sherdog releases it's rankings

[jas123]

Ranks


HEAVYWEIGHT (265-205)

1. Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) (26-1-0, 1 NC)
Easiest fighter to rank atop the polls in any division; the Russian is the most sought after free agent the sport has seen. Reigning PRIDE heavyweight champion Emelianenko is equal parts athleticism, brawn, brains, heart and skill -- a combination some have called the finest MMA has ever seen. His pace has slowed some with the demise of PRIDE, but suitors such as the UFC and K-1 have gone after his services. The only loss of his career was brutally erased when Fedor dismantled Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (Pictures) in April 2005. There is no timetable for his return to the ring. Fedor last fought in April, armbarring undersized American Matt Lindland (Pictures) as Russian President Vladimir Putin watched from ringside in St. Petersburg, Russia.

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) (30-4-1, 1 NC)
Following a stellar career in PRIDE, where he owned the heavyweight title before Fedor showed up, Nogueira is now in the UFC, having recently out-pointed Heath Herring (Pictures) for the third time. Outside of Fedor, Nogueira might be the best heavyweight in the history of MMA, and one could make the case that regardless of what the Russian does, "Minotauro" will be regarded as the finest BJJ-based heavyweight the sport has seen.

3. Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) (8-1-0)
Napao is a perfect example of the fact that it doesn't take long to get your shot at glory in MMA. Piggybacking a stunning high-kick knockout of Mirko Filipovic (Pictures), Gonzaga faces UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture (Pictures) Aug. 25 for a shot at the belt. A dangerous grappler, Gonzaga showed he's more than capable of finishing a fight with his fists or his feet, making him utterly dangerous each time he steps into the octagon.

4. Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) (22-5-2)
The Croatian striker is coming off a stunning loss to Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures), who knocked Filipovic out cold with a high kick. "Cro Cop" made his UFC debut in February of this year and looked sluggish against an overmatched Eddie Sanchez. However Filipovic has generally risen out of the ashes and appears to be utilizing a serious training in advance of his Sept. 8 fight with French kickboxing Cheick Kongo (Pictures).

5. Josh Barnett (Pictures) (20-5-0)
Barnett had one of the busiest years ever in 2006. Fighting seven times against quality -- even world-class -- opposition, Barnett went 5-2. Despite splitting a pair of decisions with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures), and suffering yet another loss to Mirko Filipovic (Pictures), Barnett showed that he remains one of the sport's brightest prospects, and stands as America's best heavyweight. The fight-loving grappler captured the UFC heavyweight crown at the age of 24 before making his way overseas and eventually into PRIDE. Currently a free agent, Barnett would be a great acquisition for any promoter.

6. Randy Couture (Pictures) (15-8-0)
The Natural retired from competition after taking his third loss at 205 to Chuck Liddell (Pictures). But a year later he saw an opportunity to face Tim Sylvia (Pictures) for the UFC heavyweight strap and he jumped at it. Heavyweight was the division in which Couture rose to prominence, capturing the crown twice before doing it a third time against The Maine-iac in March. The 44-year-old wrestler turned MMA Hall of Famer defends his crown Aug. 25 against Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures).

7. Tim Sylvia (Pictures) (23-3-0)
Sylvia had an opportunity to become a star if he could defeat Randy Couture (Pictures) in March. Instead, he was dropped with the first punch and never recovered as Couture swarmed him for 25 minutes. The 6-foot-8 Sylvia is a counter puncher who carries a pretty stiff jab and heavy right hand. His decent-enough takedown defense has saved him against the likes of Jeff Monson (Pictures), but Couture was a whole different animal. Currently Sylvia is battling a case of staph infection that made its way around the heavyweight's Bettendorf, Iowa gym.

8. Andrei Arlovski (Pictures) (11-5-0)
The Belarusian former UFC heavyweight champ has won two in a row since losing consecutive fights to Tim Sylvia (Pictures). A knockout of Marcio Cruz (Pictures) and a decision against Fabricio Werdum (Pictures) have Arlovski part of the UFC heavyweight title picture again. An athletic fighter with proficient boxing and powerful leg-locks, Arlovski is an intimidating heavyweight when he decides to be aggressive. As the UFC heavyweight division continues to expand, Arlovski will surely have an opportunity to move up the list.

