UFC rankings/MMA rankings featured in USA Today for December 2009
by Jesse Holland on Dec 17, 2009 1:13 PM EST
104 comments
Our partners in crime over at BloodyElbow.com have once again published their divisional rankings for mixed martial arts in the nation’s largest daily newspaper, USA Today, for the month of December 2009.
For those of you unfamiliar with the process, here’s how it works:
"The rankings, which will offer a definitive perspective of top MMA fighters across all weight-classes, will be released monthly and published in the Sports section of USA TODAY, online at USATODAY.com and on SB Nation’s MMA commentary and community blog, BloodyElbow.com … The USA TODAY/SB Nation Consensus MMA Rankings are compiled each month by Nate Wilcox and Richard Wade of BloodyElbow.com. The rankings utilize each of the top MMA rankings from multiple unique sources. A weighted-formula is applied to normalize and distill the various rankings into one consensus ranking per weight class."
To check out the latest USAT/SBN rankings click here. We’ve also listed their top 10 in each class after the jump for your convenience.
What do you think? Share your ranking rants in the comments section below.
Heavyweight:
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Brock Lesnar
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
4. Frank Mir
5. Junior Dos Santos
6. Cain Velasquez
7. Josh Barnett
8. Shane Carwin
9. Brett Rogers
10. Alistair Overeem
Light Heavyweight:
1. Lyoto Machida
2. Mauricio Rua
3. Rashad Evans
4. Quinton Jackson
5. Forrest Griffin
6. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
7. Gegard Mousasi
8. Thiago Silva
9. Anderson Silva
10. Randy Couture
Middleweight:
1. Anderson Silva
2. Nate Marquardt
3. Dan Henderson
4. Demian Maia
5. Vitor Belfort
6. Chael Sonnen
7. Jake Shields
8. Yushin Okami
9. Yoshihiro Akiyama
10. Mamed Khalidov
Welterweight:
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Thiago Alves
4. Josh Koscheck
5. Dan Hardy
6. Mike Swick
7. Paulo Thiago
8. Matt Hughes
9. Carlos Condit
10. Paul Daley
Lightweight:
1. B.J. Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Kenny Florian
5. Gray Maynard
6. Frank Edgar
7. Diego Sanchez
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri
9. Sean Sherk
10. Joachim Hansen
Featherweight:
1. Jose Aldo
2. Mike Brown
3. Urijah Faber
4. Bibiano Fernandes
5. Hatsu Hioki
6. Rafael Assuncao
7. Manny Gamburyan
8. Wagnney Fabiano
9. Michihiro Omigawa
10. Mackens Semerzier
Of course, nothing brings MMA fans closer together than a list of divisional rankings. Let’s hear it: Who belongs and who doesn’t? And be sure to say why. "He sucks" is not a valid argument.
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Paulo Thiago
I am so sick of seeing this guy in every top 10 list I see for WW. This guy threw one nice punch against a quality opponent and all of a sudden he is 7th best WW in the entire world. I’m not saying he’s bad but he hasn’t exactly beaten any decent names except Koscheck.
"Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you'll be a mile from them, and you'll have their shoes."
by Buster Bluth on Dec 17, 2009 1:32 PM EST up reply actions
He has a pretty good win/loss although two of his biggest wins are outwrestling wrestlers like Okami, Prangley. His submission defense has been a problem. Although he did trade wins with Filho and Babalu, he also lost to Maia and Forrest by triangle, horn by Armbar. Then he GNP Amar Suloev (good striker) but got TKO by Terry Martin (good striker), however the main flaw is his submission game, he’s going to be too inconsistent to have a good streak if it doesn’t improve.
ARE YOU BLIND?
Chael Sonnen been woopin ASS lately! He got great endurance and he pushes the pace hard! He keeps the momentum going… his biggest weakness is being submitted… I bet he could woop marquardt, belfort, and Maia (if given another chance)…. y dont you like him?
Get read for the longest posting war in history.......................
I hazard a guess at 300+ posts of bitching, bitching, bitching about who’s better than who and why…etc! And of course an odd racist comment by mirfanny, oh sorry, mirfan.
Let the battle begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I"m no Ned Flanders punk!!
i don't agree with everything like Fitch being #2 and Alves #3
And the guys that are in two different weight classes by a lot of the ranking sites that do this only rank them in one like Silva and Henderson a lot of sites that are used here only rank Silva and Hendo as a MW so their LHW ranking drops on this consensus ranking.
