UFC Fight Night 25 Results: Top 25 Pound For Pound Fighters In MMA
Talk about your massive upsets.
Saturday night, Jake Ellenberger was able to knock out Jake Shields in under a minute, and in the process, prove to the entire division that he is a contender.
In addition to the main event, there were two Ultimate Fighter winners in action, in Court McGee and Jonathan Brookins.
The main card started with the return of Alan Belcher against Jason MacDonald.
There was only one top 25 pound-for-pound fighter in action, Jake Shields, and he lost.
I wonder if he fell completely off the list, and if Jake Ellenberger may have made his way on.
Read on to find out.
No. 25: Urijah Faber
1 of 26Age: 32
Weight Class: Bantamweight
Record: 25-5
Last Fight: Unanimous decision loss to Dominick Cruz at UFC 132
Next Fight: Brian Bowles at UFC 139
Urijah Faber is the former WEC featherweight champion but is 0-3 in his past three title fights, including his loss of the title, and losing while challenging for two more.
Faber was last seen dropping a competitive unanimous decision to Dominick Cruz at UFC 132.
His next fight will be a No. 1 contender match with former bantamweight champ Brian Bowles at UFC 139.
No. 24: Chad Mendes
2 of 26Age: 26
Weight Class: Featherweight
Record: 11-0
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Rani Yahya at UFC 133
Next Fight: TBA
Chad Mendes is the No. 2 featherweight in the world, and his 11-0 record will back that up.
Mendes has wins over Erik Koch, Rani Yahya, Michihiro Omigawa and Cub Swanson. That's not a bad resume.
Mendes is next in line for a title shot after Kenny Florian at UFC 136, so Mendes will be taking on the winner of the Aldo-Florian fight.
No. 23: Joseph Benavidez
3 of 26Age: 27
Weight Class: Bantamweight
Record: 15-2
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Eddie Wineland at UFC on Versus 5
Next Fight: TBA
Little guys gettin' some love!
Joseph Benavidez is recognized as the No. 2 bantamweight in the world, as his only two losses have come to the current champion in the division, Dominick Cruz.
Benavidez' last fight saw him win a unanimous decision over the former champ, Eddie Wineland, at UFC on Versus 5.
Benavidez will likely be looking for a No. 1 contender match, and because he won't fight Urijah Faber, because they are teammates, he will likely have to wait.
No. 22: Chael Sonnen
4 of 26Age: 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.
No. 21: Alistair Overeem
5 of 26Age: 31
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Record: 34-11 [1 NC]
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum
Next Fight: Brock Lesnar at UFC 141
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, and now he's fighting Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. What a year for the Reem.
If he defeats Lesnar, he is going to get a shot at the heavyweight title.
No. 20: Dan Henderson
6 of 26Age: 41
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. 20 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.
No. 19: Clay Guida
7 of 26Age: 29
Weight Class: Lightweight
Record: 29-8
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Anthony Pettis at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale
Next Fight: Ben Henderson at UFC on Fox 1
Coming into 2011, who'd have thought that Clay Guida would possibly be one win away from a title shot?
Well that's where he finds himself now, because when he defeated the No. 1 contender, Anthony Pettis, at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, Guida proved to everyone that he is a gatekeeper no more.
Guida gets his shot at the belt when he takes on Ben Henderson at UFC on Fox 1.
No. 18: Ben Henderson
8 of 26Age: 27
Weight Class: Lightweight
Record: 14-2
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Jim Miller at UFC on Versus 5
Next Fight: Clay Guida at UFC on Fox 1
Ben Henderson is the real deal.
At UFC on Versus 5, Henderson was able to easily handle the man who many considered the top contender to the lightweight title after Gray Maynard.
With that win, Henderson moved himself into contender position, and he will now take on Clay Guida in what is likely a No. 1 contender match.
No. 17: Gilbert Melendez
9 of 26Age: 29
Weight Class: Lightweight
Record: 19-2
Last Fight: TKO victory over Tatsuya Kawajiri at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley
Next Fight: Jorge Masdival at Strikeforce 37
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 on December 17.
No. 16: Brock Lesnar
10 of 26Age: 34
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Record: 5-2
Last Fight: TKO loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121
Next Fight: Alistair Overeem at UFC 141
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.
Lesnar will now headline UFC 141 when he stands opposite the cage from the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem.
No. 15: BJ Penn
11 of 26Age: 32
Weight Class: Formerly lightweight; Currently welterweight
Record: 16-7-2
Last Fight: Majority draw against Jon Fitch at UFC 127
Next Fight: Nick Diaz at UFC 137
BJ Penn is next up at No. 15.
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 Nick Diaz at UFC 137.
No. 14: Lyoto Machida
12 of 26Age: 33
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight
Record: 17-2
Last Fight: KO victory 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.
No. 13: Rampage Jackson
13 of 26Age: 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.
No. 12: Mauricio Rua
14 of 26Age: 29
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight
Record: 20-5
Last Fight: KO victory against Forrest Griffin at UFC 134
Next Fight: TBA
Shogun Rua could still be a dominant fighter in the UFC, his knockout of Forrest proved that.
Shogun is now 4-3 in his UFC career, and according to Dana White, he is only one win away from a second shot at the light heavyweight title.
I fully expect a fight against Lyoto Machida in a No. 1 contender's match, but we'll have to wait and see.
No. 11: Rashad Evans
15 of 26Age: 31
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight
Record: 16-1-1
Last Fight: TKO victory 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 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.
No. 10: Junior Dos Santos
16 of 26Age: 26
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Record: 13-1
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Shane Carwin at UFC 131
Next Fight: Cain Velasquez at UFC on Fox 1
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 in the UFC's debut on network television on November 12 at UFC on Fox 1.
No. 9: Jon Fitch
17 of 26Age: 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.
No. 8: Gray Maynard
18 of 26Age: 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.
No. 7: Cain Velasquez
19 of 26Age: 29
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Record: 9-0
Last Fight: TKO victory over Brock Lesnar at UFC 121
Next Fight: Junior dos Santos at UFC on Fox 1
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.
No. 6: Jon Jones
20 of 26Age: 24
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight
Record: 13-1
Last Fight: TKO victory 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.
No. 5: Frankie Edgar
21 of 26Age: 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.
No. 4: Dominick Cruz
22 of 26Age: 25
Weight Class: Bantamweight
Record: 18-1
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory 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.
No. 3: Jose Aldo
23 of 26Age: 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.
No. 2: Georges St-Pierre
24 of 26Age: 30
Weight Class: Welterweight
Record: 22-2
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Jake Shields at UFC 129
Next Fight: Carlos Condit 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 Carlos Condit and this one will hopefully end in a finish, one way or the other.
No. 1: Anderson Silva
25 of 26Age: 36
Weight Class: Middleweight
Record: 31-4
Last Fight: KO victory over Yushin Okami at UFC 134
Next Fight: TBA
Anderson Silva is the man!
Silva is the current UFC middleweight champion, and Silva gets the nod as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
Silva's last fight saw him knock out the last man to defeat him, Yushin Okami. He was able to drop Okami with a jab—twice.
Silva's next fight will likely be against the winner of the Chael Sonnen-Brian Stann matchup.
What Do You Think?
26 of 26Did I get the list right? Wrong?
Did I leave off your favorite fighter who you feel belongs?
Let me know in the comments. Also let me know why you think the list is wrong, not just that it is. Otherwise how am I to clarify my rationale?
In the meantime, every slideshow needs a little Brittney.


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