3 Best MMA Fighters in Each Weight Class
Now, more than ever, it is widely accepted that the UFC employs all the best fighters in MMA.
A recent suit against the UFC even claims the company has monopolized MMA talent. However, the best in the world have to start somewhere, and that's usually not inside the Octagon.
Some excellent competitors still make names for themselves with Bellator MMA, World Series of Fighting and other smaller organizations. It could be argued that a few elite combatants are still contracted by those secondary promotions.
Is there a fighter or are there multiple fighters who would be considered among the top three in any UFC division? That is what we'll explore on the following slides.
Here are the three best MMA fighters in each weight class that is promoted by Zuffa.
Heavyweight
1 of 10
Cain Velasquez
With two dominant wins over Junior dos Santos in his past three outings, UFC champion Cain Velasquez is the best heavyweight in the world by far.
In 14 MMA appearances, Velasquez has only lost to Dos Santos, and he's avenged that loss with authority. After the beating he put on the Brazilian in their rubber match, it's hard to imagine Dos Santos being able to dethrone Velasquez again.
Recently, injuries have been the only thing to slow Velasquez down. He has gone 14 months without stepping into the Octagon, leading to the introduction of an interim title, which was won by Fabricio Werdum.
Junior dos Santos
He's not one of the two UFC heavyweights with a belt around his waist, but Dos Santos should still be considered the second best in the division.
Since knocking Werdum out with an uppercut in his UFC debut, Dos Santos has beaten almost all the best in the heavyweight class. While he's lost twice, both defeats came against Velasquez, who Dos Santos also picked up a knockout victory over in November 2011.
With a win over Stipe Miocic at UFC on Fox 13, Cigano showed he's still among the best in the world despite a long break between appearances. It could take a few more wins for Dos Santos to earn another shot at Velasquez, but a rematch with Werdum would definitely be a possibility.
Fabricio Werdum
At 37 years old, Werdum is looking better than he ever has.
Vai Cavalo left the UFC following his loss to Dos Santos in October 2008, but he turned things around in a big way under the Strikeforce banner. With wins over Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Silva, Werdum showed the UFC brass that they made a mistake by letting him walk away.
In beating Mark Hunt at UFC 180, Werdum became the interim heavyweight champion. He could soon meet Velasquez in a title merger.
Light Heavyweight
2 of 10
Jon Jones
Widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA, Jon Jones is clearly the best light heavyweight in the world right now.
Although Jones had a very competitive bout with Alexander Gustafsson, he's dominated pretty much everybody else who has challenged him. At one point, Jones beat former UFC champions in five consecutive title bouts, giving him one of the more impressive runs in MMA history.
Next up is a grudge match with Daniel Cormier. More than a rival, Cormier's world-class wrestling could provide the last remaining test of Jones' dominance over the 205-pound division.
Alexander Gustafsson
It took Alexander Gustafsson six straight wins to earn a shot at Jones. When his time came, Gustafsson surprised everybody by giving the light heavyweight champion a tougher bout that anybody else has.
While Gustafsson came up short at UFC 165, his war with Jones proved he was among the best in the world. An immediate rematch was even considered, but Gustafsson ultimately will have to earn his way back to another shot at the 205-pound belt.
In March, Gustafsson took his first step, stopping Jimi Manuwa with a knee and follow-up punches. There's a good chance a win over Anthony Johnson in January would set Gustafsson up for a second opportunity to battle for UFC gold.
Daniel Cormier
Undefeated in 15 MMA bouts, Daniel Cormier edged out Anthony Johnson and Rashad Evans for the final spot on this short list of elite light heavyweights.
In his latest outing, DC submitted Dan Henderson. Prior to that loss, Hendo hadn't been forced to tap since a March 2008 loss to MMA legend Anderson Silva.
Already an elite heavyweight prior to dropping down to the 205-pound division, Cormier earned a title shot with two light heavyweight victories. Turning into Jones' biggest antagonist to date, Cormier will look to capture the light heavyweight crown in January.
Middleweight
3 of 10
Chris Weidman
It took Chris Weidman only 10 MMA bouts to become the best in the middleweight division.
While Weidman's wins over The Spider were unconventional, he did find a way to defeat Silva on two separate occasions. Nobody else had been able to defeat the Brazilian once inside the Octagon.
Having defended his middleweight belt against Lyoto Machida since his victories over Silva, Weidman will look to beat another Brazilian former UFC champion, Vitor Belfort, in February.
Anderson Silva
He's lost two in a row, but Silva went undefeated in 16 UFC appearances prior to his run-ins with Weidman.
At 39 years old, Silva may have finally hit a wall. However, until he loses to somebody other than Weidman, it's hard to consider the MMA great anything less than the second best fighter in the middleweight class.
In January, The Spider will have a chance to rebound in a highly anticipated clash with Nick Diaz.
Vitor Belfort
The Phenom last competed at 205 pounds, but he's been alternating divisions and is now scheduled to challenge Weidman at UFC 184 in February.
