Aldo has seemingly cleaned out the division and is now preparing to face Erik Koch at UFC 149 later this year.

But, on Tuesday, some light may have been shed on the featherweight tunnel.

Chan Sung Jung put on the best performance of his career in a fourth-round submission win over Dustin Poirier.

Long thought of as just a bit of a novelty act, Jung had made a name for himself for being able to take a beating and keep coming forward, hence the name “The Korean Zombie”. Nobody really thought of him as a legit title contender.

But, on Tuesday night in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 3, Jung showed great all-around skills and some of the slickest jiu-jitsu I have seen in a fight in quite sometime.

Jung had tremendous transitions, great execution, and he also mixed up his striking to include leg kicks and knees. It was clear that Jung has improved a great deal since joining the UFC, where he is now 3-0.

While he still needs to keep improving to beat the likes of Aldo, he does present one thing that Aldo’s opponents haven’t seemed to possess, and that is the ability to press the action.

Most of Aldo’s opponents have been very tentative against the champion and have tried to react to what Aldo does as opposed to making him react to what they do.

That won’t be an issue with Jung. He is going to fall on his sword and go with his style, win or lose. I think he could possess a real threat to Aldo because he will be able to eat some punches and kicks and keep coming forward. If the fight goes to the ground, it is hard to see anyone really out-working Jung.

Kenny Florian may have put it best on the broadcast when he said Jung “is always throwing finishing moves at you.” All of his strikes have the intent to end the fight and on the ground, he is always pursuing a submission. He doesn’t give his opponents a chance to relax.

The one area Jung may need to improve is his conditioning, but he will have a while to do that before facing Aldo. I think fans would get behind an Aldo vs. Jung bout as well, at least a lot more than Aldo vs. Koch.

Not too much has changed in the division since I last came out with my 145-pound top 10, but we did have some debuts and a mild upset or too.

Here is a look at my latest top 10 for the featherweight division.

1. Jose Aldo (19-1) – Aldo is the champion and awaits his next opponent. It looks to be Kenny Florian, but a date and location have yet to be set. Aldo showed some signs of vulnerability against Mark Hominick, but still dominated a great deal of their 25-minute fight. Florian will need to be on top of his game to take Aldo’s title.

2. Chad Mendes (10-0) – The wrestling master has been labeled the No. 1 contender for Aldo, but he opted not to wait for the champion to heal up with some injuries and will now take on Rani Yahya at UFC 133, with his title shot on the line. Mendes likely has the grappling edge in this one, but will have to avoid the slick submissions of Yahya.

3. Kenny Florian (14-5) – Florian won his featherweight debut over Diego Nunes and now appears to be in line for a title shot. Florian didn’t look his best, but the first fight at a lower weight class is always the toughest. Florian will have a strong game plan to fight Aldo, the question will be if he can execute it?

4. Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) – Hioki is now part of the UFC after giving up his Shooto championship and some consider him the second best featherweight in the world behind Aldo. It will be interesting to see if Hioki suffers the same fate as many others that struggle in their octagon debut.

5. Diego Nunes (16-2) – Nunes fought amicably against Florian in a decision loss and showed that he does have some skills to compete with the best, but he still has to find a way to bring his whole game together to get over the hump.

6. Mark Hominick (20-9) – Hominick is still one of the best technical strikers in the division and he has very good submission ability as well. Hominick exposed some holes in Aldo’s game, which is more than anyone had done to that point. His next bout will be key as he needs to look impressive to get back in the title hunt.

7. Dustin Poirier (10-1) – Poirier continues to rise up the rankings as the young promising striker picked up another victory. Poirier has an interesting style that looks to pose some problems for the top contenders. He deserves a contest with a top-8 opponent next to see if he is for real.

8. Tyson Griffin (15-5) – Griffin earned a razor-close decision win over Manny Gamburyan in his featherweight debut. The win was big for Griffin, who had been struggling at lightweight prior to his jump down to 145. Griffin is a great grappler and has fasts hands, but he has yet to really find the perfect combination to make him a real threat for a championship.

9. Manny Gamburyan (11-6) – Even in a loss, Gamburyan was still right in the mix with Griffin and could have won the fight with a slight move here or there. Manny has beaten some of the best in the division but now finds himself behind a newly-crowded featherweight division.

10. Erik Koch (12-1) – Koch picked up a knockout win over Raphael Assuncao in his last fight and he will get Ultimate Fighter Champion, Jonathan Brookins in September. Koch’s lone loss was to Mendes by decision and he has since finished his last three opponents in the first round, making him a very dangerous threat in the division.

The UFC veteran has opened up many a fighter with his razor-sharp elbows, including his latest opponent, Diego Nunes, at UFC 131.

