Renan Barao continued his rapid rise to the top ranks of mixed martial arts by nearly shutting out Urijah Faber in the night’s main event, claiming the UFC Interim Bantamweight Championship by scores of 49-46, 50-45 and 49-46. Now undefeated in his last 30 professional fights, Barao guaranteed himself a shot at Dominick Cruz once the injured bantamweight king returns to active duty.

From the opening bell, Faber (26-6, 2-2 in the UFC) moved around and switched stances constantly, hoping to avoid the leg kicks that Jose Aldo once used on him to devastating effect. Attacking Faber’s lead leg was indeed part of the plan for Barao (29-1, 4-0 UFC), but the Brazilian had many more weapons in his striking arsenal. Barao was effective at using a variety of kicks and punches from a distance, leaving his shorter opponent unable to get inside.

Faber appeared to switch tactics in Round 3, attempting to catch some of the incoming kicks and force the fight to the ground. But Barao’s strength and balance easily got him out of trouble each time, and even when Faber managed to land some solid right hands, they were almost always answered by a flurry of shots coming back the other way.

Barao also rebuffed any attempts to keep the action along the cage or in the clinch. He took a few chances at some showy spinning kicks in the last few minutes of Round 5 but generally seemed content to ride out his wide decision.

A dejected Faber seemed resigned to his fate after the judges’ scores were read, telling Joe Rogan that Barao was simply too good at keeping his distance to land strikes. The “California Kid” also revealed that he thought he had a broken rib courtesy of a Barao knee early in the fight.

The fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome were restless at the end of the night, perhaps because they had seen just one finish on the pay-per-view portion of the card. That came during the opening bout, when Matt Riddle got Chris Clements to tap out to a slick standing arm triangle.

Riddle (7-4, 7-4 UFC) played into the strengths of Clements (11-5, 1-1 UFC) for portions of the first two rounds, showing no fear of striking with the striker. He even seemed to hurt Clements with a body kick in Round 1, but referee Josh Rosenthal believed it was low and gave the Canadian time to recover.

Though Clements found the range more often as the fight went on, his end came suddenly. After missing a spinning back fist – the same move that recently spelled disaster for Chael Sonnen in his rematch bid against Anderson Silva – he found his neck and arm caught as he turned around. All Riddle had to do was keep the hold locked in as he tripped Clements to the ground to earn the submission victory at 2:02 of Round 3.

There were precious few thrills during the other three main card bouts. In the co-feature, Tim Boetsch spoiled the long awaited octagon debut of Hector Lombard by grinding out a split decision win.

Known for his frenetic bursts of offense and well-rounded game during his time in Bellator, Lombard (31-3-1, 0-1 UFC) was strangely docile on Saturday. He was content to stand in front of Boetsch (16-4, 7-3 UFC), looking for a knockout shot that never came.

That worked out fine for “The Barbarian,” who saw his takedown attempts stuffed but kept busy with front kicks, leg kicks and punches. In the end, two judges preferred his higher work rate by 29-28 scores, with the third judge seeing it for Lombard by the same margin.

Heavyweight Shawn Jordan also turned in a disappointing performance. Seen as a potential rising star going into the show, the former LSU football player never got any offense going and ended up dropping a wide unanimous decision to the more experienced Cheick Kongo.

The crowd got behind Kongo (18-7-2, 11-5-1 UFC) even as he found himself repeatedly backed into the cage. He had trouble working his way out from the grasp of the bulkier Jordan (13-4, 1-1 UFC) in Round 1, but he enjoyed more and more success as the fight went on.

Kongo also landed more strikes, with Jordan almost completely ineffective in his stand-up attack. Jordan earned a single 10-10 round but was otherwise completely blanked on the scorecards, leaving him to regroup following his first loss in the octagon.

