The UFC currently has seven weight classes with seven title champions and a host of big-name contenders looking to win strike, wrestle and submit their way to the top. It’s time to evaluate the UFC champions and the contenders.

Heavyweight (265 lbs.)

Champion: Cain Velasquez (zero title defences)

Velasquez seized the title from UFC megastar, Brock Lesnar last October at UFC 121 with a dominant first round TKO.

The win pushed Velasquez to 9-0 in his career with only one bout having gone to decision. He has been out with injury since that victory but will make the first defence of his title against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 139 on November 19th.

Contenders

Junior Dos Santos is the current number one contender in the division. He is currently riding a seven fight win streak in the UFC having scored victories over Shane Carwin, Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum.

Former champions in Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar are the next in line. Mir has held UFC gold twice in his career and has back to back victories over Roy Nelson and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

Lesnar defended his heavyweight championship twice against Frank Mir and Shane Carwin before being dethroned by Velasquez back in November. He was set to face Junior Dos Santos for the next title shot but a return of his diverticultis ruled him out of the bout and there has been no date set for his return.

Brendan Schaub will get a chance to stake his claim for contendership at UFC 134 in two weeks when he faces former interim champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Dave Herman and Matt Mitrione are also fighters to watch in the division.

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.)

Champion: Jon Jones (zero title defences)

Jones burst onto the scene in 2008 with an unorthodox attack and ridiculous strength, speed and wrestling skills. He quickly rose up the rankings and in March this year he replaced Rashad Evans on short notice to face champ, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Jones destroyed Shogun over three rounds to become the youngest UFC champion ever. He will make his first defence of his belt against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson on September 24th at UFC 135.

Contenders

Rampage is technically the No.1 contender to the title as he will be facing Jones next. He has posted victories over Matt Hamill and former champion, Lyoto Machida in his last two bouts.

Former champion, Rashad Evans will face the winner of the Jones/Rampage clash at a future date having re-established himself as next in line with a brutal stoppage of Tito Ortiz in his last outing.

Interestingly enough, Evans should be the one facing Jones next having beaten Rampage in May of last year. Injuries and scheduling mishaps resulted in Rampage getting the shot however.

Following Evans, there is a trio of former champions itching to get back into the title race including Machida, Shogun and Forrest Griffin. The latter two will face each other for the second time at UFC 134.

Uber-prospect Phil Davis is also surging into contention as well.

Middleweight (185 lbs.)

Champion: Anderson Silva (eight title defences)

Silva’s UFC debut was a 49-second knockout of Chris Leben. The KO was so stunning that Silva was given an immediate title shot against champion, Rich Franklin at UFC 64 in October, 2006.

It took Silva an extra two minutes and 10 seconds but he achieved the same result against Franklin to take the title and hasn’t let go of it since.

He will look to stretch his record breaking UFC streaks of wins and title defences to 13 and nine respectively at UFC 134 when he meets the last man to beat him, Yushin Okami.

Contenders

Yushin Okami has been the quiet achiever in the UFC’s middleweight division. He owns a 10-2 record in the UFC with his losses being to former champion, Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen.

He is also the only fighter on the UFC’s roster that owns a victory over Silva, having beaten him via disqualification (after being illegally kneed in the head) outside the UFC back in 2006.

He will enter the title bout with a three fight win streak that includes wins over Nate Marquardt and Mark Munoz.

The next contender will most likely come from the UFC 136 bout between the UFC’s trash talking king, Chael Sonnen and American war hero, Brian Stann.

Sonnen launched an unprecedented verbal attack against Anderson Silva last year that ended with him almost the champion’s title only to fall at the last hurdle when he was submitted with a triangle choke at the 3:10 mark of the fifth round after having dominated the bout.

Stann has rocketed up the rankings in recent times with demolitions over highly ranked opponents, Jorge Santiago and Chris Leben.

Michael Bisping versus Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Mark Munoz versus Chris Leben will establish a further pecking order in the division while former title challenger, Vitor Belfort has made waves again after starching Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133.

Welterweight (170 lbs.)

Champion: Georges St. Pierre (GSP) (six title defences)

GSP captured the welterweight title for the second time in 2008 when he laid a beating to the man that originally dethroned him, Matt Serra.

Since then GSP has barely raised a sweat in defending his title even though being faced with the division’s elite in Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Josh Koscheck and Jake Shields. He has however, been criticised in recent time for playing it too safe.

He will have a hard time doing that in his next outing though when he meets the scrappy and tireless Nick Diaz at UFC 137 on October 29.

Contenders

Diaz earned his promotion to the UFC’s top contender through a combination of his amazing performances as Strikeforce welterweight champion and GSP having cleared out the division.

Diaz has shown exhilarating offence on both the ground and the feet in his Strikeforce tenure and is tailor made to force GSP to do more than just coast.