With the Florian vs. Nunes fight long overweight, the Nunes camp is now calling for Florian’s elbows to be looked at, according to Tatame.

Coach of Diego Nunes and head-coach of Nova Uniao, Andre Pederneiras assigned his student’s loss to Kenny Florian, in UFC 131, to the blood loss during the combat.

“Those elbows, the way I see it, for where they hit him, should be reanalyzed… I’m not taking Kenny Florian’s credits for the win, not at all, but I took some pictures of Diego’s head, and I want to send it to UFC, asking them if those spots are legal. I don’t want them to change the result of the fight, because Florian was better and earned it, but I want to know if it’s legal so that I can tell my students to do it. Sometimes the rules change and we lose a fight for a silly detail”, said Andre, who complimented the Brazilian fighter, but commented on his mistakes.

Florian has stopped a few fights in his career from elbows, but all is within the rules.

Should the UFC take another look at their rules, or is this just crying over spilled milk?

What’s your take on deadly elbows?

The 26-year-old heavyweight improved to 13-1 with a unanimous decision victory over Shane Carwin on Saturday, dominating the entire fight. Dos Santos’ reach proved to be a big factor as Carwin struggled to get inside Junior and dos Santos also showed impressive takedown defense to keep the fight standing.

In the first round, Carwin was nearly finished (and I personally would have stopped the fight) as he took a barrage of strikes from Junior that left him a bloody mess, but he managed to survive and last all 15 minutes.

Dos Santos looked as good as I have ever seen him and he appears to be a legit threat to UFC heavyweight champ, Cain Velasquez.

The co-main event saw Kenny Florian successfully make his featherweight debut by beating Diego Nunes by unanimous decision. Florian lost the first round on two scorecards but bounced back by controlling a tired Nunes for the final 10 minutes.

The other big win of the night came for Mark Munoz, who won a close decision over Demian Maia. All three rounds were competitive and close, but all judges scored the bout for the wrestler, Munoz. Maia showed impressive striking in the first round while Munoz controlled the fight with his wrestling in the final two rounds.

For complete UFC 131 results, check out the jump.

UFC 131 Results

Junior dos Santos def. Shane Carwin by unanimous decision

Kenny Florian def. Diego Nunes by unanimous decision

Mark Munoz def. Demian Maia by unanimous decision

Dave Herman def. John Olav Einemo by unanimous decision

Donald Cerrone def. Vagner Rocha by unanimous decision

Sam Stout def. Yves Edwards by first round KO (3:52)

Chris Weidman def. Jesse Bongfeldt by first round submission via guillotine choke (4:54)

Krzysztof Soszynski def. Mike Massenzio by unanimous decision

Nick Ring def. James Head by third round submission via rear-naked choke (3:33)

Dustin Poirier def. Jason Young by unanimous decision

Joey Beltran def. Aaron Rose by third round TKO (1:26)

Darren Elkins def. Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision

Here is a rundown of my takes on all the main card bouts.

Heavyweight Bout – Shane Carwin (12-1) vs. Junior dos Santos (12-1) – This should be an explosive fight and I see Carwin walking out the winner. I don’t see the fight going beyond five minutes as both fighters have explosive power. I suspect Carwin can take a punch better than dos Santos, which will allow him to earn a first round KO.

Featherweight Bout – Kenny Florian (13-5) vs. Diego Nunes (16-1) – This will be a tough test for Florian, who is making his 145-pound debut against Nunes, who is on a nice run as of late. If Florian can handle the weight cut and continue to fight his style, he should be able to out-class Nunes and secure a submission in the third. I suspect Florian will do just that.

Middleweight Bout – Demian Maia (14-2) vs. Mark Munoz (10-2) – Munoz is a tough guy, but I think he will struggle with Maia on the ground. I look for Maia to pull off an impressive submission in the second round on the wrestler.

Heavyweight Bout – John Olav Einemo (7-1) vs. Dave Herman (20-2) – Einemo seems to be one dimensional and just strong with his submissions while Herman is an impressive striker and well-conditioned fighter. My pick is Herman to win by knockout in the third round.

Lightweight Bout – Donald Cerrone (14-3) vs. Vagner Rocha (6-1) – I think Cerrone should control this fight from start to finish. I don’t see him finishing Rocha, who is good at submission defense, but I do see Cerrone getting the decision win.

Both Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin stepped on the scales for UFC 131 weigh ins on Friday and Carwin came in at 245 pounds while dos Santos weighed in at 239.

Carwin looked healthy after nearly a year away from competition due to back surgery while dos Santos looked solid and trim, as he is somewhat of a lighter heavyweight.

