Biggest Questions Facing the UFC's Top 15 Pound-for-Pound Fighters
Being known as a pound-for-pound standout is high praise in today's mixed martial arts.
For as competitive and unpredictable as the landscape truly is, it takes a certain type of athlete to rise to the top and remain potent, especially in the UFC.
Surrounded by former champions, young contenders and vengeful veterans, the 15 fighters making up the UFC's pound-for-pound clique are met with adversity around every corner.
It's up to them to drive through the fog, claw toward supremacy and maintain their promotional billing.
Here are the biggest questions facing each one of these UFC elites as we saddle up for the new year.
No. 15 Alexander Gustafsson
1 of 15
Q: Will he earn another light heavyweight title shot?
We all know Alexander Gustafsson is good enough to exchange with Jon Jones, but does he possess the precision and chin to surpass a heavy hitter like Anthony Johnson when the two meet at UFC on Fox 14?
If he can, then the towering Swede will throw his name on the table for a potential rematch with Bones, should the champ dispose of Daniel Cormier.
However, Gustafsson must play the role of spoiler in Johnson's unprecedented promotional comeback in order to earn another shot at light heavyweight gold in 2015.
No. 14 Daniel Cormier
2 of 15
Q: Can he overcome the reach of Jon Jones at UFC 182?
There's no disputing that Cormier has the wrestling pedigree and natural strength to pose a formidable threat to the champ.
But can he suffice for such a disadvantage in length and dexterity?
It depends. Getting inside on Jones would help his cause, but Cormier is going to have to be willing to eat some shots in order to get there.
If he can conquer that obstacle, then we could have one serious fight on our hands.
No. 13 Vitor Belfort
3 of 15
Q: How will a life without testosterone replacement therapy affect his in-cage efficiency?
Whichever way you look at it, Vitor Belfort is going to feel the effects of a TRT-free life next time he steps inside of the cage.
But as one of the best fighters of all time, it's likely that The Phenom will find a way to make up for his MMA wear and tear.
He could be faster without his usual exoskeleton of muscles and mass, or he could lack the overall strength to damage a guy like Chris Weidman when the two hash it out at UFC 184.
We're going to find out either way.
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No. 12 Dominick Cruz
4 of 15
Q: Can he remain healthy enough to stay atop the division?
There are not many fighters who can still make this list after fighting only once in the past three years.
But as a former UFC bantamweight champion who possesses the best footwork in the sport today, Dominick Cruz commands a certain level of appreciation in the world of MMA.
He's just that good and that capable of sustaining divisional dominance.
The only problem that has yet to be solved is Cruz's health. If he can maintain it, then the UFC will have one of its very best assets back on the front line.
No. 11 Renan Barao
5 of 15
Q: Can he regain his dominance?
Losing to current champion T.J. Dillashaw back at UFC 173 was devastating for Renan Barao.
But being unable to challenge Dillashaw in the rematch due to an ineffective weight cut has got to hit home more.
In any case, the former bantamweight kingpin has yet to compete since that infamous loss to the Team Alpha Male standout.
He'll have to reassure the masses that he still has what it takes next time he walks to the Octagon.
No. 10 T.J. Dillashaw
6 of 15
Q: Will his quickness work against Cruz?
Speaking of Dillashaw, he, too, has his work cut out for him once the proper pieces fall into place and Cruz gets the next title shot.
Then, and only then, will fans have a chance to see two of the quickest and most unpredictable strikers in the UFC battle it out once and for all.
It would be one heck of a title fight—and one that could produce 2015's Fight of the Year.
No. 9 Johny Hendricks
7 of 15
Q: Can he find a finish against Robbie Lawler?
Johny Hendricks has now been involved in three straight decisions, which is easily the longest finishing drought of his 18-fight career.
Now, while he is the UFC welterweight champion and could have been awarded a victory over Georges St-Pierre back at UFC 167, Hendricks initially made a name for himself in this sport by knocking people out.
His power remains among the best in the division and is something that can solidify his place within the UFC champions circle should he find a way to finish Robbie Lawler this weekend at UFC 181.
No. 8 Ronda Rousey
8 of 15
Q: What will happen if she loses?