I hope StrikerDave doesn't see Lesnar at 2. He'll flip his lid. LOL
Not only for one day anymore Sarah. LOL
Did you find the Darkness...
On any records concerning his wrestling career????
I"m no Ned Flanders punk!!
I tried, but I couldn't find any records from that far back
If anyone has a link to the roster for the San Fransisco State University wrestling team for 1993, please share. I’m not sure if I believe him or not.
Not only for one day anymore Sarah. LOL
He used to post a long time ago. No way is he Introvert.
Where is Intro? I haven’t seen him all week.
Not only for one day anymore Sarah. LOL
But if he didn't give you a real name he can say he wrestled on any team with a little research
on the internet to make his story sound right. And if he wrestled back in 93 he would be around 30 something right now and there is no way someone can be that naive at that age.
He would be almost 40. He said he was a senior in 93.
It does seem weird, I know.
Not only for one day anymore Sarah. LOL
BS he's making it up man gauranteed darkside was him too
a 40 year old that sounds like 12 year old with a office job and able to go on mania and work at the same time? I’m thinking he’s a gas jocky or Blockbuster employee that still lives at home with a great imagination.
Who said he was at work? Or had an office job? He didn't mention what he does for a living.
Not only for one day anymore Sarah. LOL
I have an office job and always visit this site for the entire 8 hours I am here.
There’s a couple guys on here that do that. So that part isn’t unbelievable.
Not only for one day anymore Sarah. LOL
I should have been fired months ago.
I rarely do anything here. There is two of us that do the same function here(the other guy is a friend I hang with outside of work) so he saves my ass all the time.
Not only for one day anymore Sarah. LOL
LOL It's called multi tasking
As long as the job gets done at the end of the day and your making money they can’t say much. This site is my stress relief and we have a Safety First policy. You can’t get hurt if you don’t work.
why are yall talkin bout where yall work
and finding out if somebody was a wrestler or not i almost forgot what we were talking about here in the first place
He's as worthy of his spot as Cain or Carwin
He KO’d Werdum and Struve in a combined 2 minutes and outclassed Cro Cop, making him verbally quit. He’s got more quality wins than either Cain or Carwin (or indeed Grim) and if he can keep up this form against Yvel then he’s a definite top 5 HW.
These rankings were a lot better than usual, I’d have liked to have seen Zaromskis figure in the WW ranking and Forrest and Andy should have their places swapped while Vitor and Diego should be higher but other than that these are much better rankings than usual and for once I have little to complain about.
"If you’re a fight fan, I don’t know how you don’t think that that card is a great card…." Dana White on UFC 108
20%: Percentage of MMAManiacs buying UFC 108 (I guess the other 80% aren't "real fight fans" according to Dana)
also aoki and eddie at 2&3?
how do you get ranked 2nd when you only beat the #10 ranked guy? aoki would get smashed by everyone on the list except maybe eddie and hanson
Aoki has been at #2 for some time so I guess because he hasn't lost even though
most fans and critics believe he would lose to Sanches and Kflo the fact he hasn’t lost even though it’s against the 10th ranked fighter he won’t move out of that spot. As far as Forrest ahead of Griffen thats becasue not all the sites that make these rankins rank Silva as a LHW and that drops his ranking on the consensus
Alvarez has benefited to some extent by the fact that most of the great wrestlers at LW are in the UFC. He himself doesn’t think he is ready yet to fight some of the top guys as his submission defense isn’t there yet, his standup is somewhat robotic, and he doesn’t have the best wrestling pedigree but he has heavy hands unlike most of the wrestler/brawler types. He isn’t ready for a BJ Penn for sure but I wouldn’t bet against him ktfo several of the top 5 in the UFC even at this point.
Very good!
There’s no perfect ranking but these ones make sense.
"Once Flamengo, Flamengo until die"
OH......k?
So overall I agree with a few minor changes and questions I might have like why is jon fitch ranked number 2 ww I mean no need to diminish what the guy has done but the question is what has he done???? I mean his octagon record looks impressive until you actually look at who he has faced number 2 not so much……and as for Mir I dont like him but he deserves to be ranked above Nog!!Dont blame it on the staph!!! he beat him in dominating fashion just like he did to Kongo just like he will do to Carwin….
