TOP 10 BOXER

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Evans

10. Rashad Evans
Points: 17
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Record: 16-1-1, 1 no-contest
Last month’s ranking: T-9
Most recent result: Def. Tito Ortiz, R2 TKO, Aug. 6
Analysis: At the rate things are going, Evans will meet Jones sometime around UFC 250. The latest setback is Evans’ lingering hand injury.

Melendez

T-8. Gilbert Melendez
Points: 37
Affiliation: Strikeforce (lightweight champion)
Weight class: Lightweight
Hometown: San Francisco
Record: 19-2 (won past five)
Last month’s ranking: Unranked
Most recent result: Def. Tatsuya Kawajiri, R1 TKO, April 9
Analysis: A win over Jorge Masvidal in his Dec. 17 Strikeforce swan song should set up what promises to be one of 2012’s best bouts: Edgar vs. Melendez.

Fitch

T-8. Jon Fitch
Points: 37
Affiliation: UFC
Weight class: Welterweight
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
Record: 23-3-1, 1 no-contest (draw in previous fight)
Last month’s ranking: 8
Most recent result: Majority draw vs. B.J. Penn, Feb. 21
Analysis: Finally returns to the cage on Dec. 30, where he’ll meet 11-1 Johny Hendricks.

Velasquez

7. Cain Velasquez
Points: 77
Affiliation: UFC (heavyweight champion)
Weight class: Heavyweight
Hometown: Salinas, Calif.
Record: 9-0 (won past nine)
Last month’s ranking: 7
Most recent result: Def. Brock Lesnar, R1 TKO, Oct. 23
Analysis: Has more to gain, and more to lose, than any other top 10 fighter when he headlines the first UFC on Fox event Nov. 12.

Cruz

6. Dominick Cruz
Points: 112
Affiliation: UFC (bantamweight champion)
Weight class: Bantamweight
Hometown: San Diego
Record: 18-1 (won past eight)
Last month’s ranking: 6
Most recent result: Def. Demetrious Johnson, unanimous decision, Oct. 1
Analysis: Stayed put in the rankings after an impressive, but by no means dominant, victory over undersized Demetrious Johnson.

Aldo

5. Jose Aldo
Points: 140
Affiliation: UFC (featherweight champion)
Weight class: Featherweight
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro
Record: 20-1 (won past 13)
Last month’s ranking: 4
Most recent result: def. Kenny Florian, unanimous decision, Oct. 8
Analysis: A methodical victory over Florian wasn’t enough to stop his slow slide down the rankings.

Edgar

4. Frankie Edgar
Points: 152
Affiliation: UFC (lightweight champion)
Weight class: Lightweight
Hometown: Toms River, N.J.
Record: 14-1-1 (won past one)
Last month’s ranking: 5
Most recent result: Def. Gray Maynard, R4 KO, Oct. 8
Analysis: Edgar’s vote breakdown: 10 third-place ballots; five fourths; four fifths; two sixths and a seventh.

Jones

3. Jon Jones
Points: 160
Affiliation: UFC (light heavyweight champion)
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Hometown: Endicott, N.Y.
Record: 14-1 (won previous five)
Last month’s ranking: 3
Most recent result: Def. Quinton Jackson, R4 submission, Sept. 24
Analysis: Will fight his third consecutive former light heavyweight champion when he meets Lyoto Machida on Dec. 10.

St. Pierre

2. Georges St. Pierre
Points: 198
Affiliation: UFC (welterweight champion)
Weight class: Welterweight
Hometown: Saint-Isidore, Quebec
Record: 22-2 (won past nine)
Last month’s ranking: 2
Most recent result: Def. Jake Shields, unanimous decision, April 30
Analysis: Was White’s “Edgar is No. 2” rant designed to light a fire under St. Pierre, who has fought conservatively in recent years and is known to take criticism to heart?

Silva

1. Anderson Silva
Points: 220 (22 first-place votes)
Affiliation: UFC (middleweight champion)
Weight class: Middleweight
Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil
Record: 29-4 (won past 14)
Last month’s ranking: 1
Most recent result: Def. Yushin Okami, R2 TKO, Aug. 27
Analysis: Happy fifth anniversary to the champ, who likely has another bout with Chael Sonnen on the way.