Brian Ebersole also tasted defeat for the first time in his UFC career, losing a close but somewhat lackluster split decision to James Head. He was never in trouble on the ground but also failed to make much of an impact on his feet, leaving the judges to give the nod to his more limited but more aggressive opponent.

True to his reputation, Ebersole (50-15-1, 4-1 UFC) flashed a thumbs up when Head (9-2, 2-1 UFC) attempted an early guillotine choke. Round 2 favored Ebersole in most of the striking exchanges, but the well-traveled veteran lost control of the fight in the final frame.

Head simply kept coming with punches and knees to the body that made up in quantity what they lacked in artistry. Boos rained down in the closing minutes – not for the only time during the night – but Head at least left with the satisfaction of having his hand raised in victory.

The fight that awaits Urijah Faber in the main event of UFC 149 on Saturday night in Calgary isn’t the one he’s been anticipating for so long. But if the “California Kid” isn’t on top of his game against Renan Barao, he may find a third fight against Dominick Cruz never comes to pass.

Four years ago, Faber (26-5, 2-1 in the UFC) was an MMA phenom, riding one of the longest undefeated streaks in the sport. He became a household name even in the pre-Zuffa WEC, and while his SoCal persona played a big part, it was his success in the cage that cemented it.

That experience also makes him uniquely qualified to appreciate Barao (28-1, 3-0 UFC) and his rapid rise to the top ranks of the sport. The 25-year old Brazilian hasn’t lost since his first professional fight, a run that includes all five of his WEC and UFC bouts.

Barao hasn’t shown any obvious holes in his game despite stepping up to face tougher competition. He gave Brad Pickett a close-up look at his submission skills by pulling off a rear naked choke in less than a round of action at UFC 138, and 13 of his 28 wins have come by tap out. He’s also shown quickness and power in his striking, making him a tough nut to crack.

The irony probably isn’t lost on Faber that very similar things were once said about him. Now he’ll have to hope that his new role as the grizzled veteran and the excellent form that he showed in taking apart Brian Bowles in his last outing will be enough for him to prove he’s not ready to move aside for the Next Big Thing just yet. His uncanny scrambling ability, wrestling skill and general unpredictability haven’t abandoned him as he’s moved into his 3os, giving him a chance to win any fight.

If Faber manages to defy the oddsmakers who have made Barao a narrow favorite, he’ll claim the UFC Interim Bantamweight Championship and likely go right back to waiting for his rubber match with the injured Cruz. A loss not only cedes both those prizes to Barao, it may also signal something unthinkable back in 2008 – that Faber is on the downside of his stellar career.

Four other fights will also be shown on the pay-per-view portion of the card, spanning three different UFC divisions:

Hector Lombard (31-2-1, UFC debut) vs. Tim Boetsch (15-4, 6-3 UFC) – Middleweight

It’s safe to say that Lombard is one of the most experienced and accomplished MMA fighters never to have graced the octagon. The Cuban Judoka is only in this spot because of an injury to Michael Bisping, but he’ll undoubtedly be looking to seize the moment and make a lasting first UFC impression.

Boetsch is a serious underdog, but three straight victories mean he could be a live one. If nothing else, you can’t count him out until the fight is officially won. Yushin Okami found that out the hard way at UFC 144, smacking Boetsch around in the early going only to find himself on the wrong end of a third-round KO.

Cheick Kongo (17-7-2, 10-5-1 UFC) vs. Shawn Jordan (13-3, 1-0 UFC) – Heavyweight

Similar to Barao, Jordan is seen by many as a rising star in his division. The big difference is that he has proven even less, though his TKO of Oli Thompson in his UFC debut was a good one.

He’ll get a test from Kongo, who always come to fight. Despite getting knocked out by Mark Hunt in his last trip to the octagon, Kongo’s kickboxing skills make him a threat, and he’ll have a height advantage to help put them to use.

Should Jordan manage to power his way past Kongo, he’ll be a compelling match-up for several top fighters in a heavyweight division that’s looking deeper all the time.