The big question at the weigh in was how Kenny Florian would look as he makes his 145-pound debut. Florian came in at 146 pounds and is official to take on Diego Nunes, who weighed in at 145 pounds.

Check out the rest of the weigh-in information after the jump.

UFC 131 Weigh-In Results

Junior dos Santos (239) vs. Shane Carwin (254)

Kenny Florian (146) vs. Diego Nunes (145)

Jon Olav Einemo (261) vs. Dave Herman (233)

Demian Maia (186) vs. Mark Munoz (186)

Donald Cerrone (155) vs. Vagner Rocha (155)

Chris Weidman (186) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (185)

Yves Edwards (155) vs. Sam Stout (155)

Dustin Poirier (146) vs. Jason Young (145)

Nick Ring (185) vs. James Head (186)

Darren Elkins (145) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (145)

Krzysztof Soszynski (205) vs. Mike Massenzio (201)

Aaron Rosa (261) vs. Joey Beltran (247)

Accomplished lightweight, Kenny Florian, will make his debut at 145 pounds when he takes on Diego Nunes. The featherweight division is in need of some star power and Florian can provide that if he looks solid in his debut on Saturday against a legit contender in Nunes.

Here is a look at both fighters heading into this contest.

Kenny Florian (13-5) – Florian is a solid muay thai fighter and a great submission specialist. Known for finishing fights, Florian has had his last three victories in the octagon come by choke. Despite being one of the best at 155 pounds, Florian hasn’t been able to make it over the championship hill, and now looks to find his gold at 145 pounds. Florian should have a size advantage in the weight class, but it has yet to be seen if he can match the speed of fighters like Nunes. Florian is also coming off a knee injury that could play a factor in his conditioning.

Diego Nunes (16-1) – Nunes has just one loss in the UFC, but is somewhat unknown because he hasn’t been heavily profiled on television. His last three wins are over Mike Thomas Brown, Tyler Toner, and Raphael Assuncao. They all came by decision, and in fact, his last six bouts have gone to a decision. A grinding wrestler, Nunes will try to get Florian to the ground and control, similar to how Gray Maynard beat Florian. Nunes may struggle with the size of Florian and this will be the most technical striker he has fought in the octagon.

Who Will Win: I think this is a tough first test for Florian at 145 pounds as Nunes is a grinder, but I expect Florian’s experience and poise to pull him to a victory. After a tough couple of rounds, I look for Florian to gain a advantageous position on Nunes and secure a victory by choke in the third round.

10 bouts have odds thus far and in the main event, Junior dos Santos is a slight favorite at -180 against Shane Carwin, who has a money line of +150. This matchup is a battle of two powerful strikers and will likely end up with a brutal KO one way or another. The question of the bout will be about which fighter can take a punch better than the other.

In the co-main event, Kenny Florian is a clear favorite at -280 for his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes, who has odds of +200. Florian is a veteran of the octagon and one of the top lightweights in the world, but is now making the drop to 145 pounds. Nunes is a bit of an unknown to UFC fans, but a very tough challenge for Florian to open with.

For the rest of the odds to UFC 131, check out the jump.

UFC 131 Betting Odds

Saturday, June 11

Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia

Heavyweight Bout: Junior dos Santos -180 vs. Shane Carwin +150

Featherweight Bout: Kenny Florian -280 vs. Diego Nunes +200

Heavyweight Bout: Dave Herman -245 vs. Jon Olav Einemo +195

Lightweight Bout: Donald Cerrone -405 vs. Vagner Rocha +305

Middleweight Bout: Mark Munoz -130 vs. Demian Maia +100

Lightweight Bout: Sam Stout -160 vs. Yves Edwards +130

Featherweight Bout: Dustin Poirier -345 vs. Jason Young +275

Middleweight Bout: Chris Weidman -340 vs. Jesse Bongfeldt +270

Light Heavyweight Bout: Krzysztof Soszynski -245 vs. Igor Pokrajac +195

Heavyweight Bout: Aaron Rosa -180 vs. Joey Beltran +150

This week is pretty thin during the week as The Ultimate Fighter wrapped up its season, but the weekend still features another big UFC PPV, UFC 131.

– On Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, the Countdown to UFC 131 debuts on SpikeTV. The hour-long program will take an inside look at key fighters for this Saturday’s PPV event. The main aspect of the show will focus on the main event between heavyweights Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin. The show will replay on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET and 2 a.m. ET on Versus as well as midnight on Friday on SpikeTV.

– On Friday at 10 p.m. ET, HDNet will air Maximum Fighting Championship 30: Up Close & Personal live from the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The main event is a lightweight showdown between Drew Fickett and Brian Cobb while Marcus Davis and Pete Spratt meet in a fight between two UFC veterans.