9. Fabricio Werdum (Pictures) (9-3-1)
Werdum has a tendency to under-perform, but he is a dangerous BJJ stylist and has shown an ability to survive on the feet. In his UFC debut in April, Werdum lost a unanimous decision against former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski (Pictures). A training partner for fellow "Cro Cop," Werdum is reportedly getting ready to join Brazil's Chute Boxe academy.

10. Aleksander Emelianenko (Pictures) (11-3-0)
Matched against a heavyweight who will stand in front of him, or isn't a good enough grappler to get the fight on the floor, the brother of the No. 1-ranked Fedor has enough power and fast enough hands to finish a lot of fighters. But against the upper echelon he has always struggled, losing to Fabricio Werdum (Pictures), Josh Barnett (Pictures) and Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) -- the only ranked fighters he's faced. Emelianenko submitted the inexperienced Jessie Gibson on July 21 in St. Petersburg, Russia.



These look pretty good to me.

 

[jas123]

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (205-185)

1. Mauricio Rua (Pictures) (16-2-0)
Considered the next generation Chute Boxe fighter, Rua broke out in 2005 to put together a Fighter of the Year effort in capturing the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix crown. A blend of high-paced striking and frenetic mat work, "Shogun" holds wins over three fighters on this list, including current UFC heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson (Pictures). Rua makes his UFC debut versus Forrest Griffin (Pictures) in Anaheim, Calif. on Sept. 22.

2. Quinton Jackson (Pictures) (27-6-0)
"Rampage" appears to have worked past the troubles that haunted him after a tough series of fights in PRIDE, the last of which saw him go down to defeat to "Shogun" Rua. The exciting and flamboyant light heavyweight put himself on the map by blasting out Chuck Liddell (Pictures) in less than two minutes to capture the UFC belt, and can become the first man to hold UFC and PRIDE belts at the same time should he defeat Dan Henderson (Pictures) Sept. 8 in London.

3. Dan Henderson (Pictures) (22-5-0)
Undersized for the division, Dan Henderson (Pictures) is not a known name amongst many casual MMA fans. A scrappy former Olympic wrestler who's worked hard to integrate a dangerous striking game, punctuated by one of the best right hands in the sport, Henderson has continually defied the odds against heavier opposition. He'll get his shot again on Sept. 8 in London when he puts his PRIDE belt up for grabs against UFC champion Quinton Jackson (Pictures).

4. Chuck Liddell (Pictures) (20-4-0)
Liddell saw his stretch as the baddest light heavyweight in the UFC come to an end when Quinton Jackson (Pictures) won early in the first round of their May bout. A heavy, accurate puncher, Liddell returns to the octagon on Sept. 22 against Keith Jardine (Pictures). According to the UFC, two wins for Liddell and he'd find himself right in line for a shot back at the belt he captured by knocking out Randy Couture (Pictures). If that happens, he could easily climb to the top of the list if he regains the UFC belt.

5. Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) (31-7-1, 1 NC)
The Brazilian mauler enjoyed one of the best stretches of any fighter in the history of MMA from 2000 through 2004, including two brutal stoppages over current UFC champion Quinton Jackson (Pictures). Known for an aggressive fighting style and a penchant for KOs, Silva reigned as the 205-pound PRIDE champion until February of this year, when Dan Henderson (Pictures) dominated the fight in Las Vegas to win by knockout. Silva will likely make his UFC debut sometime before the end of the year.

6. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Pictures) (4-1-0)
Africa's top mixed martial artist exploded upon the world stage in 2007 with early knockouts of Top 10 light heavyweights Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Pictures) and Ricardo Arona (Pictures). The accomplished judoka has relied on his hands, but he's also paid the price for slugging it out, suffering a stoppage loss to Chuck Liddell (Pictures) training partner Glover Teixeira (Pictures) last October. Sokoudjou verbally agreed to a deal with ProElite, but has since backed out and appears likely headed to K-1 HERO'S, with his proposed debut coming Sept .17.