Carlos Condit could very well be in line after Diaz if he can defeat former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, BJ Penn at UFC 137 in what should be an absolute barnburner.

Jon Fitch is currently on a six fight unbeaten streak and is 13-1-1 inside the UFC. While his record should warrant him another shot at GSP’s title his non fan-friendly fighting style has left him on the outs with UFC management.

22-year old, Rory MacDonald is also on the rise in the division while Jake Shields and Jake Ellenberger will meet in September to further establish the divisions pecking order.

Lightweight (155 lbs.)

Champion: Frankie Edgar (two title defences)

Edgar was the biggest surprise of last year as he defeated longstanding lightweight champion, BJ Penn in dubious fashion at UFC 112 and then backed it up with a completely dominating performance over Penn again at UFC 118.

Even though one of the division’s smaller fighters, Edgar has used his speed to befuddle his heavier opponents. At the start of this year he looked to avenge the lone loss on his record when he met Gray Maynard at UFC 125.

What ensued was a fight of the year contender that saw Edgar rebound from a disastrous first round to notch three of the next four rounds and eke out a split draw. He will meet Maynard for the third time at UFC 136 on October 8.

Contenders

Maynard earned top contender status with eight straight UFC victories that included wins over Kenny Florian, Jim Miller, Dennis Siver and Edgar.

Close to the biggest lightweight in the division, Maynard uses his stifling wrestling game and developing boxing to stifle his opponents.

After the Edgar/Maynard trilogy concludes, the next contender will possibly be decided this Monday when Jim Miller meets former WEC champion, Ben Henderson at UFC Live 5.

Miller has notched seven straight UFC wins and his only two career losses have come to both Maynard and Edgar.

It’s doubtful that Henderson will receive a title shot with a victory over Miller but a win will definitely put him on the shortlist of contenders.

Also on that shortlist are Melvin Guillard and Clay Guida. Guillard has bludgeoned his way up the lightweight ranks with brutal stoppages of Shane Roller and Evan Dunham.

He is next scheduled to meet Joe Lauzon at UFC 136. Guida has used his suffocating wrestling and endless gas tank to post a four-fight win streak. His next opponent is unknown.

Featherweight (145 lbs.)

Champion: Jose Aldo (four title defences)

Aldo honed his violent craft in the World Extreme Cagefighting organization with five awe-inspiring knockouts that earned him a shot at Mike Brown’s WEC featherweight title. Aldo captured the title easily with a second round TKO.

Defences over Urijah Faber and Manny Gamburyan followed before the WEC was absorbed into the UFC and his WEC title became a UFC one.

In his UFC debut he scored an entertaining five round decision over Mark Hominick that saw him turn his Canadian opponent into the Elephant Man. He will meet Kenny Florian in his fifth title defence at UFC 136 on October 136.

Contenders

Florian made the drop to the featherweight division after losing his bid for a third shot at the lightweight title when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Gray Maynard.

In his featherweight debut he bested the highly touted, Diego Nunes by unanimous decision in an entertaining battle. The Nunes victory and Florian’s high profile as a former lightweight contender earn him top contender status in the division.

Chad Mendes appeared to cement his position as next in line with a unanimous decision win over Rani Yahya at UFC 133. The win upped his record to an unblemished 11-0.

Japanese standout, Hatsu Hioki is considered the second best featherweight in the world and he will make his UFC debut against George Roop at UFC 137.

The Japanese submission specialist holds notable career victories over Mark Hominick (twice) and Marlon Sandro.

Former UFC lightweight, Tyson Griffin and Erik Koch are also making waves in the division.

Bantamweight (135 lbs.)

Champion: Dominick Cruz (three title defences)

Cruz dropped down to bantamweight in 2008 and it has shown immediate results as he rose up the WEC ranks to claim the WEC bantamweight title with a TKO victory over Brian Bowles.

He followed that win with two title defences over Joseph Benavidez and Scott Jorgensen inside the WEC.

His WEC title was promoted to a UFC belt after the assimilation of the WEC and he made his UFC debut with an exciting five round decision over Urijah Faber at UFC 132.

He next defence is scheduled for October 1 where he will take on dynamo, Demetrious Johnson at UFC Live 6.

Contenders

Johnson is one of the smaller bantamweights in the division, but similar to lightweight kingpin, Frankie Edgar, he has overcome that with his speed.

Wins over former WEC champ, Miguel Torres and Japanese standout, Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto have propelled him to top contender status.

Former Cruz victims, Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles will meet at UFC 139 to decide the next challenger to the bantamweight crown.

Former WEC title contender, Joseph Benavidez will look to prove he deserves a third crack at Cruz when he meets Eddie Wineland on Monday while Englishman Brad Pickett will look to re-establish himself at UFC 138 when he takes on 26-1, Renan Barao.