MMA Rankings, Records, Statistics

Once again… it seems like a weekly segment can be written about fouls and their mishandling in the world of MMA these days.

On Sunday night, Stockholm time, a potentially very intriguing fight between Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Texeira took place. Both have been at the top of the light heavyweight division for  a long time, and this was one of the few fights between the very best in that division which had yet to be made. So, apart from the fact that they both already fought for the title and lost, it was a very interesting fight.

And the fight indeed started quite interestingly. Unfortunately, in the middle of the very first round Gustafsson apparently poked Texeira in the eye. Marc Goddard stopped the action, called in the doctor and told Texeira emphatically that he doesn’t have any time to recover and that he needs to decide immediately whether he can continue to fight or not.

Fighters are usually very reluctant to say they cannot fight. They prepare for months for these fights, their livelihood depends on these fights and it’s very important for fighters to have success in their careers to always feel like they can overcome any adversity. Plus, they usually get a lot of scrutiny from fans and promotions alike for quitting mid-fight. So while it may be the smart move for a fighter to quit for any reason that would compromise his fighting ability, most times fighters try to push through and keep fighting.

Continue reading 'Gustafsson-Texeira Eye Poke'

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Ked Becker

Event Reviews | Comments (2)

Featherweight Championship (145)
[#1/#6DD/#5P4P] Jose Aldo (26-2-0, -142) vs. [#2/#7DD/#6P4P] Max Holloway (17-3-0, +116)
Jose Aldo is the All-Time #1 ranked Featherweight and #3 ranked Absolute fighter.
Max Holloway is the All-Time #8 ranked Featherweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Jose Aldo (2-1-0)
2016-07-09: W vs. [#3FW] Frankie Edgar (22-5-1) via UD (49-46, 48-47, 49-46)
2015-12-12: L vs. [#1LW/#9DD/#8P4P] Conor McGregor (21-3-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:13 of round 1
2014-10-25: W vs. [*] Chad Mendes (17-4-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)

Last 3 Fights: Max Holloway (3-0-0)
2016-12-10: W vs. [#9LW] Anthony Pettis (19-6-0) via TKO (Kick to the Body and Punches) in 4:50 of round 3
2016-06-04: W vs. [#4FW] Ricardo Lamas (17-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2015-12-12: W vs. [#11FW] Jeremy Stephens (25-14-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jose Aldo 329, Max Holloway 175
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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Women Strawweight (115)
[#3/#10DD/#8P4P] Claudia Gadelha (14-2-0, -290) vs. [#6] Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-1-0, +230)
Claudia Gadelha is the All-Time #24 ranked Women’s fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Claudia Gadelha (2-1-0)
2016-11-19: W vs. [#19SW] Cortney Casey (6-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2016-07-08: L vs. [#1SW/#1DD/#1P4P] Joanna Jedrzejczyk (14-0-0) via UD (48-45, 48-46, 48-46)
2015-08-01: W vs. [#20SW] Jessica Aguilar (19-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (2-1-0)
2016-11-12: L vs. [#1SW/#1DD/#1P4P] Joanna Jedrzejczyk (14-0-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
2016-07-30: W vs. [#5SW] Rose Namajunas (6-3-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2016-05-08: W vs. [#71SW] Heather Clark (7-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Claudia Gadelha 196, Karolina Kowalkiewicz 203
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Middleweight (185)
[#11] Vitor Belfort (25-13-0) vs. [#36] Nate Marquardt (35-17-2)
Vitor Belfort is the All-Time #21 ranked Middleweight and #28 ranked Absolute fighter.
Nate Marquardt is the All-Time #6 ranked Middleweight and #49 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Vitor Belfort (0-2-0, 1 NC)
2017-03-11: NC vs. [#10MW] Kelvin Gastelum (13-2-0)
2016-10-08: L vs. [#4MW] Gegard Mousasi (42-6-2) via TKO (Punches) in 2:43 of round 2
2016-05-14: L vs. [#7MW] Ronaldo Souza (24-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:38 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Nate Marquardt (1-2-0)
2017-01-28: L vs. [#29MW] Sam Alvey (30-9-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2016-10-01: W vs. [#53MW] Tamdan McCrory (14-5-0) via KO (Punch and Head Kick) in 4:44 of round 2
2016-05-14: L vs. [#25MW] Thiago Santos (14-5-0) via KO (Punch) in 3:39 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Vitor Belfort 84, Nate Marquardt 126
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Continue reading 'Fight Matrix Program – UFC 212: Aldo/Holloway (06-03-2017)'

