Sherdog.com’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10

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Jose Aldo’s latest defense of his Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title was worth the wait.

There was no shortage of questions regarding the Brazilian star ahead of his rematch with Chad Mendes. Was it finally time for Aldo to relinquish his long-held belt? Would his ailments -- including the cervical injury that forced him out of UFC 176 -- finally catch up to him? Could Mendes, a gifted wrestler who has developed powerful striking under the tutelage of Duane Ludwig, drag the champion into deep waters and exploit Aldo’s oft-doubted gas tank?

As it turns out, the answer to all of those questions was “no.” At UFC 179, Aldo looked every bit the champion that the UFC brought over from World Extreme Cagefighting, persevering through thunderous punches and takedowns from his challenger to come on strong in the final round and earn a unanimous decision victory. While Aldo stated after the bout that he believes a third fight with Mendes will come sometime down the line, “Scarface” will have no shortage of challengers in the meantime, with the 145-pound ranks crawling with potential challengers like Cub Swanson and, of course, Conor McGregor.

Related: Sherdog Divisional Rankings

1. Jon Jones (20-1)

It has been four months since the sport’s premier fighter stepped inside the cage, and it will be another four before “Bones” is ready to defend his UFC light heavyweight title. First, an injury to Alexander Gustafsson derailed plans for a rematch at UFC 178; then it was Jones who injured a knee and had to withdraw from his booking against replacement Daniel Cormier. After minor surgery, Jones and Cormier have been rescheduled for a meeting at UFC 182 on Jan. 3, when the Jackson-Wink MMA product will attempt to defend his belt for a record eighth time in a bout that has quickly progressed from short-notice contest to legitimate grudge match.

2. Jose Aldo (25-1)

Aldo was unable to score a second knockout of Chad Mendes in their UFC 179 rematch, but the end result was perhaps even more satisfying and more indicative of Aldo’s status as a pound-for-pound great. The featherweight ruler battled through more than a little adversity across his 25 minutes with Mendes, surviving an uppercut-induced knockdown to kick things into another gear and outclass Mendes on the feet down the stretch. While there will continue to be questions regarding the Brazilian champion’s ability to stay healthy, the results from Aldo’s UFC title bouts to date are indisputable: seven defenses, seven wins.

3. Chris Weidman (12-0)

The “All-American” showed his all-around skills with a decisive title defense against ex-light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 175. While Machida was able to tag the Serra-Longo Fight Team representative in the waning moments of their five-round encounter, the work Weidman did with his hands, kicks and takedowns through the first four frames was more than enough to retain his UFC middleweight title. The New Yorker’s unblemished resume now includes victories over two of Brazil’s finest fighters -- Machida and Anderson Silva -- and Weidman could soon add a third, as he is expected to meet a newly testosterone replacement therapy-free Vitor Belfort in early 2015.

4. Demetrious Johnson (21-2-1)

In the two years he has held the UFC flyweight title, Johnson has made it clear: When it comes to 125-pounders, there is “Mighty Mouse,” and then there is everyone else. The 28-year-old Matt Hume pupil made an example of Chris Cariaso at UFC 178, forcing the overmatched Californian to submit to a kimura -- a first in an Ultimate Fighting Championship title bout. Johnson’s lauded speed and well-polished all-around skill set have now carried him to seven consecutive victories, including five straight title defenses against the likes of Joseph Benavidez and John Dodson.

5. Cain Velasquez (13-1)

Velasquez removed any doubt relating to the identity of the best heavyweight in the world by administering a brutal beating to Junior dos Santos at UFC 166. The final bout of the trilogy was never really in doubt, as the American Kickboxing Academy ace dominated in the clinch and rarely allowed his opponent any space to unleash his formidable boxing. Velasquez dropped his opponent in the third round and earned the stoppage late in the fifth, where dos Santos finally wilted after hitting his head on the canvas following a failed guillotine attempt. Unfortunately, injuries have kept Velasquez from the cage in the year since, his most recent setback coming in the form of a knee sprain which knocked the champion out of his UFC 180 engagement with rival “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” coach Fabricio Werdum.

6. Anthony Pettis (17-2)

Pettis needed five rounds and the remarkable “Showtime” kick to snatch the WEC belt from Benson Henderson in 2010, but he required far less time to earn his second victory over “Smooth” and become the new UFC lightweight king. In the UFC 164 headliner, Pettis softened his opponent with a series of brutal body kicks and then locked in a fight-ending armbar with 29 seconds left in round one. About the only thing that went wrong for Pettis was a knee injury he suffered while checking a kick. Currently on the mend from surgery, Pettis is coaching Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Gilbert Melendez, with the two slated to face off at UFC 181 in December.

7. Anderson Silva (33-6)

When Silva suffered a gruesome leg injury in his rematch with Chris Weidman at UFC 168, many rightfully wondered if we had seen the last of the former pound-for-pound king and long-reigning UFC middleweight champ. As it turns out, “The Spider” may only spend about a year out of action, as Silva resumed sparring in July and recently stated that his leg was "95-percent" healed. Upon his return in January, the 39-year-old Brazilian is scheduled to face former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz in a long-discussed super fight at UFC 183.

8. Johny Hendricks (16-2)

Hendricks fell short in his bid for the UFC welterweight title when he faced Georges St. Pierre in November, but the “Bigg Rigg” made his second opportunity count. By finishing strong in the five-round main event of UFC 171, the 31-year old Oklahoman outlasted and outpointed fellow bruiser Robbie Lawler, claiming the belt vacated by GSP in December. Lawler is just the latest in a series of major scalps for Hendricks, who has picked off big-name 170-pounders from Jon Fitch to Carlos Condit on his way to the throne. Currently on the mend after surgery on a torn biceps, Hendricks is expected to make a sooner-than-expected return on Dec. 6 to rematch top contender Lawler at UFC 181.

9. Gilbert Melendez (22-3)

One bout removed from a narrow and controversial loss to then-lightweight champion Benson Henderson, “El Nino” teamed with Diego Sanchez to produce one of 2013’s most memorable fights at UFC 166. Melendez flirted with a move to Bellator in early 2014 before re-signing with the UFC. The former Strikeforce ace is coaching opposite UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis on Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter” before challenging “Showtime” for the title on Dec. 6.

10. Daniel Cormier (15-0)

Five years into his MMA career, Cormier has racked up an impressive 15-0 resume which includes some of the biggest names in the sport. Dan Henderson, Josh Barnett, Frank Mir and Roy Nelson all have felt the weight of Cormier’s Olympic-level wrestling, and now the downsized American Kickboxing Academy product has his sights set on the UFC 205-pound championship. While his planned September title bout with top pound-for-pounder Jon Jones was scratched due to a "Bones" knee injury, Cormier will get his chance at the champion come Jan. 3 at UFC 182.