MMABay’s World Mixed Martial Arts Ranking’s for December

Heavyweight

1: Fedor ‘The Last Emperor’ Emelianenko: Each time out Fedor proves his detractors wrong, and each time out they find another way to discredit him. The fact is, Emelianenko has done nothing but win for years, something that cannot be said for any other heavyweight in the sport. Who knows when his run will end, but for now, following his brutal second-round pole-axing of Brett Rogers, Fedor sits firmly at the top of the heavyweight pile.

2: Brock Lesnar: Love him or hate him, you cannot help but feel sympathy for all Lesnar has had to endure over the past few months. Missing out on his title fight with Shane Carwin became the least of his worries when it transpired that the 280lb behemoth had been suffering from infections, abscesses and a perforated intestine for almost a year. A scarier though is just how dangerous Lesnar will be should he return to the UFC even fitter and stronger than before.

3: Frank Mir: Following his wins over a green Brock Lesnar and a clearly out-of-sorts Nogueira, many people seem to forget that just four fights ago fans and fighters alike were calling for the former heavyweight champion to re-assess his career. While things may not have reached that point again just yet, Mir’s next fight, a clash with striker extraordinaire Cheick Kongo at UFC 107, will be pivotal in terms of both his position in the heavyweight rankings and his mixed martial arts future.

4: Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira: Nogueira wiped away all memories of his loss to Frank Mir with a classic performance against Randy Couture at UFC 102. ‘Minotauro’ looked sharper, fitter and stronger against ‘The Natural’, and was set to take on young upstart Cain Velasquez for the interim heavyweight title early next year. Unfortunately a second bout of Staph – even worse than the one that impacted his performance against Frank Mir - has put this bout on ice for the time being.

5: Junior ‘Cigano’ Dos Santos: An emphatic win at UFC 103 against heavyweight legend Mirko Cro Cop sees ‘Cigano’ rocket up the heavyweight rankings. With the Croatian powerhouse added to his laundry list of Wedum and Struve, JDS gets the nod over fellow prospects Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez for 5th place. The heavyweight division may be paper thin, but prospects like Dos Santos indicate an impending resurgence.

6: Shane ‘The Engineer’ Carwin: Fortune has not shone on Shane Carwin, who just weeks ago was all set to challenge Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight title. Now it appears that the champions illness, combined with a knee injury of his own, will see Carwin miss out on both his first UFC title shot and an interim bout against fellow prospect Cain Velasquez. Nonetheless, ‘The Engineer’ will be hoping that 2010 is his year.

7: Cain Velasquez: Many people have questioned Cain Velasquez’s inclusion in numerous heavyweight rankings due to his lack of experience. Each time out though, Latin-America’s hottest export proves the nay-sayers wrong, dispatching an increasingly high level of opposition in increasingly emphatic style. For a 7-0 prospect, that’s all you can ask. Cain’s latest win (his 5th in the UFC) sees him slatted to face MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for an interim title early next year.

8: Brett ‘The Grim’ Rogers: Things might not have gone exactly to plan against heavyweight kingpin Fedor Emelianenko, but Brett Rogers certainly proved that he mean business. Already keen to get back in the ring, ‘The Grim’ has expressed an interest in tussles with Antonio Silva and Alistair Overeem – both of which would help in his efforts to become known as the second best heavyweight outside of the UFC.

9: Andrei ‘The Pitbull’ Arlovski: It’s not uncommon for a fighter to take a hit in the rankings after consecutive losses, but few have experienced the epic fall from grace of former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski. After suffering two devastating KO losses on the trot, Arlovski will next be seen facing off against Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 5th Universal Soldier movie; coming soon to a bargain rack near you.

10: Alistair ‘The Demolition Man’ Overeem: Overeem recently returned to action after almost a year away from MMA to defeat two opponents in the space of 8 days. Neither was a world-beater, so the ‘Demolition Man’ will need a big win in the near future in order to stay relevant. Depending on how he fairs against the world’s best strikers at the K-1 Finals in December, we could see him return to action on New Year’s Eve, hopefully against a sterner test than Tony Sylvester or James Thompson.