He was hospitalized two weeks before the fight. You don't think it affected his training or mindset at at all.
I’m not a fan of Nog. But to say the staph problem he had didn’t bother him is stupid.
Not only for one day anymore Sarah. LOL
Yes
Actually one of my best friends in high school had a staph infection our senior year and he was a multisport athlete who continued playing at a high level No he wasnt a fighter but, he wasnt just sitting at home either and as far as his mindset not being right my friend thought the whole thing was a joke like ha ha i got staph several of the guys got it the same year it was nothing to him I know pregaming for a top football team in the state in highschool football is different than the UFC interm heavyweight title but, no excuses should fly Mir should be above Nog on the list
by nlinesk8er28 on Dec 17, 2009 3:18 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah but there is different severities of the infection
your friend wasn’t hospitalized so obviously his wasn’t as bad as NOG. But as well this isn’t the first time for NOG or some other fighters either training or fighting with staph, and is not the entire reason he lost it may of been part of it but I have yet to hear nog or anyone that trains with him argue this is the reason he lost only his fans and Mir haters are stating this.
Actually yes he was for 5 days anyways im not saying Nog doesnt deserve to be on the list but not above Mir LISTEN I DONT LIKE FRANK MIR!! I just think he is a quality fighter and deserves a higher ranking maybe i said it wrong with the staph infection comment.. so I apologize for that but, I dont apoligize for saying hes not top 5
by nlinesk8er28 on Dec 17, 2009 3:28 PM EST up reply actions
Fitch has a very good win/loss ratio, and he did beat one contender. Quite a few in the MW division have a low strength of schedule because they haven’t been fighting each other. Fitch isn’t unique in that regard, however it does make the case that more of the top 10 should fight each other, it’s just problematic when several of the contenders are out of the same camp. In an ELO system fighters with a similar ranking would be paired to fight and the rankings would be much more accurate, however fights in MMA tend to be based more on marketability.
OK
I will give you that but for me to put him at the number 2 spot on that list he needs to beat more contenders and FINISH A FIGHT ONCE IN A WHILE!!!! I mean i know it takes time and not every win can be a knockout but 6 decisions in a row one of them a loss to GSP but still come on!!!
by nlinesk8er28 on Dec 17, 2009 3:24 PM EST up reply actions
Fitch and Alves are with out a doubt #2 and 3 in whatever order
There is arguement on both sides and I hope we get to see them go at it for a clear #1 contender.
thank you so do I and I hope it ends by stoppage either way so there can be no question about it except 1 does If hardy pulls out a suprising win over GSP does hardy deserve a higher ranking?
by nlinesk8er28 on Dec 17, 2009 3:39 PM EST up reply actions
If it happens by some miracle Hardy would jump to #1
Beating a guy neither the two or three could do would infact do that as far as ratings go. Wether you think it was a fluke or not more is determined by the win or loss in rankings as college football rankings move around weekly so will MMA as fights go on they are never perfect but Serra at one time was the #1 fighter now I don’t think he’s in the top fifteen?
I would still believe Alves and Fitch as well as GSP are better fighters but
as far as the rankings go Hardy would be the highest ranked fighter. Regardless if you think the Patriots are better than the Dolphins if the dolphins finish the season with a better record they are ranked higher. MMA is a little different than the NFL but the champion has to be rated higher than any one else in his division and flukes will happen once in awhile much like Serra and F the rankings all up.
The NFL is completely different. Playoffs are a tournament with seeds, seeds are determined by a regular season, the champion is champion of the tournament of that year, they don’t actually defend it.
There is a relationship between titles and rankings in MMA but the title itself doesn’t mean much that wouldn’t already be in evidence in a ranking. One of the major problems with the ordering of calculated rankings in mma is that there are multiple orgs within which matchups are chosen somewhat arbitarily. The level of validity drops when matchmaking is not a fair and open system.
Ranking guy's in the same organization the champion has to be rated higher
As was the case when Serra won it soon changed but Serra was ranked higher than GSP for a period of time because he was the champion. Rankings will continue to change and as this sport grows we will see less and less dominate champions like we do right now.
Mike Swick
Hasn’t beat anyone in the top 10, but is #6? Laughable.
@fjbar75 on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
Not bad
I think Mousasi is to low, probably should be between 3-5. He should for sure be above Forest. Agree also with McArther, Sonnen is way to high @ 6, should probably be between 10-12. Other than that not to many disagreements, those are the two that stand out to me
Well, that's comforting
I thought in the one week I missed out on news he all of a sudden became, like, awesome or something.
