Heavyweight
- Cain Velasquez (UFC) – We await his return from injury eagerly while the number one contender and former champion coach TUF and fight for a title shot.
- Junior Dos Santos (UFC) – Few have been more deserving of a title shot than JDS but he has one more big, BIG test in the way in the form of Brock Lesnar.
- Fabricio Werdum (Strikeforce) Werdum dethroned Fedor and now meets Alistair Overeem in the first round of the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament.
- Brock Lesnar (UFC) – As a coach on TUF, he has been somewhat drab. That doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the best in the world though.
- Antonio Silva (Strikeforce) – Calls out Brock as soon as Zuffa buys Strikeforce. Be careful what you wish for Bigfoot.
- Shane Carwin (UFC) – It will be interesting to see how 2011 goes for Shane Carwin. How far can his power and wrestling really take him?
- Alistair Overeem (Strikeforce/Dream) – The Strikeforce HW champion could make a case for himself to be the top HW in the world if he wins the heavyweight tournament.
- Fedor Emelianenko – The fall of Fedor continues. As much as I thoroughly enjoy seeing Fedor fight, I thoroughly hate seeing him lose. Maybe it is time to hang it op
- Frank Mir (UFC) – His win over Cro Cop was one of the great disappointing main events in recent memory. Now he has to fend of Roy Nelson to stay in the top 10.
- Cole Konrad (Bellator) – He sneaks in with his 7-0 record but quality of competition is an issue for The Polar Bear.
Light- Heavyweight
- Jon Jones (UFC) – There is no doubt that he is the number one LHW in the world but now the true test of a champion begins.
- Rashad Evans (UFC) – Has KO power and knows the strengths and weaknesses of Jones, but everyone is counting him out.
- Shogun Rua (UFC) – Not sure what all the hate is about. Shogun fought with a ton of heart but never quite recovered from getting rocked early.
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (UFC) – Needs to find consistency in the division again.
- Lyoto Machida (UFC) – Great win for Machida but the guys in front of him are too secure. Another title may still be in his future.
- Dan Henderson (Strikeforce) – Won the SF title and returns himself to the LHW ranks.
- Ryan Bader (UFC) – Didn’t look good against Jones but still possesses tons of potential and recorded significant success for his age.
- Forrest Griffen – Big win over Franklin propels him up the list. He is probably even a little better than a few guys above him, but needs wins in 2011.
- Muhammed Lawal (Strikeforce) – Very good athlete but very green. King Mo should continue to improve.
- Phil Davis (UFC) – Oportunity strikes again as Davis replaces yet another main event fighter and gets a shot at Rashad Evans. A win puts him really close to a title shot.
Middleweight
- Anderson Silva (UFC) – Anderson Silva is the best fighter in the world and he will look to prove it at home when he meets Okami in Brazil.
- Yushin Okami (UFC) – Okami has earned his shot but will likely again be passed over. He still gets the number two nod from me though.
- Ronaldo Souza (Strikeforce) – One of the more impressive parts of Strikeforce’s recent card, his record speaks for itself.
- Chael Sonnen (UFC) – Between the drug test fiasco and the money laundering, I can’t put him any higher than this.
- Hector Lombard (Bellator) – One of Bellator’s greatest attractions, keep an eye on Lombard in 2011.
- Vitor Belfort – Vitor came to fight and it’s a real shame there wasn’t more time to see what he had. Back to the drawing board.
- Demian Maia (UFC) – Still amazing, still talented, Maia has to put it together and continue winning.
- Jorge Santiago (UFC) – Just signed with the UFC and could meet Brian Stann at UFC 130, a great chance to move up.
- Nate Marquardt (UFC) – His win over Miller does nothing to move him up or down my list.
- Wanderlei Silva (UFC) – Silva’s inactivity is a problem but his win over Bisping has not been forgotten.
Welterweights
- Georges St. Pierre (UFC) – Another fight and another win. Some still call for the Silva fight but that seems to be on hold for the moment.
- Jon Fitch (UFC) – It appears that Fitch would be a dominant champion if it wasn’t for GSP. A win over Penn could put him in line for a title shot soon.
- Thiago Alves (UFC) – Reworking his way up the 170 pound ladder, Alvez is still among the elite in the welterweight division
- Carlos Condit (UFC) – Condit had to pull out of his next fight but barring an extended layoff he should maintain his spot until a result goes against him.
- Nick Diaz (Strikeforce) – Diaz now seems to be the popular choice to fight GSP. This guy might just be one of the smartest fighters in the world. He is going to get his bigger pay days, just watch.
- Jake Shields (UFC) – He fought hard but there was never a sense of urgency in this fight. He seemed content with not getting finished.