Posted on May 28, 2017 by jcs

Event Previews, MMA Ranks, Upcoming Events | Comments (0)

Posted on May 28, 2017 by jcs

MMA Ranks | Comments (2)

On Friday, Ben Askren will defend his ONE Championship welterweight title against Agilan Thangalapani. The challenger is 7-0 and currently ranked #204 at middleweight. During his six-fight ONE career, he has fought fighters with the following records: 0-1, 2-2, 3-6, 3-1, 4-5 and 6-2. This is what a title challenger looks like in a promotion run by people who publicly say things like, “If Conor McGregor was a free agent, ONE Championship would not try to sign him.”

Askren left Bellator in 2013 and signed with ONE the following year. During his Bellator run, he went 9-0, won the promotion’s welterweight title and defended it four times. At the time, many expected the Olympic wrestler to sign with the UFC. He even posted on Twitter, “I am now free to go to the UFC and beat whoever I want.” Instead, fans were treated to a never-ending war of words between Askren and UFC president Dana White.

During his time in ONE, his ranking has fallen from #6 welterweight in 2013 all the way to #50 in the current ranking release. This is partially due to inactivity, but his lack of quality opponents is the main impetus for the drop.

In 2014, Askren made his ONE debut with a first-round submission victory over Bakhtiyar Abbasov. He then returned and bested Nobutatsu Suzuki for the promotion’s welterweight title. The following year, he fought to a no contest with Luis Santos after Askren landed an accidental eye poke. The two were supposed to rematch, but Santos missed weight and ate too much brunch, so the fight never materialized. Last year, Askren defeated Nikolay Aleksakhin.
Continue reading 'How did Ben Askren drop 44 spots in the rankings without losing?'

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Richard Mann

Tags: Ben Askren, ONE Championship
MMA Ranks, Other | Comments (2)

Light Heavyweight (205)
[#5] Glover Teixeira (26-5-0, +248) vs. [#9] Alexander Gustafsson (17-4-0, -315)
Glover Teixeira is the All-Time #24 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.
Alexander Gustafsson is the All-Time #19 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Glover Teixeira (2-1-0)
2017-02-11: W vs. [#53LHW] Jared Cannonier (9-2-0) via UD (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
2016-08-20: L vs. [*] Anthony Johnson (22-6-0) via in 0:13 of round 1
2016-04-16: W vs. [#28MW] Rashad Evans (21-6-1) via KO (Punches) in 1:48 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Alexander Gustafsson (1-2-0)
2016-09-03: W vs. [#36LHW] Jan Blachowicz (19-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2015-10-03: L vs. [#1LHW/#1DD/#2P4P] Daniel Cormier (19-1-0) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 49-46)
2015-01-24: L vs. [*] Anthony Johnson (22-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:15 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Glover Teixeira 106, Alexander Gustafsson 267
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#12] Misha Cirkunov (13-2-0, -397) vs. [#17] Volkan Oezdemir (13-1-0, +313)

Last 3 Fights: Misha Cirkunov (3-0-0)
2016-12-10: W vs. [#20LHW] Nikita Krylov (21-5-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 4:38 of round 1
2016-06-18: W vs. [#100LHW] Ion Cutelaba (12-3-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 1:22 of round 3
2016-02-06: W vs. [#75MW] Alex Nicholson (7-3-0) via Submission (Neck Crank) in 1:28 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Volkan Oezdemir (3-0-0)
2017-02-04: W vs. [#13LHW] Ovince St. Preux (20-10-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2016-04-09: W vs. [#217HW+] Alihan Vahaev (5-2-0) via UD ()
2014-09-20: W vs. [#269LHW] Paco Estevez (7-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in ? of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Misha Cirkunov 169, Volkan Oezdemir 113
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#34] Ben Saunders (21-7-2, -121) vs. [#94] Peter Sobotta (16-5-1, -102)

