Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

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Frankie Edgar turned what most pundits expected to be a closely contested scrap into a one-sided thumping.

Cub Swanson had no solution for “The Answer” in the 145-pound main event of UFC Fight Night “Edgar vs. Swanson” on Nov. 22, as Edgar repeatedly took down and pounded on the Jackson-Wink MMA fighter before securing a fifth-round submission via neck crank.

With the victory, former lightweight champion Edgar climbs two spots to No. 3 in the featherweight top 10, while Swanson drops one place to No. 5. Although Edgar believes he should be next in line for a rematch with champion Jose Aldo, the New Jerseyan’s chances at a title shot could well hinge on the outcome of the Conor McGregor-Dennis Siver meeting on Jan. 18.

The show’s all-striking co-main event saw Edson Barboza pick apart Bobby Green en route to a unanimous decision, propelling the Brazilian muay Thai practitioner into the lightweight rankings for the first time at No. 10. The loss knocks Green and recent opponent Josh Thomson down to the list of contenders, making way for Bellator MMA champion Will Brooks to enter the fray at No. 9.

In other action, Joseph Benavidez maintained his spot as the No. 2 flyweight in the world by outclassing prospect Dustin Ortiz, while 37-year-old Alexey Oleinik kept his place on the heavyweight contenders’ list by crushing Jared Rosholt with first-round punches.

Finally, after one year of inactivity and with no upcoming fight scheduled, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans has been removed from his No. 3 spot in the light heavyweight rankings. All fighters previously ranked below Evans move up one spot, while Jimi Manuwa enters the rankings at No. 10 and Quinton Jackson joins the list of other contenders.

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