UFC 136 Results: Frankie Edgar and the Top 25 Pound-for-Pound Fighters in MMA

Saturday night, the most fighters ever since I've been doing the pound-for-pound list were in action in a single night.

Chael Sonnen, Jose Aldo, Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar were all fighting on Saturday, and they all had to move one way or another.

Sonnen scored a submission win over Brian Stann and a second shot at Anderson Silva.

Jose Aldo won a unanimous decision over Kenny Florian and defended his featherweight title.

In the main event, Frankie Edgar TKO'd Gray Maynard and defended his lightweight title, while avenging his only career loss.

Check out where each fighter is now in the pound-for-pound rankings.

No. 25: Urijah Faber

Age: 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

Age: 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, so expect to see him against Jose Aldo sometime soon.

No. 23: Joseph Benavidez

Age: 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: Alistair Overeem

Age: 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. 21: Dan Henderson

Age: 41

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 27-8

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

 Next Fight: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139

"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. 20: Gilbert Melendez

Age: 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. 19: Ben Henderson

Age: 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. 18: Clay Guida

Age: 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 a chance to become the No. 1 contender when he takes on Ben Henderson at UFC on Fox 1.

No. 17: Lyoto Machida

Age: 33

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 17-2

Last Fight: KO victory over Randy Couture at UFC 129

Next Fight: Jon Jones at UFC 140

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 kick.

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.

However, in the long run, it worked out, as Machida now gets the next title shot at Jon Jones at UFC 140.

No. 16: Gray Maynard

Age: 32

Weight Class: Lightweight

Record: 10-1-1 [1 NC]

Last Fight: TKO loss to Frankie Edgar at UFC 136

Next Fight: TBA

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, Frankie Edgar, and in their rematch, they fought to a split draw, and in the third fight of the trilogy, Maynard was TKO'd be Edgar in the fourth round.

Maynard will look to rebound and start his climb back up the ladder, hopefully when someone else is champion, as Dana White said a fourth fight between Edgar and Maynard will not happen.

No. 15: Brock Lesnar

Age: 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. 14: BJ Penn

Age: 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. 14.

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. 13: Chael Sonnen

Age: 34

Weight Class: Middleweight

Record: 26-11-1

Last Fight: Submission victory over Brian Stann at UFC 136

Next Fight: TBA

Chael Sonnen comes in at No. 13 on the list, and it's about time he moved up.

After being out for 14 months, Stann came back and submitted Brian Stann in the second round of their fight.

Not only did Sonnen submit Stann, but he did it while easily controlling Stann on the ground, and was never in any danger.

Sonnen made a huge statement in his post-fight interview too, as he called out Anderson Silva, and issued a huge challenge.

Sonnen wins, Silva leaves the division; Silva wins, Sonnen leaves the UFC.

Look for this rematch around Super Bowl weekend.

No. 12: Rampage Jackson

Age: 33

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 32-9

Last Fight: Submission loss to Jon Jones at UFC 135

Next Fight: TBA

Rampage Jackson was finished by Jon Jones in the fourth round with a rear-naked choke.

Jackson may have been finished in the Octagon for the first time in his career, but against Jones, he looked better than many expected.

Rampage may have had the best performance against Jones out of anyone thus far, and that's quite a statement.

Rampage is looking to fight at UFC Japan in February, but we'll see if that ends up happening.

No. 11: Mauricio Rua

Age: 29

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 20-5

Last Fight: KO victory against Forrest Griffin at UFC 134

Next Fight: Dan Henderson at UFC 139

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.

He is now in a likely No. 1 contender match against Dan Henderson at UFC 139.

No. 10: Rashad Evans

Age: 31

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 16-1-1

Last Fight: TKO victory over Tito Ortiz at UFC 133

Next Fight: TBA

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.

Then Rashad got injured and wouldn't be ready in time to take the fight against Jones.

Who knows when this fight will ever happen?

No. 9: Junior dos Santos

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 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. 8: Jon Fitch

Age: 33

Weight Class: Welterweight

Record: 23-3-1 [1 NC]

Last Fight: Majority draw against BJ Penn at UFC 127

Next Fight: Johny Hendricks at UFC 141

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.

Unfortunately for Fitch, he got stuck with a fringe top 20 welterweight for his next fight as he takes on Johny Hendricks at UFC 141.

No. 7: Cain Velasquez

Age: 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

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

Age: 24

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Record: 14-1

Last Fight: Submission victory over Rampage Jackson at UFC 135

Next Fight: Lyoto Machida at UFC 140

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

He has certainly taken his first step after defeating Rampage Jackson at UFC 135 by submission.

Jones can take the next step to MMA greatness if he is able to defeat Lyoto Machida in his next fight at UFC 140.

No. 5: Dominick Cruz

Age: 25

Weight Class: Bantamweight

Record: 19-1

Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Demetrious Johnson at UFC on Versus 6

Next Fight: TBA

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.

In his last fight, he was able to defeat another top contender, as he won all five rounds (on two judges scorecards) and defeated Demetrious Johnson by unanimous decision.

No. 4: Jose Aldo

Age: 24

Weight Class: Featherweight

Record: 20-1

Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory over Kenny Florian at UFC 136

Next Fight: TBA

Yes, that's right. I have Jose Aldo as No. 4 pound for pound.

Aldo's last two fights have been unanimous decisions and not over the level of competition that the others above him have faced.

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

In the fight against Florian, many expected a brutal knockout from Aldo, but Florian hung around and gave Aldo a good fight.

Aldo's next fight is likely to be against Chad Mendes.

No. 3: Frankie Edgar

Age: 29

Weight Class: Lightweight

Record: 14-1-1

Last Fight: TKO victory over Gray Maynard at UFC 136

Next Fight: TBA

Yes, Jose Aldo at No. 4 puts Frankie Edgar as the No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today.

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

Dana White summed it up very well at the post-fight press conference, when he said that Edgar was a 145 pounder who was winning at 155.

That's the definition of pound for pound.

Edgar is now one of the best.

No. 2: Georges St-Pierre

Age: 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 another.

No. 1: Anderson Silva

Age: 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 Chael Sonnen, in what will probably be the biggest fight in MMA history.