Brian Ebersole (50-14-1, 4-0 UFC) vs. James Head (8-2, 1-1 UFC) – Welterweight

Add Ebersole’s name to the list of those who are getting a shot due to someone else’s misfortune. In his case it was an injury to Claude Patrick that got him onto the main card, where he will look to stay perfect since joining the UFC. The well-traveled Ebersole has floated all over in weight while competing in numerous promotions, and that experience has him headed into this bout as a heavy favorite.

Head is used to that, as he was considered a significant underdog when he beat Papy Abedi in Sweden in April. The expectation is that he’d like to keep it standing since he came into MMA from a boxing background, but truthfully he might be at a disadvantage against the savvy Ebersole anywhere the fight goes.

Chris Clements (11-4, 1-0 UFC) vs. Matt Riddle (6-3, 6-3 UFC) – Welterweight

Neither of these men were originally on the UFC 149 main card, but they’ll look to take advantage of the opportunity they have against each other. Clements squeaked by Keith Wisniewski by split decision in his UFC debut, but his history suggests that he not be taken lightly as a striker thanks to a number of TKO victories on his resume.

Riddle is something of a polar opposite, as he first entered the UFC through the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter and hasn’t fought professionally outside the octagon. He comes from a wrestling base that would appear to be his best road to a win here, but don’t be surprised if he attempts to prove his mettle by standing and exchanging strikes with Clements instead.

As the new Strikeforce welterweight champion Marquardt reaches yet another milestone in his illustrious career. As a former UFC contender, however, speculation will almost certainly center on potential match-ups against the UFC’s stacked welterweight division. Marquardt’s caliber is evident, but as a welterweight debutant, he has more to show in order to lay claim to the UFC’s best.

1. Georges St. Pierre (UFC welterweight champion)
Injury has kept the champion off the shelf for over a year, and under other circumstances the champion’s rank would likely drop, but “GSP” is one of the greatest fighters in history and still has big fights ahead of him at only 31 years of age.

2. Carlos Condit (UFC interim welterweight champion)
Condit had a smart game plan and out-pointed Nick Diaz to claim the interim-championship. While plenty of other contenders loom, “The Natural Born Killer” is biding his time to unify the belts against the incomparable St. Pierre.

3. Nick Diaz
Diaz’s one-year marijuana related suspension seems a bit ridiculous, but perhaps all that waiting will make it much more exciting to see the welterweight division’s bad boy return to action.

4. Martin Kampmann
The veteran scored the biggest knockout of his career by putting away Ellenberger, and with wins over the likes of Condit and other top fighters, he is one of the most accomplished and exciting fighters in the division.

5. Johny Hendricks
With huge back to back wins over stalwarts Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, Hendricks has already made his case for top contendership. He will face Kampmann in a true title eliminator later this year.

6. Josh Koshcheck
One of the original prototypes for modern wrestlers with advanced striking prowess, Koscheck has one of the most extended stays among the top of the division.

7. Jake Ellenberger
He is arguably the hardest hitter in the division and he should learn from the first knockout loss of his impressive career and come back even stronger.

8. Jon Fitch
Fitch seemed a bit more aggressive and was caught on the button just 12 seconds into his fight with Hendricks. The former title challenger has unfortunately been recently frustrated by injury.

9. Diego Sanchez
Sanchez can scrap with the best in the world and he has an intensity dial that goes to 11. Whoever he fights, fans should be excited when Sanchez steps into the octagon.

10. TIE. Rory MacDonald and Nate Marquardt (Strikeforce welterweight champion)
MacDonald is a young prodigy and Marquardt is an invigorated veteran. Both are coming off of vicious victories over respectable competition and could very well be moving up in the next half year.

Munoz is good sized middleweight and former division 1 NCAA champion yet he had nothing for former division 1 NCAA all-american Weidman in the first round when the fight took to the mat. Weidman smothered Munoz and threatened with arm-locks, chokes, and ground strikes.

