Top 10 pound for pound MMA fighters

Scoring: 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for second, etc., down to 1 point for a 10th-place vote. Fighters who are under suspension for usage of performance-enhancing substances or drugs of abuse are ineligible to be considered for the duration of their suspensions; fighters who have been inactive for more than 12 months are ineligible for consideration until after the completion of their next fight.




Cruz

10. Dominick Cruz

Points: 46

Affiliation: UFC

Weight class: WEC (WEC bantamweight champion)

Hometown: San Diego

Record: 15-1 (has won past six)

Last month’s ranking: unranked

Most recent result: def. Brian Bowles, R2 TKO, March 6

Analysis:No one has been able to solve Cruz since he dropped to 135 pounds.









Shields



9. Jake Shields

Points: 46

Affiliation: Free agent

Weight class: Welterweight (never lost Strikeforce middleweight title)

Hometown: San Francisco

Record: 25-4-1 (has won past 14)

Last month’s ranking: 9

Most recent result: def. Dan Henderson, unanimous decision, April 17

Analysis:An intriguing UFC debut against Martin Kampmann should determine his spot in the UFC welterweight pecking order.









Machida

8. Lyoto Machida

Points: 50

Affiliation: UFC

Weight class: Light heavyweight

Hometown: Belem, Brazil

Record: 16-1 (lost previous fight)

Last month’s ranking: 7

Most recent result: lost to Mauricio Rua, R1 TKO, May 8

Analysis: A November matchup against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will go a long way toward determining the light heavyweight title scene in 2011.











Penn

7. B.J. Penn

Points: 62

Affiliation: UFC

Weight class: Lightweight

Hometown: Hilo, Hawaii

Record: 15-6-1 (lost previous fight)

Last month’s ranking: 6

Most recent result: lost to Frank Edgar, unanimous decision, April 10

Analysis:Has his chance to prove razor-thin loss to Edgar was a fluke.









Edgar



6. Frank Edgar

Points: 65

Affiliation: UFC (UFC lightweight champion)

Weight class: Lightweight

Hometown: Toms River, N.J.

Record: 12-1 (has won past four)

Last month’s ranking: 5

Most recent result: def. B.J. Penn, unanimous decision, April 10

Analysis:Has his loss to prove razor-thin win over Penn wasn’t a fluke.









Emelianenko

5. Fedor Emelianenko

Points: 67

Affiliation: Strikeforce/M-1

Weight class: Heavyweight

Hometown: Stary Oskol, Russia

Record: 31-2, one no-contest (lost past 1)

Last month’s ranking: 8

Most recent result: lost to Fabricio Werdum, R1 submission, June 26

Analysis:Dropped to eighth last month after just one loss. Clearly some voters re-evaluated and felt the greatest heavyweight of all time fell too far.









Rua



4. Mauricio Rua

Points: 117

Affiliation: UFC

Weight class: Light heavyweight (UFC light heavyweight champion)

Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil

Record: 19-4 (won previous fight)

Last month’s ranking: 4

Most recent result: def. Lyoto Machida, R1 TKO, May 8

Analysis: Knee surgery is expected to keep the new champ out until at least March.











Aldo



3. Jose Aldo

Points: 145

Affiliation: WEC

Weight class: Featherweight (WEC featherweight champion)

Hometown: Rio de Janeiro

Record: 17-1 (has won past 10)

Last month’s ranking: 4

Most recent result: def. Urijah Faber, unanimous decision, April 24

Analysis:With Silva’s narrow escape, one could argue Aldo has the most definitive unbeatable aura of any weight-class champ.









Silva



2. Anderson Silva

Points: 192 (12 first-place votes)

Affiliation: UFC

Weight class: Middleweight (UFC middleweight champion)

Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil

Record: 27-4 (has won past 12)

Last month’s ranking: 1

Most recent result: def. Chael Sonnen, R5 submission, Aug. 7

Analysis: Was Silva’s struggle against Sonnen the product of a rib injury, or is he finally slowing down at 35? Time will tell.









St. Pierre



1. Georges St. Pierre

Points: 182 (11 first-place votes)

Affiliation: UFC

Weight class: Welterweight (UFC welterweight champion)

Hometown: Saint-Isidore, Quebec

Record: 20-2 (has won past seven)

Last month’s ranking: 2

Most recent result: def. Dan Hardy, unanimous decision, March 27

Analysis:On hold until “The Ultimate Fighter” runs its course.



More



• Votes for others: Brock Lesnar 28, Jon Fitch 26, Rashad Evans 12, Gilbert Melendez 8, Chael Sonnen 7, Jon Jones 4, Cain Velasquez 3; Joe Benavidez, Kenny Florian, Nick Diaz 2.



• Upcoming matches for Top 10 fighters: No. 10 Dominick Cruz vs. Joe Benavidez, Aug. 18, Las Vegas; No. 6 Frank Edgar vs. No. 7 B.J. Penn, Aug. 28, Boston.