L.A. Times September MMA Rankings

Heavyweight

1. Cain Velasquez

2. Junior Dos Santos

3. Alistair Overeem

4. Brock Lesnar

5. Fabricio Werdum

6. Daniel Cormier

7. Josh Barnett

8. Frank Mir

9. Antonio Silva

10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

The two biggest fights in heavyweight MMA will take place at the end of 2011. UFC will premier on Fox with a UFC heavyweight title bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. It's wise for the company to make its network debut with a first rate main event. Then in December at UFC 141, Brock Lesnar will take on Alistair Overeem in a crucial fight for each man. Lesnar is returning from significant surgery while Overeem is making his long awaited UFC debut. Daniel Cormier surges up the ranks with a breakthrough knockout win over Antonio Silva. With elite wrestling skills and a rapidly developing striking game, Cormier is a future championship level fighter. He will face Josh Barnett in the finals of Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix. Barnett advanced with a submissive win over Sergei Kharitonov. Finally, in an extremely busy month for heavyweight MMA, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira scored an upset win over Brendan Schaub in Brazil and will next rematch Frank Mir in Toronto.

Light Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones

2. Rashad Evans

3. Quinton Jackson

4. Lyoto Machida

5. Dan Henderson

6. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

7. Gegard Mousasi

8. Thiago Silva

9. Forrest Griffin

10. Rich Franklin

On September 24, Quinton Jackson will have his chance to regain the UFC light heavyweight title when he takes on Jon Jones. Jones is heavily favored by most. Mauricio Rua scored an impressive win over Forrest Griffin at UFC Rio. Rua dominated the striking and scored a quick TKO victory that sends Griffin down the rankings.

Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva

2. Chael Sonnen

3. Yushin Okami

4. Mark Munoz

5. Vitor Belfort

6. Michael Bisping

7. Nate Marquardt

8. Demian Maia

9. Hector Lombard

10. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza

Anderson Silva advanced his claim to being the greatest MMA fighter of all time with another masterful performance in a knockout win over Yushin Okami. The division is wide open after Silva. Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping are probably in the best position to get the next shot at Silva. Jacare plunges down the rankings after a listless performance in a loss to relatively unheralded Luke Rockhold. Jacare was unable to use much of his world class jiu jitsu and faded as the fight progressed.

Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre

2. Jon Fitch

3. Nick Diaz

4. Jake Shields

5. Carlos Condit

6. Josh Koscheck

7. B.J. Penn

8. Martin Kampmann

9. Rory MacDonald

10. Jake Ellenberger

Georges St. Pierre was scheduled to face Nick Diaz for the UFC welterweight title in October, but after Nick Diaz no showed a pair of press conferences hyping the event, the UFC decided to yank Diaz from the bout. Carlos Condit will receive the title shot instead. Condit isn't the personality that Diaz is, but he has a similarly exciting style and hopefully will coax an entertaining bout out of St. Pierre. Diaz now looks to face B.J. Penn in the semi-main event at the same show. This weekend, Jake Shields returns to action following his title bout loss to St. Pierre. He will take on rising contender Jake Ellenberger.

Lightweight

1. Frank Edgar

2. Gilbert Melendez

3. Gray Maynard

4. Eddie Alvarez

5. Ben Henderson

6. Melvin Guillard

7. Clay Guida

8. Jim Miller

9. Anthony Pettis

10. Shinya Aoki

Clay Guida and Ben Henderson will fight in Anaheim at the same event as Velasquez vs. Dos Santos. If time permits, UFC would like to show the bout after Velasquez-Dos Santos to give mainstream viewers an exciting bout and the next challenger for the winner of Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III. Melvin Guillard will look to win his sixth straight bout against Joe Lauzon on October 8.

Featherweight

1. Jose Aldo

2. Chad Mendes

3. Kenny Florian

4. Hatsu Hioki

5. Mark Hominick

6. Dustin Poirier

7. Diego Nunes

8. Joe Warren

9. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire

10. Erik Koch

Erik Koch moves into the rankings after the former number 10 Marlon Sandro suffered a spectacular knockout loss to Pat Curran in Bellator. Chad Mendes is in line to challenge the winner of Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian for the UFC featherweight title, but he didn't generate a lot of interest for that bout with a dull win in his last fight. Hatsu Hioki finally makes his UFC debut in October at UFC 137.

