UFC on Versus 5 Results: The Top 25 Pound-for-Pound Fighters in MMA

Tim McTiernanJun 7, 2018

Boy, the UFC puts on some great free cards.

The Facebook fights didn't disappoint, and the main card certainly disappoint.

Donald Cerrone killed the Charles Olivera hype train, Ben Henderson killed the Jim Miller hype, and Chris Lytle may have killed the chances of seeing Dan Hardy on a main card ever again.

Jim Miller was No. 25 last time I did a P4P list, but he obviously won't be staying. So who made their first appearance on the list?

And where do all the champions stand?

Read on to find out.

25. Joseph Benavidez

1 of 26

Age: 27

Weight Class: Bantamweight

Record: 15-2

Last Fight: Unanimous Decision win over Eddie Wineland at UFC Live 5

Next Fight: TBA

The newest addition to the P4P list is Joe-B-Wan Kenobi.

Benavidez won a unanimous decision over the former champ, Eddie Wineland, on Sunday night.

In his career, the only two losses he has suffered have been decisions to the current bantamweight champ, Dominick Cruz.

Benavidez is the consensus No. 2 bantamweight in the world, and now, for the first time, he cracks the top 25 P4P fighters list.

His next fight is yet to be announced, but expect it to be a contender's match.

24. Ronaldo Souza

2 of 26

Age: 31

Weight Class: Middleweight

Record: 14-2 [1 NC]

Last Fight: Submission victory over Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg

Next Fight: Luke Rockhold at Strikeforce 36

Next up is the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, Ronaldo Souza.

Souza has some of the best jiu-jitsu in MMA, and he has used it to win 11 of his 14 fights.

In his last fight, Robbie Lawler rocked him once or twice, but he was still able to submit him in the third round with a rear naked choke.

He'll get a chance to add to his record when he takes on Luke Rockhold on September 10.

23. Alistair Overeem

3 of 26

Age: 31

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Record: 34-11 [1 NC]

Last Fight: Unanimous Decision win over Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum

Next Fight: TBA at Golden Glory event in October

We all know of the recent saga of the issues with Overeem.

He wouldn't be able to fight in September, so he was pulled from the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

He then signed on to fight someone in October at a Golden Glory event.

Then, he was released by Strikeforce.

What could he possibly do next?

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22. Chael Sonnen

4 of 26

Age: 34

Weight Class: Middleweight

Record: 25-11-1

Last Fight: Submission loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 117

Next Fight: Brian Stann at UFC 136

Chael Sonnen comes in at No. 22 on the list, and if not for his poor submission defense (and long list of legal troubles), he could be much, much higher.

Fans know Sonnen for dominating Anderson Silva for the better part of five rounds before getting caught in a submission and losing in the fight for the middleweight title.

Now, after all his suspensions have ended, he is set to fight against "The All-American" Brian Stann at UFC 136.

21. Shinya Aoki

5 of 26

Age: 28

Weight Class: Lightweight

Record: 28-5 [1 NC]

Last Fight: Submission victory over Rich Clementi at DREAM Fight for Japan

Next Fight: Rob McCullough at DREAM 17

Shinya Aoki is the current DREAM Lightweight Champion and has earned that belt with his slick jiu-jitsu.

Aoki fights at lightweight, but he is very tall at 5'11'' and he uses his height to his advantage.

He is known as the "master of flying submissions" and has won 18 fights with submissions.

20. BJ Penn

6 of 26

Age: 32

Weight Class: Formerly lightweight; Currently welterweight

Record: 16-7-2

Last Fight: Majority draw against Jon Fitch at UFC 127

Next Fight: Carlos Condit at UFC 137

BJ Penn is next up at No. 20.

Penn is the former UFC lightweight and former UFC welterweight champion and is quite possibly the most dominant lightweight in MMA history.

Penn's last fight ended in a draw with Jon Fitch, but look for him to come back gunning for a title shot.

He gets his chance in a possible No. 1 contender fight against Carlos Condit at UFC 137.

19. Brock Lesnar

7 of 26

Age: 34

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Record: 5-2

Last Fight: TKO loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121

Next Fight: TBD

The former UFC heavyweight champion is next.

Brock Lesnar was last seen getting embarrassed at the hands of Cain Velasquez at UFC 121, where he showed his poor striking defense yet again.

Lesnar ended up coaching on The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 against Junior dos Santos, but was then forced to pull out of the fight due to a recurrence of diverticulitis.

Let's hope for a speedy recovery so we can see him back in the cage.

