No one doubted that Cruz was a worthwhile challenger to Brian Bowles’ WEC title, but few saw a road to victory for the once-beaten bantamweight. On the back of his speedy jab and low kicks, Cruz battered Bowles for 10 lopsided minutes until a broken hand halted the champion and gave Cruz the WEC crown and bantamweight supremacy.
2. Brian Bowles (8-1)
In his first title defense, Bowles was a step behind Dominick Cruz throughout the WEC 47 main event. After two rounds of one-way action, Bowles bowed out when a doctor examined his broken right hand.
3. Joseph Benavidez (12-1)
Not many gave Benavidez a serious shot at knocking off former 135-pound kingpin Miguel Torres. At WEC 47, Benavidez shamed his doubters, leaving Torres a bloody mess before guillotining him in the second stanza. Whether the win earns Benavidez his crack at the WEC title remains to be seen, but there are no challengers more deserving.
4. Miguel Torres (37-3)
A matter of months ago, Torres was seen as the king of the bantamweights and a pound-for-pound stalwart. Now, after tapping out to Joseph Benavidez in the second round of their March 6 bout, he has two consecutive humbling losses and a scar in the middle of his forehead to boot, courtesy of Benavidez.
5. Scott Jorgensen (9-3)
Damacio Page’s injury opened the door to massive opportunity for Jorgensen on April 24. WEC 48 will give him the chance to avenge his last loss -- a controversial split decision to Antonio Banuelos in June -- while firming up his place among the bantamweight elite in the WEC ranks.
6. Takeya Mizugaki (12-4-2)
The bantamweight division is in a clear state of flux. If Mizugaki wants to keep pace with the likes of Dominick Cruz, Joseph Benavidez and Scott Jorgensen, he will need an impressive victory at WEC 48 on April 24, when he takes on grappling all-star Rani Yahya on the event’s undercard.
7. Damacio Page (15-4)
Coming off shoulder surgery, Page was set for an April 24 return against Antonio Banuelos on the main card of the WEC 48 pay-per-view. However, further injury woes will keep the Greg Jackson pupil out of action a bit longer, while Scott Jorgensen takes his place against Banuelos.
8. Rani Yahya (15-5)
Following an unceremonious 95-second loss to Joseph Benavidez in December, Yahya’s road to another WEC bantamweight title shot has gotten no easier. To avoid losing two in a row, the grappling ace will need to deal with Japanese standout Takeya Mizugaki on the undercard of April 24’s WEC 48 pay-per-view.
9. Shuichiro Katsumura (11-7-3)
The most unlikely Shooto world champion to date, Katsumura pulled off perhaps 2010’s biggest upset so far when he choked out Masakatsu Ueda and took the Shooto 132-pound world title on March 22. The victory was Katsumura’s third straight since returning from a two-year layoff last year.
10. Masakatsu Ueda (10-1-2)
On paper, Ueda’s fourth Shooto world title defense was his easiest to date. Instead, the standout wrestler had no answer for the slick submission game of veteran Shuichiro Katsumura and was choked out in the second round of their March 22 bout, losing his unbeaten record and his Shooto crown.
Other contenders: Antonio Banuelos, Cole Escovedo, Wagnney Fabiano, Charlie Valencia, Eddie Wineland.