The Top 50 Fighters in MMA: Are They on the Rise or the Decline?

The best mixed martial artists are all in a familiar spot at or near the top of their respective divisions.

However, as similar as the best fighters in the sport may be in terms of talent, many of their careers are currently headed in very different directions.

For example, Fedor Emelianenko, who may have been at the top of this list at this time last year, will now be fighting to remain relevant in his next bout, which will come against Dan Henderson in July.

Career paths can be changed with every appearance in this sport. In the minds of critics, a fighter is only as good as how he performed in his last fight.

With that being said, here are the top 50 fighters in the sport today and the direction in which their careers are currently trending.

50. Phil Davis

Trend: Rising

A former NCAA Division I Wrestling Champion, much has been expected of Phil Davis since he first began his MMA career.

While many had predicted a more dominant win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in his last fight, Davis has still grown by leaps and bounds in just nine professional bouts.

Davis has grown so much that he has replaced the injured UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones to meet Rashad Evans at UFC 133.

Whether the match-up against a fighter of Evans' caliber ends up being too big of a step up in competition, the fight will be a valuable learning experience for Davis either way.

Even if Davis loses to Evans, he has plenty of room to grow as a fighter and will certainly get another chance against a top contender somewhere down the line.

49. Mark Hominick

Trend: Rising

Despite a five-fight winning streak heading into his fight with UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo, many believed that Mark Hominick was undeserving of a title shot.

While Hominick ended up losing to Aldo, he changed a lot of people's minds about what the future could possibly hold.

After fighting through a massive hematoma, Hominick had Aldo holding on for dear life as the fifth and final round came to a close.

The toughness and perseverance Hominick showed in that fight paints a bright picture for what the 28-year-old can accomplish before his career comes to a close.

48. Anthony Pettis

Trend: Rising

After UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar fought to a draw with Gray Maynard, Anthony Pettis saw his title shot vanish into thin air, as an immediate rematch was scheduled.

Still, Pettis is only 24 years old and has an extremely bright future in MMA.

In his last fight, Pettis used the fence to propel himself into a head kick that knocked down Ben Henderson and eventually led to Pettis becoming the final lightweight champion in WEC history.

Pettis will meet Clay Guida in his next fight in June. Win or lose, Pettis is sure to have a long and successful career with the UFC. 

47. Martin Kampmann

Trend: Steady

Martin Kampmann has lost two fights in a row, but he could just as easily be on a four-fight winning streak in many people's minds.

Both of Kampmann's most recent losses to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez were highly controversial.

While the losses certainly haven't helped Kampmann move up the welterweight ladder, anyone who has watched Kampmann compete recently could recognize the talent he possesses.

That being said, Kampmann desperately needs a decisive win in his next fight, which will come against John Howard in June.

46. Clay Guida

Trend: Rising

After back-to-back losses to Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian in 2009, Clay Guida has quickly arisen as a lightweight contender once again with three consecutive submission victories.

Considering all the rising talent in the lightweight division, this could be Guida's last chance to make a run at a UFC title shot. First, though, Guida will have to overcome one of those bright, young stars in Anthony Pettis.

A win over Pettis would allow Guida to continue to rise up the lightweight ladder, but a loss would force Guida to start his quest for a title all over again.

45. Diego Sanchez

Trend: Steady

While Diego Sanchez showed a ton of heart and earned a big win over Martin Kampmann in his last fight, there are many who believe that he was not deserving of the victory. For that reason, Sanchez is currently neither on the rise or decline in the welterweight division.

With a win over MMA legend Matt Hughes in his next fight, though, Sanchez would prove that he has truly arrived as a welterweight contender.

44. Dan Henderson

Trend: Steady

It's hard to imagine that a 40-year-old could be doing anything but declining in MMA, but perhaps Randy Couture has passed some of his magic onto Dan Henderson.

With his most recent win, Henderson captured the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.

Now, Henderson will have the opportunity to add a win over one of the greatest fighters of all time to his resume when he meets Fedor Emelianenko in July.

Surely, Henderson will begin to decline eventually, but there are no signs of him stopping anytime soon.

43. Alistair Overeem

Trend: Rising

Alistair Overeem has not lost in 10 fights and he is widely regarded as one of the best heavyweights outside of the UFC.

With Strikeforce now owned by Zuffa, Overeem will have the opportunity to benefit from the best marketing organization in MMA.

