Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Light Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones (19-1)

Heading into the UFC 165 main event, Jones viewed his showdown with Alexander Gustafsson as a chance to cement his place as the greatest light heavyweight champion in the promotion’s history. While “Bones” surpassed Tito Ortiz’s record for 205-pound title defenses, he learned that the 6-foot-5 Swede measured up to the challenge in more ways than just height. Twenty five hard-fought minutes against “The Mauler” arguably exposed more chinks in the New York native’s armor than his previous five title defenses combined, perhaps giving hope to an entire division. A rematch will have to wait, as a showdown with surging Brazilian Glover Teixeira is scheduled for UFC 172 in Baltimore.

2. Alexander Gustafsson (16-2)

After narrowly missing out on UFC gold in his September split decision loss to Jon Jones, Gustafsson was clearly hungry to prove himself worthy of a rematch. “The Mauler” made his case by blasting undefeated British puncher Jimi Manuwa with heavy strikes in a decisive second-round knockout and then calling out Jones in his post-fight interview at UFC Fight Night 38.

3. Rashad Evans (19-3-1)

It had been more than two years between stoppage wins for Evans, but he fixed that with a first-round finish at UFC 167. The former champion blew the doors off of fellow Fox Sports analyst Chael Sonnen, smashing the loud-mouthed Oregonian with ground punches and keeping Evans’ name in the discussion as one of the division’s elite. “Suga” was expected to welcome Daniel Cormier to the 205-pound division at UFC 170, but a knee injury will keep the Blackzilians member on the shelf for a minimum of six months.

4. Phil Davis (12-1, 1 NC)

Once regarded as one of the light heavyweight division’s most promising talents, Davis’ career path took a detour following a lopsided loss to Rashad Evans at UFC on Fox 2. “Mr. Wonderful” got back on track at UFC 163, taking a controversial unanimous decision against former 205-pound kingpin Lyoto Machida. Davis will next square off with welterweight-turned-light-heavyweight Anthony Johnson at UFC 172 in Baltimore.

5. Glover Teixeira (22-2)

Teixeira needed an impressive performance at UFC Fight Night 28 in order to solidify his place as the UFC’s No. 1 light heavyweight contender, and he delivered with a first-round technical knockout against powerful wrestler Ryan Bader. The Brazilian was momentarily stunned by a left hand from his opponent, but he eventually recovered to drop the Power MMA Team member with a two-punch combination before swarming with punches on the ground to earn the stoppage. A winner of 20 straight fights, Teixeira will vie for Jon Jones’ 205-pound strap at UFC 172.

6. Dan Henderson (29-11)

Coming off three straight losses -- including his first ever knockout defeat -- and with his UFC contract expiring, Henderson faced some uncertainty heading into 2014. However, he has re-upped with the Las Vegas-based promotion and is set to square off with Mauricio Rua in a rematch of their thrilling November 2011 encounter at UFC Fight Night 39.

7. Ryan Bader (16-4)

Bader once again proved how dominant he can be against middle-of-the-road competition at UFC Fight Night 33, as “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 winner overwhelmed 41-year-old Anthony Perosh for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory. Bader underwent surgery for a broken hand after the fight; a date for his return to the Octagon remains uncertain.

8. Chael Sonnen (28-14-1)

Sonnen’s sudden and surprising return to prominence at 205 pounds came to an abrupt halt at the hands of Rashad Evans in the co-main event of UFC 167. After being taken down by his “UFC Tonight” broadcast partner, Sonnen succumbed to rough ground-and-pound toward the end of an opening round which never seemed competitive. “The Gangster From West Linn” will remain in the limelight, however, as his coaching stint opposite Wanderlei Silva on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” will conclude with a bout against his rival in Brazil on May 31.

9. Jimi Manuwa (14-1)

The previously unbeaten “Poster Boy” was no match for top contender Alexander Gustafsson in their March 8 meeting. Manuwa bowed to a knee and follow-up punches early in the second round, snapping his winning streak at 14 and ending his run of three consecutive knockouts in the Octagon.

10. Emanuel Newton (22-7-1)

Bellator MMA’s “Hardcore Kid” had a banner year in 2014, scoring four wins -- including two over Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal -- and capturing the company’s interim light heavyweight title. Newton will look to unify the belts on March 21 in a rematch against the last man to defeat him, returning champ Attila Vegh.

Other Contenders: Jan Blachowicz, Daniel Cormier, Anthony Johnson, Mauricio Rua, Attila Vegh.

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