Disclaimer:This poll is not scientific and reflects the opinions of only those mixed martial artists who have chosen to participate. The MMA Authority at MMAPower.com does not promote the use of this information for any factual purposes and can not be deemed responsible for any inaccuracies in the results.

Updated January 1, 2010

	#1   Fedor Emelianenko Description: Fedor has been called the “Best Heavyweight Fighter In The World” by a host of media outlets. In recent fights, he has ripped through former UFC champions Sylvia and Alrovski solidifying his ranking. Fedor's recent decapitation of Brett Rogers on CBS was proof to mainstream what most MMA hardcores already knew, Fedor is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
	#2   Brock Lesnar Description: Lesnar jumped up our ranks with three consecutive notable wins over Herring, Couture and Mir. With his tremendous size and athleticism, Brock has been a quick-study of MMA propeling him to the UFC title. He is currently also ranked the #2 by MMAWeekly.com. Lesnar's trainer stated he has been recovering from diverticulitis and will resume training before June 2010.
	#3   Frank Mir Description: It has been a roller coaster ride for Frank Mir. An impressive win over a less than 100% Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira was followed with a devestating loss to Lesnar. He followed the loss to Lesnar by ripping thru Cheick Kong. He is a two-time former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Mir is currently ranked the #3 heavyweight in the world by Sherdog holding a 13-4 MMA record.
	#4   Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Description: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, aka "Minotauro", is the first fighter to hold both the UFC and PRIDE FC Heavyweight Championships. His recent victory over Randy Couture displayed NOG has plenty left in his gas tank. He holds notable wins over Sylvia, Henderson, Kharitonov, Coleman, Overeem, Rodriguez, Filipovic, Horn, Barnett, Herring, Werdum, Schilt, Sapp and Couture.
	#5   Cain Velasquez Description: Cain is a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Arizona State and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa Central Community College. Velasquez improved his perfect record to 7–0 after defeating Ben Rothwell at UFC 104 with a TKO at 0:58 of Round 2. A bout between Velasquez and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is scheduled to take place on February 21, 2010 at UFC 110.

	#1   Lyoto Machida Description: Machida is the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion who holds notable wins over Tito Ortiz, BJ Penn and Rich Franklin. His impressive knockout of Rashad Evans at UFC 98 put Lyoto at the top of our MP rankings, but he followed that with a controversial decision victory over Mauricio Rua to retain the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
	#2   Mauricio Rua Description: Rua is the winner of the PRIDE Fighting Championship's 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix and holds notable wins over such fighters as Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Alistair Overeem(twice), Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. He is currently ranked as the #2 light heavyweight fighter in the world by Serdog.com, as well as here at MP.
	#3   Gegard Mousasi Description: Mousasi holds an impressive 28-2-1 MMA record and is currently on a 13 fight win streak. Gegard easily disposed of Babalu Sobral to capture the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship. He followed that win the destructions of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Gary Goodridge, solidifying Mousasi as a legitimate top 205er.
	#4   Quinton Jackson Description: Jackson is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion who unified the UFC Light Heavyweight and the Pride FC Middleweight Championships. A win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 91 solidified Rampage as a top contender. But a recent hiatus from his fight career to pursue acting has hurt Page's ranking on our list.
	#5   Rashad Evans Description: Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2 and is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. A recent loss to Machida at UFC 98 brings more skepticism to his ranking status, but he holds notable wins over Liddell and Griffin. Sugar's upcoming fight with Thiago Silva will be a make-or-break fight for Evans as a Top 5 fighter.

