Shogun Rua vs Dan Henderson: Where Does Hendo Rank In the UFC LHW Division?

Huge UFC news broke today when it was announced that legendary light heavyweight fighters Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson will fight at UFC 139 in November.

This PRIDE throwback fight will be huge for the UFC light heavyweight rankings as “Hendo” makes his return to the division. But where does the now-former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion currently sit in the division?

To answer that question, we need to take a closer look at what is currently happening in the Octagon at 205-pounds.

Jon Jones and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will determine the top dog in the division this Saturday night when they do battle at UFC 135 this upcoming weekend. As awesome as these two fighters are, though, they are only two of a now unbelievably stacked light heavyweight division.

So let’s see who the Top-10 205-pound fighters in the UFC currently are!

10. Thiago Silva

MMA Record: 14-2

Last Fight: No Contest vs. Brandon Vera at UFC 125

It was mid-2008 when Thiago Silva had run up his perfect MMA record to 13-0 which included four punishing, dominating victories inside the Octagon.

The light heavyweight division was put on notice of the 25-year old prospect who was making a real case for a title shot.

But then he fought Lyoto Machida at UFC 94. Both fighters were undefeated at the time, but it was Machida who completely dominated the bout, eventually knocking out Silva in the final seconds of the first round.

Silva’s career has been up-and-down ever since that night, but no point was lower than what happened following his UFC 125 victory over Brandon Vera when he was busted for submitting a falsified drug test. This nearly got him kicked out of the UFC.

He will have a long layoff between bouts because of the violation and could see his name slip from the top-10 very soon.

9. Tito Ortiz

MMA Record: 16-9-1

Last Fight: Lost to Rashad Evans at UFC 133

He’s not done yet, but Tito Ortiz’s career is likely still hanging on by a thread.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion had a great, revitalizing victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 132 when he knocked out the young prospect just moments into the first round.

The win was so impressive, in fact, that it earned him a place in the main event on the next UFC pay-per-view event when he was a late injury replacement for Phil Davis in his bout against Rashad Evans.

Ortiz put up a fight, but was no match for a prime Evans who was coming off of a 16-month layoff from the Octagon.

His next fight against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, tentatively scheduled for UFC 140, may end up being the last of his career if he is unable to walk out with a victory.

8. Forrest Griffin

MMA Record: 18-7

Last Fight: Lost to Shogun Rua at UFC 134

Forrest Griffin is unquestionably one of the most fan-friendly fighters in the entire UFC. His personality is fun and his fighting style can be very entertaining... But those two things don’t always lead to success in the Octagon.

For Griffin, he has now dropped three of his past five fights, including a crushing knockout loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 134 in a fight where rumors were circulating about him losing some of his enjoyment for the sport.

He still has the talent to get back into title contention, but does Griffin still have the “love for the game?”

7. Phil Davis

MMA Record: 9-0

Last Fight: Defeated Antonio Roguerio Nogueira at UFC Fight Night 24

The only undefeated fighter on these rankings is the 26-year old former NCAA Division-I national champion Phil Davis whose record sits at a perfect 9-0.

Davis was scheduled to fight for what was expected to be a No. 1 contenders’ slot in his UFC 133 bout against Rashad Evans, but had to drop out of the fight with a knee injury.

Had he fought and won that bout, would likely be as high as No. 2 in the light heavyweight rankings, but his inactivity has caused him to stay below the “elite” in the division. 

6. Dan Henderson

MMA Record: 28-8

Last Fight: Defeated Fedor Emelianenko at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson (heavyweight bout)

The newest addition to the UFC light heavyweight division is the current (at least until he is forced to vacate it) Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson.

Henderson will make his return to the Octagon after an awkward split from the company in 2009, when he left on a three-fight win streak that included victories over Rousimar Palhares, Rich Franklin and Michael Bisping.

“Hendo” has since proven that even at 41 years old, he still has “it” in Strikeforce where he was able to secure the 205-pound title before moving up in weight to fight the greatest heavyweight of all-time, Fedor Emelianenko.