In order to make the most of the opportunity that is in front of him, Overeem will have to find a way to win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Standing in Overeem's way of winning the tournament is Fabricio Werdum, who Overeem lost to earlier in his career.

If Overeem is able to avenge his loss to Werdum, he will have to win two more fights in order to be crowned the tournament champion.

42. Shane Carwin

Trend: Steady

Shane Carwin has not fought since his disappointing loss in a title fight against Brock Lesnar nearly one year ago.

In that fight, Carwin nearly finished Lesnar in the first round, but then ran out of gas and was forced to tap early in the second round.

While the loss showed Carwin's weakness in terms of stamina, it also displayed how quickly he could end a fight with one of the best heavyweights in the world.

Despite the long layoff, Carwin will now be fighting for another title shot against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131 in June.

41. Miguel Torres

Trend: Steady

While Miguel Torres is currently on a two-fight winning streak, he has still not displayed the level of ability he had showed when he defended the WEC Bantamweight Championship three times.

Torres is slowly climbing his way back up the bantamweight ladder, but that was to be expected against the type of competition he has faced in his last two fights.

At UFC 130, Torres will meet Demetrious Johnson. A dominant win over Johnson could signal that Torres is once again on the rise.

40. Kenny Florian

Trend: Steady

Had Kenny Florian opted to stay at lightweight after his most recent loss to Gray Maynard, he probably would have been considered a fighter on the decline.

However, Florian's decision to drop to featherweight has instantly made him a threat to compete in a third UFC title fight.

Florian's first fight at 145 pounds will come against Diego Nunes at UFC 131 in June. If Florian wins, there is a very good chance that he could meet UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo in his next fight.

39. Forrest Griffin

Trend: Steady

Forrest Griffin has defeated former UFC champions in his last two fights, but he has found a way to look somewhat unspectacular in doing so.

First, Griffin fought to a narrow decision with Tito Ortiz, who has not won a fight in more than four years. Then, Griffin out-wrestled an aging Rich Franklin.

Now, Griffin will have a chance to defeat Mauricio Rua in a rematch of one of the most memorable fights of his career. With a win over Rua, Griffin can officially be considered a light heavyweight on the rise.

38. Ronaldo Souza

Trend: Rising

With four straight victories, Ronaldo Souza has become recognized as the best middleweight outside of the UFC.

The Strikeforce Middleweight Champion easily defeated Robbie Lawler in his last fight, forcing a tap due to a rear naked choke in the third round.

Souza's next opponent remains unknown, but a seemingly inevitable merge of Strikeforce into the UFC would provide several intriguing match-ups.

37. Vitor Belfort

Trend: Declining

Vitor Belfort had been on a five-fight winning streak prior to his loss to UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in his last fight.

However, Belfort's one-year absence due to injury prior to his fight with Silva is cause for concern that the 34-year-old Belfort is beginning to lose a step.

Normally a loss to Silva would be nothing for a fighter to hang their head about, but Belfort will be without a win in nearly two years when he fights next against Yoshihiro Akiyama in August.

Belfort could erase a lot of doubt by beating Akiyama, but a loss could signal the beginning of the end for the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

36. Hatsu Hioki

Trend: Rising

By defeating Marlon Sandro in December 2010, Hatsu Hioki became widely recognized as the best featherweight outside of the UFC.

Hioki's only loss in his last 14 fights came in the form of a split decision against Michihiro Omigawa. Hioki also holds two wins over Mark Hominick.

Since his win over Sandro, there has been a growing portion of the public that believes Hioki is the most well-equipped featherweight to be able to dethrone UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo someday. 

35. Michihiro Omigawa

Trend: Declining

At 35 years old, Michihiro Omigawa returned to the UFC in February.

Unfortunately for Omigawa, he was rudely welcomed back to the organization by one of the brightest young featherweights in the sport in Chad Mendes.

Omigawa lost in a unanimous decision and now some are beginning to question whether Omigawa will be able to last very long in his second stint with the organization.

While Omigawa may be on the decline, he should still be considered one of the better fighters in the world with wins over fighters such as Hatsu Hioki and Marlon Sandro.

34. Chad Mendes

Trend: Rising

At UFC 126, Chad Mendes made his UFC debut against Michihiro Omigawa and stretched his unbeaten record to 10-0 with a unanimous decision victory.

With the win over Omigawa, Mendes has become one of the leading candidates to be the next challenger for UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo.

At just 26 years old, Mendes still has some room to grow as a fighter and should be expected to be sitting near the top of the featherweight division for the foreseeable future.