18. Dan Henderson

8 of 26

Age: 40

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 27-8

Last Fight: TKO victory over Fedor Emelianenko at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson

Next Fight: TBA

"Dangerous" Dan Henderson is the current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and No. 18 on the list.

Henderson won the belt by TKO'ing Rafael Cavalcante in the third round of their title fight.

In Henderson's last fight, he TKO'd Fedor Emelianenko in the first round, and with that, officially etched his name in with the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time.

17. Rampage Jackson

9 of 26

Age: 33

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 32-8

Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Matt Hamill at UFC 130

Next Fight: Jon Jones at UFC 135

Rampage Jackson is working his way back towards a title shot, even if he didn't look all that impressive last night.

Jackson hurt Matt Hamill a few times but couldn't get the finish. A hand injury probably had something to do with that.

Injuries aside, Rampage will get the next title shot against Jon Jones at UFC 135.

16. Mauricio Rua

10 of 26

Age: 29

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 19-5

Last Fight: TKO loss to Jon Jones at UFC 128

Next Fight: Forrest Griffin at UFC 134

Shogun Rua could still be a dominant fighter in the UFC.

In his last fight, he lost the LHW belt to Jon Jones via third-round TKO.

Shogun is only 3-3 in his UFC career, but I still think he has what it takes to make another run at the title; after all, he is only 29 years old.

In his next fight, Shogun gets a chance to avenge a loss he suffered in his UFC debut when he takes on Forrest Griffin at home in Brazil.

15. Nick Diaz

11 of 26

Age: 27

Weight Class: Welterweight

Record: 25-7 [1 NC]

Last Fight: TKO win over Paul Daley at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley

Next Fight: Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137

The Strikeforce welterweight champion is next on this list, and if he had better competition, he could be higher.

Diaz was originally going to take a boxing match against former IBF Champion Jeff Lacy, but after a meeting with Dana White, he decided to stick with MMA.

He is now set to take on Georges St-Pierre in a superfight at UFC 137.

14. Junior Dos Santos

12 of 26

Age: 26

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Record: 13-1

Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Shane Carwin at UFC 131

Next Fight: Cain Velasquez at UFC 138

Junior dos Santos is the man. He seems like the first person to take a fight, risk losing a title shot and still earn the shot.

JDS spent 15 minutes beating down Shane Carwin and kept his shot at the title.

Junior now gets the title shot against Cain Velasquez at UFC 138 on November 19.

13. Lyoto Machida

13 of 26

Age: 33

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 17-2

Last Fight: KO win over Randy Couture at UFC 129

Next Fight: TBD

Lyoto Machida is another former LHW champion, and I think's he's worthy of Anderson Silva money.

Machida was last seen knocking out Randy Couture in highlight reel fashion with a front jump kick, or a flying jump front kick, or a flying front kick or whatever you want to call it.

Machida was going to step in and fight Rashad Evans at UFC 133, but he ended up screwing himself over when he asked for Silva money, so his next fight remains TBA.

12. Jake Shields

14 of 26

Age: 32

Weight Class: Welterweight

Record: 26-5-1

Last Fight: Unanimous decision loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129

Next Fight: Jake Ellenberger at UFC Fight Night: Battle on the Bayou

Jake Shields is the former Strikeforce middleweight champion and a current UFC welterweight.

Shields may have lost to GSP, but he became the first person in almost four years to win a round from St-Pierre.

Shields may look to make another run at the welterweight belt, and he starts his climb back up the ladder when he takes on Jake Ellenberger.

11. Rashad Evans

15 of 26

Age: 31

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 16-1-1

Last Fight: TKO win over Tito Ortiz at UFC 133

Next Fight: TBD

Rashad Evans is the former LHW champion and is probably the unluckiest fighter on the entire UFC roster.

He beat Rampage Jackson for the No. 1 contender's spot and decided to wait for the title shot.

Once it was all set, he got hurt and lost his chance.

Then the timetable was off for a shot against Jones, and he was going to fight Phil Davis, but after injuries caused some changes, he'll agreed to take on Tito Ortiz, who he defeated by second round TKO.

We all want to see the Jones-Evans grudge match, so let's hope Jones beats Rampage at UFC 135.

10. Jon Fitch

16 of 26

Age: 33

Weight Class: Welterweight

Record: 23-3-1 [1 NC]

Last Fight: Majority draw against BJ Penn at UFC 127

Next Fight: TBD

Jon Fitch is easily the second-best welterweight in the world today.

Fitch's only loss in the UFC came to GSP, and he has been on a tear since then.

He has been lobbying for a second shot at GSP, and if he gets one more big win, it can no longer be denied by Dana White that he deserves it.