Last 3 Fights: Ben Saunders (2-1-0)
2017-01-15: W vs. [#82WW] Court McGee (18-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2016-09-09: W vs. [#135WW] Jacob Volkmann (19-7-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 0:17 of round 1
2016-01-17: L vs. [*] Patrick Cote (23-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:14 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Peter Sobotta (2-1-0)
2016-09-03: W vs. [#143WW] Nicolas Dalby (14-2-1) via UD (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
2015-11-14: L vs. [*] Kyle Noke (22-10-1) via TKO (Body Kick and Punches) in 2:01 of round 1
2015-06-20: W vs. [#146MW] Steve Kennedy (24-8-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:57 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ben Saunders 133, Peter Sobotta 267
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Continue reading 'Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night 109: Gustafsson/Teixeira'

Posted on May 23, 2017 by jcs

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Posted on May 21, 2017 by jcs

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More of a “fun” post, rather than a scientific one…

The All-Time MMA Rankings use a simplified version of the current rankings as supporting data.  Monthly snapshots where a fighter must have registered a recent quality performance in the division serve as the primary data point.  Here is a look at which fighters most occupied each position in the Top 10.

Posted on May 19, 2017 by jcs

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Oh My God! It happened again! Only a few short weeks after Mousasi kneed Weidman into a baffling and controversial TKO win by apparently legal knees, after the bout was stopped because the referee thought the knees were illegal (what?), and after Miragliotta took all the heat for his apparent mistake, and all the discussion surrounding the use of instant replays and referee polling, it happened again.  This time with the consensus one of the best referees in the business, Herb Dean. There was nothing different between the two incidents. Nothing. Except that this time it was worse. Much much worse.

Let’s take it from the top. First of all, we should remember that the new unified rules of MMA have not been adopted everywhere, which is a big part of the reason this confusion is taking place. In New York, where Weidman and Mousasi fought, the new rules had been adopted, which means that a fighter is only considered ‘downed opponent’ when both his hands (and feet) are on the ground.  In Texas, where Alvarez and Poirier have just fought, the new rules had not been adopted, which means that one hand on the ground is enough to consider a fighter “downed”, and therefore illegal for his head to kneed at.

Continue reading 'Alvarez Vs. Poirier or Knees to a Downed Opponent… Again!'

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Ked Becker

Other | Comments (1)

Women Flyweight (125)
[#4] Vanessa Porto (18-7-0) vs. [#6] Agnieszka Niedzwiedz (9-0-0)

Last 3 Fights: Vanessa Porto (2-1-0)
2016-03-11: L vs. [#1FLY/#7P4P] Jennifer Maia (14-4-1) via UD (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
2015-04-24: W vs. [#2FLY] Roxanne Modafferi (20-13-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-03-30: W vs. [NA] Ana Maria (5-5-0) via UD ()

Last 3 Fights: Agnieszka Niedzwiedz (3-0-0)
2016-12-17: W vs. [#73SW] Samara Santos Cunha (10-3-1) via TKO (Punches) in 3:10 of round 3
2016-07-29: W vs. [#123FLY] Christine Stanley (5-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-06-08: W vs. [#34FW] Julija Stoliarenko (1-2-2) via TKO (Punches) in 2:51 of round 3

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Vanessa Porto 435, Agnieszka Niedzwiedz 154
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Women Flyweight (125)
[#2] Roxanne Modafferi (20-13-0) vs. [#3] Sarah DAlelio (11-6-0)
Roxanne Modafferi is the All-Time #17 ranked Women’s fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Roxanne Modafferi (2-1-0)
2017-04-01: W vs. [#34FLY] Priscila de Souza (12-7-0) via in of round 2
2016-09-23: L vs. [#1FLY/#7P4P] Jennifer Maia (14-4-1) via SD (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)
2016-03-11: W vs. [#28SW] DeAnna Bennett (8-3-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Sarah DAlelio (3-0-0)
2016-11-19: W vs. [#127FLY] Jaimelene Nievera (4-3-0) via in of round 3
2016-07-23: W vs. [#46FLY] Jenny Liou (6-5-0) via UD ()
2016-03-11: W vs. [#10FLY] Andrea Lee (6-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:21 of round 3