33. Nick Diaz

Trend: Rising

Nick Diaz is currently riding a 10-fight winning streak and is running out of options for competition outside of the UFC. In fact, Diaz has agreed to resort to boxing in order to test himself.

While Diaz has been successful in defeating fighters outside of the UFC, it is hard to dismiss his middling 6-4 UFC record.

Still, now that Strikeforce is owned by the UFC's parent company, it seems only a matter of time before Diaz steps foot in the Octagon once again.   

32. Jim Miller

Trend: Rising

In 22 professional fights, Jim Miller's only losses have come against elite lightweights Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.

Miller has currently won his last seven fights and appears to be on the verge of a title shot with another win or two.

In August, Miller is scheduled to fight former WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson.

31. Nate Marquardt

Trend: Steady

Despite winning his last fight at middleweight, Nate Marquardt has decided to drop to welterweight for his next fight, where he will meet Anthony Johnson in June.

Marquardt's fight with Johnson will be a pivotal one for his career. With a win, Marquardt will likely be considered one of the top contenders in the welterweight division.

However, a loss to Johnson would leave Marquardt at a crossroads in his career where he would have to decide in which division he wants to compete.

30. Eddie Alvarez

Trend: Rising

Having won seven consecutive fights, Eddie Alvarez is running out of options for legitimate competition under the Bellator banner.

Alvarez has become so respected for his abilities that UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar has begun training with him.

For Alvarez to be considered on the same level as Edgar, though, an eventual move to the UFC seems almost necessary.

29. Antonio Silva

Trend: Rising

Since losing to Fabricio Werdum in his Strikeforce debut, Antonio Silva has defeated a former UFC champion in Andrei Arlovski, completed an outstanding comeback against Mike Kyle and stopped the fighter who is widely considered the greatest of all time in Fedor Emelianenko.

In order for Silva to keep his spectacular run going, he may have to avenge his loss to Werdum in the second round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

If Werdum loses in the first round of the tournament, Silva will meet Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem.

28. Shinya Aoki

Trend: Declining

Shinya Aoki's official MMA record shows that he is currently riding a four-fight winning streak. However, that does not include his abysmal performance in a mixed rules bout against Yuichiro Nagashima.

While Aoki's ground game looked excellent once again in his last fight against Lyle Beerbohm, his knockout loss to Nagashima showed that Aoki is seemingly unwilling to attempt to improve his striking.

This is seriously holding him back from reaching his full potential.

27. Brian Bowles

Trend: Steady

In March, Brian Bowles returned to competition for the first time in nearly one year. Bowles came away victorious with a submission victory over Damacio Page.

While the win was an important one for Bowles to get the ball rolling again, it was a victory that should have been expected from the former WEC Bantamweight Champion.

Now, Bowles will attempt to continue his ascent to the top of the 135-pound division with a win over Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 132 in July.

26. Fabricio Werdum

Trend: Rising

Fabricio Werdum has won his last three fights, the most impressive of which being a submission win over Fedor Emelianenko in his most recent bout.

Werdum will now have the opportunity to cement himself as one of the best heavyweights in the world if he is able to perform well in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

In the first round of the tournament, Werdum will meet Alistair Overeem in a rematch of a fight Werdum won earlier in his career.

25. Demian Maia

Trend: Steady

After being outclassed on his feet in the first two losses of his career against Nate Marquardt and Anderson Silva, Demian Maia has begun to take his striking more seriously.

Maia showed improved stand-up in his last two fights against Mario Miranda and Kendall Grove.

However, Maia will need to put on a strong performance against a higher level of competition before he is considered on the rise again.

In June, Maia will get his chance to show off his improved skill set against fellow middleweight contender Mark Munoz.

24. Josh Koscheck

Trend: Steady

Still recovering from an eye injury suffered in a title fight against Georges St-Pierre, Josh Koscheck is one of many excellent welterweights who have the misfortune of competing in the division while St-Pierre is in his prime.

While Koscheck was unable to capture the UFC Welterweight Championship, he remains one of the more talented fighters in the sport.

23. Thiago Alves

Trend: Steady

Another excellent welterweight who fell short against Georges St-Pierre, Thiago Alves' next fight will be against Rick Story at UFC 130.

Having only lost to St-Pierre and Jon Fitch in his last 13 fights, Alves is far from being on the decline.

However, Alves is also stuck in a position where the only way he can improve his current standing is to avenge his losses against St-Pierre and Fitch.

