UFC 91 reaction and rankings
WOW, great event everyfight delivered and the much hyped heavyweight title affair really delivered a great fight and Brock lesnar the very inexperienced Heavyweight champion. Gonzaga seems to be on his way back up the ladder and Dustin Hazlett has me wondering who is better in that division on the ground. And Kenny Florian finishes fights.
Heavyweight Rankings
1 Fedor Emilianenko
What can be said, the guy doesn’t lose. I wish he’d fight more often against more relevant competition but as long as he keeps fighting top 10 fighters and destroying them its hard to say he’s not number 1.
2 Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera
Pretty much his only losses to top competition come to Barnett and Fedor and he’s avenged one of those. He faces an extremely stiff test in Frank Mir. But doubts in my mind are creeping in about whether or not He is the clear cut favorite to win the 4 man title tourney
3 Andrei Arlovski
Some will say his recent wins have been big i would argue his last 3 fights have shown huge holes in his game. A fight against Fedor looming it makes me wonder how he will be able to stay standing against the better td and ground fighter when he spent so much time on his back against a midlevel Nelson and Overated Rothwell.
4 Josh Barnett
I still think he overated and with his refusal to fight Fedor it makes you wonder when he will fight anyone that could beat him again.
5 Brock Lesnar
Many will argue this is too high But Brock beat Randy who was top 4 about 3 months ago. So this is where brock will sit until hes beaten.
6 Randy Couture
Age is finally catching up with him. His gameplan was great and though he lost the first round he was making Brock work many think if Randy could have gotten the fight into the 3rd round he could have won. but well never know.
7 Tim Sylvia
Legitimately great striker is taking a long break from fighting. We all want to see Tim fight again I think a trip to dream to fight the winner of Overeem and Crocop might return the big guy to relevance.
8 Junior Dos Santos
One win and you are in the top 10 at heavy weight but a loss will do the same thing and he will be out
9 Fabricio Werdum
Werdum now out of the UFC needs to keep fighting top guys to stay in the top 10. He needs to get more motivated and fight other legit heavyweights to prove the Dos Santos fight was a fluke.
10 Gabriel Gonzaga
I feel like this is very low for Gabe and he could concievably beat alot of guys higher in these rankings but with losses to now Faltering Werdum and Randy this is a high as he can go.
Many will ask about Rothwell, Overeem and Crocop. Rothwell has never beaten a top fighter, A win over couture means alot more than a win over Mark Hunt and Crocop hasn’t beaten anyone legitimate since Barnett almost 2 years ago.
Light Heavyweight Rankings
1 Forrest Griffin
Wins over 2 number 1 ranked lightheavyweights in a row. Nothing else can be said.
2 Rashad Evans
Many would say this is too high. I rank him ahead of rampage and Machida because like Machida hes unbeaten and unlike Rampage he is coming off a win.
3 Quentin Jackson
Mr Rampage’s wild ride aside he is a great fighter and other than his hiccup against Forrest he has fought amazing fights. A win over Wanderlei will put him at number 2 in the division.
4 Lyoto Machida
Machida hasn’t fought in a while but the fight with Thiago Silva Is coming up. The winner of that fight may be in line for a title shot.
5 Luis Cane
he just keeps winning and that all that matters. after dismantling Sokoudjou he is now in prime position to bound into the top of the division.
6 Wanderlei Silva
Rebounding with a Crazy KO of Keith Jardine Wanderlei seems reborn. A win over Rampage could catapult him to the top of the division
7 Kieth Jardine
huge win for Jardine over Vera. he needs to Keep it up with a big fight with Luis Cane possible looming.
8 Chuck Liddel
oh how the mighty has fallen. He may be the greatest fighter ever in the lightheavyweight division but he seems to be on the down turn of his career. Many rumored fights are out there i think the best might be a fight with Stephan Bonner.
9 Thiago Silva
Hes been mostly forgotten by most of the news world since his injury but he has been good. still undefeated, and he is a very good fighter with alot of tools. Lets see though if he has the tools to beat Machida.
10 Rogerio Noguiera
Rogerio has been consistant but hasn’t fought even an ok fighter since his loss to sokoudjou. Hes ranked for alot of other fighters there really is a dead heat amongst non ufc lightheavyweights and so in alot of ways this ranking represents all of them.
Middleweight
1 Anderson Silva
All he does is win. for everyone to get up in arms about his performance over Cote I dont understand. He really did attempt to finish Cote. But Patrick has an amazing chin and Silva was winning before the injury. Lets hope that soon there is a fight between Silva and Okami.
2 Rich Franklin
yes he’s fighting at another weight class but he isn’t off the rankings until he hasn’t fought in this weight class for over a year and he fough at middleweight 7 months ago.
3 Yushin Okami
Okami Has been extremely consistant since coming to the UFC. With a win over Lister we could see Okami vs Silva a fight that many have wanted to see for a while.
4 Nate Marquardt
His bad fight against Lietes dropped him down the rankings but he has obviously improved Immensely since than and with a dominating performance over Kampmann has earned this spot.
5 Robbie Lawler
Lawler has been consistant but lets not kid ourselves by saying the guys hes beaten were top noth. other than his win over Trigg none of the fighters he has beaten lately we at or near the top 10. Hopefully he can get into the UFC and prove he deserves this ranking.