7. Ricardo Arona (Pictures) (13-5-0)
A dominant grappler, Arona amassed an impressive record with just two defeats (Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) in 2000 and Quinton Jackson (Pictures) in 2004) before becoming the first light heavyweight in five years to defeat Wanderlei Silva (Pictures). However, three losses (Silva, Shogun and Sokoudjou) have come in his last four fights, with the only win a stoppage over Alistair Overeem (Pictures). Arona is a tough match-up for anyone in the division.

8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Pictures) (12-3-0)
"Minotoro" has just three fights in three years, and is 1-2 during that span, but a record that features wins against the likes of Guy Mezger (Pictures), Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures), Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures), Alistair Overeem (Pictures) and Dan Henderson (Pictures) means Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures)'s twin brother is pretty good. His loss in the PRIDE 205-pound Grand Prix to Mauricio Rua (Pictures) was perhaps the fight of the year. In February, Sokoudjou stunned Nogueira to win by KO. Little Nog has since concentrated on boxing, where he took third in his divisions at the just-completed Pan American Games in Rio.

9. Rashad Evans (Pictures) (10-0-1)
Evans had an opportunity to solidify his status as a top contender in the UFC when he faced Tito Ortiz (Pictures) in July. The resulting draw (Evans would have lost if not for a point deduction on Ortiz for grabbing the cage fencing) showed that Evans has what it takes to compete at the sport's highest levels, but he lacks the experience and overall game to take that next step. A rumored rematch between Evans and Ortiz seems in line for the Oct. UFC in Cincinnati.

10. Jason Lambert (Pictures) (23-6-0)
Four wins in five UFC fights, including a win over Renato Sobral (Pictures) in his last outing, puts Lambert in the Top 10. Lambert's move down to 205 from heavyweight has paid off extremely well for the Californian, who uses a pressure attack to work people over in the clinch and on the ground. Lambert fights American Top Team's Wilson Gouveia (Pictures) on Sept. 22 at UFC 76.

 

[jas123]

MIDDLEWEIGHT (185-170)

1. Anderson Silva (19-4-0)
First-round knockouts of Rich Franklin (Pictures) and Nathan Marquardt (Pictures). Capturing the UFC middleweight crown. Just one loss in two and half years (via DQ no less). Anderson Silva easily deserves the top spot at 185 pounds. His next challenge comes Oct. 20 against Franklin in the former champion's hometown.

2. Paulo Filho (Pictures) (15-0-0)
The undefeated Brazilian ranks in this high due to his unblemished record and the way he's won the majority of his fights. A dominant grappler, Filho showed off some powerful strikes in stopping Canadian Joe Doerksen (Pictures) on Aug. 5 to capture the vacant WEC title. Jason Miller or Joe Riggs (Pictures) could be Filho's next opponent, though neither match the level of opposition he would have found in the UFC, EliteXC or K-1 HERO'S.

3. Dan Henderson (Pictures) (22-5-0)
He's only had five fights at the weight but Dan Henderson (Pictures)'s 2006 run to win the PRIDE 183-pound title is enough to place him in the top three. Ask most fighters who ranks No. 1 in the division, and Henderson's name comes up quite often. Yet it's his lack of a win over a Top 10 fighter (though he has defeated quality opposition) that prevents him from making the top two.

4. Rich Franklin (Pictures) (22-2-0, 1 NC)
A well rounded, hard working, smart fighter, Franklin was forced to regroup after losing his UFC belt to Anderson Silva last October. Coming back from the brutal KO, "Ace" forced Jason MacDonald (Pictures) to quit after two rounds and recently won on points against the ranked Yushin Okami (Pictures). Franklin faces Silva again, this time in the former champ's hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio on Oct. 20.

5. Matt Lindland (Pictures) (20-5-0)
Lindland has been a rogue fighter since the UFC tore up his contract in Aug. 2005. A bad loss to David Terrell (Pictures) kept "The Law" out of the UFC title picture before he was discarded, and outside the UFC Lindland has shown improved overall skills. The problem for Lindland is that he hasn't faced a ranked middleweight in quite some time, and instead has gone off to fight at 205 and heavyweight (where he was armbarred by Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) in less than three minutes). He needs a chance to fight top-tier opposition if he's going to be ranked any higher.

6. Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) (25-7-2)
Marquardt found himself overwhelmed by UFC champion Anderson Silva in July. Though many thought Marquardt provided a bad style match for Silva, his chin failed to hold up against the champion's strikes. Marquardt is a highly skilled, deeply experienced fighter who has held respected titles such as Japan's King of Pancrase. Four wins in five UFC fights made fans hip to his talents, but a somewhat methodical fighting style and muted demeanor have kept his star dim to this point.

7. Denis Kang (Pictures) (27-8-1)
Kang is a gifted athlete with fast hands and a well-rounded game. He began to gain notoriety during the PRIDE 183-pound tournament in 2006, and made it to the finals before losing by split decision to Kazuo Misaki (Pictures). Currently a free agent, Kang is being pursued by the major organizations. He appears to have all the tools to make it into the top three, but he's lacking a win over a top-ranked foe to propel him there.

8. Yushin Okami (Pictures) (20-4-0)
Okami is arguably the best Japanese fighter to participate on the cage-fighting circuit. The lanky middleweight is coming off a decision loss to Rich Franklin (Pictures) in June, a bout he appeared close to winning by submission in the third round. With a 4-1 in the UFC and a solid overall ledger, Okami, just 26, is a fighter that could climb the list.

9. Robbie Lawler (Pictures) (14-4-0)
The hard-punching Lawler's win over Trigg puts him in the ninth spot, this despite his submission loss to Jason Miller in Sept. '06. Lawler has won six of seven fights starting in 2005 against the likes of Trigg, Joey Villasenor (Pictures) and Falaniko Vitale (Pictures) twice. The quiet Iowan is slated put his ICON belt on the line against EliteXC champ Murilo Rua (Pictures) Sept. 15 in Honolulu.

10. Frank Trigg (Pictures) (15-6-0)
After losing to Carlos Condit (Pictures) in the spring of 2006, "Twinkle Toes" took a hiatus from MMA before bulking up 15 pounds to join the middleweight division. Most thought the young Jason Miller would trounce Trigg, but the powerful wrestler pounded out "Mayhem" out in the second round. A decision win over Kazuo Misaki (Pictures) secured a Top 10 ranking despite falling to Robbie Lawler (Pictures) in four rounds last March, which cost him the ICON belt he won versus Miller.


These look pretty good but I'd put Kang at 6 and Nate at 7.

 

[jas123]

WELTERWEIGHT (170-155)

1. Matt Serra (Pictures) (9-4-0)
Using a series of strikes to finish then UFC champion Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) in February, New York's Matt Serra (Pictures) picked a good time to rack up his first stoppage victory -- something no one outside of Long Island thought he could do. The squat welterweight has fluctuated between 170 and 155 pounds, and appears to have all of a sudden found his power. Noted for his BJJ game, Serra will likely have his guard put to the test when he defends his belt against former two-time champion Matt Hughes (Pictures) in November.

2. Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) (13-2-0)
An incredible two-year run saw the French Canadian capture the UFC welterweight belt while defeating the likes of Jason Miller, Frank Trigg (Pictures), Sean Sherk (Pictures), B.J. Penn (Pictures) and Matt Hughes (Pictures). No one gave Matt Serra (Pictures) a chance of beating GSP when the two met in April, yet Serra blasted out the champ to take the coveted UFC crown. St. Pierre can either get right back into the fold or take a serious hit when he faces Josh Koscheck (Pictures) inside the octagon at UFC 74.

3. Matt Hughes (Pictures) (41-5-0)
Perennially ranked amongst the top three at his weight, Matt Hughes (Pictures) is widely regarded as one of the sport's most dominant fighters at 170 pounds. His stunning loss to Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) knocked him down a peg, but a convincing decision over veteran Chris Lytle (Pictures) in March of this year helped get Hughes, who returned to his wrestling roots in that fight, back on track. Hughes will face UFC champ Matt Serra (Pictures) at the conclusion of the sixth season of SpikeTV's "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show.

4. Josh Koscheck (Pictures) (9-1-0)
A last-second loss to Drew Fickett (Pictures) is the only blemish on the powerful wrestler's ledger. Koscheck has worked incredibly hard to improve his striking, and in his last fight with rival Diego Sanchez (Pictures) he showed a quality stand-up repertoire. In just 10 fights he has shot into the top five, and now sits on the cusp of a UFC welterweight title shot. Koscheck would jump into the top three with a win over former champion Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) Aug. 25 in Las Vegas.

