Current & All-Time MMA Rankings Updated (01-06-2019)
Notable Info
- Semi-annual community adjustment made for male JP population.
- Data issue resolved where many TUF bouts were removed from the database.
Current & All-Time MMA Rankings Updated (12-30-2018)
Notable Info
- Jon Jones jumped from #5 to #3 on the Absolute list, after his win at last night’s UFC. He is in a virtual tie with Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko for the runner-up position.
- Regardless of Dana White’s opinions of the All-Time standing of Amanda Nunes, she remains at #3 on the All-Time Women’s list, as her career achievements are not yet at the level of Ronda Rousey or Cris Cyborg. However, last night’s win gave her a comfortable lead over the #4, Joanna Jedrzedczyk, whose name I almost spelled correctly on the first try.
Current & All-Time Rankings Updated (09-09-2018)
Notable Info
- Tyron Woodley moves up to #3 in the All-Time Welterweight Rankings and cracks the Top 25 Absolute, landing at #23.
All-Time MMA Rankings Updated (08-05-2018)
Notable Info
- Demetrious Johnson‘s #12 Absolute and #1 Flyweight rankings remain after his loss to Henry Cejudo. Meanwhile, Cejudo nearly doubled his All-Time Flyweight point total, moving him from #8 to #7 on the list, but remains a fair distance outside of the Top 100 Absolute.
- T.J. Dillashaw strengthens his #2 Bantamweight position and is on the cusp of entering the Top 35 Absolute list, at #36. Cody Garbrandt wards off inactivity and gets a very small temporary boost in his All-Time ratings, but this acts simply as treading water. He still remains #7 at Bantamweight and just outside of the Top 100 Absolute.
All-Time MMA Rankings Updated (09-29-2017)
Notable Info
- All lists expanded from Top 25 to Top 35. More expansion coming soon.
Mamoru Yamaguchi is a true pioneer of the flyweight division
This weekend, former two-division Shooto world champion and current flyweight King of Pancrase Mamoru Yamaguchi returns to action at Pancrase 289. The 40-year-old fighter will defend his title against Senzo Ikeda, and the card will air live on UFC Fight Pass.
Yamaguchi, currently ranked #26 in the flyweight division, might not be the most recognizable name to average MMA fans. However, you can’t tell the story of the MMA’s flyweight division without including him. In 2000, he became the first Shooto featherweight (132 pounds) champion with a victory over Jin Akimoto. Three years later, he took the first Shooto bantamweight (123 pounds) championship after defeating Yasuhiro Urushitani. Urushitani went on to participate in the tournament to determine the first UFC flyweight champion.
The following chart shows the percentage of Yamaguchi’s ranking points compared to the number-one ranked fighter in his division for each quarter of his career.
The higher the percentage, the closer to the number one ranking for Yamaguchi. This is a similar calculation used to determine the “Fight Matrix Most Lopsided Upset of the Year” award.
As you can see, Yamaguchi was not only a pioneer of the flyweight division but also a perennial contender until the UFC adopted the division in 2012. At his advanced age, it is impressive that he is still ranked near the flyweight top 25. His current run as King of Pancrase is a dignified culmination of a historic career, which, unfortunately, is rarely seen in the sport.
Richard Mann runs the data-driven combat sports blog StrikeScoreMMA.com You can follow him on Twitter @RichardAMann