UFC 132 established who the top bantamweight in the world is.
The rankings haven’t changed too much in the last few months, but here is the latest top 10 in the 135-pound division.
1. Dominick Cruz (18-1) – Cruz (AP Photo) avenged his only loss in the division by taking a decision win over Urijah Faber. Cruz controlled the style and pacing of the fight and landed a lot more strikes. The bout was close, but Faber didn’t show me much to think he deserved to get the title.
2. Urijah Faber (25-5) – Faber gave Cruz the toughest fight he has to date in the division. He landed a few big punches and avoided the takedowns of Cruz. Faber proved he still has something left in the tank, but he needs to make some adjustments to beat Cruz. It will be interesting to see who is next for “The California Kid.”
3. Joseph Benavidez (14-2) – Benavidez has been relatively quiet as of late as he hasn’t fought since UFC 128, but he will take on Eddie Wineland at UFC Live 5. Benavidez has been in a tough spot as his teammate, Faber, has been contending for the title. Benavidez now has a chance to get back into the spotlight, but he needs an impressive showing.
4. Brian Bowles (10-1) – Bowles has earned a rematch for his title as he has two solid wins since coming back from his injury. Bowles lost to Cruz because of a broken hand, not because he was clearly beaten by the champion, so there is some question as to what he could do against Cruz. Given the way he lost the title, I think he deserves the next shot at it.
5. Scott Jorgensen (12-4) – Jorgensen is somewhat of a gate keeper to the top contenders. He doesn’t seem to have what it takes to win the big one, but is a very tough out for everyone else. Jorgensen should continue to get top opponents to fight, but he is a bit lost in the mix right now.
6. Brad Pickett (20-5) – Pickett gets my spot at six given the fact that he beat Demetrious Johnson and Johnson beat Miguel Torres. Pickett is similar to Jorgensen, where is a very tough opponent for anyone, but still lacks some aspects of his game to truly have a shot to win the title. Pickett is coming off an injury, but should get a high-profile fight upon his return.
7. Demetrious Johnson (9-1) – Johnson got a tough win over Miguel Torres to push himself back up the list. It will be interesting to see how his speed and quickness will match up with some of the top 5 fighters. Johnson seems to be in a good position with the UFC, as he has had back-to-back high profile opponents. Johnson could be next up for someone like Faber.
8. Miguel Torres (39-4) – Despite losing on the scorecards to Johnson, that didn’t strike me as a loss for Torres. He was more active on the ground and was closer to finishing the fight on multiple occasions. Still, Torres has to stay off his back if he wants to get victories in the UFC. Torres must win his next bout to stay relevant in the division.
9. Masakatsu Ueda (12-1-2) – The former Shooto champ will be in action on Monday against Rumina Sato at a catchweight as he continues to defend his spot in the top 10. Ueda would have to fight in the U.S. to really make any big moves up my rankings.
10. Eddie Wineland (18-7-1) – Wineland gave Faber a run for his money back at UFC 128 and he will now get a crack at Benavidez in the fall. Wineland could prove to be a legit top contender if he can get through Benavidez.