Fight Matrix Program – UFC 220: Miocic/Ngannou (01-20-2018)
Heavyweight Championship (265)
[#1/#3DD/#3P4P] Stipe Miocic (17-2-0, +152) vs. [#2] Francis Ngannou (11-1-0, -183)
Stipe Miocic is the All-Time #6 ranked Heavyweight and #30 ranked Absolute fighter.
Francis Ngannou is the All-Time #38 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Stipe Miocic (3-0-0)
2017-05-13: W vs. [#6HW+] Junior dos Santos (18-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:22 of round 1
2016-09-10: W vs. [#4HW+] Alistair Overeem (43-16-0) via TKO in 4:27 of round 1
2016-05-14: W vs. [#3HW+] Fabricio Werdum (23-7-1) via KO (Punch) in 2:47 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Francis Ngannou (3-0-0)
2017-12-02: W vs. [#4HW+] Alistair Overeem (43-16-0) via KO (Punch) in 1:42 of round 1
2017-01-28: W vs. [#20HW+] Andrei Arlovski (26-15-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:32 of round 1
2016-12-09: W vs. [#114HW+] Anthony Hamilton (15-9-0) via Submission (Kimura) in 1:57 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Stipe Miocic 252, Francis Ngannou 49
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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Light Heavyweight Championship (205)
[#1/#4DD/#4P4P] Daniel Cormier (19-1-0, -333) vs. [#6] Volkan Oezdemir (15-1-0, +262)
Daniel Cormier is the All-Time #8 ranked Light Heavyweight and #26 ranked Absolute fighter.
Volkan Oezdemir is the All-Time #50 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Daniel Cormier (2-0-0, 1 NC)
2017-07-29: NC vs. [#2LHW/#5P4P] Jon Jones (22-1-0)
2017-04-08: W vs. [*] Anthony Johnson (22-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:37 of round 2
2016-07-09: W vs. [#10MW] Anderson Silva (34-8-0) via UD (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Last 3 Fights: Volkan Oezdemir (3-0-0)
2017-07-29: W vs. [#11LHW] Jimi Manuwa (17-3-0) via TKO in 0:22 of round 1
2017-05-28: W vs. [#23LHW] Misha Cirkunov (13-4-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:28 of round 1
2017-02-04: W vs. [#10LHW] Ovince St. Preux (22-10-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Daniel Cormier 175, Volkan Oezdemir 175
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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Featherweight (145)
[#37] Shane Burgos (10-0-0, -140) vs. [#46] Calvin Kattar (17-2-0, +115)
Last 3 Fights: Shane Burgos (3-0-0)
2017-07-22: W vs. [#79FW] Godofredo Castro (13-5-0) via UD (30-26, 30-26, 29-28)
2017-04-08: W vs. [#251FW] Charles Rosa (11-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:59 of round 3
2016-12-09: W vs. [#519LW] Tiago dos Santos e Silva (20-8-1) via UD (30-26, 29-27, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Calvin Kattar (3-0-0)
2017-07-29: W vs. [#39FW] Andre Fili (17-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2016-09-23: W vs. [#264FW] Chris Foster (11-5-0) via UD ()
2016-04-01: W vs. [#337FW] Kenny Foster (12-12-0) via SD ()
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Shane Burgos 182, Calvin Kattar 175
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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Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Friday, March 6th 2026: RIZIN 52 | |||
 [#5 W105] Saori Oshima | [#11 W105] Keito Oyama | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 11/02/2025 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#1 W105] Seika Izawa Last 5: W L L W L | Last Fight Date: 11/02/2025 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [NR] Bo Mi Lee Last 5: L W W W W | ||
| Sunday, March 8th 2026: Deep Osaka Impact 2026 1st Round | |||
| [#7 W105] Moeri Suda | [#10 W105] Namiko Kawabata | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/15/2025 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#5 W105] Saori Oshima Last 5: W W W W L | Last Fight Date: 5/25/2025 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#36 W105] Honoka Shigeta Last 5: L L L W W | ||
| Friday, March 20th 2026: Professional Fighters League PFL Madrid - Van Steenis vs. Edwards 2 | |||
 [#8 MW] Costello Van Steenis |  [#13 MW] Fabian Edwards | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 7/19/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#14 MW] Johnny Eblen Last 5: W L W W W | Last Fight Date: 8/21/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#29 MW] Dalton Rosta Last 5: W L W W W | ||
Featured Fighters
| [#5 LW] |  Justin Gaethje | [#11 LW] | Paddy Pimblett | |
| [#1 LW] |  Ilia Topuria | [#1 WW] |  Islam Makhachev | |
| [#2 LW] |  Arman Tsarukyan | [NR] |  Conor McGregor | |
| [NR] | Khabib Nurmagomedov | [#174 MW] | Andrey Pulyaev | |
| [#3 BW] | Sean OMalley | [#7 BW] |  Yadong Song |
Current MMA Rankings Updated (01-15-2018)
Notable Info
- Women’s Flyweight rankings expanded by 10 fighters.
Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night 124: Stephens/Choi (01-14-2018)
Featherweight (145)
[#8] Jeremy Stephens (26-14-0, +140) vs. [#26] Doo Ho Choi (14-2-0, -166)
Jeremy Stephens is the All-Time #25 ranked Featherweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Jeremy Stephens (1-2-0)
2017-09-09: W vs. [#39FW] Gilbert Melendez (22-7-0) via UD (30-26, 30-25, 30-26)
2017-04-15: L vs. [#16FW] Renato Carneiro (11-1-1) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2016-11-12: L vs. [#2FW/#10DD] Frankie Edgar (22-5-1) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Doo Ho Choi (2-1-0)
2016-12-10: L vs. [#11FW] Cub Swanson (25-8-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2016-07-08: W vs. [#44FW] Thiago Tavares (21-7-1) via KO (Punches) in 2:42 of round 1
2015-11-28: W vs. [#74FW] Sam Sicilia (16-8-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:33 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jeremy Stephens 127, Doo Ho Choi 400
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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Middleweight (185)
[#12] Vitor Belfort (26-13-0, +226) vs. [#15] Uriah Hall (13-8-0, -281)
Vitor Belfort is the All-Time #18 ranked Middleweight and #23 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Vitor Belfort (1-1-0, 1 NC)
2017-06-03: W vs. [*] Nate Marquardt (35-19-2) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2017-03-11: NC vs. [#6MW] Kelvin Gastelum (14-3-0)
2016-10-08: L vs. [#4MW] Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2) via TKO in 2:43 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Uriah Hall (1-2-0)
2017-09-16: W vs. [#24MW] Krzysztof Jotko (19-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:25 of round 2
2016-11-19: L vs. [#4MW] Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2) via TKO in 4:37 of round 1
2016-09-17: L vs. [#11MW] Derek Brunson (18-5-0) via TKO (Punch) in 1:41 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Vitor Belfort 225, Uriah Hall 120
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Uriah Hall leads 1-0
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Women Flyweight (125)
[#22] Jessica-Rose Clark (8-4-0, -126) vs. [#38SW] Paige VanZant (7-3-0, +102)
Last 3 Fights: Jessica-Rose Clark (2-1-0)
2017-11-18: W vs. [#60FLY] Bec Rawlings (7-7-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2017-08-18: W vs. [#54BW] Carina Damm (23-14-0) via SD ()
2017-03-18: L vs. [#14BW] Sarah Kaufman (18-4-0) via UD ()
Last 3 Fights: Paige VanZant (1-2-0)
2016-12-17: L vs. [#26SW] Michelle Waterson (14-6-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:21 of round 1
2016-08-27: W vs. [#60FLY] Bec Rawlings (7-7-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 0:17 of round 2
2015-12-10: L vs. [#1SW/#3DD/#3P4P] Rose Namajunas (7-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:25 of round 5
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jessica-Rose Clark 57, Paige VanZant 393
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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The Best of MMA in 2017
Looking back at 2017, it was definitely another great year for MMA fans and the various platforms in which the combat sport exists. The likes of the UFC all enjoyed great success, and it was another year in which they gained more fans, more popularity and more time in the media spotlight. We even saw an MMA fighter in Conor McGregor make his way into the boxing ring in order to fight Floyd Mayweather. This move also helped develop more interest in MMA, but which were the standout moments in 2017?
For a start, there were a whole host of great fights over the course of the year. Max Holloway put in a stunning performance against one of the all-time greats Jose Aldo at UFC 212. Holloway beat Aldo with a third round KO/TKO after some ground and pound. At UFC Fight Night 104 Jessica Andrade managed to show her class beating Angela Hill by unanimous decision, while heavy underdog Darren Elkins delivered a superb KO/TKO via head kicks and punches to take down the undefeated Mirsad Bektic. The best fights of the year though saw Sweden’s David Teymur defeat Lando Vannata by decision and Justin Gaethje’s devastating KO/TKO of Michael Johnson at Ultimate Fighter 25.
Current MMA Rankings Updated (01-06-2018)
Notable Info
- Extremely minor change made to differentiate between dominant (30-27 type) and extremely dominant (think those 30-26… 30-25 w/ 10-8 round(s)) unanimous decisions. Those extremely dominant decisions are now scored almost identically to KO/TKO outcomes. The overall impact is negligible.
- Bi-annual community adjustment made for Japan male population.
2017 Awards: Men’s Fighters of the Year
As a recap, most “Fighter of the Year” awards on other sites are really “Breakout Fighter of the Year” awards in that fighters who win, were usually not top fighters in the beginning of the year, but became so by the end of the year.
