At UFC 160, Cain Velasquez became the eighth different UFC champion to defend his title in 2013. In doing so, Velasquez joined the race for the 2013 Fighter of the Year award.
However, by beating an opponent in Antonio Silva who he had just defeated 12 months earlier, Velasquez left the door open for other fighters to surpass him. Likewise, champions Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre defended their belts against opponents who had lost in their prior appearances, making their 2013 victories less impressive than those of even some non-champions.
Based on number of wins and quality of opposition, here are the top five candidates for Fighter of the Year heading into June 2013.