Jun 19, 2008
1.
Quinton Jackson (
Pictures) (29-6-0)
Currently starring in the seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter," Jackson has provided high-quality television thus far. Here's hoping for a high-quality bout in the season's culmination on July 5, when "Rampage" defends his UFC title against opposing coach
Forrest Griffin (
Pictures).
2.
Lyoto Machida (
Pictures) (13-0-0)
Many questioned how MMA's proudest karateka would fare against a strong, experienced wrestler. Machida passed that test with flying colors in May at UFC 84, dominating
Tito Ortiz (
Pictures) over three rounds and emerging as the presumptive challenger to face the winner of July's Rampage-Griffin clash.
3.
Forrest Griffin (
Pictures) (15-4-0)
Griffin has gone from TUF competitor to coach, as he leads his team against
Quinton Jackson (
Pictures)'s on the seventh season of the show. What's more important is the buildup to July's light heavyweight title clash, which should pull big numbers for Zuffa and the UFC.
4.
Chuck Liddell (
Pictures) (21-5)
After a hugely anticipated clash with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was nixed, the "Iceman" suffered a nasty hamstring tear which postponed a potential June 7 clash with undefeated
Rashad Evans (
Pictures). Thankfully, the Liddell-Evans bout was rescheduled for Sept. 6 in Atlanta.
5.
Mauricio Rua (
Pictures) (16-3-0)
After injuring his knee and stumbling in his UFC debut last September, it seemed "Shogun" had hit rock bottom. Then, with a big fight against Liddell looming, disaster struck again when the Brazilian injured the same knee that had been surgically repaired just months before.
6.
Dan Henderson (
Pictures) (22-6-0)
He was torn up in his 185-pound title bout against
Anderson Silva last March and his next move is uncertain. However, if
Dan Henderson (
Pictures) returns to the 205-pound division, there will be no shortage of interesting matchups -- although there may be a shortage of easy ones.
7.
Wanderlei Silva (
Pictures) (32-8-1, 1 NC)
After a vintage Silva performance in May when he stampeded over
Keith Jardine (
Pictures) in 36 seconds, people were left wanting more Silva, ASAP. While they almost got their wish, an opponent couldn't be finalized for "The Axe Murderer" on the July 19 UFC card, so fans will have to wait a little bit longer for Silva's return.
8.
Keith Jardine (
Pictures) (13-4-1)
After knocking off Liddell last September, Jardine had the opportunity to defeat the two greatest light heavyweights in the sport's history when he entered the Octagon for his May 24 bout with Silva at UFC 84. Instead, Jardine was brutally dispatched in 36 seconds.
9.
Rashad Evans (
Pictures) (11-0-1)
Evans slid into the biggest fight of his career, a scheduled June 7 clash with
Chuck Liddell (
Pictures), before he was removed from the card after injuries to Liddell and then replacement opponent
James Irvin (
Pictures). Luckily for Evans, he will get his crack at the former UFC light heavyweight king Sept. 6 when UFC 88 heads to Atlanta.
10.
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (
Pictures) (5-2-0)
Sokoudjou restored some measure of his hype, by stopping a quality opponent,
Kazuhiro Nakamura (
Pictures), at the end of the first round during UFC 84. Although Africa's top mixed martial artist may still continue to talk of his 2007 wins being flukes, the UFC's 205-pound division should prove to be the acid test for the Cameroonian.
Read more at
http://www.sherdog.com/news/article...rtial-Arts-Rankings-13325#FL64omxmoQS43WUm.99
