For decades, boxing observers attempted to pin a Best Pound-For-Pound Fighter label on one boxer. Whether it was Mike Tyson in his heyday, Roy Jones in numerous weight classes in the 1990s, or the current Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather debate, fans wanted to pick one fighter as the best.
It’s the same for MMA, with even more heated debate as the UFC and other smaller promotions begin to dwarf boxing in popularity.
Who is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet? Many argue Anderson Silva, others say Georges St-Pierre. Jon Jones and Jose Aldo have forced themselves into the mix with dominating performances. Brock Lesnar called himself the Baddest Man on the Planet and it was hard to argue for a while, until both Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin pounded on him.
There is art and science in our list, and some good ol' down-home opinion based on what fight fan Jack Randall sees in the Octagon.
See the OddsShark Pound-For-Pound MMA Rankings below and check back for updates:
1. Anderson Silva – UFC
Anderson “The Spider” Silva (31-4) has been the dominant Middleweight for nearly eight years. He has 14 straight wins and seems to get better every time we see him, and the stunning front-kick knockout win over Vitor Belfort was his most impressive fight to date. Silva destroyed Yushin Okami at UFC 134 but will be out of action until the summer of 2012 following surgery.
2. Jon Jones – UFC
Jon “Bones” Jones (16-1) has taken MMA by storm with an evolved fighting style and incredible reach that no one has been able to combat. His only loss was a DQ for illegal elbows in a fight he was dominating. Even in the talent-rich Light Heavyweight division Jones looks miles ahead of his competition, beating three former champions in 2011.
3. Georges St-Pierre – UFC
Georges “Rush” St-Pierre (22-2) has been the dominant Welterweight in the world since 2005, and with the exception of Matt Serra landing a lucky shot in 2007 he’s dominated every opponent he’s seen. He’s arguably the best wrestler in MMA and the most complete mixed martial artist. His dominant win over former Strikeforce champ Jake Shields was even more impressive when one considers that St-Pierre could only see out of one eye for the last two rounds of their fight after suffering a finger poke. He will be sidelined for a few months following surgery and will battle Carlos Condit for the title.
4. Jose Aldo – UFC
Jose “Junior” Aldo (20-1) is an absolute wrecking machine at Featherweight. His combination of vicious Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu, and athleticism is more than anyone can handle in the division. He sits back at fourth on the pound-for-pound rankings after Mark Hominick showed everyone that he is indeed human by winning the fifth round of their title fight.
5. Dominick Cruz – UFC
Dominick Cruz (19-1) recently avenged his only professional loss to Urijah Faber and now rules the Bantamweight division. His awkward style and endless cardio are enough to make him the fifth-ranked pound-for-pound fighter today. He is burning through the Bantamweight contenders and it doesn’t seem that he will slow down anytime soon.
6. Gilbert Melendez – Strikeforce
Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (20-2) has established himself as one of the top Lightweights in the world. The Strikeforce Lightweight champion has avenged the two losses in his career and continues to improve every time we see him fight. He could be higher on the pound-for-pound list if he was fighting the top competitors in the UFC, but until he comes over he remains in sixth place in the world.
7. Dan Henderson – UFC
Dan Henderson (29-8) has done just about everything there is to do in the sport of MMA over the last 14 years. He’s been competing against the best in the sport for a decade and has had success everywhere he’s been. It looked as if his career might have been on the downswing but recent wins against Fedor Emelianenko, Rafael Cavalcante, and former pound-for-pound member Mauricio Rua have put Henderson back among the top fighters in the sport today.
8. Frank Edgar – UFC
Frank “The Answer” Edgar (14-2-1) is a bundle of energy and wrestling skills that even the best lightweights in history can’t handle. His cardio and heart are second to none and he’s the fighter that ran B.J. Penn out of the Lightweight division. Now that he has settled the score against Gray Maynard, Edgar is one of the best fighters in MMA. His recent controversial loss to Ben Henderson drops him down to eighth place on the list.
9. Rashad Evans – UFC
Rashad Evans (17-2-1) has been one of the best Light Heavyweights since he entered the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter, but a loss to Jon Jones by unanimous decision at UFC 145 has stalled his progress in the pound-for-pound rankings.
10. Junior Dos Santos – UFC
Junior “Cigano” dos Santos has dominated every opponent he’s faced in the last four years to become the undisputed UFC Heavyweight champion. His elite boxing skills and foot movement have proven to be more than any Heavyweight has been able to contend with, and his brown-belt jiu-jitsu skills still remain to be seen. With Alistair Overeem suspended, his upward mobility on this list isn't great against the solid but unspectacular Frank Mir.
