the convincing nature of "The All-American's" victory, he finds himself in the unenviable position of having to prove that his shocking knockout victory over Silva was not a fluke. If he can, he will likely climb up deeper into the rankings. If he can't, he will likely fall out of the top 10.

No. 7: Demetrious Johnson

Record: 18-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. John Moraga

Next Fight: TBD

Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson turned many heads with his performance last week, but he honestly didn't show us anything new with his record-setting fight against John Moraga. Johnson is possibly the most technical fighter in MMA.

Every movement he makes is measured and with purpose. His near-inhuman speed lets him stay at whatever range suits him, and the way he can set up his wrestling with his striking is a sight to behold.

That said, he has shown flashes of weakness in his chin—which hurt him a bit in his draw to Ian McCall and his title defense against John Dodson—and his wrestling against larger opponents. Dominick Cruz outmuscled Johnson handily when they fought. 

However, he has essentially cleared out the entire division with just two title defenses and as such finds himself ranked higher than other champions.

No. 6: Jose Aldo

Record: 23-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Chan Sung Jung

Next Fight: TBD

It was another uninspiring win for Jose Aldo, who took advantage of a timid Chan Sung Jung. On paper, the win looks great, but in reality the longtime featherweight champ looked tired after three rounds of jabbing at the frozen-in-place "The Korean Zombie" and sealed the win when Jung had his surgically repaired shoulder dislocated while the two exchanged punches. 

While Aldo is commonly ranked just outside the Jones-St-Pierre-Silva trifecta, his wins, with the exception of his victory over Chad Mendes, have been unimpressive. He ended up dropping rounds to the now-released Mark Hominick, was outstruck by Kenny Florian, was arguably beaten by Frankie Edgar and now...this.

Aldo is one of the scariest fighters in MMA, but he hasn't shown it since joining the UFC. At this point, his wins have been less emphatic than the majority of UFC champions, and as such, he slips into the back half of the top 10. Here's hoping he moves up to lightweight sooner than later.

No. 5: Cain Velasquez

Record: 12-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Antonio Silva

Next Fight: Junior dos Santos at UFC 166

While Velasquez finds himself behind other champions, a strong case can be made that he has a tighter hold on his belt than anyone outside of Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones. The heavyweight division has a far-out-in-front top tier, and with the way Velasquez utterly dominated Junior dos Santos at UFC 155, it's hard to imagine anybody challenging him.

He has smothering wrestling, powerful hands and inimitable cardio. If he can beat dos Santos again at UFC 166, then the only realistically challenging potential opponent for him would be his bound-for-205 teammate, Daniel Cormier. We could find ourselves ranking Velasquez behind only Randy Couture on the list of the UFC's all-time top heavyweights in a short length of time.

No. 4: Benson Henderson

Record: 18-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Gilbert Melendez

Next Fight: Anthony Pettis at UFC 164

Many will be frustrated with the lightweight champ landing this high, but it is the only appropriate place to put him. Benson Henderson's time in the UFC, with the sole exception of his second fight with Frankie Edgar, has been defined by dominance of top-level competition.

He beat down an at-the-time-relevant Mark Bocek, rag-dolled a heavily favored Jim Miller, threw around a resurgent Clay Guida, battered champion Frankie Edgar, gave a career-altering beating to Nate Diaz and, most recently, outlanded all-time great lightweight Gilbert Melendez in five out of five rounds. He is consistently disrespected by many, but if he can assert his authority over Anthony Pettis, he might finally get the respect he deserves.

No. 3: Anderson Silva

Record: 33-5 MMA, 16-1 UFC

Last Fight: Loss vs. Chris Weidman

Next Fight: Chris Weidman at UFC 168

Anderson Silva doesn't fall too far down the P4P rankings, despite his shocking loss to Chris Weidman at UFC 162. Where he goes from here, though, banks on their rematch.

If he wins, he could easily hop back into the top spot. If he loses to Weidman again, it will be the end of an era, and the rankings will reflect that. At the moment, however, he finds himself still ranked among the champions.

No. 2: Jon Jones

Record: 18-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Chael Sonnen

Next Fight: Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165

When Jon Jones outwrestled Chael Sonnen, he officially became unstoppable. With the exception of Lyoto Machida's striking, no fighter in the light heavyweight division does anything better than Jon Jones. No other fighter is so clearly above the rest of their peers as he is.

So why isn't he on top? Simply because of his relative youth and lack of experience. That, though, simply means it is just a matter of time before he takes the top spot.

No. 1: Georges St-Pierre

Record: 24-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC

Last Fight: Won vs. Nick Diaz

Next Fight: Johny Hendricks at UFC 167

GSP slides into the top spot following the Anderson Silva loss. While many would slot Jon Jones in this spot, the longtime welterweight champ has been every bit as dominant as Jones, but for years longer. While his next opponent, Johny Hendricks, is a tall order, GSP has overcome all-time great welterweights like Carlos Condit, Jake Shields, Matt Hughes and Nick Diaz, and he rightly opens as a sizable favorite.

It's a realistic possibility that we will be discussing GSP as the GOAT in a short time. For now, he should be penciled in as the greatest mixed martial artist in the sport right now.