Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Featherweight

1. Conor McGregor (19-3)

Conor McGregor is the biggest star in mixed martial arts and for now, he is still the UFC featherweight champion. However, as “The Notorious” one's standoff with the UFC continues, McGregor's greatest ongoing connection to the sport is his bizarre and laughable suggestion that he will box Floyd Mayweather Jr., complete with untraceable, poorly Photoshopped fight posters circulating on social media. If nothing else, even when he hasn't got a real fight to promote, “Mystic Mac” remains entertaining to the MMA public, even when it's not really his doing.

2. Jose Aldo (25-2)

Sidelined for more than 13 months with numerous injuries, Aldo was given a rude welcome back to the Octagon at UFC 194. The Brazilian’s long-awaited bout with Conor McGregor ended in brutal fashion with a one-punch knockout that halted Aldo’s remarkable 10-year, 18-fight unbeaten streak. Aldo will rematch Frankie Edgar for the interim featherweight championship at UFC 200 on July 9.

3. Frankie Edgar (20-4-1)

Still in search of another shot at the UFC featherweight title, Edgar left no doubt in his UFC 194 bout with Chad Mendes, starching “Money” with a left hook in the opening round. After the bout, UFC President Dana White told the former lightweight champ that he is next in line to challenge for 145-pound gold. With featherweight champion Conor McGregor in limbo, Edgar will take on Jose Aldo for the interim featherweight crown at the July 9 pay-per-view.

4. Max Holloway (15-3)

Holloway fought a smart and technical battle against Jeremy Stephens at UFC 194, steering clear of the veteran’s heavy hands to pick him apart from range. The young Hawaiian has won eight straight fights since dropping an August 2013 decision to Conor McGregor. Holloway will be back in the cage at UFC 199, where he will meet Ricardo Lamas on June 4 in Inglewood, California.

5. Chad Mendes (17-4)

Mendes suffered only one defeat in his first 17 bouts as a mixed martial artist. Since then, the former college wrestler has dropped three out of four, including back-to-back knockouts in his last two fights. Mendes’ most recent fall came against Frankie Edgar at “The Ultimate Fighter 22” Finale, knocking “Money” clear out of featherweight contendership.

6. Cub Swanson (22-7)

Following a bumpy 18 months which saw Swanson lose the first back-to-back bouts of his career, “Killer Cub” returned to the win column with an April 16 decision over Brazilian talent Hacran Dias. Once a red-hot contender on a six-fight tear, the 32-year-old veteran is now situated decidedly outside of the title picture.

7. Charles Oliveira (21-5, 1 NC)

Oliveira took out Myles Jury with a first-round guillotine choke at UFC on Fox 17, although the Dec. 19 triumph was soured due to “Charles do Bronx” missing weight by four pounds. Nonetheless, it put the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt back in the win column following a freak injury loss to Max Holloway in August.

8. Ricardo Lamas (16-4)

After being stopped for the first time in his UFC career during an April encounter with Chad Mendes, Lamas sought to get back on track against Diego Sanchez on Nov. 21 in Mexico. “The Bully” earned a hard-fought decision with measured striking and nasty low kicks which left Sanchez hobbled midway through the fight. Lamas will face surging Hawaiian Max Holloway at UFC 199 on June 4.

9. Jeremy Stephens (25-12)

Way back in November 2008, Jeremy Stephens famously knocked out now-UFC lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos with a brutal uppercut. Fast forward almost eight years and now “Lil Heathen” can say he's properly beat a former UFC champ, as once-bantamweight king Renan Barao moved up to 145 pounds only to be thwarted by Stephens' defensive wrestling and power punching over 15 minutes, giving the Iowa native perhaps the biggest win of his career.

10. Hacran Dias (23-4-1)

Dias started strong but suffered multiple knockdowns and ultimately could not hang on the feet with hard-hitting veteran Cub Swanson in their April 16 encounter. The Nova Uniao fighter dropped a unanimous decision after three rounds, snapping a two-fight winning streak and leveling Dias’ UFC record at 3-3.

Other Contenders: Dennis Bermudez, Darren Elkins, Patricio Freire, Daniel Straus, Daniel Weichel.

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