With knockouts over Henderson, Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping in three straight appearances, Belfort has been on a roll. His outstanding streak gives him an edge over other elite middleweights such as Lyoto Machida, Ronaldo Souza and Rockhold.
It will be interesting to see how Belfort responds to a 15-month hiatus and no Testosterone Replacement Therapy, but he is only one win away from reclaiming UFC gold.
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Welterweight
4 of 10
Robbie Lawler
It was controversial, but Robbie Lawler's decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 181 earned him the welterweight championship.
Since returning to the UFC roster, Lawler has completely turned his career around. After losing to Lorenz Larkin in his final Strikeforce appearance, Lawler has gone 6-1 inside the Octagon, with his only loss coming in a prior bout against Hendricks.
A rubber match with Hendricks seems inevitable, if not imminent, but Lawler has already done more than what was expected of him in his UFC return.
Johnny Hendricks
In his past three appearances, Hendricks has now lost two title fights via debatable decisions.
At UFC 167, Hendricks nearly ended Georges St-Pierre's long reign as 170-pound king. Then, after edging Lawler on the scorecards, he wasn't able to make it two in a row against the American Top Team member.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Hendricks can keep his head up. Even if an immediate rematch doesn't come together, Hendricks shouldn't need to do much to earn a rubber match with Lawler.
Rory MacDonald
Before the scorecards were read at UFC 181, Rory MacDonald looked like the next contender in line to challenge for the welterweight championship.
Now, it looks like the Canadian may need to wait a little longer. A rematch between MacDonald and Lawler would be interesting, but a rubber match between Hendricks and Lawler seems to be where the money is at right now.
Still, having only lost to Lawler via split decision in his past nine appearances, MacDonald has positioned himself as the clear No. 3 behind Lawler and Hendricks.
Lightweight
5 of 10
Anthony Pettis
When Gilbert Melendez competed under the Strikeforce banner and Eddie Alvarez did his business with Bellator MMA, some questioned what promotion had the best lightweight in the world.
There's no debate now.
Anthony Pettis is the best 155-pounder around. At UFC 181, he made it look easy against Melendez, submitting the former Strikeforce champion in the second round.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
It seems Khabib Nurmagomedov hasn't been around long enough to establish himself as the No. 2 guy in the lightweight division, but he's really taken the weight class by storm.
The Russian is 6-0 inside the Octagon and is now undefeated in 22 career MMA bouts. With a dominant win over a surging Rafael dos Anjos, Nurmagomedov is a bigger threat to Pettis than any other contender in the 155-pound class.
Unfortunately, Nurmagomedov has been dealing with injuries and may need to win another one before he gets his shot at the lightweight championship.
Rafael dos Anjos
With a 4-4 record through his first eight UFC appearances, Dos Anjos didn't look like a fighter who would someday reach these heights, but here he is.
The Brazilian has been on a tear since losing to Gleison Tibau in November 2011. Dos Anjos has won eight of his past nine bouts, with his only loss during that time coming against Nurmagomedov.
Since Nurmagomedov is still recovering from injuries, Dos Anjos looks to be next in line for a shot at Pettis. He'll be a huge underdog more than likely, but this could be a huge opportunity for a fighter who got off to a rather mediocre start inside the Octagon.
Featherweight
6 of 10
Jose Aldo
Tied with Jon Jones for the most consecutive title defenses among current UFC champions, Jose Aldo could arguably be considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA.
With a 7-0 record, Aldo knows how to win. The only knock on the Brazilian has been his inability to finish at times, leading to somewhat close calls against Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes.
Nobody would consider those wins robberies, but Aldo's legacy is being held back a bit by his sometimes unconvincing victories against elite featherweights. All that said, Aldo is clearly the best in the 145-pound class right now.
Frankie Edgar
Given a title immediately upon dropping down to 145 pounds, Edgar wasn't quite ready for Aldo in February 2013.
However, The Answer now has a couple weight cuts under his belt and has won three in a row. With stoppages against B.J. Penn and Cub Swanson, Edgar may again be deserving of a shot at the featherweight championship.
A former lightweight champion, Edgar might be the biggest threat to Aldo at 145 pounds despite having already lost to the featherweight king.
Chad Mendes
In 18 MMA bouts, Chad Mendes has only been unable to solve one opponent, and that is Aldo.
With wins over numerous other featherweight contenders, Mendes has clearly proved he's elite at 145 pounds. However, with two losses to Aldo now, Mendes may need some help in order to get another crack at the featherweight championship.
Aldo has had some trouble cutting weight over the years, though, so Mendes may decide to wait around an hope that the Brazilian eventually makes a move to the lightweight division.
Bantamweight
7 of 10
Dominick Cruz
He's no longer the bantamweight champion, but Dominick Cruz never had that title taken away by an opponent.
Injuries haunted Cruz and eventually forced the UFC to strip his belt. Returning to the Octagon with a dominant showing against Takeya Mizugaki, Cruz showed he hasn't lost a step.
Until Cruz is beaten, he's still the best bantamweight in the world in my mind.
