ESPN's Pound for Pound Power Rankings..

[Kris P Lettus]

By ESPN.com staff ESPN.com Tuesday, Oct. 11 Dana White didn't mince his words -- in his mind, the best No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter going is Frankie Edgar. And after Edgar's performance against previously unbeaten (perpetually unyielding) Gray Maynard, it's hard to argue. Especially when you get into the literal definition of the distinction. As a smaller 155-er who'd be much better oriented as a featherweight, he is pound-for-pound one of the game's best. Nobody gets the most out of his frame than Edgar. Maybe he would be the best, if it weren't for Anderson Silva, who has never lost in the UFC. For all that he has accomplished in the sport, Silva will be the No. 1 P4P fighter going until somebody comes along to knock him off the perch. Could that man be Sonnen? Sonnen certainly thinks so. And he doesn't mind telling you about it. Jon Jones continues to climb after his victory over Quinton Jackson, but he may find himself at an impasse in the rankings until one of the guys above him loses. Georges St. Pierre can solidify himself as the consensus No. 2 with a victory over the always-game Carlos Condit at UFC 137, and Gilbert Melendez is crashing in on Edgar as the next Big Challenge. Dominick Cruz broke his hand early and then broke Demetrious Johnson's will over the course of five rounds to make it 10 in a row, proving that he belongs right there among today's greats. And Aldo? Not too shabby against Kenny Florian. See how they were ranked here.

Pound-for-pound Power Rankings

RK (LR) FIGHTER RECORD COMMENT

1 (1) Anderson Silva (6)

Middleweight 31-4-0 Before the Sonnen scare at UFC 117, Silva was either a transcendent striker (poor Forrest Griffin found out the hard way) or a mythical poser (Abu Dhabi is forever scarred). Now that he put away Belfort and Okami, it's back round to Sonnen.

2 (2) Georges St. Pierre

Welterweight 22-2-0 He's beaten anybody they throw at him, and some of them twice. Now he draws Condit, who has heavy hands, guile and a prayer's chance. It's not that the guys coming at him are ho-hum, it's that GSP's so good, he makes them look ho-hum on fight night.

3 (5) Frankie Edgar

Lightweight 14-1-1 OK, so he has the quicks, can outwrestle, outstrike, and outlast just about anybody. He has some power, as he showed Maynard in the eleventh round of their series. But the thing we're crazy about is -- his chin? This doesn't sound like anything beatable.

4 (3) Jon Jones

Light Heavyweight 14-1-0 He likened Rampage to Frankenstein then showed up and went all witch doctor on him. Jones continues to look infallible, and it's a compliment that the best argument against you is, "yeah, but wait until he gets tested." Maybe the man to test him is Machid

5 (4) Jose Aldo

Featherweight 20-1-0 Aldo's striking game is kaleidoscopically diverse and ahead of just about everybody in the sport, and he's still growing into the game. Florian tried to stifle those strikes, yet succeeded merely in delaying them. Mendes would be smart to pack a crowbar.

6 (6) Dominick Cruz

Bantamweight 19-1-0 When Demetrious Johnson game-planned to break Cruz's already atypical rhythm by getting up in his grill, it looked novel. Cruz broke his hand in the first round and still adjusted to the Mighty Mouse way en-route to a one-sided decision. Also novel.

7 (9) Gilbert Melendez

Lightweight 19-2-0 It's a matter of time until Melendez finds himself standing across from the UFC's elite, and when it happens there will be a flood of phone calls to Joe Silva from 155-ers. What will most be saying? "Don't book me against that Melendez."

8 (NR) Cain Velasquez

Heavyweight 9-0-0 He is a big-time champion now, but his fame will sky rocket if he manhandles Dos Santos the way he did Lesnar on national broadcast television. Could we see rust after a year away? Maybe, but more likely we'll see blood.

9 (7) Jon Fitch

Welterweight 23-3-1 He is MMA's Sisyphus, but Jon Fitch's quest for another title shot can't be ignored forever. The day that he finishes an opponent, they'll sell out of champagne in San Jose. Meantime, there's business with Johny Hendricks.

10 (10) Rashad Evans

Light Heavyweight 16-1-1 The question of "is Evans the man to test Jones" has changed to "is Evans the most cursed fighter going?" Evans had to turn down a shot against Jones to let his hand heal. It's another set of unfortunate circumstances, and he'll grin it and bear it.
Others receiving votes: Dan Henderson 5, B.J. Penn 1, Gray Maynard 1