I waited a week to release my latest light heavyweight rankings as I wanted to see how the UFC 133 main event turned out.

Rashad Evans did as I expected and beat Tito Ortiz, but his performance was very impressive and it made me consider putting him on top of the list.

You have to consider the quality of opponents that Evans has over Jones. Granted, Jones has been unphased in any fight. But, he also hasn’t fought the best of the best throughout his career.

Still, I left Jones on top for now, but No. 2 is a lot closer than he was a few months ago.

1. Jon Jones (13-1): Jones will defend his UFC championship next month against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, in his biggest fight to date. Jones has yet to face any adversity, but a win over Jackson would prove that he can handle almost anyone in MMA. Wrestling will likely be the key in this one, as I don’t think Jones will want to slug it out with Rampage.

2. Rashad Evans (16-1-1): Evans bulked up in his time away from fighting and he looks like a determined fighter. He seems angry based on what happened with Greg Jackson and Jones, and it seems to have improved his skills as opposed to hurt them. Evans is next in line for a title shot. Only time will tell if he and Jones will finally square off.

3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8): Rampage has had some issues away from the cage, having his trainer decided to leave camp over “creative differences.” Still, Rampage says he is ready to go. He will face a fighter unlike anything he has really seen. It will be interesting to see how Rampage plans to attack Jones at UFC 135.

4. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-5): Shogun looks to avenge his loss to Forrest Griffin later this month at UFC 134. If he does, he may be right back in line for a title shot. The key to Rua’s UFC career has been his cardio, as he has not looked sharp when pushed into a fast pace.

5. Lyoto Machida (17-2): Machida declined to take on Evans on short notice for UFC 133, and that may have hurt his standing with Dana White. His impressive win over Randy Couture at UFC 129 seemed to put him at No. 2 in the title contender’s list, but perhaps Machida will have to win another fight or two to get back in the title picture.

6. Phil Davis (9-0): We didn’t get to see Davis contend with Evans, and that is probably a good thing for “Mr. Wonderful.” Davis needs to slowly build on his career, as he can’t try to take on too much too soon. He still needs to improve on his striking and not be a one dimensional fighter.

7. Forrest Griffin (18-6): Griffin has a chance to prove his win over Shogun back at UFC 76 was not a fluke. An ever improving ground game and a annoying style of striking makes Griffin a tough opponent for many. Shogun struggled with the fast pace of the fight, and I suspect that Griffin will have to push a similar pace in order to win. The more he allows Shogun to set his feet, the more likely he is to be KO’d.

8. Dan Henderson (28-8): Henderson showed he still has a lot to offer in MMA as he stopped Fedor Emelianenko in a heavyweight contest. The UFC seems set to bring him back into the octagon with his Strikeforce contract running out. Henderson will still have a big climb to get to the UFC title, but his hands and wrestling combination make him a dangerous opponent.

9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-5): Lil’ Nog was set to take on Rich Franklin at UFC 133, but an injury forced him off the card. Nogueira is somewhat stuck in a funk after a loss to Phil Davis in his last contest. He still is an exciting fighter with a lot of talent, but fighting off his back has proven to become costly for him. He needs a decisive win in his next bout.

10. Rich Franklin (28-6): Like Nogueira, Franklin is in a bit of a standstill in his career. He isn’t near the top contender spot in the division, but he is still a draw and an elite-level fighter. He has traded wins and losses in his last six fights, but hasn’t been easily defeated by anyone outside of Anderson Silva. Franklin-Henderson II could be an interesting bout for the UFC to put on since the first fight was so close. Franklin can’t really afford another loss, or his career may be up.