NOTE: Josh Barnett has been temporarily removed from the rankings due to his inability to get licensed in the United States after failing a drugs test. Barnett will be re-ranked when he is able to secure a licence, or fights again in Japan



Light Heavyweight

1: Lyoto 'The Dragon' Machida: A masterful performance punctuated by a highlight-reel knock out against Rashad Evans saw the second coming of the Karate Kid shoot to the top of the rankings. A somewhat less than convincing win against ‘Shogun’ Rua at UFC 104 sees Machida hold on to his spot, but the target on his back is now bigger than ever. An early May rematch will give ‘The Dragon’ a perfect opportunity to remove all doubt that he is the rightful UFC champion at 205lbs.

2: Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson: Turmoil currently surrounds Quinton Jackson and his future in the sport. Reportedly quitting MMA for good to pursue Hollywood interests, Rampage is still undoubtedly one of the best and most exciting fighters in the division when he steps into the cage. Fans wait with baited breath in the hope that he will do a u-turn and remain in both the sport and the rankings.

3: Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua: It’s not often that a fighter moves up in the rankings with a loss, but we at MMABay believe that Rua’s performance in the main event of UFC 104, coupled with Rashad Evans’ inactivity, warrants a rise for the Brazilian striker. Having already beaten ‘Rampage’ Jackson (albeit some time ago) should Shogun come out of his proposed May 2010 rematch with Machida victorious, it would be tough to argue against giving him the top spot.

4: ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans: As each week passes the feud between Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson continues to play out on our TV screens, making it even more frustrating that the mouth-watering clash won’t be taking place any time soon. Instead, the TUF 10 coach will lock horns with highly touted Muay Thai striker Thiago Silva. Like Silva, Evans’ only loss comes at the hands of current 205lb king Lyoto Machida; a win here will move either man one step closer to redemption.

5: Anderson Silva: Perhaps a controversial entry into the 205lb rankings, it’s hard not to include Anderson after one of the greatest performances inside the Octagon against the always tough Forrest Griffin. Inactivity at 205 will likely see Silva dropped from the rankings shortly, but should Shogun Rua wrest the belt from Lyoto Machida in May of next year, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see ‘The Spider’ move back up in a bid to avenge his team mate.

6: Forrest Griffin: Forrest saw his run of bad luck change with a close yet well deserved split-decision over Tito Ortiz at UFC 106. What’s next for the original Ultimate Fighter as he continues his path back to the title is unclear, but the smart money is on a second coaching stint on TUF opposite Ortiz before their inevitable rubber match.

7: Antonio Rogerio ‘Minotouro’ Nogueira: The smaller (some, including his brother, might say more technical) Nogueira brother has not seen a huge amount of high-level competition in MMA recently. All that is about to change with the news that ‘Minotouro’ has signed up as part of the UFC’s red-hot 205lb division. Should he get past his none-too-easy debut against 205lb stand-out Luis Cain, fans can start looking forward to a rematch of one of the greatest MMA bouts of all time against ‘Shogun’ Rua.

8: Gegard ‘The Dreamcatcher’ Mousasi: Many believe that Mousasi should be a top five light heavyweight, however he has only fought twice in the division to date. While his talent is undeniable, it’s still early days at 205 for ‘The Dreamcatcher’. A solid performance against the athletic Thierry Sokoudjou moves Mousasi another rung up the ladder – fingers crossed that he will face a sterner test soon.

9: Thiago Silva: Despite a loss at the hands of current champion Lyoto Machida, Silva remains one of the most dangerous and fearsome strikers in a stacked division…a fact even more scary when you consider that he is most effective on the ground. Opportunity knocked for Silva with the news that Rampage Jackson had pulled out of his December clash with Rashad Evans: the Brazilian bomber will take his place as he looks to get back into title contention.

10: Rich ‘Ace’ Franklin: Franklin’s last two bouts have come at catch weights, however they still fall into the 186-205lb frame of the light heavyweight division. A controversial decision over Wanderlei Silva and a devastating loss to Vitor Belfort have left Franklin with a slim margin for error in his next bout. Anything less than an emphatic win will see him fall from the rankings.

