Current & All-Time Rankings Updated (07-06-2017)
Notable Info
- Intermediate updates to prep for the TUF card on Friday.
Comparing the 10 Title Defenses of Demetrious Johnson and Anderson Silva
With a victory over Wilson Reis in the main event last Saturday, Demetrious Johnson tied Anderson Silva’s record for most consecutive UFC title defenses. Many pundits have been quick to decry the accomplishment due to the current state of the flyweight division. The UFC did not crown their first flyweight champion until 2012, and the division has been in the developing stages ever since. With that being said, Johnson has been nothing short of dominant. How do the two strings of title defenses compare?
In terms of ranking points alone, Silva faced a much tougher road than Johnson. As you can see in the following chart, Silva’s opponents almost always had more ranking points. However, that does not tell the entire story. Fighters competing in more developed divisions will obviously have more points. Ranking points are the result of the Fight Matrix statistical model. The more points a fighter has, the higher the fighter is ranked. You can find more information here.
When determining the per-bout level of opposition a fan might ask himself/herself, “how big of an upset would this be?” Using this criteria might give a clearer picture of the level of competition faced by both fighters. Fight Matrix hands out two different “Upset of Year” awards, most noteworthy and most lopsided. Most noteworthy is simply “the largest difference (X minus Y) between raw rating points,” while most lopsided is “the largest proportional difference (X divided by Y) between raw rating points.” Keep Reading
Can Demetrious Johnson really be considered the greatest of all-time?
Rumblings of DJ becoming “the GOAT” after last night’s victory are premature and exaggerated.
Johnson, who was #23 in our last version of the All-Time Rankings, will surely move up after the next update. I estimate he’ll be at the cusp of the Top 20 and will continue to gain points as he maintains his lofty standing in the Flyweight division.
The greatest complications with the all-time rankings are simple to understand, but impossible to resolve with 100% satisfaction.
- How do you weight divisions against one another (no pun intended)?
- How do you weight eras against one another?
- How do you weight quantity vs. quality?
- How and when do you credit fighters for the extraordinary?
Fedor Emelianenko Ranking History
On Saturday night, former Pride FC champion Fedor Emelianenko makes his Bellator debut against Matt Mitrione in the main event of Bellator 172. Emelianenko spent a large chunk of his career as the number-one ranked heavyweight. As you can see in the following chart, he has not experienced the same kind of success recently. However, his time on top is virtually unmatched.
Tim Kennedy Ranking History
On Tuesday, Tim Kennedy announced his retirement from MMA with a lengthy Facebook post. Kennedy first entered the Fight Matrix rankings in 2003 as the #42 middleweight. The following chart shows his Quarterly Generated Historical Ranking for his career.
Significant dates:
Defeated Michael Bisping on April 16, 2014
Defeated Robbie Lawler on July 30, 2011
Strikeforce debut on June 19, 2009
IFL debut on Feb. 23, 2007
Fighters on the doorstep of the All-Time Absolute Rankings
In case you’ve been living in a hole, we have All-Time Rankings available.
Most of the lists can fluctuate wildly while fighters’ careers are still active, but there haven’t been many active fighters entering the “Absolute” Top 25 in quite some time. However, this may change in the very near future.
Soon to Come?
#26 – Demetrious Johnson
Johnson would’ve been on the list quite some time ago, IF he competed in a division with a larger population. Although the division is growing quickly, its past and even its current, still lag behind other divisions in the sport.
Tapology ranks Johnson at #11 All-Time, while ScoreCardMMA has him at #14.
Michael Chandler’s Ranking History
At this Saturday’s Bellator 165 show, lightweight champion Michael Chandler puts his belt on the line against former UFC and WEC champion Benson Henderson. Chandler has been ranked as high as the #3 lightweight, but Henderson would still be one of the biggest wins on his resume.
Chandler first entered the quarterly generated historical rankings in July 2010 as the #352 welterweight. After making his Bellator debut later that year, he jumped up to #281 welterweight.
In 2011, Chandler dropped down a division and entered the season-four lightweight tournament. In the finals, he defeated Patricky Freire. His ranking moved all the way up to #25 lightweight. Later that year, he upset Eddie Alvarez and took the promotion’s lightweight title and began 2012 at the #5 lightweight.
After three-consecutive losses, including a pair to Will Brooks, Chandler found himself ranked as low as #15. It was the first time he was ranked outside the top ten since 2011. He has fought his way back to the Bellator lightweight title, but he is still outside the top ten. In the most recent Fight Matrix rankings release he is #12. The good news for him is that a win over Henderson would likely propel him back into the top ten.
Looking Back at Shane Carwin’s Career
Rizin Fighting Federation has announced the signing of former UFC interim champion Shane Carwin. The 41-year-old fighter will return to action for the first time since 2011 in the second round of the Openweight Grand Prix on New Year’s Eve week. Carwin first earned a spot in the Quarterly Generated Historical Rankings 2006 and stayed there until his retirement. His peak ranking, #4 heavyweight, came in April 2010 after he defeated Frank Mir for the interim belt. Carwin was last ranked #6 heavyweight April 2011. Of the remaining fighters in the tournament, only Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Wanderlei Silva have higher peak rankings. However, Filipovic’s peak came in 2007 and Silva’s in 2005.
Comparison: Sherdog vs. Fight Matrix – All-Time Top Female Fighters
In case you missed it, Sherdog presented an article of the Top 10 Female MMA Fighters of All-Time
The names are similar, but they certainly differ from our All-Time Rankings
Sherdog #10 – Tara LaRosa (Fight Matrix – #6)
Although never officially fighting the UFC, LaRosa’s ledger is one of the most impressive in the history of the female side of the sport. She managed to catch on in many different organizations to get (mostly) quality fights and compile a 22-5 record in doing so. Her most recent fight against Modafferi was a disaster and she’s probably far beyond her prime, but she’s easily one of the very best few before the Rousey/Cyborg era.
FightMatrix #10 – Jessica Aguilar (Sherdog – Unranked)
Sherdog #9 – Amanda Nunes (Fight Matrix – #19)
She’s more than likely going to quickly rise up our list with time, but this seems a little premature. Champions who win a major belt and don’t successfully defend, seem like a group that grows with each UFC event. If she gets Rousey next, it could be a very short stay at the top of the division.
FightMatrix #9 – Jennifer Howe (Sherdog – Unranked)