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Roxanne Modafferi 49, Sarah DAlelio 182
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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Women Atomweight (105)
[#3] Herica Tiburcio (10-4-0) vs. [#6] Tessa Simpson (5-1-0)
Herica Tiburcio is the All-Time #49 ranked Women’s fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Herica Tiburcio (1-2-0)
2016-11-18: W vs. [#8AW] Simona Soukupova (6-5-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2016-03-11: L vs. [#4AW] Jinh Yu Frey (5-2-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2015-07-09: L vs. [#1AW/#7DD] Ayaka Hamasaki (14-2-0) via SD (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)

Last 3 Fights: Tessa Simpson (3-0-0)
2016-07-29: W vs. [#8AW] Simona Soukupova (6-5-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
2016-03-18: W vs. [#20AW] Satomi Takano (10-8-0) via Submission (Mounted Triangle Keylock) in 2:01 of round 3
2013-09-13: W vs. [#31AW] Paulina Granados (4-2-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Herica Tiburcio 183, Tessa Simpson 295
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Continue reading 'Fight Matrix Program – Invicta FC 23: Porto/Niedzwiedz (05-20-2017)'

Posted on May 16, 2017 by jcs

Event Previews, Upcoming Events | Comments (0)

Welterweight (170)
[#14] Rory MacDonald (18-4-0) vs. [#39] Paul Daley (39-14-2)
Rory MacDonald is the All-Time #12 ranked Welterweight fighter.
Paul Daley is the All-Time #49 ranked Welterweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Rory MacDonald (1-2-0)
2016-06-18: L vs. [#2WW] Stephen Thompson (13-2-1) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 48-47)
2015-07-11: L vs. [#4WW] Robbie Lawler (27-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:00 of round 5
2014-10-04: W vs. [#26WW] Tarec Saffiedine (16-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:28 of round 3

Last 3 Fights: Paul Daley (2-1-0)
2017-01-21: W vs. [#88WW] Brennan Ward (14-5-0) via KO (Flying Knee) in 2:27 of round 1
2016-07-16: L vs. [#13WW] Douglas Lima (28-6-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2016-01-29: W vs. [*] Andy Uhrich (11-6-0) via in of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Rory MacDonald 335, Paul Daley 118
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Rory MacDonald leads 1-0
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#9] Liam McGeary (12-1-0) vs. [#11] Linton Vassell (17-5-0)
Liam McGeary is the All-Time #38 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Liam McGeary (2-1-0)
2017-02-24: W vs. [#120HW+] Brett McDermott (8-5-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 1:06 of round 2
2016-11-04: L vs. [#3LHW] Phil Davis (17-3-0) via UD (50-45, 50-44, 50-43)
2015-09-19: W vs. [*] Tito Ortiz (20-12-1) via Submission (Inverted Triangle Choke) in 4:41 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Linton Vassell (2-1-0)
2016-11-19: W vs. [#30LHW] Francis Carmont (25-12-0) via UD (30-25, 30-26, 30-26)
2016-02-19: W vs. [#34LHW] Emanuel Newton (26-12-1) via UD (29-27, 30-26, 29-27)
2015-09-19: L vs. [#13HW+] Muhammed Lawal (21-6-0) via UD ()

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Liam McGeary 84, Linton Vassell 181
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (265)
[#15] Cheick Kongo (26-10-2) vs. [#57] Augusto Sakai (9-0-1)
Cheick Kongo is the All-Time #48 ranked Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Cheick Kongo (3-0-0)
2017-02-18: W vs. [#54HW+] Oli Thompson (17-10-0) via UD (30-26, 30-25, 30-25)
2016-09-16: W vs. [#24HW+] Tony Johnson (10-3-0) via MD (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
2016-02-26: W vs. [#99HW+] Vinicius Kappke de Queiro (8-4-0) via SD (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Augusto Sakai (2-0-1)
2016-05-20: D vs. [#123HW+] Dan Charles (10-5-1) via Draw (Majority) in 5:00 of round 3
2015-11-06: W vs. [*] Alex Huddleston (6-2-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2015-06-26: W vs. [#107HW+] Daniel Gallemore (7-3-0) via TKO (Retirement) in 5:00 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Cheick Kongo 90, Augusto Sakai 364
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Continue reading 'Fight Matrix Program – Bellator 179: MacDonald/Daley (05-19-2017)'

Posted on May 15, 2017 by jcs

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