Note: Due to Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s ‘retirement’ not being officially confirmed by the UFC, he remains in the rankings. Should the situation not be resolved by the end of 2009, he will be removed until he fights again.



Middleweight

1: Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva: Question marks still surround Anderson Silva’s ability to compete on the UFC’s stacked ‘end of year’ show (ironically taking place two days into 2010). One thing is for certain, should ‘The Spider’ be fit to compete, he will do so against power-puncher Vitor Belfort, the man that many in the Brazilian fight scene are giving the best chance yet to topple the pound-for-pound ace.

2: Dan ‘Hendo’ Henderson: The immediate future for the number one contender at 185 is looking just as murky as that of the champion. Reportedly out of contract and courting offers from Strikeforce, the UFC and Japan, only time will tell how much is posturing for contract negations sake or if Henderson is serious about fighting in pastures new.

3: Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort: The former heavyweight star of the early UFC’s has seen mixed success on either side of the 205lb mark. Since dropping to middleweight though, ‘The Phenom’ has looked better than ever, knocking out Terry Martin and removing Matt Lindland from both the rankings and his senses. His comeback victory over Rich Franklin may not have been at middleweight, but it seems like the Brazilian’s performance was enough for him to leapfrog the pack into title contention in the eyes of the men who matter: Dana White and Joe Silva.

4: Nate ‘The Great’ Marquardt: Veteran and former ‘King of Pancrase’ Nate Marquardt has looked more than impressive in his last three outings; show-stopping performances against Martin Kampman, Wilson Gouveia and Damian Maia. Dan Henderson’s contract dispute and Vitor Belfort’s gifted title shot have thrown a cloud over ‘The Great’s’ immediate future. Here’s hoping that we get to see the wildly entertaining Marquardt fight again soon.

5: Yoshihiro Akiyama: The man known as ‘Sexyama’ to his fans made his long awaited debut at UFC 100 with a victory that was much more decisive than the UFC commentary would have you believe. Some serious opposition awaits in the UFC, but it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see Akiyama’s name in the hat for a title shot by the end of 2010. He’ll aim to take the second step toward the gold on the UFC’s Australian debut in February against resident bezerker Wanderlei Silva.

6: Jake Shields: Shields November 7th victory over Jason Miller may not have produced fireworks, but it confirmed what we already knew about Shields – he’s a smothering grappler more than capable of holding his own at a higher weight. Bouts against Cung Le, Scott Smith or a possible dream match against Dan Henderson will test the Cesar Gracie product early next year.

7: Damian Maia: BJJ standout Maia was perhaps the hottest prospect in the UFC’s middleweight division until he was spectacularly derailed at UFC 102 by Nate Marquardt. After having his chin checked by ‘The Great’, Maia will begin his second bid for the UFC middleweight title with a much safer fight against fellow grappler Dan Miller.

8: Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping: UK trailblazer may no longer be the sole poster boy for Brits abroad in MMA with the advent of Dan Hardy, but he proved at UFC 105 that he’s more than capable of flying the flag for the motherland inside the Octagon. A dominating second round performance against the experienced favourite Dennis Kang in Manchester sees Bisping make an appearance in the 185lb rankings. By the looks of things, ‘The Count’ has put his UFC 100 loss to Dan Henderson behind him and is ready to start a second bid for the middleweight title.

9: Chael Sonnen: The man many consider to be the linier WEC middleweight champion (defending champion Paulo Filho came in overweight for their fight, meaning that while he lost, the belt was not on the line), is finally getting into his groove in the UFC. The wrestling standout rebounded from a loss in his trail by fire debut against Damian Maia with two solid decision wins, most recently a complete shut-out of highly ranked Yushin Okami.