22. Lyoto Machida

Trend: Steady

With his spectacular knockout of Randy Couture still fresh in our minds, some may say that Machida is once again on the rise.

However, let's not forget that not long ago there were rumblings that Machida could have been released from the UFC had he lost to the 47-year-old Couture.

That being said, Machida is sure to receive a fight with an opponent much closer to his prime in his next fight, which will be an extremely important one for Machida's quest to earn back the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

21. Quinton Jackson

Trend: Steady

Controversial or not, Quinton Jackson needed a win against Lyoto Machida in his last fight and he was able to get one in a split decision. With the win, Jackson is now back in the mix for a light heavyweight title shot.

Unfortunately, Jackson is now in a lose-lose situation against Matt Hamill at UFC 130.

While a loss would be devastating for Jackson's hopes at reclaiming the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, a win would mean very little in terms of advancing Jackson up the 205-pound ladder.

20. Yushin Okami

Trend: Rising

With three straight victories under his belt, Yushin Okami is scheduled to be the next challenger for UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Okami and Silva are expected to meet at UFC 134 in August.

Okami is the last fighter to defeat Silva. However, that win came via disqualification due to an illegal upkick by Silva.

While Okami's last two wins were far from dominant, they came against stiff competition in Mark Munoz and Nate Marquardt.

19. Urijah Faber

Trend: Rising

Not too long ago, I may have said Urijah Faber's career was on a serious decline, but Faber has revitalized his career at bantamweight and is in line to meet UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 in July.

Earlier in his career, Faber defeated Cruz by submission to defend his WEC featherweight belt.

Since moving back to bantamweight, Faber has gone 2-0 with wins over Takeya Mizugaki and Eddie Wineland.

18. Junior Dos Santos

Trend: Rising

At only 26 years old, Junior Dos Santos has already become one of the elite heavyweights in MMA.

Since joining the UFC, Dos Santos has finished all of his opponents except Roy Nelson, who Dos Santos completely dominated for three rounds.

With a win over Shane Carwin in his next fight, Dos Santos will earn a title shot against UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez.

Dos Santos had already been expected to fight Velasquez, but the champion was forced to sit out to recover from a shoulder injury.

17. Brock Lesnar

Trend: Declining

It's not a good sign when a fighter is considered on the decline only seven fights into his professional career.

In Lesnar's case, though, it may have more to do with finally having a weakness exposed against a new breed of heavyweight more than anything else.

In addition to losing in his last fight, Lesnar was recently forced to withdraw from a fight with Junior Dos Santos due to a second bout with diverticulitis.

At this point, it appears that Lesnar's toughest fight of his career may be happening outside of the Octagon.

16. Rashad Evans

Trend: Rising

With back-to-back wins over Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans is the next logical contender in the light heavyweight division.

However, injuries to his opponents and himself have continually kept Evans from fighting for the belt over the last year.

Most recently, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones was forced to withdraw from a fight with Evans.

Since then, Phil Davis has stepped up as Evans' next opponent at UFC 133 in August.  

15. Mauricio Rua

Trend: Declining

Even more troubling than the way in which Mauricio Rua was dominated by Jon Jones at UFC 128 is the fact that injuries are beginning to become a routine problem for Rua.

Rua is still one of the best light heavyweights in the world, but perhaps the injuries are finally beginning to catch up with him.

Rua's next fight will come against Forrest Griffin at UFC 134. The bout will give Rua the chance to avenge a loss that occurred in his UFC debut in 2007.

14. Joseph Benavidez

Trend: Steady

Joseph Benavidez has now won two fights in a row since losing against Dominick Cruz in a split decision for the WEC Bantamweight Championship.

However, Benavidez's last victory, a unanimous decision win over Ian Loveland, was less than stellar to say the least.

Benavidez remains one of the top bantamweights in the world, but he will need more dominant performances in order to get another crack at a title shot.

13. B.J. Penn

Trend: Steady

After knocking out Matt Hughes in his recent return to welterweight, B.J. Penn was once again on the rise.

However, Penn hit a wall in the third round of his last fight with Jon Fitch and ended up fighting to a draw.

An immediate rematch was scheduled, but Penn and Fitch were both forced to withdraw from the event due to injuries.

Penn has positioned himself as a welterweight contender, but the draw with Fitch and his recent injury have him in a state of flux.

12. Jon Fitch

Trend: Steady

Despite the disappointing draw with B.J. Penn, Jon Fitch is still one of the top welterweights in the world and could still be a win or two away from a title shot at any time.

