The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a list of fighter rankings that reflects the state of Mixed Martial Arts and fighter dominance. These rankings are generated by members of the media, who vote for fighters who feel are the top fighters in the UFC's weight classes as well as pound-for-pound. I'll be providing an updated list of the companies' top five pound-for-pound fighters as well as an insight on who the fought, and who they will be fighting next. Here are the current rankings as of May 21, 2016.
5. Rafael Dos Anjos (24-7-0)
Rafael Dos Anjos, or "RDA" for short, is the current champion in the lightweight division (155 pounds). RDA is currently on a five-fight winning streak and holds wins over Nate Diaz, Benson "Smooth" Henderson, Anthony "Showtime" Pettis and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. He last fought at UFC Fight Night Live where he destroyed Cerrone within the first round. RDA was supposed to defend his title at UFC 196, in a superfight versus Conor McGregor. Unfortunately the fight fell through, as RDA suffered an injury. He will be defending his strap against Eddie Alvarez in the July 7th card, UFC FIght Night: Dos Anjos vs Alvarez.
4. Dominick Cruz (21-1-0)
Dominick "The Dominator" Cruz, current champion of the bantamweight division, has returned from an extremely long lay off due to constant injuries. Due to the unfortunate circumstances, Cruz had to sit out for three years before fighting again, had his title stripped from him and sat out another two years because of another injury. However, he came back each and every time with dominance. Cruz came back and destroyed Takeya Mizugaki by TKO in the opening frame of their match and fought defending champion T.J. Dillashaw in a masterful display of footwork at UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz. Not only did Cruz found his way back into the Octagon, he came back and took the title back the crown that he never lost. He will be fighting his arch-nemesis Urijah "The California Kid" Faber in a trilogy fight at UFC 199.
3. Luke Rockhold (15-2-0)
Luke Rockhold is the former Strikeforce middleweight champion and current middleweight champion (185 pounds). He is on a five-fight winning streak with notable wins over Chris Weidman, Michael Bisping, Lyoto Machida and Tim Boestch. Rockhold last fought at UFC 194, defeating Weidman by technical knockout in the fourth round. This earned him the title belt and cemented his place among the middleweight greats. Rockhold was supposed to defend his belt in a rematch against Weidman, but due to the latter becoming injured, will instead meet Michael Bisping a second time at UFC 199.
2. Demetrious Johnson (24-2-1)
Also known as "Mighty Mouse", Demetrious Johnson is the current and only flyweight champion in the organization's history. Johnson has been on a tear as he essentially cleaned out his division from top to bottom. He is currently aiming to break Anderson Silva's record of most title defenses in UFC History. Since the division's creation, Johnson is on a ten-fight winning streak with eight title defenses. He last fought at UFC 197, defeated wrestling Olympian Henry Cejudo by round one KO. There has been talks about Mighty Mouse moving up in weight to challenge Cruz in a super-fight. Being that Cruz is the last person to defeat Johnson, it would be a an exciting fight. Mighty Mouse is set to face Wilson Reis at UFC 201.
1. Jon Jones (22-1-0)
Former light-heavyweight champion and current interim champ, Jon Jones is a controversial figure in the sport and is known equally for his fighting prowess and tendency to get himself in trouble outside the Octagon. Stripped of his title for a hit-and-run incident, among other reasons, Jones made his way back to the organization seemingly a new person. He picked up power lifting, packed on an extra 25 pounds of muscle and continued his old ways with taunting rival Daniel Cormier. Jones return to the Octagon was less than stellar when he met last minute replacement, Ovince St-Preux, at UFC 197. It was a slow burning match in which many believed Jones to be sluggish due to the extra muscle he packed on. Jones will be meeting Cormier in a rematch that will unify the title belts where he hopes to regain the throne he believes is rightfully his.
