Diaz enters top 10 p4p
10. Nick Diaz Dana White says that he and Diaz have put their issues behind them and will work together…
10. Nick Diaz
Dana White says that he and Diaz have put their issues behind them and will work together moving forward. That’s a good thing for Diaz, who should get the title shot he was scheduled to receive if he can get past the dangerous Penn. A loss wouldn’t kill Diaz, but it would send him to the back of the contendership pack, and that’s not a place he really wants to be.
9. Dan Henderson
8. Jon Fitch
7. Gilbert Melendez
6. Dominick Cruz
5. Jose Aldo
4. Frankie Edgar
3. Georges St-Pierre
2. Jon Jones
Jones is easily the most active champion in the UFC this year, and he’ll fight one more time before ringing in the new year. Jones defends his title against former champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in December. It’s an interesting style matchup, and Machida is one of the few people in the division with a real chance of dethroning the young champion. A win for Jones would almost certainly lock him in for Fighter of the Year.
1. Anderson Silva
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the greatest pound for pound fighter now knows who his next dance partner will be, and it’s a familiar one. Chael Sonnen’s dominant win over Brian Stann – and the fiery post-fight interview that followed – set the stage for what is likely to be one of the biggest UFC fights of 2012. Sonnen has promised to leave the UFC if he loses, and the skills he displayed against Stann could prove to be very effective against Silva, so long as he avoids any submissions by the middleweight champion.