In the second round, Weidman timed a perfect counter-elbow to Munoz’s overhand right. Munoz was visibly stunned while Weidman kept hammering away with his foe collapsing to the ground and being rendered bloody and helpless.

With the emphatic and dramatic victory, many, including the FUEL TV commentary staff, are calling for Weidman as the next challenger to Anderson Silva’s middleweight throne. Although certainly warranted, Weidman will likely have to wait a little bit to see how the increasingly interesting middleweight division shakes out.

1. Anderson Silva UFC Middleweight Champion

The longest reigning champion in UFC history has still shown somewhat of a vulnerability to powerful grapplers but that has not stopped him from nearly incomprehensible dominance over the years.

2. Chael Sonnen UFC  Middleweight Competitor

It is unclear where Sonnen goes after his loss to Silva at UFC 148.

3. Vitor Belfort Former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion and Former Middleweight Title Challenger

Injury forced Belfort out of his match against rival Wanderlei Silva and his next matchup should also be a major one.

4. Chris Weidman

Weidman has looked unstoppable in his 9-0 career and could very well be emerging as the division’s preeminent fighter.

5. Michael Bisping

Many thought the decision could have gone his way but the judges ultimately favored Sonnen in Bisping’s last bout. Bisping has been building up for a long time and is now ready to stake claim to a title shot.

6. Hector Lombard

Lombard has accrued a ridiculous record fighting outside of the UFC but the former Bellator champ has now signed with the world’s biggest promotion and will immediately get a stiff test against Tim Boetsch at UFC 149.

7. Luke Rockhold Strikeforce Middleweight Champion

There is certainly a bright future for the Strikeforce champ, but by not competing in the UFC it may be difficult for Rockhold to keep his ranking.

8. Alan Belcher

Belcher has looked dominant in his last few fights and is now firmly established as one of the top fighters in the division.

9. Mark Munoz

Munoz did not appear to have much to offer Weidman but Munoz’s UFC middleweight record still speaks volumes.

10.  TIE. Brian Stann and Tim Boetsch.

Two former light heavyweights who have discovered new success as powerful middleweights.

Of course, if he takes a cue from his friend and stablemate Dan Henderson, anything is possible. The legendary Henderson is 41-years old and re-enters the top 10 p4p rankings ahead of his confrontation with Jon Jones.

1. Anderson Silva UFC Middleweight Champion

With his second round destruction of Sonnen, arguments against Silva being the greatest of all time are becoming increasingly weak.

2. Jon Jones UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion

The youngest champion in UFC history has already accomplished so much. Before speculation soars as to his next move, Jones must first take on the living legend with dynamite in his right hand- Dan Henderson

3. Georges St. Pierre UFC Welterweight Champion

In a sport that revolves around a “what have you done for me lately” mentality, GSP sees his stock slip a little due to injury and time between title defenses. The long time dominant champion plans to return later this year against interim-champion, Carlos Condit.

4. Jose Aldo UFC Featherweight Champion

Since winning the WEC featherweight championship (which became the UFC championship), Jose Aldo has defended his title five times (three in the UFC). He is a phenom with destructive finishing talents. He is only 25 years old and we will be excited to watch him perform against an increasingly interesting division for a number of years.

5. Junior Dos Santos UFC Heavyweight Champion

The heavyweight champ of the world took care of business against former champion Frank Mir and will now look to defend against the man whom he took the belt from- a now surging Cain Velasquez.

6. Dominick Cruz UFC Bantamweight Champion

Having defended the bantamweight title four times, Cruz has already accomplished so much. Injury has sidelined him but he is still the division’s top dog.

7. Benson Henderson UFC Lightweight Champion

After mowing down established contenders in Jim Miller and Clay Guida, Henderson fought a tactful yet furious fight to win the belt from previously ranked #4 p4p fighter, Frankie Edgar. Henderson must now perform again against the rematch savvy Edgar.

