UFC #1 Contender Rankings – April 2011

Welcome to Washington Sportsjam’s first #1 Contender Rankings! There is no official UFC Contender Rankings so I thought that this would be an interesting list to make. This list is in no way official and in no way affiliated with the UFC. This list is how I think the fighters should be ranked, not how I think the UFC ranked the fighters.

A few other notes on rankings. If a fighter has a championship bout lined up, he’s automatically the #1 Contender because if he wins he becomes the champ. Notable victories include other fighters on this list in any weight class, former UFC champions, UFC Hall of Famers, and former featherweight and bantamweight WEC champions. Notable defeats only count if they were in the in the UFC or in the lower weight classes of the WEC.

Heavyweight

1. Junior Dos Santos

Last Fight:  Defeated Roy Nelson by Decision 8/7/10

Last Win: Defeated Roy Nelson by Decision 8/7/10

Wins in the UFC:  6

Streak: 6

Notable Fighters Defeated: Nelson, Filipovic, Struve, Werdum

2. Brock Lesnar

Last Fight:  Loss to Cain Velasquez via TKO 12/23/10

Last Win: Submitted Shane Carwin 7/3/10

Wins in the UFC: 4

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Carwin, Mir, Randy Couture

 

3. Frank Mir

Last Fight: Defeated Mirko Filipovic via TKO 9/25/10

Last Win: Defeated Mirko Filipovic via TKO 9/25/10

Wins in the UFC:  12

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Filipovic ,Kongo,  Lesnar, Tim Slyvia

 

4. Brendan Schaub

Last Fight: Defeated Mirko Filipovic via TKO 3/29/11

Last Win: Defeated Mirko Filipovic via TKO 3/29/11

Wins in the UFC:  4

Streak:  W3

Notable Fighters Defeated: Filipovic

 

5. Shane Carwin

Last Fight: Loss to Brock Lesnar 7/3/10

Last Win: Defeated Frank Mir via TKO 3/27/10

Wins in the UFC: 4

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Mir

 

6. Roy Nelson

Last Fight: Loss to Junior Dos Santos by Decision 8/7/10

Last Win: Defeated Stevan Struve via TKO 3/31/10

Wins in the UFC: 2

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Struve, Schaub

 

7. Cheick Kongo

Last Fight: Draw with Travis Browne 10/16/10

Last Win: Defeated Paul Buentello by Submission 3/21/10

Wins in the UFC:  8

Streak: 1D,W1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Filipovic

 

8. Mirko Filipovic

Last Fight: Loss to Brendan Schaub  via TKO 3/19/11

Last Win: Defeated Patrick Barry by Submission 6/12/10

Wins in the UFC: 4

Streak: L2

Notable Fighters Defeated: None

 

9. Stefan Struve

Last Fight: Defeated Sean McCorkle by TKO 12/11/10

Last Win: Defeated Sean McCorkle by TKO 12/11/10

Wins in the UFC:  5

Streak: W2

Notable Fighters Defeated: None

 

10. Matt Mitrione

Last Fight: Defeated Tim Hague by TKO 1/22/11

Last Win: Defeated Tim Hague by TKO 1/22/11

Wins in the UFC:  4

Streak: W4

Notable Fighters Defeated: None

 

Light Heavyweight

1. Rashad Evans

Last Fight: Defeated Quinton Jackson by Submission 5/29/10

Last Win: Defeated Quinton Jackson by Submission 5/29/10

Wins in the UFC:  10

Streak:W2

Notable Fighters Defeated: Jackson, Griffin, Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping

 

2. Forrest Griffin

Last Fight: Defeated Rich Franklin by Decision 2/5/11

Last Win: Defeated Rich Franklin by Decision 2/5/11

Wins in the UFC: 9

Streak:W2

Notable Fighters Defeated: Franklin, Tito Ortiz, Jackson, Rua

 

3. Quinton Jackson

Last Fight: Defeated Lyoto Machida by Decision 11/20/10

Last Win: Defeated Lyoto Machida by Decision 11/20/10

Wins in the UFC:  6

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Machida, Wanderlei  Silva, Dan Henderson, Chuck  Liddell

 

4. Maurico Hua

Last Fight: Loss to Jon Jones by TKO 3/19/11

Last Win: Defeated Lyoto Machida by TKO 5/8/10

Wins in the UFC:  3

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Machida, Chuck Liddell,  Mark Coleman

 

5. Phil Davis

Last Fight: Defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by Decision 3/26/11

Last Win: Defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by Decision 3/26/11