9. Gray Maynard

17 of 26

Age: 32

Weight Class: Lightweight

Record: 10-0-1 [1 NC]

Last Fight: Split draw against Frankie Edgar at UFC 125

Next Fight: Frankie Edgar at UFC 136

Had the fight gods done this a little differently, Gray Maynard could have been the UFC lightweight champion.

Maynard holds a win over the current champ, and in their rematch, they fought to a split draw.

They were supposed to fight a third time at UFC 130, but Maynard and Edgar each suffered injuries that forced them to withdraw.

The third fight is now set to take place at UFC 136, and we can finally start to figure out the status of the UFC lightweight division.

8. Gilbert Melendez

18 of 26

Age: 29

Weight Class: Lightweight

Record: 19-2

Last Fight: TKO over Tatsuya Kawajiri at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley

Next Fight: Jorge Masdival at TBA

Gilbert Melendez is the current Strikeforce lightweight champion, and according to some sites, the No. 1 lightweight in the world.

I'm going to have to disagree with them, but I will call him the best fighter outside of the UFC.

Melendez was last seen beating Tatsuya Kawajiri in the first round of their fight for Melendez's title.

Gilbert will now be taking on Jorge Masdival at some point in November or December.

7. Cain Velasquez

19 of 26

Age: 29

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Record: 9-0

Last Fight: TKO win over Brock Lesnar at UFC 121

Next Fight: Junior dos Santos at UFC 138

I decided to mix up No. 7-4 this week to see what you guys think. Let me know in the comments.

Cain Velasquez is the current UFC heavyweight champion.

Velasquez is the complete package in the heavyweight division. He's a great wrestler who Brock Lesnar couldn't keep down.

He has endless cardio, which is sure to help if he ever has to go all five rounds. He also has insane striking, which could help him keep up with a guy like dos Santos, and he is a strong wrestler in his own regard.

But if there's anyone who can stop him, it's Junior.

6. Frankie Edgar

20 of 26

Age: 29

Weight Class: Lightweight

Record: 13-1-1

Last Fight: Split draw against Gray Maynard at UFC 125

Next Fight: Gray Maynard at UFC 136

Frankie Edgar is the current UFC lightweight champion and another great young fighter.

Edgar was last seen putting on one of the gutsiest performances in UFC history when he was knocked down three times in the first round and was able to come back and fight to a draw with Gray Maynard.

Look for a great fight between these two when they complete the trilogy.

5. Jon Jones

21 of 26

Age: 24

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 13-1

Last Fight: TKO win over Shogun Rua at UFC 128

Next Fight: Rampage Jackson at UFC 135

Jon Jones is the current UFC light heavyweight champion and has all the tools to become one of the greatest of all-time.

Jones' last fight saw him outclass a legend, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, and win the light heavyweight belt to become the youngest UFC champion of all-time.

Jones' next fight will be against Rampage Jackson.

4. Dominick Cruz

22 of 26

Age: 25

Weight Class: Bantamweight

Record: 18-1

Last Fight: Unanimous decision over Urijah Faber at UFC 132

Next Fight: Demetrious Johnson at UFC on Versus 6

Dominick Cruz is the former WEC bantamweight champion and the current UFC bantamweight champion.

Cruz is one of the best young fighters in the sport and has only one loss on his record, which he has since avenged.

Cruz's next fight will be against Demetrious Johnson at UFC on Versus 6, and it will be the first title fight on free TV in quite some time.

3. Jose Aldo

23 of 26

Age: 24

Weight Class: Featherweight

Record: 19-1

Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Mark Hominick at UFC 129

Next Fight: Kenny Florian at UFC 136

Jose Aldo is one of the most explosive fighters in MMA, but you wouldn't know it from watching his last fight.

In that fight, he looked slow and just unlike himself. It was later revealed that Aldo was sick and on antibiotics prior to the fight.

Look for Aldo's next fight against Kenny Florian to showcase the explosive fighter Aldo really is.

2. Georges St-Pierre

24 of 26

Age: 30

Weight Class: Welterweight

Record: 22-2

Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Jake Shields at UFC 129

Next Fight: Nick Diaz at UFC 137

Ah, yes. Let the debate begin. Who really is No. 1? Georges St-Pierre or Anderson Silva?

Until one of them loses—or they fight one another—this question cannot be answered.

Georges St-Pierre is the current welterweight champion and was last seen winning a unanimous decision over Jake Shields at the largest MMA event in North American history.

His next fight is set to be against Nick Diaz, and this one will hopefully end in a finish one way or the other.