8. Frankie Edgar former UFC Lightweight Champion

The loss against Henderson was tough for Edgar to swallow but he will get his chance at revenge. As a small fighter for the division, however, many are calling for Edgar to eventually drop weight and challenge Jose Aldo at featherweight.

9.Carlos Condit UFC Interim Welterweight Champion

His decision over notorious bad boy Nick Diaz was not the most convincing but there is little doubt that the interim champion has earned his status as one of the sport’s premiere fighters. His upcoming fight against St. Pierre will prove to be a monumental event.

10. TIE. Dan Henderson  Former Pride two-division champion and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion/Rashad Evans Former UFC light heavyweight Champion

They are also tied with each other at the #2 spot for their divisional rankings. Evans recently fought champion Jones and he was the first man to take him to a decision since Stephan Bonnar in January of 2009. Henderson is coming off of a series of a tremendous high profile victories and will now get his crack at the young phenom.

Although Menjivar should not slip far down the rankings, the win certainly puts Easton in the UFC bantamweight title picture. 

1. Dominick Cruz
He may be out due to injury but he is still the top dog until proven otherwise.

2. Urijah Faber
Fights Renan Barao for the UFC interim championship.

3. Renan Barao
The fight against Faber should certainly be his stiffest test to date.

4. Brian Bowles
The former champ is in need of a rebound after losing to Faber.

5. Michael McDonald
A young phenom with devastating power in his hands.

6. Eddie Wineland
Re-enters the rankings after an excellent fight.

7. Brad Pickett
Looks to make it two in a row when he faces Yves Jabouin in September.

8. Eduardo Dantes
Showed incredible ability in stopping Zach Makovsky.

9. Bibiano Fernandes
The former DREAM champ will likely fight for ONE FC next but will need top competition or particularly impressive performances to keep his ranking.

10. Mike Easton
Eight straight victories and a decision over Menjivar puts Easton as one of the UFC’s top bantamweight contenders.

Much like his big victories over Dan Henderson and Yushin Okami, Silva came back in to the second round and was ready to take over. The champion did grab the shorts of his opponent in the clinch but it was not significant enough to warrant a penalty or a break in the action from referee Yves Lavign. After Silva starting to land a couple shots, Sonnen appeared desperate to reassert himself and his game plan. Sonnen came in strong with a lunging punch tailed by a big spinning back fist. The back fist missed its mark and Sonnen spun around and stumbled to the ground under the weight of his own momentum, pressure, and fatigue. From there, Anderson would not let Chael off the hook.

Silva lunged in with a devastating knee to his grounded opponent. It was a strike that initially looked like it might have been illegal, but replays showed a clear legal strike to the chest. Sonnen tried to recover, and regained his footing momentarily, but Silva’s onslaught was simply too much. Silva kept punching away and Sonnen started curling into the fetal position, prompting Yves Lavigne to step in and call an end to the fight.

In a career full of tremendous championship victories, this one has to stand out as being especially sweet for Silva. For starters, Sonnen is easily considered Silva’s biggest rival. Not only is he good enough to be ranked #2 at that weight division, Sonnen happens to also be probably the worst stylistic match-up for Silva. So Silva was able to come out on top again against his biggest rival and he did so in what many UFC officials are regarding as the biggest event in company history.

At the post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White reitterated his conviction that Silva has established himself as the best mixed martial artist in the history of the sport. The best of all time. Fans will always be happy to share a dissenting opinion, but from the opinion of journalists, or any other with a pretense of objectivism, it is a claim that has now become near impossible to dispute.

Anderson Silva destroys world-class competition in the biggest fighting events in the world. He is a spectacular and rare talent who not only dazzles in his performances but has been able to further his greatness by extending his UFC records of total and consecutive title defenses (10) and consecutive UFC victories (15).