Wins in the UFC: 5

Streak: W5

Notable Fighter Defeated: Brian Stann

 

6. Matt Hamill

Last Fight: Defeated Tito Ortiz by Decision 10/23/10

Last Win: Defeated Tito Ortiz by Decision 10/23/10

Wins in the UFC:  9

Streak: W5

Notable Fighters Defeated: Tito Ortiz, Jones*, Mark Munoz

 

7. Ryan Bader

Last Fight:  Loss to Jon Jones by Submission 2/5/11

Last Win: Defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by Decision 9/25/10

Wins in the UFC:   4

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Defeated: None

 

8. Rich Franklin

Last Fight: Loss to Forrest Griffin by Decision 2/5/11

Last Win: Defeated Chuck Liddell by TKO 6/12/10

Wins in the UFC:  11

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Chuck  Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Hamill, Yushin Okami, Evan Tanner, Ken Shamrock

 

9. Randy Couture

Last Fight: Defeated James Toney by Submission 8/28/10

Last Win: Defeated James Toney by Submission 8/28/10

Wins in the UFC:  16

Streak:W3

Notable Fighters Defeated:  Mark Coleman, Tim Slyvia, Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell

 

10. Lyoto Machida

Last Fight: Loss to Quinton Jackson by Decision 11/20/10

Last win: Defeated Maurico Rua by Decision 10/24/09

Wins in the UFC:  8

Streak: L2

Notable Fighters Defeated: Rua, Evans, Tito Ortiz

*Matt Hamill defeated Jon Jones by DQ when Jones was disqualified for illegal elbows.

Middleweight

1. Yushin Okami

Last Fight: Defeated Nate Marquardt by Decision 10/13/10

Last Win: Defeated Nate Marquardt by Decision 10/13/10

Wins in the UFC: 10

Streak: W3

Notable Fighers Defeated: Marquardt, Munoz, Evan Tanner

 

2. Chael Sonnen

Last Fight: Loss to Anderson Silva by Submissin 8/7/10

Last Win: Defeated Nate Marquardt by Decision 2/6/10

Wins in the UFC: 5

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Marquardt,Okami

 

3. Vitor Belfort

Last Fight: Loss to Anderson Silva by TKO 2/5/11

Last Win: Defeated Rick Franklin by TKO 9/19/09

Wins in the UFC: 7

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Rich Franklin, Randy Couture,W.Silva

 

4. Wanderlei Silva

Last Fight: Defeated Michael Bisping by Decision 2/20/10

Last Win: Defeated Michael Bisping by Decision 2/20/10

Wins in the UFC: 3

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Bisping

 

5. Michael Bisping

Last Fight: Defeated Jorge Rivera by TKO 2/26/11

Last Win: Defeated Jorge Rivera by TKO 2/26/11

Wins in the UFC: 11

Streak: W3

Notable Fighters Defeated: Leben, Matt Hamill

 

6. Demian Maia

Last Fight: Defeated Kendall Grove by Decision 12/4/10

Last Win: Defeated Kendall Grove by Decision 12/4/10

Wins in the UFC: 8

Streak: W2

Notable Fighters Defeated: Sonnen

 

7. Brian Stann

Last Fight: Defeated Chris Leben by TKO 1/1/11

Last Win: Defeated Chris Leben by TKO 1/1/11

Wins in the UFC: 4

Streak: W2

Notable Fighters Beaten: Leben

 

8. Nate Marquardt

Last Fight: Defeated Dan Miller by Decision 3/19/11

Last Win: Defeated Dan Miller by Decision 3/19/11

Wins in the UFC: 10

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Defeated: Maia

 

9. Chris Leben

Last Fight:Loss to Brian Stann by TKO 1/1/11

Last Win:  Defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama by Submission 7/3/10

Wins in the UFC: 11

Streak:  L1

Notable Fighters Defeated: None

 

10. Mark Munoz

Last Fight: Defeated CB Dollaway by TKO 3/3/11

Last Win:  Defeated CB Dollaway by TKO 3/3/11

Wins in the UFC: 7

Streak: W2

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

Welterweight

1. Jake Shields

Last Fight: Defeated Martin Kampmann by Decision 10/23/10

Last Win: Defeated Martin Kampann by Decision 10/23/10

Wins in the UFC: 1

Streak: 1W

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

2. Jon Fitch

Last Fight: Draw with BJ Penn by Decision 2/26/11

Last Win: Defeated Thiago Alves by Decision 8/7/10

Wins in the UFC: 13

Streak: 1D,5W

Notable Fighters Beaten: Alves (2x), Sanchez

3. BJ Penn

Last Fight Draw with Jon Fitch by Decision 2/26/11

Last Win: Defeated Matt Hughes by TKO 10/20/10

Wins in the UFC: 12

Streak: 1D,1W

Notable Fighters Beaten: Matt Hughes (2x),Sachez,Kenny Florian,Sean Sherk, Jens Pulver, Matt Serra

