1. Anderson Silva (21-4-0)

Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, owns this perch until further notice. During his dismantling of Dan Henderson on March 1, the 31-year-old Brazilian showed all aspects of his game en route to the first tapout to a choke of Henderson's career. Japan's Yushin Okami appears to be Silva's next UFC challenger, yet the 185-pound "Spider" has voiced more of an interest in boxing Roy Jones Jr.

2. Quinton Jackson (29-6-0)

"Rampage" sits firmly in the second spot a couple of notches behind Silva. While a case could be made that the 29-year-old UFC light heavyweight champion belongs at the top following victories over Chuck Liddell and Henderson, "Spider" Silva's destruction of Hendo makes Jackson's five-round decision win against the Greco-Roman Olympian appear less impressive. Jackson, however, has dominated since coming to the UFC, and he will get his highest-profile fight as champion when he defends against Forrest Griffin this summer.

3. Georges St. Pierre (16-2-0)

The 26-year-old French Canadian moves up one spot with his dismantling of Matt Serra in his home city of Montreal. St. Pierre could be considered the most dominant fighter in MMA if he handles Jon Fitch later this year and continues to impose himself on the welterweight division. Talk would then turn to a potential superfight between GSP and "The Spider."

4. Fedor Emelianenko (27-1-0, 1 NC)

Negative press based on his inactivity having been weathered, the previous leader of this list gets back to business July 19 against former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. A dominant performance would immediately put the 31-year-old Emelianenko back in contention for the top spot, and quiet critics who suggested he was never as good as advertised. Should he lose, however, the Russian's stock would take a severe blow.

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1, 1 NC)

If not for Fedor, "Minotauro" would be regarded as the top heavyweight in MMA history. As it stands, the 31-year-old Brazilian holds on to No. 5 as he waits for his next challenge. The victory over Tim Sylvia for the "interim" UFC heavyweight crown offered fans who had not followed Nogueira's career during or after his championship reign in Pride a chance to see just how tough and technical he is. Heavyweight defections from the UFC could limit how far Nogueira can rise on this list, however.

6. Urijah Faber (20-1-0)

Currently standing as World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion, Faber is the best-known mixed martial artist under 145 pounds, thanks to his near perfect record and ability to connect with fans immediately. The aggressive 28-year-old wrestler has worked diligently on rounding out his game with an improved focus on standup and submission. Faber's next challenge is likely to come in his hometown of Sacramento, Calif., against former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver.

7. Takanori Gomi (28-3, 1 NC)

Japan's perennial lightweight king earned his first victory since Dec. 31, 2006, with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig on March 5. Gomi's overall record is impressive, yet his recent inactivity has angered many fans who feel he's failed to fight the best in the division. The fact of the matter, however, remains that Gomi, 29, owns wins over the bulk of top-division talent. A rematch versus B.J. Penn or bouts with other viable 155-pound fighters would go a long way in answering questions over Gomi's spirit to fight. His next chance to prove his place comes in June.

8. Norifumi Yamamoto (17-1, 1 NC)

After establishing himself as a top featherweight, "Kid" jumped to K-1 three years ago and moved up to lightweight for payday purposes. Along the way he became a superstar in Japan, where he picked up some solid wins. Yamamoto, now 31, stopped Rani Yahya on New Year's Eve, showing once again how explosive he can be. Fighting at a more natural weight (near 135 pounds), Yamamoto could be a quick riser on this list if he is matched with quality opposition. His next bout comes this summer against an undetermined opponent.

9. B.J. Penn (12-4-1)

While "The Prodigy" has always had P4P talent, inconsistent performances and confusing excursions into far-too-heavy weight divisions kept him off this list. Having settled in nicely at 155 pounds, Penn has demonstrated the sort of technical dominance that has many fans and fighters alike calling the Hawaiian the best fighter in the sport. Fighting Sean Sherk on May 24, Penn, 29, has the opportunity to bust into the top three, including the very real possibility that he would challenge Anderson Silva for the top spot if he dominates Sherk, the steroid-tainted former UFC lightweight champion.

10. Miguel Torres (32-1-0)

Torres is the reason lists like this exist to recognize talent across all weight divisions. Torres is the first 135-pounder to make his presence felt. Toiling in obscurity before the bantamweight class was featured in the United States by World Extreme Cagefighting, Torres captured an organizational championship title with a masterful effort versus Chase Beebe. The 27-year-old fighter from East Chicago, Ind., offered a varied and high-paced submission attack before catching Beebe in one of the best submissions this year. Torres defends his title for the first time June 1 versus Yoshiro Maeda.