It doesn’t always work out that way, of course, but that’s not dampening any of the anticipation for the UFC Middleweight Championship rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen that will close the show Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. If anything, the public’s appetite for the bout has only grown as the war of words between the two fighters has intensified leading up to fight night.

This level of trash talk is nothing new for Sonnen (27-11-1, 6-4 in the UFC), perhaps the most quotable current competitor in any of the combat sports. Bringing a professional wrestler’s flair for showmanship to the octagon, the 35-year old American is a master at both selling his fights and getting under the skin of the opponents.

He certainly seems to have done the latter to Silva (31-4, 14-0 UFC), as the long-reigning Brazilian champion has often exuded a zen-like calm before some of his previous title defenses. This time, though, the “Spider” has unleashed some verbal venom of his own. Angered by what  he regards as disrespectful remarks Sonnen made toward his country and his wife, Silva promised last week to break a number of his foe’s body parts in an uncharacteristically emotional outburst.

Suckering the champ into the pre-fight sparring might give Sonnen a mental edge. Almost lost in the shuffle is the fact that he appeared to have a physical one during the first fight. Sonnen was able to take down Silva nearly at will, controlling a large majority of the action with his ground-based attack.

It was almost unimaginable to see Silva fighting for his life, as he’d had so few nervous moments during most of his UFC career. But in a moment of true drama, Sonnen made a mistake while working his ground-and-pound in the final round, and it was just enough for Silva to pull off a triangle armbar to salvage a victory from what was surely destined to be a loss.

The rematch has been put on hold several times, first by Sonnen’s suspension for elevated levels of testosterone, then by the UFC’s inability to put the fight on in Brazil at UFC 147. Whether Silva learns from being beaten up or Sonnen follows the same script from the initial meeting and simply rewrites the final chapter, it’s hard to imagine that fans won’t be talking about this rematch for some time to come.

The rest of Saturday’s main card has gone through its share of twists and turns—most notably when it lost another highly personal grudge match between UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and arch-rival Urijah Faber—before finally settling into the following five bouts:

Forrest Griffin (18-7, 9-5 UFC) vs. Tito Ortiz (16-10-1, 15-10-1 UFC) – Light Heavyweight

Few fighters are as synonymous with the UFC brand as Ortiz, who made his debut 15 years ago at UFC 13. The “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” is calling it a career after this fight, probably with justification since he’s won just once in his last seven outings.  Ortiz will get his deserved induction into the UFC Hall of Fame earlier in the day on Saturday.

It’s tough to say whether he’ll have a real chance to go out with a win against Griffin. Like Ortiz, Griffin is a former light heavyweight champ, but he’s been maddeningly inconsistent over the past few years. He barely beat Ortiz in their second fight after losing the first meeting, so the fact that he enters the rubber match as a heavy favorite speaks more to how may people think Ortiz is shot than anything else.

Regardless, with one man looking to give a lasting final impression and the other attempting to regain his relevancy, odds are this should be an entertaining scrap.

Cung Le (7-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Patrick Cote (17-7, 4-6 UFC) – Middleweight

Le was originally slated to face Rich Franklin until “Ace” was summoned to take the place of the injured Vitor Belfort in the main event of UFC 147. Ironically, Franklin ended up beating Wanderlei Silva—the same man who defeated Le in his lone UFC appearance to date.

He’ll try to right the ship by pitting his flashy striking arsenal against Cote, who returns to the octagon for the first time since October 2010. The Canadian fought in several promotions while he was away, winning all four of his fights.

Both men like to keep things standing, making this is a potentially explosive match-up. If no one can end it early, one thing to watch will be whether the 40-year old Le fades late as he’s done at times in the past.

Dong Hyun Kim (15-1-1, 6-1 UFC) vs. Demian Maia (15-4, 9-4 UFC) – Middleweight

It’s starting to seem like a lifetime ago when Maia struck fear into his opponents with his top flight submission game. He’s made his first five UFC opponents tap out (including Sonnen at UFC 95), but people appear to have figured him out, as he’s gone more than three years without a finish.