There just wasn’t much competition for Henderson in the UFC, so it made sense for him to come back to the UFC where the competition is so fierce that there are a handful of fighters who could be realistically considered the next No. 1 contender. 

5. Lyoto Machida

MMA Record: 17-2

Last Fight: Defeated Randy Couture at UFC 129

Love him or hate him, true MMA fans have to respect what Lyoto Machida has been able to do in the UFC light heavyweight division.

When he won the title back at UFC 98 in a knockout victory over Rashad Evans, commentator Joe Rogan famously yelled out that the “Machida era” had begun.

It turned out that the era (at least as champion) was short-lived as he was defeated in his second title defense against Shogun Rua, but Machida is still absolutely one of the division’s top talents.

He proved that at UFC 129 when he defeated the legendary Randy Couture, utilizing a jumping front-kick that knocked the 47-year old, sending him into retirement. 

4. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

MMA Record: 32-8

Last Fight: Defeated Matt Hamill at UFC 130

A former UFC light heavyweight champion himself, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will have a chance to get his title back when he fights Jon Jones this Saturday night at UFC 135.

Jones is currently a huge -500 favorite in the fight, but those numbers are not so much about Rampage being bad as they are Jones being unbelievable thus far.

Not to mention, if there is anyone who has a “puncher’s chance” in any fight, it’s Jackson. He can win a fight in an instant with one solid shot to the jaw.

If Jackson is unsuccessful in his title shot, look for him to drop a couple spots, but he will likely still be in the top-6 unless he looks completely terrible.

3. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

MMA Record: 20-5

Last Fight: Defeated Forrest Griffin at UFC 134

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua looked completely deflated in his fight against Jon Jones at UFC 128.

Not only was he physically outmatched by a younger, more athletic fighter, but Rua just did not appear to be at 100-percent for that bout.

There were rumors that he was battling back from injury and many believed that he would never be completely healthy again.

We haven’t seen him have another long battle since, but if how he looked in his fight against Forrest Griffin at UFC 134 was any indication, he is looking a lot better.

Shogun completely destroyed Griffin, knocking him out less than two minutes into that bout while completely outclassing the former The Ultimate Fighter winner on the feet for the entirety of the bout.

He will now have a chance to get his name back in title contention if he is able to defeat Dan Henderson in their recently announced UFC 139 contest.

2. Rashad Evans

MMA Record: 14-1-1

Last Fight: Defeated Tito Ortiz at UFC 133

Another former UFC light heavyweight champion, Rashad Evans finally returned to the Octagon after 16 months spent recovering from injury and waiting for an opponent.

But when he returned, he did it in style, knocking out Tito Ortiz in the main event at UFC 133.

Simply defeating Ortiz isn’t necessarily that great of an accomplishment given Ortiz’s struggles in the cage over the past few years.

However on this night, it meant more. Evans was recovering from injury, but he was also fighting a guy who had previously gone to a draw with him back in 2007 at UFC 73.

Evans now sets his sights on the UFC light heavyweight title once again and he could very well find himself fighting for it early in 2012.

1. Jon Jones

MMA Record: 13-1

Last Fight: Defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128

2011 has been an amazing year for the 24-year old Jon Jones who defeated fellow prospect Ryan Bader at UFC 126 before defeating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to become the light heavyweight champion at UFC 129 just a month later.

But in order for the year to be a complete success, Jones is going to need to do what a true champion does by defending his title against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson this Saturday night at UFC 135.

Jones is one of the fastest-rising superstars the UFC has ever seen and is also one of the most physically gifted athletes to ever compete in mixed martial arts.

His combination of wrestling skills, innovative striking and raw, natural ability make him an almost unstoppable force.

However, talented as Jones is, mixed martial arts is also perhaps the most unpredictable of all sports. Just when we thought guys like Lyoto Machida were unbeatable, things can flip in an instant with one punch.

Jon Jones is an amazing athlete, but he needs to make sure that he stays level-headed or he could be in for a serious rude-awakening.