Bantamweight

1. Dominick Cruz

2. Joseph Benavidez

3. Demetrious Johnson

4. Brian Bowles

5. Urijah Faber

6. Miguel Torres

7. Scott Jorgensen

8. Wagnney Fabiano

9. Masakatsu Ueda

10. Renan Barao

The "California Kid" Urijah Faber should receive a raucous reception in his home area at UFC 139 in November when he takes on Brian Bowles. Demetrious Johnson and Dominick Cruz will fight for the UFC bantamweight title October 1.

--Todd Martin

Photo: Cain Velasquez. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images.

Strikeforce: Henderson hands Fedor his third straight loss in TKO thriller

This is thrilling from the off. Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko swing early, and let’s recall for a moment that neither man has ever been KO’d in long, long careers. Fedor’s right eye is swollen, and after exchanges, they are tied up on cage. Hendo had landed a left hook. Hendo is making it his fight early.

As they move away from the wall, Fedor is stalking, and then Hendo is caught and looks in trouble, but as Fedor attacks from the side, Hendo reverses the position and with attack of his own, lands that killer right hand, an uppercut, and Fedor falls flat on his face. Hendo moves in for the finish, throwing wildly, and although Fedor twists and puts his arms up, referee Dean has already stepped in to stop the contest. Fedor admitted afterwards that he could have continued but Dean made a split-second judgement. The right call in my book. Fedor has now lost three on the bounce. Retirement now beckons. Henderson says he wants to carry on in Strikeforce, and defend the light-heavyweight title.

With this victory, albeit against an MMA legend who has lost much of his speed and is clearly long past his best, Henderson enters the Hall of Fame. Henderson is a remarkable athlete, former Olympian and fighter. There will be arguments that the fight was stopped early by Dean, but Emelianenko had fallen flat on his face from the uppercut, and it was clear to see why the world’s leading MMA referee stepped in to call time on the contest.

Strikeforce: follow Fedor versus Henderson live

Telegraph GAD picks:

Emelianenko, Tate, Woodley, Kennedy, Saffiedine.

• Heavyweight bout: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson


• Women’s Bantamweight Championship bout: Marloes Coenen © vs. Miesha Tate


• Middleweight bout: Robbie Lawler vs. Tim Kennedy


• Welterweight bout: Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley


• Welterweight bout: Scott Smith vs. Tarec Saffiedine

Tarec Saff scoring with leg strikes and in the clinch on the wall, good knees moving well…10-9 takes the first round against Scott Smith. Smith-Saffiedine Rd 2: Good punch-kick combos from Tarec. Switching between orthodox and southpaw. Combo buckles Smith. Picking him off. Smith-Saffiedine. Smith under real pressure but still dangerous. His face cut. Smith in trouble. Big round for Saffiedine, who has his back. One-sided so far, 10-9 again to Saff. 20-18. Smith has been in real trouble and will go for broke in the final round if he still can…Tarec landing heavy shots in the third. Smith very laboured. Right hand from Smith. No footwork. Good straight left from Saff. Saff being cute in final two minutes as Smith hunts for KO kick or punch. Clinical work from Tarec. 30-27 Saff.

British knockout artist Paul Daley up next…needs a win here.  Woodley moving fast crouching low. Woodley connects first. In the clinch. Knee to Woodley groin…pause. Woodley needs time, Daley warned by McCarthy. Knees from Woodley in the pin against the wall. Tied up. Good defence by Daley. McCarthy breaks them up. Daley throws…tied up again. I give opening round 10-9 Woodley, but little action in terms of striking. Very good defence from Daley against Woodley (0-2 in takedown atts in Rd 1) It’s a slow chess match at the mo…Daley down. Single leg. Daley in guard. Daley-Woodley is a mini-me Koscheck-Daley so far…Daley on ground 3 minutes of second round. Good sprawl from Daley. Bit of success at end of second for Daley, ground and pound. 20-18 Woodley. Good right from Daley in third. Attacks, but takedown again. Woodley controlling fight with his wrestling. Daley needs to get back up and away…but tied up with half of the final round left. Desperate Daley now has dominant position, Woodley in trouble, uppercut from Daley, knee from the Brit. Daley tries Oma Plata…but he has come back in this fight. Daley gets third round. 29-28 to Woodley in my book. Daley-Woodley official decision 29-28 unanimous on judges’s cards. Catcalls from the crowd. Woodley’s Mum very happy !