5. Diego Sanchez (Pictures) (17-1-0)
Undefeated before losing by decision to Josh Koscheck (Pictures) in one of his worst efforts as a pro, Sanchez has an opportunity to immediately get back in UFC title contention if he can beat Jon Fitch (Pictures) on the undercard of Couture-Gonzaga, Aug. 25 in Las Vegas. Sanchez has recently left his childhood home of Albuquerque, New Mexico and longtime trainer Greg Jackson to be with his child in San Diego, Calif. What role this will play in his future success remains to be seen.

6. Jon Fitch (Pictures) (14-2-0, 1 NC)
People are just now beginning to realize how good a mixed martial artist the former Purdue University wrestler has become. All that's stopping Fitch from moving into the top five is a win against the bigger names in the division. He gets his shot Aug. 25 against Diego Sanchez (Pictures).

7. Karo Parisyan (Pictures) (17-4-0)
There's no doubt that Karo Parisyan (Pictures) is one of the best welterweights in the world, but losses to Diego Sanchez (Pictures) and Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) relegate him to No. 7, which in the loaded welterweight division isn't all that bad. Impressive in a recent defeat of Josh Burkman (Pictures), Parisyan, still young at 24, would love to get a crack at the UFC title he was promised. Continuing to win will be the quickest way to that achievement.

8. Shinya Aoki (Pictures) (11-2-0)
Making a claim as the most dynamic submission fighter on the list, Aoki's status is uncertain after Zuffa's purchase of PRIDE. Having recently fought at 161 pounds, there was debate as where to rank the tights-wearing Japanese fighter, but his position as Shooto champion at 167 pounds (Aoki defeated Akira Kikuchi (Pictures), who holds a win over Shields in 2004 and is just on the outside of the top 10) means he belongs here.

9. Jake Shields (Pictures) (18-4-1)
Shields' fighting style isn't exactly like the Boise St. Broncos' offense. The large welterweight, who cuts down from as heavy as 190 pounds in the days leading up to a fight, employs a methodical, technical style that has confounded many of the opponents he's faced. Shields is slated to step back into the cage on Sept. 15 against Renato "Charuto" Verissimo in Honolulu, Hawaii.

10. Carlos Condit (Pictures) (21-4-0)
The young Albuquerque fighter has compiled quite a record, most recently defending his WEC title by submitting Brock Larson (Pictures) in the opening round. Condit's participation in last year's Rumble on the Rock tournament put him on the map, though he ended the event losing to Shields. A bad defeat against Pat Healy (Pictures) followed, but the 23-year-old fighter has reeled off six wins in a row to squeak into the final slot at 170 pounds. To get any higher, he needs to hope WEC brings in serious competition.


Karo should be at 4 or 5 IMO.

 

[jas123]

LIGHTWEIGHT (155-145)

1. Takanori Gomi (Pictures) (27-3-0, 1 ND)
Gomi's submission loss in February to Nick Diaz (Pictures) was overturned when Nevada ruled that the Californian had marijuana in his system, which when added to the fact that Gomi has fought at 161 pounds for the past three years makes this ranking tenuous. A 2006 submission loss to Marcus Aurelio doesn't help either, but Gomi avenged being put to sleep by winning a decision in Nov. of last year. Even with all that working against him, Gomi stands atop the heap of a deep and exciting weight division with wins over the likes of Kawajiri, Ishida, and Sakurai.

2. Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) (12-0-0)
After notching the biggest win of his outstanding young career on New Year's Eve against Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures), Melendez has spent the first seventh months of 2007 twiddling his thumbs like most of PRIDE's former lightweights. Thankfully, Strikeforce has saved the day, as their 155-pound champ will return to action against a yet-to-be-named opponent on Sept. 29, and will live out what most 25 year olds could only dream about: beating up a guy at the Playboy Mansion.

3. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) (19-4-2)
After a tough break in his split decision loss to Melendez, Kawajiri went back home to the drawing board in his home of Ibaraki to train. Of course, due to PRIDE getting pillaged, that's as far as he's gotten in seven months. Kawajiri has said he would love to fight stateside in the cage, but it seems that opportunity isn't exactly forthcoming. However, leading Shooto promoter Sustain has a card slated for Nov. 8 that could use his starpower, and it would provide a nice opportunity for "Crusher" to vent his frustrations in the ring.

4. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (Pictures) (19-1-0)
A perennial elite lightweight, Shaolin's competition since his Dec. 2004 loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) has ranged from solid-but-unspectacular to woefully inadequate. Thankfully, a strong challenge should be right around the corner for Ribeiro, who could very well face fellow Brazilian stalwart Gesias Calvancanti (Pictures) in the ongoing HERO'S tournament as early as Sept. 17.

5. Sean Sherk (Pictures) (32-2-1)
The UFC champion's steroid saga will be prolonged for another few months as the California State Athletic Commission granted Sherk a continuance in order for he and doping attorney extraordinaire Howard Jacobs to prepare their case for the next CSAC meeting on Oct. 31. The real downer? Putting the breaks on a Nov. superfight with B.J. Penn (Pictures).

6. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) (15-3-1)
(See Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures)).

7. Joachim Hansen (Pictures) (15-5-1)
MMA's foremost Norseman is another unfortunate victim of the PRIDE buyout, having signed a five-fight deal with DSE just before his Feb. win over Jason Ireland (Pictures). Now, "Hellboy" is looking to field offers, and if suitors aren't forthcoming, he'll resume amateur boxing when Norway's amateur season begins in Sept.

8. Marcus Aurelio (14-4-0)
Aurelio was wise in being one of the first former PRIDE fighters to secure a new deal following the PRIDE buyout. Looking for his first win since April of last year, when he shocked the world against Takanori Gomi (Pictures), Aurelio will make his UFC debut on Aug. 25 to take on Clay Guida (Pictures) in a UFC 74 preliminary bout.

9. Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti (Pictures) (12-1-1)
Injury axed the defending HERO'S tournament champion from his July bout with Andre "Dida" Amade, but it appears Fight Entertainment Group will slot "JZ" into the semifinals on Sept. 17. Don't be surprised if FEG lines up a Brazilian vs. Brazilian semifinal again this year as they did last; instead, be overjoyed at the prospect of a JZ-Shaolin clash.

10. B.J. Penn (Pictures) (11-4-1)
This was the most difficult ranking to make of the entire bunch. Penn possesses an incredible amount of skill and is universally lauded by fighters and fans as being one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA. But he had not fought at 155 in nearly three and a half years before recently dispatching former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver (Pictures), who has slipped down the ranks since the two first met in Jan. 2002. Because he is 7-1-1 overall at 155, the Hawaiian nabs the final spot over Joe Stevenson (Pictures). Penn was scheduled to face UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (Pictures) in Nov. but that is on hold with news of Sherk's alleged positive steroid test. Wins over a couple ranked fighters would propel Penn to the top of the list.


I don't see Gomi at #1, but this is a hard one.

 

[AuggieC]

same i dont see gomi at 1 hes good but not number 1 good. adn i think bj belongs alittle higher in that poll

 

[Rodja]

same i dont see gomi at 1 hes good but not number 1 good. adn i think bj belongs alittle higher in that poll

BJ has also had only one fight at 155 since 2003. It is not really fair to rank him much higher since he has not been active in the division. The LW division is by far the most difficult to rank because of the differences in styles from each of the fighters. Melendez will be #1 within the next few years and it would be great to see him and BJ at some point, maybe at a ICON/EliteXC show.

 

[TeamSavage]

Does anybody know how they determine these rankings?

 

[Rodja]

Does anybody know how they determine these rankings?

Not really sure, but most of it is self evident. The only debates are usually for the top 3-4 guys in every division except HW.

 

[jas123]

same i dont see gomi at 1 hes good but not number 1 good. adn i think bj belongs alittle higher in that poll

If you look at the link, they asy a little bit about how they rank the fighters. If you have been inactive inthe last year in a division, then you will not be ranked. They also don't rank too much on potential so BJ is not near the top.

Rodja, I agree completely that the 155 is really hard to judge. The division is still fairly new in the UFC and it ended in Pride in chaos with Gomi losing (also this was technically 160). It will take time to straighten out and hopefully the UFC will scoop up some of the best.

I think Gomi would get eaten alive by Sherk.