Please note that due to inactivity, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is currently ineligible for rankings. Also note the previous rank are in parenthesis:
~ 1 (1) ~
Jon Jones
Jon Jones is currently on course for his title defense on April 26th against contender Glover Teixeira. This bout could be filled with fireworks based on his match with Alexander Gustafsson since Teixeira is a challenging striker but his ground game is untested in the UFC as of late.
~ 2 (2) ~
Glover Teixeira
Like defending champion Jon Jones, Glover Teixeira is currently in the early preparation stages of his upcoming UFC 172 championship fight. Teixeira could have the tools to take down Jones, similar to Alexander Gustafsson but we will have to see how it goes down in the future.
~ 3 (3) ~
Alexander Gustafsson
Alexander Gustafsson is set for his first fight of the year against Jimi Manuwa at UFC Fight Night 37 in London, England on UFC Fight Pass. If he plays his cards right, this match could immediately catapult him back into the title picture, but he needs to defeat Manuwa first.
~ 4 (4) ~
Rashad Evans
An unfortunate knee injury cancelled Rashad’s expected match with Daniel Cormier at UFC 170 and has put him out indefinitely. The only thing we can do is wish him a speedy recovery.
~ 5 (5) ~
Phil Davis
Phil Davis is expected to open his 2014 with a welcome back to the UFC bout against the reinvented light heavyweight Anthony Johnson.
~ 6 (N/A) ~
Daniel Cormier
It’s hard to gauge Daniel Cormier’s position in the light heavyweight title picture based on a win against late replacement Patrick Cummins. However, we can only assume that Cormier is only a few matches away from a title shot if not already there. Time will tell where he stands.
~ 7 (7) ~
Mauricio Rua
Mauricio Rua’s supposed move down to middleweight will have to wait as he fights in a rematch with fellow Pride vet Dan Henderson.
~ 8 (8) ~
Ryan Bader
At present The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir Light Heavyweight Winner has no matches currently scheduled anytime soon.
~ 9 (9) ~
Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen is currently in training for his coaches match with Wanderlei Silva set for a UFC Fight Night event coming up on May 31st.
~ 10 (10) ~
Dan Henderson
Supposedly Dan Henderson’s upcoming match with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is the first of a six fight deal that Henderson plans to be his last.
Stay tuned for the final rankings of February and the last installment of the Best of 2013 series. Feel free to leave a comment!