T.J. Dillashaw
A huge underdog against Renan Barao, T.J. Dillashaw rose to this level a little more quickly than expected.
The Team Alpha Male member took care of business against Barao to become the 135-pound champion. He's also picked up a title defense since then.
Dillashaw could soon clash with Cruz in what would be one of the more intriguing bouts in bantamweight history.
Renan Barao
With his wins over Urijah Faber, Barao looked to be on his way to a long reign as bantamweight champion.
However, Dillashaw snuck up on the Brazilian and stole the belt with authority. Barao was scheduled to meet Dillashaw in a rematch but lost the opportunity due to weight-cutting issues.
Now, Barao will need to earn his way back to the top while proving to UFC brass that he can comfortably make 135 pounds.
Flyweight
8 of 10
Demetrious Johnson
It hasn't taken long, but Demetrious Johnson has come about as close as one can to cleaning out the 125-pound division.
Unbeaten in three combined bouts with the two elite fighters below, Mighty Mouse has taken out the best in the world and is running low on legitimate competition. One of the most dominant champions going, Johnson is quickly climbing the pound-for-pound rankings and could eventually find himself at the top.
Johnson's next bout has not been determined, but a rematch with John Dodson could be his biggest obstacle at the moment.
Joseph Benavidez
Whether it be in the bantamweight or flyweight division, Joseph Benavidez has been right around the second best in the world for so long.
The Team Alpha Male standout suffered two losses to Cruz at 135 pounds and is now having trouble solving Johnson at 125 pounds. Having already lost twice to Mighty Mouse, Benavidez will need some help in order to get another crack at the belt any time soon.
Benavidez has rebounded from his latest loss to Johnson with two straight wins, so he's positioning himself well should somebody else take out the current champion.
John Dodson
Sporting a solid 5-1 record inside the Octagon, Dodson has emerged as one of the biggest stars in the young flyweight division.
Coming off of a win over John Moraga, Dodson was in position to get a title shot, but injuries have kept him from competing over the past six months. So, he may need another win to get a second meeting with Johnson.
In his first clash with Mighty Mouse, Dodson was able to go the distance, but he fell on the scorecards.
Women's Bantamweight
9 of 10
Ronda Rousey
It could be argued that Ronda Rousey is the most dominant champion in the MMA right now.
The women's bantamweight titleholder has won all but one fight in the first round, and she was still able to submit Miesha Tate in the third round at UFC 168. It seems as though Rousey is simply on a whole other level than the rest of her division.
At UFC 184 in February, Cat Zingano will attempt to give Rousey the toughest challenge she has had.
Cat Zingano
She's only had two Octagon appearances, but Zingano has been stunning in both.
In April 2013, Zingano was able to stop Miesha Tate in the third round of a close contest. Then, following 17 months of tragedy and disappointment, Zingano returned and recorded another stoppage victory against Amanda Nunes.
That most recent win in September was enough to warrant Zingano getting her first crack at UFC gold.
Miesha Tate
While she has a mediocre 2-2 record inside the Octagon, Tate has only lost to the best in the women's bantamweight division.
The last Strikeforce champion before Rousey came along, Tate has really only lost ground to the bantamweight queen and Zingano. Considering how competitive her fight with Zingano was, Tate will probably get a chance to avenge that loss somewhere down the road.
Since her most recent loss to Rousey, Tate has beaten two straight opponents. With a win over Sara McMann in January, Tate could be in line for a title shot should Zingano pull off the upset against Rousey.
Women's Strawweight
10 of 10
Jessica Aguilar
It took until the last slide, but there is still one top-three fighter competing outside the Octagon.
The current World Series of Fighting strawweight champion, Jessica Aguilar owns a win over UFC champion Carla Esparza during her current 10-bout winning streak. So, until she loses or somebody else dethrones Esparza, Aguilar could remain the best in the world at 115 pounds.
Given her dominance outside the Octagon, Aguilar has surely drawn the attention of the UFC brass, though. It could only be a matter of time until the world's top MMA promotion snatches her up.
Carla Esparza
By winning The Ultimate Fighter 20, Esparza became the first strawweight champion in UFC history.
Having only lost to Aguilar by split decision, Esparza isn't far from being the best, but you can bet she is hoping the UFC finds a way to sign Aguilar so that she can avenge that loss. That is the only thing preventing her from being the top 115-pounder in the world.
Following her win over Rose Namajunas to become champion, Esparza has a lot of options. It appears Joanna Jedrzejczyk is the leader in the race to challenge her, though.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk
She was supposed to be the sacrificial lamb who would catapult Claudia Gadelha into a title shot against Esparza, but Jedrzejczyk had other plans.
It was a controversial decision win, but Jedrzejczyk got her hand raised on December 13. Beating Gadelha and improving to 2-0 inside the Octagon could be all Jedrzejczyk needs to earn a shot at Esparza in the developing strawweight division.
As the weight class becomes more clear, Jedrzejczyk could fall in the strawweight rankings. However, being only 27 years old, she definitely has the potential to remain near the top for years.
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