I was recently given the keys to the FiveKnuckles.com pound for pound rankings. I was told to rank fighters however I see fit and be done with it. I decided to turn it into a countdown list. Everyone loves those right?

Now, the judging criteria for the top ten pound for pound fighters is as follows:

- Overall body of work. In other words, how does your career stack up against the rest of the guys on the list? Someone with multiple title defenses against top ten opposition will be ranked higher than someone who has yet to even defend his belt (Yes, I'm looking at you Jon Jones).

- Who would beat who? With two guys who have similar bodies of work, the tie breaker comes down to who would beat who if they entered the cage at the same weight. For instance, Rob Broughton would probably maul Dominick Cruz if they got into the Octagon today. But, if Cruz weighed 265 pounds, like Broughton, he wins handily. Don't worry Broughton isn't anywhere near this list; I just needed an extreme example.

- Overall skill set. Let's say a fight between two guys, at the same weight, would be extremely tough to call. I'll revert to overall skill sets. Fighter A who is proficient in striking and Jiu-Jitsu would be ranked behind Fighter B who is good in striking, wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. Whoever is more well rounded would get precedent over the other. I doubt this one comes into play but still.

With that behind us, let's get on with the rankings.

Fighters just on the outside: Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua, Junior dos Santos, Joseph Benavidez, B.J. Penn, Gilbert Melendez

10. Gray Maynard

Notable Victories: Kenny Florian, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Frankie Edgar and Dennis Siver

Why Number 10: Gray Maynard is undefeated during his mixed martial arts career and is still the only man to defeat current champion Frankie Edgar. Maynard has decent striking and some pretty serious power, just ask Edgar. His wrestling is some of the best, as he relies on it to take the fight where he wants it go.

Why Not Higher: His striking still kind of stinks. While he does have power, he tends to try and setup that power shot way too often. Simply look at rounds 2-5 in his title fight with Edgar to view examples of this. He was submitted by Nate Diaz on The Ultimate Fighter, although he later avenged that loss. The victory over Diaz was a controversial split decision where many thought Diaz won.

9. Jake Shields

Notable Victories: Martin Kampmann, Dan Henderson, Paul Daley, Yushin Okami and Carlos Condit

Why Number 9: A natural welterweight, according to Dana White, Shields spent his time in Strikeforce reigning over the middleweight division. He scored notable victories over former light heavyweight Dan Henderson and current UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami. Shields has phenomenal Jiu-Jitsu and pretty underrated wrestling. While it isn't always pretty, Shields wins.

Why Not Higher: Striking. Striking. Striking. Wow is Shields bad on his feet. Outside of his seemingly lack of punches and kicks, Shields probably should have lost to both Henderson and Jason Miller. Henderson gassed himself out in the first round and looked pathetic afterwards. Shields had him mounted for basically 20 straight minutes and couldn't do anything. Miller had a rear...