As the face of women's MMA, Ronda Rousey needs to be perfect.
She has been her entire career, and she remains as hungry as when she first started competing years ago in judo.
But with the sense of perfection and desire to never lose, it's possible that an unprecedented defeat could derail her fight career.
With movies to be filmed and magazine covers to be filled, a loss for Rousey could send her on an Octagon hiatus that would be good for no one.
No. 7 Anderson Silva
9 of 15
Q: Can he make another title run at 185 pounds?
Forget about the leg and the mystical knockout.
The fact is that the great and almighty Anderson Silva was losing both of his bouts with current champion Weidman.
In the open, against the cage or on the ground, The Spider was unable to weave even a halfhearted web.
So for that, the greatest fighter of all time must prove his worth once again. He must do what is needed to make one last run at the title.
No. 6 Anthony Pettis
10 of 15
Q: What does he have to do to move up this list?
Like only a few names on this list, UFC lightweight dynamo Anthony Pettis has a certain something about him.
He's a superstar. He has been for a while.
But like other budding champs around him, Pettis can't seem to stay healthy. For a guy who protects himself like no other inside of the cage, he sure has trouble out of it.
It remains the only reason why Pettis hasn't racked off UFC victory after UFC victory in order to ascend his pound-for-pound peers.
A finish over Gilbert Melendez this weekend at UFC 181 would certainly move him up into the No. 5 spot.
No. 5 Cain Velasquez
11 of 15
Q: Has his training caught up to him?
Is it possible to ruin your body more in training than in an actual fight?
In UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez's case, it's not only possible—it's also a glaring problem.
As the division's cardio king, Velasquez is known to train to the brink of exhaustion in order to prepare for a fight.
It has been a blessing in the past. But as Velasquez ages and amps up his output, he becomes more vulnerable to injuries.
Hopefully he doesn't fall into a trend, so he remains as active as any other name on this list.
No. 4 Chris Weidman
12 of 15
Q: Can he remain this good?
Having beaten Silva twice and out-dueling former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, UFC middleweight phenom Weidman should be known as the Brazilian Beater.
The funny thing is that Weidman is already scheduled to take on another native son of Brazil when he welcomes Belfort back to the Octagon at UFC 184.
And after that, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza could be on deck. Or there could even be a rematch with Machida.
Either way, unless Luke Rockhold makes a serious case for a title shot in his next appearance, Weidman will be forced to remain the South American Assassin.
No. 3 Demetrious Johnson
13 of 15
Q: Is a move back up to bantamweight worth it?
No matter how many top contenders he knocks off, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson can't seem to capitalize on the MMA market.
Whether due to his lack of trash talking or the shallow division in which he resides, Johnson has sort of reached his peek at 125 pounds.
So would it be worth it for the fastest fighter in the sport to move back up to bantamweight?
With a refreshing pool of top draws like Dillashaw, Cruz, Barao and Urijah Faber at his disposal, Johnson may want to seriously think about it.
No. 2 Jose Aldo
14 of 15
Q: Would he be better off fighting Frankie Edgar or Conor McGregor?
As crowded as the lightweight division is today—and considering Pettis usually only fights once a year—the UFC no longer needs its featherweight champion to move up a weight class.
Instead, Jose Aldo's ultimate worth and perennial capability remains at 145 pounds.
But who is Aldo better off fighting?
Frankie Edgar, who he already beat, or Conor McGregor, who seems utterly unstoppable at this point in his career?
The answer is McGregor—not only for the padded payday, but because Edgar's wrestling never looked better opposite Cub Swanson this past month.
No. 1 Jon Jones
15 of 15
Q: How can he become the greatest of all time?
Like him or not, Jones is only a few fights away from solidifying himself as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
With a resume chock-full of former champions and pound-for-pound standouts, the argument for Jones could already be made.
But to truly separate himself from Silva, St-Pierre and Fedor Emelianenko, the light heavyweight superstar needs to knock off Cormier, defeat Gustafsson in the rematch and then win his inaugural fight at heavyweight, whether it's a superfight with Velasquez or not.
If he can do that, then there's really no debate.
For more UFC news and coverage, follow @DHiergesell.
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