 

4. Dong Hyun Kim

Last Fight: Defeated Nate Diaz by Decision 1/1/11

Last Win: Defeated Nate Diaz by Decision 1/1/11

Wins in the UFC: 5

Streak: W3

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

5.Thiago Alves

Last Fight: Defeated John Howard by Decision 12/11/10

Last Win: Defeated John Howard by Decision 12/11/10

Wins in the UFC: 10

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Josh Koscheck,Matt Hughes

 

6. Josh Koscheck

Last Fight: Loss to Georges St-Pierre by Decision

Last Win: Defeated Paul Daley by Decision 5/8/10

Wins in the UFC: 13

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Sanchez, Dave Menne

 

7. Carlos Condit

Last Fight: Defeated Dan Hardy by TKO 10/16/10

Last Win: Defeated Dan Hardy by TKO 10/16/10

Wins in the UFC: 3

Streak: W3

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

8. Rick Story

Last Fight: Defeated Johny Hendricks by Decision 12/4/10

Last Win: Defeated Johny Hendricks by Decision 12/4/10

Wins in the UFC: 5

Streak: W5

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

9. Diego Sanchez

Last Fight: Defeated Martin Kampmann by Decision 3/3/11

Last Win: Defeated Martin Kampmann by Decision 3/3/11

Wins in the UFC: 12

Streak: W2

Notable Fighters Beaten: Kenny Florian, Clay Guida

 

10. Mike Pyle

Last Fight: Defeated Ricardo Almeida by Decision 3/19/11

Last Win: Defeated Ricardo Almeida by Decision 3/19/11

Wins in the UFC: 4

Streak: W3

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

Lightweight

1. Gray Maynard

Last Fight: Draw with Frankie Edgar by Decision 1/1/11

Last Win: Defeated Kenny Florian by Decision 8/28/10

Wins in the UFC: 8

Streak: 1D,8W

Notable Fighters Beaten: Kenny Florian,Jim Miller,Edgar,Siver

 

2. Anthony Pettis

Last Fight: Defeated Ben Henderson by Decision 12/16/10

Last Win: Defeated Ben Henderson by Decision 12/16/10

Wins in the UFC: None

Streak: None

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

3. Clay Guida

Last Fight: Defeated Takanori Gomi by Submission 1/1/11

Last Win:  Defeated Takanori Gomi by Submission 1/1/11

Wins in the UFC: 8

Streak: W3

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

4.   Melvin Guillard

Last Fight: Defeated Evan Dunham by TKO 1/22/11

Last Win: Defeated Evan Dunham by TKO 1/22/11

Wins in the UFC: 9

Streak: W4

Notable Fighters Beaten: Siver

5.  Jim Miller

Last Fight: Defeated Kamal Shalorus by TKO 3/19/11

Last Win: Defeated Kamal Shalorus by TKO 3/19/11

Wins in the UFC: 9

Streak: W7

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

6. Ben Henderson

Last Fight: Loss to Anthony Pettis by Decision 12/16/10

Last Win: Defeated Donald Cerrone by Submission 4/24/10

Wins in the UFC: None

Streak: None

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

7. Donald Cerrone

Last Fight: Defeated Paul Kelly by Submission 2/5/11

Last Win: Defeated Paul Kelly by Submission 2/5/11

Wins in the UFC: 1

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

8. Nik Lentz

Last Fight: Defeated Waylon Lowe by Submission 3/26/11

Last Win: Defeated Waylon Lowe by Submission 3/26/11

Wins in the UFC: 5

Streak: 4W (Unbeaten in 6)

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

9. Sean Sherk

Last Fight: Defeated Evan Dunham by Decision 9/25/10

Last Win: Defeated Evan Dunham by Decision 9/25/10

Wins in the UFC: 9

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Kenny Florian

 

10. Dennis Siver

Last Fight: Defeated George Sotiropoluos by Decision 2/26/11

Last Win: Defeated George Sotiropoluos by Decision 2/26/11

Wins in the UFC: 7

Streak: W3

Notable Fighters Beaten:  Sotiropolous

 

Featherweight

1. Mark Hominick

Last Fight: Defeated George Roop by TKO 1/22/10

Last Win: Defeated George Roop by TKO 1/22/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 7

