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.

Tito Ortiz (AP Photo) had a change of heart, and has elected to fill in for Phil Davis at UFC 133 and face Rashad Evans in the main event, according to MMAFighting.com.

It was the fight that Tito Ortiz simply couldn’t be talked into…until he was. Less than 24 hours after explaining via Twitter that he had turned down the fight because he had “a life and things to take care of,” Ortiz was in against Rashad Evans at UFC 133 according to a tweet from UFC president Dana White.

“Get ready philly for Rashad Evans vs Tito Ortiz!!! Aug 6th LIVE on PPV at the Wells Fargo Center!!!!!!” White wrote at around 7:30 pm ET.

Ortiz’s Twitter response was a more muted one some fifteen minutes before, as he wrote simply, “Only for the UFC!”

The move ended a furious day’s worth of speculation about who would fill in for the injured Phil Davis on short notice, with both Ortiz and former UFC light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida reportedly turning down the fight.

This will be a rematch of a draw that took place back at UFC 73. Ortiz was penalized a point for holding on to the cage during one of the rounds, otherwise he might have scored a win over Evans.

According to MMAFighting.com, Davis suffered a knee injury and he will have to pull out of the planned fight with Rashad Evans at UFC 133 on Aug. 6.

The UFC has been scurrying to find a replacement with Tito Ortiz apparently turning down an offer to take the fight.

MMAFighting.com originally reported that Lyoto Machida was taking the fight, but that has not been made official and the site has since retracted its story.

Still, the UFC is hoping it can land Machida for this fight, which would be an upgrade from the Evans-Davis fight. The real question will be if Machida can, and is willing, to take the fight on short notice.

Machida dominated Evans in their first meeting at UFC 98, as he took the light heavyweight title from Evans.

MMAMania.com has more of the details.

Dana White announced today (via Brett OKamoto of ESPN) that all main event non-title fights will be five rounds instead of three.

There is no word just yet on when exactly the switch will take effect, although it was noted that the upcoming UFC 133 bout pitting Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis will still be a three-round fight because contracts have already been signed.

The first event after that one will be UFC on Versus 5 on Aug. 14, which features a main event of Chris Lytle vs. Dan Hardy. Who wouldn’t mind adding a couple rounds to that scrap?

It is unclear as to when this will begin as White mentioned that any fights that have a contract already signed can’t be changed.

It was also unclear as to whether the co-main events will also be considered five round fights.

Either way, it should make more some more definitive results in the biggest fights of each card.

Here is a look at how I see the top 10 in the 205-pound division in MMA. (Click here to see other weight class rankings)

1. Jon Jones (13-1): Jones is still the leader of the pack but now seems to finally have his next opponent finalized. It looks to be Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, in what will be a very tough fight. Jones may struggle to move the large Jackson and in punch-for-punch power, he probably doesn’t have the edge against his veteran opponent.

2. Rashad Evans (15-1-1): Rashad Evans is still the No. 1 contender in my eyes as he disposed of Jackson in his last fight and was set to challenge for the title before suffering a minor knee injury. Now set to face rising star, Phil Davis, Evans will have to prove that he can still hang with the best after more than a year away form action.

3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8): Rampage looked good but not great in his decision win over Matt Hamill. He landed some good punches on Hamill and stuffed each of his takedown attempts. While Hamill has a good wrestling background, he lacked the explosive takedown attempts that Jackson will see against the likes of Evans, Jones, or even a Ryan Bader.

4. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-5): Shogun is working his way back to action as he will face Forrest Griffin in a rematch of UFC 96. That will take place at UFC 134 in Rio and provide Shogun the chance to prove that he can be champion again one day. His biggest challenge is being able to keep pace with the elite fighters in this division.

5. Lyoto Machida (17-2): Despite a very impressive KO win over Randy Couture, there isn’t much room for Machida to move up. Shogun had his number in two fights in my opinion, and Jackson was able to do enough to earn a decision win over him. Machida is still perhaps the most dangerous opponent in the whole division as one sudden move from him can end the fight.

6. Phil Davis (9-0): Davis has the chance to show he can be in the top 5 when he takes on Evans in the main event of UFC 133. It will be a meeting of two strong wrestlers and force Davis to show that he can strike with some of the elite fighters in the UFC. I don’t see Davis’ wrestling being better than Evans, so he will have to be creative with his gameplan.

7. Ryan Bader (12-1): Bader is still lying in the weeds after his loss to Jon Jones last winter. He will now face Tito Ortiz at UFC 132, which gives him a chance to beat a legend. Bader can become a real threat if he develops his striking and becomes more than a one-dimensional fighter.