He could be up against it facing Kim, who has the strength and skill to make his judo-based attack very effective. The “Stun Gun” is also in the middle of a lengthy streak of decisions, so all point to the judges deciding the outcome here. Although the ground-work could prove dynamic, frankly, I’m not expecting Fight of the Night in this one.

Chad Mendes (11-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Cody McKenzie (13-2, 2-2 UFC) – Featherweight

Mendes used his powerful wrestling to rise quickly through the bantamweight ranks, but he never got a chance to put his grappling skills to use before Jose Aldo knocked him silly with a knee at UFC 142. The Team Alpha Male product is a huge favorite as he looks to bounce back  from his first career loss.

He’ll have to do it against a guy who lives and dies by submissions. McKenzie has his very own choke named after him, and he used it to run through everyone he faced before joining the UFC. He’s had mixed success in the octagon, but he’s dangerous enough from the bottom that even the high-ranking Mendes will have to be wary.

Ivan Menjivar (24-8, 3-1 UFC) vs. Mike Easton (12-1, 2-0 UFC) – Bantamweight

Even though both men have had to deal with changes in opponents, they may make out okay. The winner of this fight is likely to be right at the top of the list of bantamweight title contenders, and since both are riding some momentum, a victory on Saturday will only make for a stronger case.

Menjivar is well-rounded and is 3-0 during his current UFC stint. Easton has an unusual Tae Kwon Do/BJJ skill set and can match his opponent’s versatility. This looks like  the toss-up oddsmakers expect it to be, and no outcome will be a true shocker.

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After a long injury lay-off from a decision loss against former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, former middleweight champion Rich Franklin returned to form by defeating fellow legend Wanderlei Silva in the UFC 147 headliner in Brazil.

Franklin and Silva had met before, in Germany, and Franklin walked away with the narrow decision victory. Unlike that battle, this war took place over the course of 5 rounds. While that gives Franklin the time to stay ahead using angles and a reach advantage, it also gives Silva more time to find an opportunity to swarm- and swarm he did.

Near the end of the second round Silva landed a big right hand to the chin of Franklin that dropped Franklin hard. Franklin recovered quickly, but Silva was all over him. The punishment was piling up, and the ref nearly stopped the fight, but Franklin was essentially saved by the bell.

The time in between rounds served Franklin well as he came back into the third round looking much better. Silva, unfortunately, seemed noticeably slower after the exhausting onslaught. But despite the slightly slowed step, Silva was in the fight for every second, always threatening with big punches.

At the end of the fight it was clear that both legends still have plenty of fight left in them and Franklin vocalized his desire to make one last title run in the middleweight division.

Yahoo/Getty

Hatsu Hioki turned down a title fight against featherweight champ Jose Aldo in order to develop with more fights inside the UFC octagon. Turns out he really needs that opportunity to learn more than he might have originally realized.

After Hioki took the first round with top control, Lamas took control in the latter rounds with diverse striking and excruciatingly close guillotine choke attempts. Hioki showed resilience and poise in escaping the chokes, but the Lamas offense was ultimately too much for Hioki to overcome.

Hioki clearly remains one of the division’s top fighters but the loss shows the true depth of the division. Also approaching the rankings are Charles Oliveira and recent foes of Lamas in Cub Swanson and Yuri Alcantara. Expect the shake-ups to continue.

1. Jose Aldo – UFC featherweight champion

2. Chad Mendes – Former UFC title challenger

3. Pat Curran – Bellator featherweight champion

4. Chan Sung Jung – UFC contender

5. Patricio Freire – Bellator tournament winner

6.  Erik Koch – UFC contender

7. Ricardo Lamas – UFC contender

8. Hatsu Hioki – UFC contender

9. Dustin Poirier – UFC contender

10. Daniel Straus – Bellator tournament winner