– On Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on PPV, UFC 131 will take place from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Carwin and dos Santos face off in the main event while Kenny Florian makes his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes. Demian Maia also faces off with Mark Munoz in a middleweight bout while Donald Cerrone takes on Vagner Rocha in a lightweight contest. Some of the prelim bouts will air live on SpikeTV at 8 p.m. ET and other bouts are expected to air live on Facebook.

The featherweights get the spotlight this week, headlined by UFC king, Jose Aldo.

So, without further ado, here is my top 10.

(If you need to go back and find my pound-for-pound, heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight or lightweight rankings, click on the links)

1. Jose Aldo (19-1) – Aldo is one of the top strikers in all of MMA as his leg kicks are one of the most devastating strikes in the game. Aldo struggled toward the end of his win over Mark Hominick at UFC 129, but it was later discovered he was dealing with an infection leading up to the fight. Still, Aldo found a way to beat up Hominick for four rounds and retain his title.

2. Chad Mendes (10-0) – The protégé of Urijah Faber is unbeaten in his MMA career and he continues to develop his striking to go along with his overpowering wrestling. Mendes is set to take on Aldo for the title later this year, but the memory of seeing Faber get blasted in the leg by Aldo may haunt him heading into the fight. Mendes appears to posses the ability to take Aldo to the ground. But, the question is, what will Mendes be able to do to Aldo when the fight hits the ground and can he hold the champ down for 25 minutes?

3. Kenny Florian (13-5) – Florian has yet to fight at 145 pounds, but I still consider him one of the best now that he is jumping into the mix. Florian has only suffered losses to some of the best at 155 pounds and his style should pose a lot of problems for the top featherweights in the UFC. He begins his march towards a title against Diego Nunes at UFC 131, and a win will likely make him the No. 1 contender to the featherweight title later in 2011.

4. Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) – Hioki is the Shooto and Sengoku champion, but it is hard to gauge where he stacks up against the best in the states. He did lose back in 2009 to Michihiro Omigawa by split decision. Omigawa was recently dominated by Mendes in the octagon. Still, Hioki is an impressive submission grappler that could pose some problems for anyone in the 145-pound division.

5. Manny Gamburyan (11-5) – It is hard to know just how talented Manny is because his biggest win is against Mike Brown, who has been on a major downfall over the past few years. Still, Gamburyan has strong hands and is a powerful grappler. He isn’t afraid to trade and he pushes a fast pace, which makes him a tough opponent for anyone. He gets Tyson Griffin in Griffin’s UFC featherweight debut at UFC on Versus 4, which will be a major bout for both fighters.

6. Diego Nunes (16-1) – Nunes has quietly emerged as one of the top featherweights in the world. He has beaten Brown and Raphael Assuncao by decision in the last year, along with Tyler Toner. Nunes has went to the cards in his last six fights, so he is lacking that exciting finish, but he will get a chance to prove his worth when he takes on Florian at UFC 131.

7. Mark Hominick (20-9) – Hominick earned a lot of fans in a losing effort against Aldo at UFC 129, but his skills are still up there with anyone. He has some of the best boxing in the division, if not the very best, and his submission game isn’t bad either. Hominick showed a lot of heart in the final round against Aldo, and came close to finishing the fight, but he struggled early with Aldo’s kicks and wasn’t able to get comfortable with his striking.

8. Dustin Poirier (9-1) – Perhaps I am reading too much into Poirier’s performance against Josh Grispi at UFC 125, but I really liked what I saw from this 21-year-old featherweight. His striking was on point and his grappling was solid as well. Being so young, the kid can only get better and now he gets a shot at Rani Yahya at UFC 131, which will test his grappling and submission ability another time.

9. Tyson Griffin (14-5) – Like Florian, I am giving Griffin some credit before actually debuting at 145 pounds. He will do that at UFC Live 4 against Gamburyan. Still, Griffin will be a tough out for this division if he can make the weight. He is a strong and compact grappler with fast hands. His striking isn’t the best, but he does have good power and he can out-wrestle most, if not all, of the division. Griffin has lost some fights in his career due to his stubborn style of wanting to trade punches, but if he utilizes his wrestling in this division, I think he can quickly become a top contender.

10. Michihiro Omigawa (12-9-1) – Omigawa has had a tough go in the UFC, as he is 0-3 in the octagon, but two of those bouts came against lightweights and the other was against Mendes. Omigawa has still had some impressive wins overseas in Dream and Sengoku, but he has yet to land that big victory in the UFC.  He gets that chance at UFC 131, when he takes on Darren Elkins.