8. Forrest Griffin (18-6): Griffin is a guy that you can’t take lightly, but he just doesn’t have a style that wows you either. Though he was once champion, I don’t really see a scenario where he will wear the title again. He has a chance to beat Shogun for a second time at UFC 134, which would perhaps be the biggest accomplishment in his career to this point.

9. Dan Henderson (27-8): Henderson is the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, but don’t look for the UFC to be in a rush to put him in the octagon anytime soon. Next up for Hendo is Fedor Emelianenko in a non-title heavyweight clash. The fight gives Henderson a chance to lay claim to being one of the best ever in any weight class.

10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-5): This spot was formerly held by Matt Hamill but I was disappointed by his lackluster showing against Rampage, as I expected him to be more competitive. Filling his spot was tough, but I decided to go with Lil Nog’ as he has some accomplished wins in his career and he losses come to some of the guys already ahead of him in this list. He will face off with Rich Franklin at UFC 133, which will be an interesting showdown to two strikers with unique styles. Both men need to win that fight to stay truly relevant in the division.

Brian Stann and Jorge Santiago are both on the rise in the middleweight division. But, at UFC 130, one fighter will continue to make the climb up the ladder, while the other will fall back.

Here is a look at both fighters heading into this key contest for Saturday’s PPV.

Brian Stann (10-3) – Not much was known or expected of Brian Stann when it was announced that he was moving from light heavyweight to middleweight after a loss to Phil Davis at UFC 109. But, Stann has won his first two bouts at 185 pounds, both by finish. He really broke onto the scene with his first round KO of Chris Leben at UFC 125 and is now being considered a legitimate threat in the division. Stann has big power in his hands and is under rated on the ground. As a former member of the Naval Academy and Marine Corps, Stann is a fighter that won’t panic, as he has faced much greater danger in his life than being inside the octagon. Stann is still developing his style in MMA and has not really faced a fighter with the muay thai ability that Santiago has. Stann’s grappling and clinch game will be very important in this contest if he hopes to win.

Jorge Santiago (23-8) – Santiago had a stint in the UFC back in 2006, but he went 1-2 with losses to Leben and Alan Belcher, both by KO. Since that time he has went 11-0 with five knockouts and five submissions. Santiago is slick on the ground as he is a great jiu-jitsu fighter, but he also has a lot of power with his hands, knees, and kicks. Santiago likes to throw some crazy knees and has the ability to be very explosive. Where Santiago will have to be careful is to not sit in the pocket and trade punches with Stann. It is things like that that caused him to go 1-2 in the UFC before. Santiago will also have to keep Stann from putting his weight on him and slowing him down.

Who Will Win: I like Stann in this fight. Santiago is a skilled and exciting fighter, but I like the poise and focus that Stann has. I look for Stann to weather an early storm from Santiago before hitting a big right hand in the second round that will lead to a TKO finish for the “All American”.

In an interesting bit of information, Evans talked about an altercation the two former teammates bitter enemies had during the UFC Summit over a week ago. (Courtesy of MMAMania.com)

“I saw Jon this past week at the fighter summit and we were at the same location. He pulled me to the side and he said ‘Rashad, I need to talk to you, I think things are getting out of control.’ I thought it was pretty mature for the young guy instead of just ignoring me. First thing he said was ‘I just wanna be the first to tell you is I’m gonna destroy you, I’m gonna annihilate you and I’m gonna show the world you’re overrated. I’m gonna punish you and you’ll be my first highlight reel knockout’ and I just started laughing.

You brought me out here to tell me you’re gonna destroy me? Let’s not even talk about how stupid that sounds. Why would you wanna come way over here to say that in private. Furthermore, how did you even come up with that? He’s like ‘Rashad, remember when I was catching you with knees and elbows in training’ but I said ‘I was simulating Bader. I wasn’t trying to beat you, Jon. I was simulating Bader and what he might do’ I told him, ‘do you remember when I held you down and I was slapping you and punching you in the face and you were underneath me and you couldn’t move and then you looked me in the eye and said ‘Ok, can we get up now?’ and I said ‘No Jon, if you quit now, you’ll quit in the fight. You gotta earn your way up,” so we fought some more and you couldn’t move some more and you said ‘can you help me?’ and I said ‘No, you have to earn your way up’ and we go for a little bit longer and you still can’t get up so you roll on your back to let me choke you out thinking I’d let you up and be satisfied with that but I didn’t. I continued to make you work up.’ I said ‘do you remember that?’ and he said “yeah, I remember that’ and I said ‘that’s why you don’t want to fight me’ and he was just lost for words for a second and he told me, ‘Rashad, you just motivating me. You don’t know what you started’ and it just went like that and it just ended when a couple people from our parties separated the two of us. He couldn’t let it go.”