But I guess the only thing wrong with the Top 10 lists is that we didn’t compile them ourselves, huh.
I agree, next fight may put things into perspective
Nope
Overrated also I think. He has not fought anyone in the top 15 yet, but he has looked pretty dominant winning, so I guess it is kind of hard to say his ranking is to high. After the Nog fight he will fall down the latter a bit
Agreed
Jury is still out on Cain, we will find out soon enough
by domino effect on Dec 17, 2009 2:07 PM EST up reply actions
Maia at #4 ROFL
Thats the most retarded rank out of all, the little guy who was assraped by Marquardt doesnt even belong in top 10.
Who the fck has he beat to be ranked #4?
by Lester The Pimp on Dec 17, 2009 2:03 PM EST reply actions
Well they ranked Sonnen @ 6 so...
which is to high, but if you put him there Maia should be above him
by domino effect on Dec 17, 2009 2:05 PM EST up reply actions
Exactly
"If you’re a fight fan, I don’t know how you don’t think that that card is a great card…." Dana White on UFC 108
20%: Percentage of MMAManiacs buying UFC 108 (I guess the other 80% aren't "real fight fans" according to Dana)
Frank Mir
How is Frank Mir ranked under Nogiera? I don’t care if he had staph on his chin and thats what made him drop like a dead deer, he still lost to Mir and with Frank’s recent non-consensual sexing of Kongo he more than made up the status lost at UFC 100. He may not be champion, or may not be able to beat Brock, (he might) but he should definately be ahead of Big Nog.
Forrest Griffin the most over rated fighter in MMA history
I know, LOL Forrest Griffin ranked number 5 light heavyweight fighter in the world whilst Anderson Silva – the man who exposed the dick & made him run out of the arena is ranked number 9 !!!!!!
Forget Anderson....
Who here thinks Forrest is above Mousasi? I would love to see a betting line with Forrest as a favorite, BANK!
by domino effect on Dec 17, 2009 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
how the hell
is forrest griffin a higher ranked light heavyweight than anderson silva???
im sure someone above mentioned it but im too blown away to try and pick through it. WOW
"At home I am a nice guy: but I don't want the world to know. Humble people, I've found, don't get very far"
Muhammad Ali - GOAT
why is hughes in the top 10
he has barely fought lately, and i cant remeber his last notable win….serra and lytle dont count
"At home I am a nice guy: but I don't want the world to know. Humble people, I've found, don't get very far"
Muhammad Ali - GOAT
IMO
u test positive for steroids, you are off all lists…..
"At home I am a nice guy: but I don't want the world to know. Humble people, I've found, don't get very far"
Muhammad Ali - GOAT
Same here
Barnett should be blackballed from the sport.
"If you’re a fight fan, I don’t know how you don’t think that that card is a great card…." Dana White on UFC 108
20%: Percentage of MMAManiacs buying UFC 108 (I guess the other 80% aren't "real fight fans" according to Dana)
mousasi should be 3rd
but nooooooooo, he’s not in ufc
Mousasi has yet to beat a top five LHW and we will see if he can I believe Henderson is th #5 LHW
But not to many sites even rated him there so he won’t be on the consensus. Remember even though I believe Mousasi can beat forrest Gegard has not proved he can beat a top five yet.
these are wrong
theres no way that junior dos santos is above cain.
Brock shud be #3 or #4
i dont think a win over 215 lbs 50 year randy coture & a win over frank mir earns him the #2 spot
Brock should be rated higher than any other UFC HW for sure he's the champion
And outside the UFC there is not much competition against Brock besides Fedor. Barnett doing roids has dropped his status.
Overeem?........
HA HA HA HA HA He’s certainly NOT worth being in the top 10. He’s going to get OWNED in less than 2 mins if he ever kicks the roids and fights in the US again against Fedor for the Strikefarce belt. I’m deffo NOT a Fedor fan but he’s going to KTFO Overeem.
Losing to Fedor means you can't be ranked in the top 10 at all?
That’s pretty harsh. No one would be in the top 10. It would look like this.
1. Fedor
2.Fedor
3. Fedor….Get it?
Tyson Griffin
How id Tyson Griffin not in the top 10? ANd Forest above silva, joke!
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