A fighter like this can and has won our FotY awards, but our award is more about maintaining a high standing during the award year by performing well a sufficient number of times and against a sufficient quality of opponents. It is more comparable to a season MVP in major team sports, not a playoffs/surprise MVP.
Winners (Tie): Demetrious Johnson, Max Holloway
A very tight call, too tight to call… so we’re going with co-winners for the first time. DJ gets the nod with the #1 ranking for all 365 days, while Holloway twice beat an all-time great, albeit the same fighter.
3rd Place: Tyron Woodley
Like DJ, Woodley keeps churning out the quality performances and reigns over an even deeper division. But this year, he takes a backseat to DJ and Holloway.
MMA Fun Facts
Many people think they know MMA fighting inside and out. They watch tons of fights and remember lots of interesting details and facts about the sport. However, there are some MMA facts which only the most astute MMA enthusiasts have heard about and those are the types of trivia featured in our article.
These facts might win you the first prize in your Friday night pub quiz or they might be the reason you win an MMA inspired bet with a friend. If you are in luck you might even impress a lady or two. Speaking of luck, if you feel that fortune favors you, you may want to test yourself at Joreels at FeedBack Casino or wager on some of the games at Casino Lemonade rather than trying to impress a lady or have a wager with a friend. This is where the real money is, and once you win it, the ladies will come flocking in anyway.
The Octagon
The famous eight-sided cage is one of the most iconic images representing MMA, and the term ‘Octagon’ is a trademark held by the UFC. However, not many people know that the actual Octagon was inspired by a 1980 film bearing the same name. The film starred Chuck Norris as martial artists battling ninjas who try to create a worldwide training camp for terrorists.
Similarly to real life MMA fights, the last scenes in the film take place in an area known as “The Octagon”, in which needless to say, Chuck Norris’ character uses his martial arts skills to wreak havoc on his enemies.
2017 Awards: Women’s Fighters of the Year
As a recap, most “Fighter of the Year” awards on other sites are really “Breakout Fighter of the Year” awards in that fighters who win, were usually not top fighters in the beginning of the year, but became so by the end of the year.
A fighter like this can and has won our FotY awards, but our award is more about maintaining a high standing during the award year by performing well a sufficient number of times and against a sufficient quality of opponents. It is more comparable to a season MVP in major team sports, not a playoffs/surprise MVP.
Winner: Cristiane Justino
With her win over Holm, Cyborg is right on Rousey’s heels for the title of best female MMA fighter ever. For now, she’ll have to settle with being the best of 2017.
Runner-Up: Rose Namajunas
Rose was looking like the winner, right until the last weekend of the year.
3rd Place: Livia Renata Souza
Winning more than once and being one of the best fighters outside of the UFC is good enough to earn Souza the third position.
2017 Awards: Rookies of the Year
Men: Shamil Amirov
A 3-0-1 career record along with a draw against Rousimar Palhares, earns Amirov the award.
Honorable Mentions: Askhab Zulaev
Women: Liliya Shakirova
Soviet-based fighters tend to win these awards, due to their aggressive early matchmaking. Shakirova’s competition is suspect, but I could see her landing a Flyweight spot on a lackluster Asia/Europe UFC card.
Honorable Mention: Sunna Rannveig Davidsdottir
2017 Awards: Most Improved Fighter
Most Improved Fighter of the Year: Volkan Oezdemir
With an ascent similar to that of Junior dos Santos, Oezdemir came out of nowhere to become a title contender in the UFC.
2017 Awards: Upsets of the Year
Note: We have two ways that we derive biggest “upsets” based on points difference between winner and loser.
“Most Noteworthy” (X minus Y)
“Most Lopsided” (X divided by Y)
Most Noteworthy: Francis Ngannou KO(1) Alistair Overeem
More of a guard change than an upset. Nevertheless, Ngannou made up a massive point difference in taking Overeem out.
Most Lopsided: Volkan Oezdemir SD(3) Ovince St. Preux
Were the actual outcome a part of this, Emmett/Lamas would get the award. However, this is about proportional point differences and Oezdemir wasn’t even on the map before this fight.
2017 Awards: Most Noteworthy Match of the Year
Most Noteworthy Match of the Year:
Max Holloway TKO(3) Jose Aldo II
The “most noteworthy” match of the year isn’t about box office or the popular scene, instead it is a pretty basic calculation — a sum of quality if you will. You can decide between the first or the rematch, they were basically the same fight.
2017 Awards: Comeback Fighter of the Year
As a refresher, our “Comeback” award is about coming back from inactivity or major injury (that we know about) and in doing so, really impressing. You can see more details at the bottom of the post about specific qualifiers.
Comeback Fighter of the Year: Georges St. Pierre (2-time winner)
Talk about a no-brainer. GSP comes off a massive layoff and stops the Middleweight champion, capturing UFC gold in a second division. He’s the best ever.
Honorable Mentions: Al Iaquinta, Chan Sung Jung