This rivalry is too good to be true. But, now with Jones pulling out of the scheduled fight and Evans taking on Phil Davis at UFC 133, it could be a fight we never see.

In the interview, Evans also discussed Jones’ injury and decision not to have surgery, which raised a few eyebrows.

Hopefully Evans-Jones takes place soon and for the title, as it could be a huge PPV draw for the UFC. This rivalry is growing into something bigger than Evans vs. Rampage.

Well, I guess that surgery doesn’t need to happen now. From MMAMania.com, here is what Jones’ manager had to say on Twitter:

“I guess its time to put out the truth. @Jonnybones suffered a tear in his thumb in 2 different spots… Every dr he saw said to have surgery … We went to meet with the surgeon on wed and after he looked at @Jonnybones he thought that surgery was a bit invasive and bones didn’t have … to have if he didn’t want to. @Jonnybones decided against surgery and we immediately met with dana and lorenzo the next day to get his next fight scheduled … For the record, every doctor @Jonnybones saw was a @UFC referred doctor. The very last one on the day before surgery thought against it … No @Jonnybones is not fighting rashad. Rashad is fighting phil davis. I’ll let you know who or when jon will fight real soon … (he’ll fight again) by the end of the year. … And just so we’re clear, @Jonnybones is not medically cleared to fight until June 11, But hey, I guess that’s all a lie, huh?”

Well, as you can imagine, that didn’t sit well with Evans, who posted the following on his twitter:

“Question: if u r or were so confident then y fake a thumb injury? Cuz just between me & y’all he don’t need surgery! … but I ain’t one 2 gossip so u didnt hear it from me! (ala Living Color) 4 u young folk! Lol … If I’m lying, I’m dying! Ask @jonnybones when is his surgery & who was his dr! He so fake he fake surgeries!! Now that’s fake!”

It appears that Evans will stick with fighting Phil Davis at UFC 133, while a new opponent for Jones will be sought out. Could it be “Rampage” Jackson if he wins and stays healthy at UFC 130?

Either way, this looks a bit shady from Jones, who did most of the talking to ignite this new rivalry.

According to a report from MMAWeekly, Jon Jones will be unable to face Rashad Evans this fall due to a torn ligament in his thumb and now Evans will face rising light heavyweight star, Phil Davis, at UFC 133.

A torn ligament in Jones’ thumb has forced the UFC’s light heavyweight champion into surgery, according to sources speaking to MMAWeekly.com on Monday. Instead of waiting, Rashad Evans will take a fight against Phil Davis at UFC 133.

The new bout was also confirmed on Monday, with former NCAA champion Phil Davis being called in to face Evans as part of the August event scheduled for Philadelphia. The Canadian Press initially reported the switch.

The Jones-Evans smack talk had really been picking up since Jones won the title at UFC 128 and now all the drama over Evans leaving Greg Jackson’s camp seems wasted.

For Evans, this is a lose-lose situation because he was fighting for the title and is now taking on a young upstart that he will be favored against. A win won’t get him any closer to the title and a loss could wash away his title dreams forever.

On the other side, this is a big fight for Davis, who can immediately jump into the top contender picture with a win over Evans. This is a fight of two strong wrestlers, so striking may ultimately determine the winner.

The most notable fight will take place at UFC 133 in August from Philadelphia where light heavyweights Rich Franklin and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will collide.

Both fighters are coming off decision losses in their last fight. Franklin was beaten by Forrest Griffin at UFC 126 while Nogeuira was beaten by Phil Davis at UFC Fight Night 24 by decision.

This fight will be important for both men as each is struggling to stay relevant in the always-growing light heavyweight division. It should be a kickboxing contest, as both men are known for their striking.

Another fight that has been made is newly-signed Jason “Mayhem” Miller taking on Aaron Simpson at UFC 132 on July 2 from Las Vegas.

Miller has won his last two fights, but not been in action since September 25 of last year. Simpson is coming off a decision win over Mario Miranda at UFC Fight Night 24. That win ended a two-fight losing streak for Simpson. The bout should be a classic striker vs. grappler showdown and will be a good litmus test for where Miller fits in the UFC middleweight division.