The cheese stands alone.
It's time again for the great pound-for-pound mixed martial arts (MMA) rankings debate, which is perhaps the most divisive because there is no way to truly validate them unless "super" fights are booked between stars who can compete above or below their respective weight classes.
And after the spectacle that was UFC 162, that's pretty much off the table.
Therefore, we're forced to imagine and pretend what would happen if the best in the sport were all the same size, which is a rather perplexing exercise, but one that is fun regardless. With several events in the books since the last pound-for-pound installment, the list has experienced a major makeover, thanks to Chris Weidman's stunning, second round knockout over Anderson Silva last weekend in Las Vegas (replay here).
Ladies and gentlemen, Jon Jones is your new top dog.
The SB Nation panel -- compiled by MMA Mania, MMA Fighting and Bloody Elbow -- recently shuffled the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and beyond.
Here's what they came up with:
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Anderson Silva
5. Cain Velasquez
6. Ben Henderson
7. Chris Weidman
8. Renan Barao
9. Demetrious Johnson
10. Dominick Cruz
UFC welterweight number one contender Johny Hendricks got two votes, while women's bantamweight queenpin Ronda Rousey and lightweight challenger Anthony Pettis each got one. To see how these compare to the "official" UFC rankings click here.
Thoughts?
You've heard from us, Maniacs, now let's hear from you. Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters are ...