	#1   Anderson Silva Description: Is Silva unbeatable? There are no fighters that deserve that moniker. He is human. However, you've got to admit that Silva has been looking pretty close to unbeatable since coming to the UFC. Silva could possibly be the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. If you exclude Fedor Emelianenko from the debate, we would have to agree.
	#2   Dan Henderson Description: Hendo is the only mixed martial artist to concurrently hold two titles in two different weight classes in a major MMA promotion. He is also the UFC 17 middleweight and Pride 2005 welterweight tournament champion. Hendo recently signed a four-fight, 16-month deal with Strikeforce. He could debut for Strikeforce as early as April and face middleweight champion Jake Shields.
	#3   Vitor Belfort Description: Vitor is the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament Champion, a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and the last Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Champion. Vitor recently returned to the UFC. His first match was against Rich Franklin at a catchweight of 195 lbs, headlining UFC 103, which he won via KO three minutes and two seconds into the first round.
	#4   Nathan Marquardt Description: Nate "The Great" Marquardt is a seven-time middleweight King of Pancrase Champion. Nate has won 10 of his last 12 fights. Marquardt's annihilation of submission specialist Demian Maia at UFC 102 solidifies Nate in our top 5 list. Marquardt was expected to face Chael Sonnen on February 21, 2010 at UFC 110, but the bout has been moved up to February 6, 2010 at UFC 109.
	#5   Jake Shields Description: Jake was an Elite XC Welterweight Champion and former Shooto World Champion, and now is the current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. Fighting out of the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu camp makes Jake a tough opponent for anyone. Jake has ripped off 3 impressive wins over Paul Daley, Robbie Lawler, and Jason Miller. A possible showdon with Hendo will put Jake to the test.

	#1   Georges St. Pierre Description: UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre is widely recognized as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Consecutive dominations of Penn and Alves solidifies his status in the pound-for-pound rankings. What's left for GSP at 170? An upcoming title defense against UK's Dan Hardy should be another walk in the park for the 170 pound king.
	#2   Jon Fitch Description: Fitch sports an overall MMA record of 21-3. To put things in perspective, let's rundown a list of some of the fighters he's defeated: Thiago Alves, Brock Larson, Luigi Fioravanti, Roan Carneiro, Diego Sanchez, Akihiro Gono, and Paulo Thiago. A rumored rematch with Thiago Alves is in the works and has the potential to shake things up in the MP Top 5.
	#3   Thiago Alves Description: Alves ripped off impresive wins over Lytle, Parisyan, Hughes and Koscheck. But he followed that impressive run with a disapointing lop-sided loss to GSP, dropping Alves down a spot from 2 to 3 on our list. Alves has been inactive since that loss back in July of 2009, but will look to move back into a contender seat with his opportunity at UFC 111 taking on Fitch.
	#4   Josh Koscheck Description: Kos made his debut with the UFC on the first season of the reality television show, The Ultimate Fighter. He is often ranked among the top ten welterweights in the world by leading mixed martial arts publications. MMA Weekly currently ranks Koscheck at No. 3, while Sherdog has him at No. 5. His recent stoppage of Anthony Johnson catapults him into MP's Top 5 at #4.
	#5   Matt Hughes Description: Hughes is the 9-time World Welterweight Champion of the UFC. With a record of 43-7, he has proven time and time again that 'a country boy can survive'. Hughes is all but a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame. UFC president Dana White said he anticipates an early 2010 return for the 11-year veteran. Hughes is expected to face Renzo Gracie on April 10, 2010 at UFC 112.

	#1   BJ Penn Description: "The Prodigy" is the clear cut #1 simply because when the name B.J. Penn enters the conversation, one thing is abundantly clear, he's a freak of nature. Penn choked out Kenny Florian at UFC 101 and then smashed Diego Sanchez at UFC 107 to remain the cream of the crop at 155.
	#2   Shinya Aoki Description: Aoki is the current Shooto Middleweight Champion. Recent impressive wins over Ribeiro and Hirota has Aoki ranked #2 on our Top 5 list. A rumored showdown with Gilbert Melendez in a near future Strikeforce clash looms on the horizon for Aoki and poses his stiffest test in recent years.
	#3   Gilbert Melendez Description: Gil recently raised his overall MMA record to 17-2 with a dominating TKO victory over Mitsuhiro Ishida, followed by a unanimous decision victory over Josh Thompson capturing the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship. Gil has now avenged both of his losses in MMA.
	#4   Tatsuya Kawajiri Description: Crusher was a Shooto Welterweight Champion, and currently is competing in Dream's elite lightweight division. He holds wins over Edwards, Cavalcante and Ribeiro from whom he captured the Shooto Championship Belt. Most recently Kawajiri pounded his way to a unanimous decision victory over Yokota at K-1's Dynamite NYE event.
	#5   Frank Edgar Description: Frankie is one of the hottest lightweight fighters in the world right now. After losing to Gray Maynard back in April of 2008, Frankie has run off 3 straight impressive wins over Franca, Sherk and Veech moving his overall MMA record to 11-1. According to Franklin McNeil, Edgar has a more then 50% chance of being the next guy in line to fight B.J. Penn for the UFC title.