- Josh Koscheck (UFC) – Few can match his athleticism. It may be back to the drawing board for Kos but it wont be long till he regains momentum.
- Diego Sanchez (UFC) – Diego Sanchez creeps back into the ranks with his recent win but its hard for me to take him seriously till he picks a weight.
- Martin Kampmann (UFC) – A tough let down against Sanchez in a fight that could have easily been decided the other way.
- Jay Hieron (Strikeforce) – Seven fight win streak and so very little love for Hieron. Time to make a name for himself in 2011.
Lightweight
- Gray Maynard (UFC) – The only non-UFC Champ at the top. Maynard has a win and a draw over the champ and is unbeaten as a pro.
- Frankie Edgar (UFC) – Will get another shot to beat Maynard and silence the critics that are still not sold he is the best LW in the world.
- Gilbert Melendez (Strikeforce) – Probably as good as anyone in the world at 155. We would all be better MMA fans if we got to see him fight the best.
- Eddie Alvarez (Bellator) – Another reason big reason to keep an eye on MMA outside the UFC, Alvarez could meet Melendez this year… if we are lucky.
- Jim Miller (UFC) – On talent I think he is four but achievement counts for something so his patience must hold for now.
- Shinya Aoki (Dream) – I tend to think he is a bit overrated, especially after taking a beating from Melendez but his record speaks for itself.
- Anthony Pettis (UFC) – The biggest loser in the Maynard/Edgar draw, Pettis now has to fight a very tough Clay Guida before he gets a crack at UFC gold.
- Dennis Siver (UFC) – Takes George Sotiropoulos’s spot with a big win over the Aussi
- Tatsuya Kawajiri (Dream) – Consistency issues keep him from gaining too much momentum.
- Melvin Guillard (UFC) – His most recent win was the biggest of his career. If he is ready to fight smart the sky is the limit for Guillard.
Featherweight
- Jose Aldo (UFC) – He wasn't as impressive as he has been in the past but his win over Mark Hominick keeps him at the top of this division.
- Mark Hominick – Hominick’s stock actually went up in his lose. This guy put on an epic demonstration of will and determination.
- Hatsu Hioki (Sengoku) – Quite brilliant over the last few years with only one blemish on his record in that time. Hioki is dangerous almost everywhere.
- Chad Mendes (UFC) – Unbeaten and rising quickly, Mendes will likely have to fend off a former UFC lightweight before he can get his crack at the belt.
- Diego Nunes (UFC) – His win over Mike Brown (although narrow) is the biggest of his career and puts him right in the hunt for a title shot.
- Joe Warren (Bellator) – Big questions about quality of competition loom but Warren has beaten his share of game opponents.
- Manny Gamburyan (UFC) – Manny is though as nails but had nothing to offer Aldo in his last outing and has a long way to go back to the top.
- Michihiro Omigawa (UFC) A solid record outside the UFC has led to no success inside at 0-3. This stacked division wont afford him many more chances.
- Dustin Poirier (UFC) – Poirier surprised everyone with his last win over Josh Grispi. He is young and has a very bright future in MMA.
- Marion Sandro (Sengoku) – His 17-2 record would warrant a much higher spot if his two loses hadn’t come in his last five fights.
Bantamweight
- Dominick Cruz (UFC) – Simply put, he has been more impressive than anyone at this weight over the last year. He awaits his challengers for his new belt.
- Joseph Benavidez (UFC) – Benavidez doesn’t lose to people not named Dominick Cruz. Unfortunately that is the one guy he needs to beat to move up.
- Urijah Faber (UFC) – OK OK OK, I’ll make him number three after an impressive win. Looks like he is next for a title shot.
- Brian Bowles (UFC) – If he can’t shake the injury bug he may move down further. Bowles has top tier skills at 135 pounds.
- Scott Jorgensen (UFC) – Another great fighter that fell short of the champ, Jorgensen will now be tested in terms of his response to his big lose.
- Masakatso Ueda (Shooto) – He may only be on a two fight win streak but he is 12-1-2. Ueda seems to be improving with each fight.
- Miguel Torres (UFC) – It was dreadful to watch but Torres gets a win on his first “big stage” show. Lets see if he brings the excitement we are use to next time.
- Eddie Wineland (UFC) – As impressive as you can be in defeat against a top notch guy. Wineland made his mark at UFC 128.
- Demetrious Johnson (UFC) – When the pressure was on Johnson stepped up and put Kid Yamamoto and all his hype away.
- Brad Pickett (UFC) – Just one lose in his last 11 fights, Pickett will need to continue his exciting ways if he wants to move up from here.
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