10: Mamed ‘Cannibal’ Khalidov: A veteran of World Victory Road’s ‘Sengoku’, Elite XC and Poland’s excellent KSW events, Khalidov might just be the next big thing in European MMA. Sporting an outstanding record of 20-3-1 and riding an 18-fight undefeated streak, ‘Cannibal has not tasted defeat since 2005. The Chechen-Polish slugger seamlessly blends wrestling, karate and freestyle grappling into an unorthodox style that recently saw him KO Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago in just 2:45 of the first round.



Welterweight

1: Georges ‘Rush’ St. Pierre: Still facing a lengthy lay-off after a serious groin injury suffered in his 5-round dismantling of Thiago Alves, St. Pierre likely wont see action again until next spring. GSP’s extended break could be just what the division needs to rebuild itself; Dan Hardy has already emerged as the next pretender to the throne, while Josh Koscheck waits in the wings for his highly-anticipated rematch.

2: Jon Fitch: The one-sided nature of Fitch’s loss to Georges St. Pierre has left few in doubt of the result of a rematch. A second clash with Thiago Alves would have practically forced Fitch into a title bout had he won, however he will now square off with the less dangerous Mike Pierce. Fitch will now likely find himself in need of another win before he’s back in the running for a shot at the gold.

3: Thiago ‘Pitbull’ Alves: Muay Thai wrecking machine Thiago Alves enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks of the UFC’s welterweight division. Unfortunately, like so many before him, the American Top Team standout was derailed by 170lb king GSP. The first step on his road to redemption was to be a rematch with Jon Fitch at UFC 107. However, recent news that he has been forced to pull out due to injury means that fans of ‘The Pitbull’ may have to wait longer then anticipated to see Alves get back into title contention.

4: Josh ‘Kos’ Koscheck: Josh Koscheck survived some hairy moments in his recent bout with fringe welterweight contender Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson en-rout to a second round submission victory. He may have lobbied for a title shot following the win, but a more likely test for the AKA fighter will come in the shape of a rematch with Paulo Thiago.

5: Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy: Hardy defied the odds and brought home the ‘W’ for his country at UFC 105 against top welterweight contender Mike Swick. The win see’s ‘The Outlaw’ leapfrog the pack into title contention at 170lbs; a mouth watering early 2010 clash with GSP awaits as Hardy aims to become the first British UFC champion.

6: Nick Diaz: One of the few fighters to walk away from the UFC on a win streak, Diaz has won nine out of eleven bouts since, his only loss being a cut stoppage. Having had surgery to grind down the sharp bones in his brow, the Cesar Gracie student has amassed a five-fight win streak. Diaz’s immediate future is in doubt following his refusal to provide a urine sample for licensing purposes last time out.

7: Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley: When opportunity knocks, you answer! That’s an adage that served hard-hitting Brit Paul Daley well in his recent UFC debut. Stepping up from an unaired prelim to a featured PPV bout on a few weeks notice, ‘Semtex’ took the bull by the horns and smashed his way through the durable Martin Kampman. It seems a UFC 108 bout with fringe top-10 welterweight Carlos Condit is all that stands between Daley and a shot at title contention.

8: Mike ‘Quick’ Swick: One of the original Ultimate Fighters, Swick has got better and better since appearing on the show. Moving up to 205 for a chance to win the UFC contract, Swick is now back at his natural weight of 170lbs where he was recently handed his first defeat by Dan Hardy in Manchester. The loss, coupled with Swick’s unwillingness to fight team-mates Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, could see his title aspirations on hold for some time.

9: Martin ‘Hitman’ Kampman: One of Denmark’s finest exports (second only to their bacon) ‘The Hitman’ recently has his red hot run at welterweight derailed by late replacement Paul Daley. While Kampman’s title aspirations may be on hold for the short term, an intriguing clash with Miletich product Rory Markham at UFC 108 awaits.

10: Marius ‘The Whitemare’ Zaromskis: A relative unknown outside of the hardcore fan base, Zaromskis jumped into the welterweight rankings after an incredible run through the DREAM 168lb GP. Continuing his run of devastating head-kick KO’s (he’s now at three in a row), it doesn’t look like ‘The Whitemare’ will be going anywhere but up in the welterweight rankings.