Still, the draw has definitely brought some uncertainty into the picture for Fitch, who is currently recovering from an injury that forced him out of a rematch with Penn.

11. Jake Shields

Trend: Steady

For the last five years, no fighter had been able to defeat Jake Shields. At UFC 129, Shields finally met his match against UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre.

Despite the loss, Shields is still one of the better fighters in the division and could even be considered a threat to make a run at the UFC middleweight title.

10. Gilbert Melendez

Trend: Rising

At this point in time, it is very seldom that a non-UFC fighter is even considered to be one of the best few fighters in their weight division.

Quietly, GIlbert Melendez is becoming recognized as one of the best lightweights in the world and some have even gone as far as calling him the best.

Melendez is currently on a five-fight winning streak, and it would seem only a matter of time until the Strikeforce Lightweight Champion merges his belt with the UFC Lightweight Championship.

9. Chael Sonnen

Trend: Steady

Chael Sonnen has been inactive ever since his heartbreaking loss to UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.

Despite his transgressions outside of the cage as of late, Sonnen has to be considered one of the top contenders in the division upon his return.

A rematch with a healthy Silva would be an extremely intriguing fight.

8. Dominick Cruz

Trend: Rising

It's hard to imagine that a champion with multiple title defenses could still be on the rise, but that is the case for Dominick Cruz.

At only 25 years old, Cruz is improving with every fight and has plenty of room to grow in terms of notoriety now that he is a UFC fighter.

Having lost to Urijah Faber earlier in his career, a successful title defense against Faber at UFC 132 in July would be the highlight of Cruz's young career.

7. Cain Velasquez

Trend: Rising

With only nine professional fights under his belt, UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez still has room to grow as a fighter and has the skill set to become one of the great heavyweight champions in UFC history.

Velasquez is currently rehabbing from a shoulder injury. Upon his return, Velasquez will meet the winner of a fight between Junior Dos Santos and Shane Carwin.

6. Jon Jones

Trend: Rising

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has unlimited potential, and it is scary to think that the 23-year-old is only going to get better over the coming years.

In his last fight, Jones completely dismantled one of the greatest light heavyweights of all time in Mauricio Rua.

Jones was then expected to meet Rashad Evans in his first title defense, but has since been forced to withdraw from the fight due to injury.

5. Gray Maynard

Trend: Steady

With a win and a draw against UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard is clearly one of the top two lightweights in the world.

Unfortunately, a scheduled rematch with Edgar has been called off due to injuries to both fighters.

Now, Maynard will have to recover and wait for the fight to be rescheduled. Considering both fighters were injured, it is hard to imagine a scenario where the fight would be scrapped altogether.

4. Frankie Edgar

Trend: Steady

After beating B.J. Penn in back-to-back fights, it appeared that nothing could stop Frankie Edgar. Then, Gray Maynard, the fighter responsible for Edgar's only loss, came into the title picture.

After taking a beating in the first round of their rematch, Edgar was able to rebound and force a draw with Maynard to retain his lightweight title.

An immediate rematch with Maynard was recently cancelled due to injuries to both fighters. Upon the recovery of both competitors, it seems most likely that the bout will be rescheduled.

3. Jose Aldo

Trend: Steady

Prior to his most recent fight with Mark Hominick, Jose Aldo appeared to be on his way to becoming one of the most dominant champions of all time.

However, Aldo was forced to hang on for dear life as the fifth and final round of his fight with Hominick came to an end, which has caused some to question whether Aldo is as dominant as everyone believed.

Since the fight, news has been released that Aldo was on antibiotics heading into the bout and was not 100 percent on fight night.

2. Georges St-Pierre

Trend: Steady

In a way, Georges St-Pierre is still slowly rising toward the title of greatest fighter of all time. However, his lack of finishes in recent fights has caused a growing outcry against St-Pierre and his fighting spirit.

Whatever way you look at St-Pierre's recent performances, you can't argue against the UFC Welterweight Champion being one of the two best fighters in the world today.

1. Anderson Silva

Trend: Steady

After his fight with Chael Sonnen, many might have said that Anderson Silva was on the decline. However, Silva silenced those critics with his incredible knockout of Vitor Belfort in his last fight.

At this point, Silva has little or no rising left to do, but he will have the opportunity to avenge a disqualification loss to Yushin Okami in his next fight, which will take place at UFC 134 in August.