TOP MMA RANKINGS

10. Brock Lesnar
Points: 33
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Heavyweight (UFC heavyweight champion)
Hometown: Webster, S.D.
Record: 5-1 (won past four)
Last month’s ranking: unranked
Most recent result: def. Shane Carwin, R2 TKO, July 3
Analysis: On paper, Lesnar’s next opponent, Cain Velasquez, is undersized. But that hasn’t deterred Velasquez up to this point.




Shields

9. Jake Shields
Points: 44
Affiliation: UFC
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: Will Shields be the next non-UFC Top 10 fighter to flop, or will he justify the hype next month in his debut against Martin Kampmann?




Machida
8. Lyoto Machida
Points: 54
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Belem, Brazil
Record: 16-1 (lost previous fight)
Last month’s ranking: 8
Most recent result: lost to Mauricio Rua, R1 TKO, May 8
Analysis: It’s always interesting to see how a fighter rebounds from his first knockout, and in Quinton Jackson, Machida will be facing a man with heavy hands.





Cruz
7. Dominick Cruz
Points: 57
Affiliation: WEC
Weight class: Bantamweight (WEC bantamweight champion)
Hometown: San Diego
Record: 16-1 (has won past seven)
Last month’s ranking: 10
Most recent result: def. Joseph Benavidez, split decision, Aug. 18
Analysis: Is going to hold the bantamweight belt until someone literally catches him.




Emelianenko
6. 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: 5
Most recent result: lost to Fabricio Werdum, R1 submission, June 26
Analysis: Stop us if you’ve heard this before: “The Last Emperor” has matchup on his horizon.





Edgar

5. Frank Edgar
Points: 103
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Lightweight (UFC lightweight champion)
Hometown: Toms River, N.J.
Record: 13-1 (has won past five)
Last month’s ranking: 6
Most recent result: def. B.J. Penn, unanimous decision, August 28
Analysis: If nothing else, Edgar-Maynard could prove MMA’s version of the irresistible force vs. the immovable object.



Rua

4. Mauricio Rua
Points: 115
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: Still on the shelf with a knee injury.





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: 3
Most recent result: def. Urijah Faber, unanimous decision, April 24
Analysis: Manny Gamburyan is fearless and likes to throw; if nothing else, Aldo-Gamburyan should be an entertaining scrap while it lasts.




Silva

2. Anderson Silva
Points: 175 (7 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: 2
Most recent result: def. Chael Sonnen, R5 submission, Aug. 7
Analysis: Appears to be headed toward a Sonnen rematch.




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: 1
Most recent result: def. Dan Hardy, unanimous decision, March 27
Analysis: December title defense against Josh Koscheck will be in Montreal, near St. Pierre’s hometown, adding to his already considerable advantages.

More

• Votes for others: Jon Fitch 25, B.J. Penn 11, Gilbert Melendez 8, Rashad Evans 6, Chael Sonnen, Cain Velasquez 4, Gray Maynard 3, Jon Jones, Joseph Benavidez 2, Nick Diaz 1.