Light Heavyweight (205)
[#9] Glover Teixeira (21-2-0, 206.0lb, -418) vs. [#10] Ryan Bader (15-3-0, 205.0lb, +375)
Ryan Bader is the All-Time #23 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Glover Teixeira (3-0-0)
2013-05-25: W vs. [#21LHW] James Te Huna (16-6-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 2:38 of round 1
2013-01-26: W vs. [#14LHW] Quinton Jackson (32-11-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2012-10-13: W vs. [#49LHW] Fabio Maldonado (19-6-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Ryan Bader (2-1-0)
2013-01-26: W vs. [#38LHW] Vladimir Matyushenko (26-7-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:50 of round 1
2012-08-04: L vs. [#3LHW] Lyoto Machida (19-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:32 of round 2
2012-02-26: W vs. [#14LHW] Quinton Jackson (32-11-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Glover Teixeira 102, Ryan Bader 221
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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Middleweight (185)
[#4] Yushin Okami (29-7-0, 185.0lb, +236) vs. [#6] Ronaldo Souza (18-3-0, 186.0lb, -240)
Yushin Okami is the All-Time #7 ranked Middleweight fighter.
Ronaldo Souza is the All-Time #20 ranked Middleweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Yushin Okami (3-0-0)
2013-03-03: W vs. [#5MW] Hector Lombard (32-4-1) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2012-12-29: W vs. [#17MW] Alan Belcher (18-8-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2012-08-11: W vs. [#68MW] Buddy Roberts (12-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:09 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Ronaldo Souza (3-0-0)
2013-05-18: W vs. [#31MW] Chris Camozzi (19-6-0) via Technical Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 3:37 of round 1
2013-01-12: W vs. [#38MW] Ed Herman (21-9-0) via Submission (Kimura) in 3:10 of round 1
2012-08-18: W vs. [#24MW] Derek Brunson (10-2-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:41 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Yushin Okami 185, Ronaldo Souza 109
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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Flyweight (125)
[#2/#8DD] Joseph Benavidez (18-3-0, 126.0lb, -500) vs. [#10] Jussier da Silva (15-2-0, 126.0lb, +444)
Joseph Benavidez is the All-Time #19 ranked Flyweight fighter.
Jussier da Silva is the All-Time #4 ranked Flyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Joseph Benavidez (2-1-0)
2013-04-20: W vs. [#11FLY] Darren Uyenoyama (8-4-0) via KO (Punch to the Body) in 4:50 of round 2
2013-02-02: W vs. [#5FLY] Ian McCall (12-4-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2012-09-22: L vs. [#1FLY/#6DD] Demetrious Johnson (18-2-1) via SD (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)

Last 3 Fights: Jussier da Silva (2-1-0)
2013-05-18: W vs. [#26FLY] Chris Cariaso (14-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2012-10-05: L vs. [#6FLY] John Dodson (14-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:35 of round 2
2012-06-29: W vs. [#75FLY] Sidney Lessa de Oliveira (9-5-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:45 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Joseph Benavidez 137, Jussier da Silva 109
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Joseph Benavidez leads 2-1
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FYI – We’ll likely have a mid-week update to accommodate the UFC show on Wednesday night.

Notable Info

• Travis Browne finally realizes his potential by removing Alistair Overeem from his senses.  As a result, he moves up to #6 in the HW+ rankings.
• Also at Heavyweight, Steve Mocco improves to 3-0 and jumps into the Top 100 at #82 by beating Lew Polley, who gained some infamy by showing up at 237lbs for a 205lb fight on August 9th.  Perhaps gluttony got the best of Polley again, as he gained another 18lb in 7 days — weighing in at 255lb for the Mocco fight!  James Toney, eat your heart out… but no seconds.
• Chael Sonnen found the Top 10, this time at Light Heavyweight with a first-round submission of Mauricio Rua.  This puts Sonnen at #8 and Rua at #11.
• Mike Thomas Brown plummets down the Featherweight rankings at the hands of Steven Siler.  Now sitting at #65, a re-retirement seems eminent.
• Pedro Munhoz‘s win over Jeff Curran made our All-Time Unusual Decisions list.  Although Munhoz received 50-45 and 49-46 scores, Curran managed a 48-47 in his favor.  Subsequently, Jeff Curran retired and is apparently abandoning his Flyweight run — this fight was at Bantamweight.

Notable Info

• Tyrone Spong gets a relatively easy unanimous decision win against solid fighter Angel DeAnda. As a result, Spong debuts in the LHW rankings at #75.
• Also in the LHW rankings, we see a familiar name — Kalib Starnes, who appears to be having a bit of a career renaissance.  His last win was at HW, with this most recent one being at LHW — both of which combine to get him a #55 rank in the LHW division.
• Another resurgence takes place at Lightweight, with the appearance of “JZ” Cavalcante in the Top 50, at #47.  With a (perhaps quick) stoppage of Tyson Griffin, he essentially erased his poor 2012 — though it will take a lot to get him over the hump of Gaethje who is now a Top 20 fighter.
• #124 ranked Featherweight, Julio Cesar Neves, improves his record to 26-0-0, with a Capoeira kick KO over unranked Dener “Chuleta”, who falls to 9-5.
• The Strawweight division loses its longtime figurehead, Rambaa Somdet, as he took his first fight with PXC and will look to continue at Flyweight.  He debuts at Flyweight with a win, way down at #41.
• Hiroko Yamanaka announces her retirement and the Women’s Featherweight division loses yet another ranked fighter.  The unheralded Agnieszka Sobczyk (2-1) slides in at #15.

Middleweight

Contrary to the prior two divisions we looked at, Middleweight shows some considerable differences.  Also, the table just got a lot harder to read.

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Light Heavyweight

The two rankings again are eerily similar, with the first notable difference being Rashad Evans.  But what a mess it is, overall.

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Notable Info

• This is an intermediate update for testing purposes.