1: Georges ‘Rush’ St. Pierre: First it was Diaz, then Condit, then Diaz again. Now the only opponent GSP has to look forward to is another bout of rehab after blowing out his knee. The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for ‘Rush’, who had a point to prove after his most criticized performance to date against Jake Shields. Can GSP come back from the brink? We may be in for a long wait to find out.

2: Nick Diaz: Without a doubt one of the most exciting champions in MMA, and unquestionably one of the best fighters at 170lbs, Nick Diaz finally put himself on the UFC map with a blistering performance against future hall of famer BJ Penn in October. With GSP indefinitely on the sidelines, Diaz finds himself vying for the intering strap against Carlos Condit this month.

3: Josh ‘Kos’ Koscheck: Josh Koscheck has twice crossed paths with the proverbial glass ceiling that is George St Pierre and twice he has come off worse for wear. The ‘Fighting Fraggle’ may have got back on track with a KO of UFC legend Matt Hughes, but unless GSP is toppled soon, it’s tough to see the TUF alum getting a second shot at the gold.

4: Carlos ‘The Natural Born Killer’ Condit: Lady Luck is having a merry old time with Carlos Condit. First he got the call to replace Nick Diaz against 170lb champion GSP. Then GSP pulled out of the fight and Condit opted to wait for the champion’s February return. That was until Nick Diaz talked himself into contention, again leaving Condit out in the cold. Finally though some good luck has befallen ‘The Natural Born Killer’; another injury to GSP see’s him setting the score with Diaz in an interim title bout later this month.

5: Jake Ellenberger: Ellenberger won September’s battle of the Jakes, knocking out former title contender Shields in devastating fashion in his first ever UFC main event. The win cements Ellenberger as a top ten welterweight, and is conclusive proof that there is more to this kid than hype. A win over Diego Sanchez this month could move Ellenberger to within touching distance of a title shot.

6: Johny Hendricks: A new kid on the block in the welterweight top 10, MMABay favourite and ‘beard of the year’ Johny Hendricks has rocketed into the rankings of many of MMA’s top media outlets. His entry may be due in part to the recent poor form of Dan Hardy, Paul Daley and Thiago Alves, but after capping off his 12-1 record with a win over former title contender Jon Fitch, Hendricks has established himself as a force in the 170 pounds ranks.

7: Jon Fitch: After being the defacto number 2 at 170lbs for as long as we can remember, Jon Fitch now finds himself further from the title than ever. Following a disappointing draw against BJ Penn and a devastating loss to up and comer Johny Hendricks, Fitch will need nothing short of a miracle if he is to get back in the welterweight title hunt.

8: Jake Shields: Shields hasn’t looked like the world beater he once was since joining the UFC ranks. A contentious win over Martin Kampmann, followed by torrid performances against GSP and Jake Ellenberger will see the ‘Scrap Pack’ member fighting for relevance against Yoshihiro Akiyama later this month.

9: Diego ‘The Dream’ Sanchez: After a shaky couple of performances in the 155 and 170lb divisions, it seems that Sanchez has once again found his feet at his natural home of welterweight. ‘The Dream’ will look to keep his own dream of UFC gold alive with a mouth-watering bout against Jake Ellenberger next year.

10: Martin ‘The Hitman’ Kampmann: After a couple of very contentious losses to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez, Kampmann finally got back on track with a solid win over the formerly ranked Rick Story. A self admitted fan of slugfests, the well-travelled striker will get what is possibly his dream bout against ferocious striker Thiago Alves in March.

(Updated February 1^st, 2012)

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