It's time for another look at the rankings of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world of mixed martial arts. It has been about six months since we have last looked at the best fighters in MMA (including the best UFC fighters), and a lot has changed since then. Five of our last Top 10 fighters have fallen out of the rankings, with none falling further than Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who dropped out of the list from fifth. Here's a look at my current rankings, with the ranking from last time in brackets.

1. Anderson Silva (2) - It's hard to dispute at this point that Silva is the best active fighter in the sport. He's an animal, and it has been a long time since we have seen someone truly challenge him. He's shaping up to have an interesting year, starting with a title fight against Thales Leites in April if all goes well. He could fight at two different weight classes this year, which should only further prove his superiority. It's hard not to be impressed by this guy.

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2. Fedor Emelianenko (1) - Last time out, Emelianenko destroyed Tim Sylvia. That wasn't much of a fight for him, and it has been a very long time since we have seen this guy challenged. On one hand, that makes me want to drop him down the rankings further - he's just not that interesting. There is no denying, though, that this guy is the real deal. Next up for him is Andrei Arlovski on Jan. 24. Fedor has been very much off the radar in preparation for this fight. That could be an ominous sign, but more likely it will mean that he is extremely focused and ready to add another head to his already full trophy case.

3. Georges St. Pierre (3) - Since last time, the Canadian has a win over Jon Fitch to his credit. That wasn't too tough, but it's not what everyone is most excited about. St. Pierre's fight with B.J. Penn on Jan. 31 has the potential to be a true classic, and perhaps the fight of the year. At this point, I have St. Pierre ranked higher to reflect his status as the likely favorite. Things won't get any easier for St. Pierre this year if he wins against Penn - he'd likely face Thiago Alves next.

4. B.J. Penn (4) - What more is there left to say - Penn is preparing for a mega-fight. Even if he doesn't win, he's still one of the toughest fighters in the sport, and he'll pretty much have his pick of the welterweight and lightweight divisions. If he wins then the sky is the limit.

5. Miguel Angel Torres (8) - Bantamweights don't generally get much attention, but fighters like Torres will change that. Torres is a beast that far exceeds his puny size. His brutal win over Manny Tapia in December was one of the most impressive highlights of the last year. He was generally thought to be at his best on the ground, but he got past Tapia almost entirely on the strength of his stand-up efforts. Next up for this guy is a likely fight with Brian Bowles. That one should be another classic - the two fighters have just one loss between them.

6. Rashad Evans (unranked) - I'll admit that I didn't have much faith in Evans heading into his last fight. But here he is - an undefeated light heavyweight champion with a solid win over Forrest Griffin on his record. That, plus a devastating knockout of Chuck Liddell since the last rankings, explains Evans' climb up the rankings. Things won't get easier from here forward for him.

7. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson (unranked) - Jackson fell off the rankings last time because he lost, and then he lost his mind. His impressive knockout of Wanderlei Silva earned him his spot again, though. Silva is a good fighter, but Jackson absolutely ripped him apart en route to the first round win. He has won seven of his last eight fights, and beat some good guys along the way. If he can maintain his sanity for a while then he could be further up the rankings by the next time we visit them.

8. Mike Thomas Brown (unranked) - This featherweight had one fight in UFC, and he seemed like his career was all but done. He's won 11 of his last 12, though, and he beat up on a couple of impressive fighters in Jeff Curran and Urijah Faber. This ranking might seem a little bit too high, but the way that he is fighting he is fairly likely only on the rise.

9. Thiago Alves (unranked) - At that is left for Alves to do right now is wait. He'll take on the winner of the Penn - St. Pierre fight, and it should be another classic. Alves is relatively young, but he put together one heck of an impressive year last year with three big wins.

10. Lyoto Machida (unranked) - Machida has been out of action since beating Tito Ortiz in May, so it would be easy to forget about him. That would be a mistake, though. Machida is undefeated, and he has a big fight coming up with Thiago Silva. A win there could hook him up with Rashad Evans in a title fight.