UFC #1 Contender Rankings – April 2011

christopherharte wikimedia commons
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
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