Oh, how the mighty have fallen ...
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 that doesn't seem to ever happen.
Therefore, we pretend what would happen if the best in the sport were all the same size, which is pretty dumb, but also fun regardless. With a new year ahead of us, it's time to reset the official pound-for-pound rankings.
The biggest move is clearly former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Anderson Silva who ruled the rankings before suffering back-to-back losses to the new champion, Chris Weidman. Silva dropped to no. 7, while Weidman settled into the fourth spot with UFC Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
The SB Nation panel -- compiled by MMA Mania, MMA Fighting and Bloody Elbow -- recently sifted through the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and beyond.
Here is what happened:
1. Jon Jones
2. Jose Aldo
3. Cain Velasquez
4. Chris Weidman
4. Demetrious Johnson
6. Renan Barao
7. Anderson Silva
8. Anthony Pettis
9. Johny Hendricks
10. Vitor Belfort
To see how these compare to the "official" UFC rankings click here.
Looks like we have a tie between Chris Weidman and "Mighty Mouse." Who is the rightful owner of No. 4? Who made the list and shouldn't ... and vice-versa?
You've heard from us, Maniacs, now let's hear from you. Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters are ...