6 Gerard Mousasi
Another FIghter without a win over a top 10 fighter but definitely deserving of his ranking. A fight with Vitor Belfort or Matt Lindland could really solidify his spot as would a win over Akiyama.
7 Dan Henderson
With a win over Toquino he puts himself back into the top 10 at a weight class that he once dominated. A win over Rich Franklin even if it is at 205 to me would rank him higher in both weight classes.
8 Thales Leites
Still hasn’t lost no matter what the style since his loss to Kampmann. Now with a victory over Drew Mcfedries and Nate Marquardt under his belt a fight with Damian Maia for a title shot seems likely.
9 Chael Sonnen
Yes the fight was terrible, yes he looked sloppy but he just beat convincingly a top 5 fighter he deserves to be ranked.
10 Paulo Filho
WOW he has looked aweful. He really needs to get his life together and develop a gameplan or his next fight could be his last.
Welterweight
1 Georges St.Pierre
Dominant. wins over more top 10 and 5 fighters than any fighter in any weight class. but only one title defense a fight with BJ Penn looming. How good could GSP really be and will he reach that potential. we may see soon.
2 Thiago Alves
3 straight wins over top 10 fighters. No matter how you shake it the man has done more at welterweight lately than anyone not named GSP.
3 Jon Fitch
Stylistcally could he beat GSP? maybe not but he is a warrior and we will see him a title fight again.
4 Josh Koscheck
Way to step up and put on a great fight with only a week getting beat by a fighter the calibre of Thiago Alves theres really no shame in that. A win over Yoshida will remind everyone that he is one of the best in the world.
5 Jake Shields
Possibly one demensional. Hasn’t beat alot of amazing fighters but he is winning and that counts for something.
6 Diego Sanchez
Back in the saddle Diego getting hurt could have cost him a win over a top 5 fighter and maybe a title shot. No one know when his next fight will be.
7 Karo Parysian
Karo is still an elite fighter but pulling out against Yoshida has people wondering whats going on in his life that seems to be messing up his life in the ring.
8 Carlos Condit
Just keeps winning but can the WEC keep bringing him exciting challenges or will he be forced to leave the WEC for the UFCs more stacked division
9 Matt Hughes
You are only as good as your last fight and Hughes has lost 2 ina row to get back on the winning track he may finally fight Matt Serra. Lets hope it happens soon as it seems that the clock is ticking for one of the alltime greats
10 Matt Serra
You can only live on 1 fight for so long.
Lightweight
1 BJ Penn
He may be the lightestly entrenched number 1 but no one can dispute that he deserves the ranking after Gomi’s recent collapse.
2 Eddie Alvarez
in a weight class in total upheaval Alvarez has emerged as a real threat. Any fighter looking past him better forget that. Here’s hoping he land ina an org soon and we can see him fight.
3 Shinya Aoki
Yes he lost to Hansen a fighter he already beat but it was in a tournment and you really can’t count that loss in the same way as a loss when he wasn’t tired
4 Sean Sherk
Wins over top 10 Hermes Franca and Tyson Griffen and style and size that makes it hard to pick anyone over him.
5 Kenny Florian
Big win over top 10 Joe stevenson, wins over highly touted Roger Huerta and Joe Lauzon he has proven in my eyes to be the best next challenger for BJ Penn’s title.
6 Joachim Hansen
Hansen seems to barely hold on to a top ten ranking then he beats a top 5 fighter. I see him losing his first title defense.
7 Takanori Gomi
He has not looked the same since his loss to Diaz and seems to be falling apart before our eyes, even though the decision was crazy and really bad Gomi did not look like a top 10 fighter.
8 Frank Edgar
Hermes Franca, Spencer Fisher and Tyson Griffen Have all fallen victim to the Answer. Wiman is just the next victim.
9 Gray Maynard
What does Maynard have to do to prove he is top 10. yes hes in experienced but its becoming more and more difficult to see any fighter beating him
10 JZ Calvancante
A big win over Joachim hansen likely in his next fight could get him back into the top 5 and the respect his skills seem to demand.
Featherweight
1 Mike Brown
A top 5 fighter with a big win over the number 1 guy puts you at number 1 in everyones mind.
2 Leonard Garcia
Big win over Pulver faster than Faber did, Hes coming off a win and he has a win over Takaya another top 10 fighter.
3 Urijah Faber
I think this loss will have the same effect that the Matt Serra loss effected GSP. we shall see as the division continues to thicken out.
4 Donkonjonosuke Mishima
Big win over Imanari maybe a DEEP WEC title merger could be in his future.
5 Mazakazu Imanari
Huge fight upcoming against Wagney Fabiano could set up a title shot in the future.
6 Wagney Fabiano
The deepening of the division continues as Wagney comes over to fight Imanari in what could be a title elimator fight.
7 Hatsu Hioki
Just as most in the Top 10 a win over jeff Curran means alot in this division along with a pretty impressive record
8 Hiroyuki Takaya
Brief setback against Garcia now he will face Cub Swanson a fighter recently choked out by Jens Pulver.
9 Mark Hominick
Alot of big wins in the division but the biggest is his win over Savant Young. Young a fighter coming off of a huge KO over one time top fight Lion Takeshi is quickly submitted by consistantl good Mark Hominick
10 Rafael Assuncao
Just doesn’t Lose not since his loss to Curran has he been defeated and continues to dominate.
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