Who do you think the pound-for-pound NON-UFC fighters are?
Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts
By NICK MEYER • FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER • February 2, 2009

With so many strong young fighters filtering into the world of mixed martial arts and the UFC from so many different countries, figuring out who the best fighters are regardless of weight class has become a hotly debated topic for fans.
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Here are my rankings of the top ten pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts today:

1. Fedor Emelianenko (29-1 MMA record)-

“The Last Emperor” proved he’s still the most devastating fighter on the planet by knocking out former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in his Affliction: Day of Reckoning fight.

2. Georges St-Pierre (18-2)-

The UFC welterweight champion jumps up over middleweight champion Anderson Silva on the strength of his dominant win over B.J. Penn and his phenomenal wrestling skills.

3. Anderson Silva (23-4)-

His upcoming fight with Thales Leites at UFC 97 doesn’t seem like a worthy challenge for Silva, but the only one left for Silva to tackle might be against St-Pierre.

4. Rashad Evans (13-0-1)-

The former Michigan State wrestler will likely be an underdog if he defends his UFC light heavyweight title against Lyoto Machida, but Evans thrives in that role.

5. Lyoto Machida (14-0)-

The Brazilian light heavyweight contender has proven that karate (Shotokan to be exact) is not only a viable UFC fighting style but that it can be the most potent martial art in all of MMA.

6. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (29-7)-

Jackson vs. Evans would have been a phenomenal light heavyweight title fight. Instead, Jackson gets a UFC 96 bout with Keith Jardine that is basically a tune-up for the Machida-Evans winner.

7. B.J. Penn (13-5-1)-

There’s no shame in losing to St-Pierre, but Penn barely got a punch in. Penn still rules the UFC’s lightweight division, however.

8. Kenny Florian (11-3)-

On a six-fight UFC win streak, Florian’s kickboxing and submission skills have evolved to the point where they’re among the best in mixed martial arts.

9. Jon Fitch (18-3)-

Another underrated UFC fighter like Florian, this welterweight’s five-round title fight loss to St-Pierre at UFC 87 looks a lot more impressive now.

10. Miguel Torres (35-1)-

The bantamweight champion of the WEC justifiably faces questions about the quality of his opposition, but there’s no questioning his diverse talents.