Music to listen to: The Journey (Drum and Bass Mix) by Tolerance
I haven’t done an MMA post in several weeks so the best way to reassimilate myself into the sport is to do a breakdown of the top-five fighters in each major weight class.
Heavyweight:
1) Junior Dos Santos
2) Cain Velasquez
3) Alistair Overeem
4) Fabricio Werdum
5) Daniel Cormier
Missed the cut: Frank Mir
Thoughts: I was looking forward to the announced Dos Santos/Overeem fight earlier this year before the Dutchman was suspended for performance enhancers. The result of that was a rematch between Dos Santos and Velasquez that will take place at UFC 155. If Velasquez’s standup efforts haven’t improved by that fight, he may suffer another first-round knockout defeat to the Brazilian. I picked Overeem over Werdum because he won their previous fight back in June 2011 and both men’s fighting skills have stayed the same since then. The newest power player in the division has been Cormier, who won the Strikeforce Grand Prix and sports an undefeated record. Cormier’s fight against Mir was postponed due to injury, which means that he must fulfill his final fight under the Strikeforce contract against Dion Staring in January 2013.
Light Heavyweight:
1) Jon Jones
2) Dan Henderson
3) Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
4) Rashad Evans
5) Lyoto Machida
Missed the cut: Phil Davis and Alex Gustafsson
Thoughts: Jones is the clear top fighter in the division through holding convincing victories over Rua, Evans and Machida. After a probably victory over Chael Sonnen in April 2013, Jones should have his mind set to face Henderson, who gets the nod in the second position due to his recent run of victories over Rua and Emelianenko. I know that Machida beat Evans in their fight but at this current moment, I would stick with my current rankings. A convincing victory by Machida over Henderson in February 2013 would make me reconsider my standings. Davis and Gustafsson are younger fighters who can elevate themselves into the top-five with wins in December. Davis fights Forrest Griffin at UFC 155 and Gustafsoon gets Rua in UFC on Fox 5.
Middleweight:
1) Anderson Silva
2) Chael Sonnen
3) Michael Bisping
4) Chris Weidman
5) Tim Boetch
Thoughts: The belt seems like it will stay with Silva until he leaves the division permanently or retires. Every great fighter loses at one point in their career (Silva himself has three legitimate defeats on his resume, the fourth one was due to an illegal strike against Yushin Okami). However, the thought of Silva losing in this division to anyone current fighting seems unlikely. Sonnen talked his way into a light heavyweight title shot against Jones in April 2013. The businessman in me respects the hustle, the inner fight fan finds less approval in the matchmaking. Bisping is the most polished fighter in the division to never fight Silva and figures to be the next man to get a shot at the belt when the Brazilian returns to the octagon. Weidman and Boetch are actually fighting each other at UFC 155, most likely for a title fight against Silva in late 2013.
Welterweight:
1) Georges St. Pierre
2) Carlos Condit
3) Nick Diaz
4) Johny Hendricks
5) Jake Ellenberger
Missed the cut: Jon Fitch and Rory McDonald
Thoughts: Enjoy his fighting style or not, GSP is the premier fighter in the division and arguably all of MMA. St. Pierre’s dictatorial victory over Condit at UFC 154 to unify the UFC welterweight title showed that arguably the most dangerous skill set in MMA seems to be his form of wrestling. The most dangerous body part may be Hendrick’s left hand which gained another victim at the same event during a first-round knockout of Martin Kampmann. The Oklahoma State product will most likely fight St. Pierre in 2013 in what may be the fight of the year. Diaz has been mired in a drug suspension that will end in February 2013 with numerous opponents available to fight. Fitch deserved an honorable mention for his valiant victory over Erick Silva at UFC 153. There are numerous fighters who could have made the “missed the cut” list, including Kampmann, Josh Koscheck, Ben Askren and others. However, I’m taking McDonald who is currently on a three-fight winning streak and whose only defeat came against Condit back in June 2010.
Lightweight:
1) Benson Henderson
2) Frankie Edgar
3) Gray Maynard
4) Nate Diaz
5) Gilbert Melendez
Missed the cut: Anthony Pettis, Clay Guida and Donald Cerrone
Thoughts: The deepest division in MMA continues to evolve. Henderson’s second victory over Edgar could have easily gone to either fighter. However, Henderson won both contests in non-controversial manner which elevates him to the top of the rankings. Edgar seems primed to move down to featherweight to face Jose Aldo for that division’s UFC crown in 2013. I give Maynard the slight edge over Diaz because of wrestling and striking advantages but those are very slim. Melendez may the most talented fighter in the division but his work in Strikeforce weakens the resume. A probable stint in the UFC in 2013 will rectify this issue and present even more tantalizing contests for fans to see.
Featherweight/Bantamweight (yes, the divisions are combined):
1) Jose Aldo
2) Dominick Cruz
3) Renan Barao
4) Urijah Faber
5) Pat Curran
Missed the cut: Michael McDonald and Chad Mendes
Thoughts: Both divisions have been in neutral at the title-level thought much of 2012 because Aldo and Cruz have been out with injuries. When both men return eventually in 2013, there will be plenty of competition. Barao’s dismantaling of Faber in July for the interim UFC bantamweight title was a revelation to most of the MMA world (including myself) that a new major player has arrived on the scene. Curran continues to hold down the Bellator featherweight crown. McDonald and Mendes are fighters who are only one or two battles away from a title bout.
Those are my thoughts, what are yours?
The Sports Inquirer 
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