Streak: W5

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

2. Diego Nunes

Last Fight: Defeated Mike Brown 1/1/11

Last Win: Defeated Mike Brown 1/1/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 5

Streak: W3

Notable Fighters Beaten: Brown

 

3. Manny Gamburyan

Last Fight: Loss to Jose Aldo by TKO 9/30/10

Last Win: Defeated Mike Brown by TKO 4/24/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 5

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Brown

 

4. Kenny Florian

Last Fight: Loss to Gray Maynard by Decision 8/28/10

Last Win: Defeated Takanori Gomi by Submission 3/31/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 12

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Clay Guida

 

5. Dustin Poirier

Last Fight: Defeated Josh Grispi by Decision 1/11/11

Last Win: Defeated Josh Grispi by Decision 1/11/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 2

Streak: W2

Notable Fighters Beaten: Grispi

 

6. Chad Mendes

Last Fight: Defeated Michihiro Omigawa by Decision 2/5/11

Last Win: Defeated Michihiro Omigawa by Decision 2/5/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 5

Streak: W5

Notable Fighters Beaten: Koch

 

7. Josh Grispi

Last Fight: Loss to Dustin Poirier by Decision 1/1/11

Last Win: Defeated LC Davis by Submission 6/20/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 4

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Jens Pulver, Hominick

 

8.  Eric Koch

Last Fight: Defeated Rafael Assuncao by TKO 3/19/11

Last Win: Defeated Rafael Assuncao by TKO 3/19/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 4

Streak: W3

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

9.  Rani Yahya

Last Fight: Defeated Mike Brown by Decision 1/22/11

Last Win: Defeated Mike Brown by Decision 1/22/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 5

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Brown,Hominick,Eddie Wineland

 

10. Ricardo Lamas

Last Fight: Loss to Yuri Alcantara by TKO 12/16/10

Last Win: Defeated Dave Jansen by Decision 8/18/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 4

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

11. Mike Brown

Last Fight: Loss to Rani Yahya by Decision 1/22/11

Last Win: Defeated Cole Province by TKO 9/30/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 6

Streak:L2

Notable Fighters Beaten: Urijah Faber (2x)

 

Bantamweight

1. Urijah Faber

Last Fight: Defeated Eddie Wineland by Decision 3/19/11

Last Win: Defeated Eddie Wineland by Decision 3/19/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC:10

Streak: W2

Notable Fighters Beaten: Wineland, Jens Pulver, Cruz,Cole Escovedo

 

2. Joseph Benavidez

Last Fight: Defeated Ian Loveland by Decision 3/19/11

Last Win: Defeated Ian Loveland by Decision 3/19/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 5

Streak: W2

Notable Fighters Beaten: Torres, Rani Yahya

 

3. Brian Bowles

Last Fight: Defeated Damacio Page by Submission 3/3/11

Last Win: Defeated Damacio Page by Submission 3/3/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 5

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Torres,Valencia

 

4. Miguel Angel Torres

Last Fight: Defeated Antonio Banuelos by Decision 2/5/11

Last Win: Defeated Antonio Banuelos by Decision 2/5/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 7

Streak: W2

Notable Fighters Beaten: Chase Beebe,Valencia

 

5. Scott Jorgensen

Last Fight: Loss to Dominick Cruz by Decision 12/16/10

Last Win: Defeated Brad Pickett by Decision 8/18/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 7

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Pickett

 

6. Brad Pickett

Last Fight: Defeated Ivan Menjivar by Decision 12/16/10

Last Win: Defeated Ivan Menjivar by Decision 12/16/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 3

Streak: W1

Notable Fighters Beaten: Demetrious Johnson

 

7. Demetrious Johnson

Last Fight: Defeated Norifumu Yamamoto by Decision 2/5/11

Last Win: Defeated Norifumu Yamamoto by Decision 2/5/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 3

Streak: W3

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

8. Eddie Wineland

Last Fight: Loss to Urijah Faber by Decision 3/19/11

Last Win: Defeated Ken Stone by TKO 12/16/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 4

Streak: L1

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

9. Chris Cariaso

Last Fight: Defeated Will Campuzano by Decision 1/22/11

Last Win: Defeated Will Campuzano by Decision 1/22/11

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 2

Streakk: W1

Notable Fighters Beaten: None

 

10. Charlie Valencia

Last Fight: Loss to Miguel Torres by Submission 9/30/10

Last Win: Defeated Akitoshi Tamura by Decision 1/10/10

Wins in the UFC/WEC: 5

Streak:    L1

Notable Fighters  Beaten: None