1: BJ ‘The Prodigy’ Penn: Penn erased all doubts and silenced the critics when he turned in a textbook performance against Kenny Florian at UFC 101. While there are a slew of challengers awaiting ‘The Prodigy’ at 155, it’s tough to see who could come close to touching the current champ. Diego Sanchez will get the first shot, at UFC 107 in just a few weeks time.

2: Shinya ‘Tobikan Judan’ Aoki: Aoki continues to hold onto his number two ranking by the skin of his teeth. After pulling out a miracle submission against Joachim Hansen in his last bout, Aoki’s next test will be Tatsuya Kawajiri on New Years Eve at FEG’s traditional Dynamite! event. He may be Strikeforce bound next year, but Aoki will find it hard to steal the number one spot without testing himself against the UFC’s current crop of lightweights.

3: Eddie Alverez: Alverez is becoming known as something of a tournament superstar. Undefeated in the 2008 DREAM GP, Alverez had to withdraw from the finals due to an eye injury. He then entered and won the first Bellator FC lightweight GP with three submissions. Alverez once again showed incredible tenacity in surviving a tumultuous first round against Katsunori Kikuno at DREAM 12, coming back to win with a slick choke in the second round.

4: Diego ‘Nightmare’ Sanchez: After coming close at welterweight, Diego Sanchez will finally get his shot at gold when he faces champion BJ Penn at 155lbs. Looking fitter, faster and even stronger at lightweight Sanchez earned his title shot and top-10 ranking with a hugely entertaining victory over the durable Clay Guida. A win over Penn later this month could propel him into superstardom.

5: Kenny ‘Ken-Flo’ Florian: Despite being largely outclassed in his second attempt at the UFC lightweight title against BJ Penn, ‘Ken-Flo’ is remaining resolute in his desire to become a champion at 155. He’ll take his first step en-route to proving that the third time is a charm against fan-favourite Clay Guida at UFC 107 in December.

6: Gray ‘The Bully’ Maynard: The Xtreme Couture-trained lightweight has been on a tear of late, remaining undefeated in nine pro bouts. He’ll next see action against Nate Diaz, the man who submitted him on The Ultimate Fighter Season 6, at UFC Fight Night 20. While the loss to Diaz was technically an ‘exhibition bout’ and not included on his pro record, ‘The Bully’ will doubtless be looking to erase the defeat from memory when the two face off again.

7: Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar: Edgar saw himself out of top ten contention after his loss to Gray Maynard, however two upset victories over Hermes Franca and former champion Sean Sherk see ‘The Answer’ jump back into the top ten. A multiple time ‘Fight of the Night’ winner, a victory in his TUF 10 Finale bout against Matt Veach could see Edgar in the mix to face the winner of the Penn/Sanchez fight.

8: Tyson Griffin: After dropping an enthralling unanimous decision to former champion Sean Sherk last year, Griffin has rebounded in style, decisioning the durable Rafael Dos Anjos and scoring a devastating knock out of Hermes Franca at UFC 103. Griffin will look to make it three in a row at UFC 108 with a win over Jim Miller; doing so would no doubt throw his hat into the ring with the plethora of UFC lightweights vying for a title shot.

9: Tatsuya ‘Krusher’ Kawajiri: A loss to Eddie Alverez in their 2008 fight of the year saw ‘Krusher’ fall in the rankings at 155. After an up and down couple of years in which ‘Krusher’ has experienced wins and losses in MMA and K-1, the Japanese warrior has finally focused on MMA full time again. After his tune-up victory over unheralded Melchor Manibusan at DREAM 12, Kawajiri will lock horns in a make-or-break bout with Shinja Aoki on NYE.

10: Joachim Hansen: Recently returning to action after injuries had kept him sidelined for over a year, highly regarded Nordic smashing machine Hansen fell to a miracle submission just four seconds from the bell in a bout he was winning against Shinja Aoki. Despite the loss and long lay-off, ‘Hellboy’ continues to be one of the most violently entertaining fighters at 155. He’ll look to start of 2010 with a bang against an as-of-yet undisclosed opponent at FEG’s Dynamite! extravaganza.