HeavyMMA Pound For Pound Rankings: 10/12/11

<B>10. Dan Henderson: </b>“Dangerous Dan” faces a stern test in Mauricio Rua at UFC 139. A win could earn him a shot at the winner of the Jones/Machida fight; a loss would send him to the back of the line. The fact that he’s on this list at all is testament to Henderson’s fortitude and ability to defy the aging process.

<B>8. Gilbert Melendez:</b> The Strikeforce lightweight champion likely only has one more fight in the ailing secondary Zuffa promotion before being called up to the big show. Once he arrives, an immediate title shot is not out of the question.

<B>7. Nick Diaz:</b> The former Strikeforce welterweight champion battered B.J. Penn at UFC 137, earned a bunch of money, outright stole Carlos Condit’s title shot against GSP and then captivated the media at the post-fight press conference. Yeah, you could say it was a good weekend for Nick Diaz - but you’d never know it from the perpetual scowl on his face.

<B>6. Dominick Cruz: </b>He’s nursing an injured hand that required surgery. It will keep him on the shelf for several months, and then he’ll face the winner of the UFC 139 bout between Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles.

<B>5. Jose Aldo: </b> Aldo will defend his title against Chad Mendes, likely on Jan. 14 in Brazil. Beyond that, there aren’t many credible challengers for his belt. Hatsu Hioki underwhelmed in his UFC debut and probably needs to win one more before getting a shot. Perhaps Bart Palaszewski is an option? The biggest threat to Aldo’s title may come from the lightweight division.

<B>4. Frankie Edgar:</b> Edgar awaits the winner of Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida. Or maybe he’s waiting for Gilbert Melendez. Or maybe it’s Donald Cerrone. Nobody really knows who Edgar will face next, but one thing is for sure – he has quite the lineup of challengers over the next 12 months.

<B>3. Georges St-Pierre: </b>St-Pierre was scheduled to face Carlos Condit, but asked Dana White to face Nick Diaz after Diaz called him out at UFC 137. He says he’s going to beat Diaz worse than anyone has ever been beaten in the UFC. We’ve never seen an angry St-Pierre, so it will be interesting to see how the action plays out in the cage on Feb 4.

<B>2. Jon Jones:</b> Jones has a date with Lyoto Machida in December. After that? Well, you’d expect Rashad Evans to get a title shot, but rumors persist that Evans will face Phil Davis in the UFC’s return to Brazil in January.

<B>1. Anderson Silva:</b> A shoulder injury is keeping Silva on the shelf for an undetermined period of time. It’s almost a lock that he’ll face Chael Sonnen when he returns, but Silva has been quite vocal in his belief that Sonnen doesn’t deserve another shot. It’s a good thing matchmaking responsibilities don’t fall on his shoulders, then; Silva vs. Sonnen 2 will be one of the biggest pay per view events of 2012. Silva also recently recanted on his retirement claims, saying he intends to fight another six or seven years.