No shake-ups to report on paper, but the believed gulf between 1 and 2 is a lot shorter after Silva snatched Sonnen’s win from him in the last minute of their title bout. Here’s how I shake out the top ten…
1. Anderson Silva
Well, he didn’t exactly look like the pound-for-pound best on the planet, but he got the win in exciting fashion. Didn’t seem like himself and maybe it was the rib injury or maybe he wasn’t used to a guy coming after him for once. Sonnen took the fight to Silva and rattled him early. Still, showed slick striking in the later rounds when standing, a ridiculous chin, good submissions and a desire to win. I hope there’s an immediate rematch.
2. Chael Sonnen
How painful was Saturday for this guy? Dominated the champ for four and half rounds before being submitted. He backed up his talk and is the clear #2. I’m a Sonnen fan.
3. Dan Henderson
Hendo’s wrestling has definitely slipped. He was owned by Jake Shields and couldn’t control Anderson Silva on the ground the way Sonnen did. But he’s still a dangerous striker with good enough wrestling to beat most guys. He’s still a top guy.
4. Vitor Belfort
I’m a big fan of Vitor and after watching Sonnen land shots on Silva, he has to be licking his chops. However, Saturday’s showdown was too close to not get an immediate rematch so Vitor should have to sit out and fight Yushin Okami for the next shot. Besides, he has yet to compete at MW in the UFC or to get more than one win.
5. Nate Marquardt
If it’s any consolation, he probably did way more damage to Sonnen than Anderson did in the three rounds. Nate is great, but he’s just not the champ.
6. Demian Maia
I think this is a fair spot for Maia considering he does have a win over the #2 guy. Will have his work cut out for him against upstart Mario Miranda.
7. Yushin Okami
Looks awesome against top ten quality MW, Mark Munoz. Secured the win kind of easily despite what one judge felt. Okami is always in the mix. Hopefully he’s competing for a title shot soon either against Belfort or maybe Wanderlei Silva.
8. Paulo Filho
I’m probably the only ranker still ranking Filho, especially after tying Denis Kang, but his record is still really impressive and can claim a first round win over the #2 guy.
9. Wanderlei Silva
Nearly finished Michael Bisping in his first MW bout. Can’t wait for him to get healthy and start competing again.
10. Mark Munoz
One judge thought he beat Okami. Mark is a tough guy for anyone in this division. He hits hard and is a fantastic wrestler. He’s top ten talent.
