Notable Info
- Stay tuned – as we are debuting our “fighter profile” pages very soon.
UFC 169: Bantamweight Lineal Championship
We have declared (at least for our historical purposes) that Renan Barao vs. Urijah Faber II will continue the Bantamweight Championship lineage.
Although they fought before, we did not believe (via our rankings) that it was definitively the best match-up possible in the division, whereas now, it most definitely is. With Cruz out of the picture (again) and having relinquished the only organizational championship that matters, it only seems accurate that the winner of this fight would become the new “lineal” champion.
Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Friday, October 3rd 2025: PFL Champions Series 2: Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 | |||
 [#4 LHW] Corey Anderson |  [#10 LHW] Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 7/19/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#13 HW] Denis Goltsov Last 5: NC L W W W | Last Fight Date: 11/29/2024 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#21 MW] Impa Kasanganay Last 5: W W W W W | ||
| Friday, October 3rd 2025: PFL Champions Series 2: Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 | |||
 [#9 LW] Usman Nurmagomedov (-164) |  [#14 LW] Paul Hughes (+128) | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 1/25/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#14 LW] Paul Hughes Last 5: W W NC W W | Last Fight Date: 5/10/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#51 LW] Bruno Miranda Last 5: W W W L W | ||
| Saturday, November 8th 2025: Dynamite MMA 4 - Nov. 8 | |||
 [#4 W105] Andressa Romero |  [#20 W105] Claire Lopez | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/20/2024 [Invicta FC] Last Opponent: [#2 W105] Elisandra Ferreira de Oliveira Last 5: W L L W L | Last Fight Date: 4/04/2025 [Invicta FC] Last Opponent: [#12 W105] Taynara Silva Last 5: W W L L L | ||
Featured Fighters
| [#3 FW] | Diego Lopes | [#19 FW] | Jean Silva | |
| [#2 LW] |  Ilia Topuria | [#1 LW] | Islam Makhachev | |
| [NR] | Matt Brown | [#4 LW] | Charles Oliveira | |
| [NR] |  Conor McGregor | [#90 WW] |  Daniil Donchenko | |
| [NR] | Chris Lytle | [#1 MW] |  Khamzat Chimaev |
UFC Title Picture – 2014 Preview
It’s a new year – a good time to reflect on the past, and speculate about what the future may hold. For the UFC, the new year comes amid some turmoil at the highest levels of the sport: with George St. Pierre vacating his title, Anderson Silva suffering an injury that may be career-ending, and Dominic Cruz finally being stripped of the belt that he has not defended in over two years, we could see a lot of new faces wearing the gold in 2014. Here’s a preview of what each divisional title picture will look like in the coming year.
The heavyweight division is cursed. There is no other way to put it. Just when it seems like things are looking up for this weight class, it all falls apart again in a mess of injuries, suspensions, contract disputes, etc – there are always some unforeseen circumstances which put a damper on the HW title picture. Once again, the reigning champion Cain Velasquez is sidelined with a recurrent shoulder injury that will likely keep him out of action for most of year. As for contenders… we have [#5] Fabricio Werdum and [#6] Travis Browne, both on impressive win streaks, facing off at UFC on Fox 11 in April for a chance to take on the champion – whenever he’s ready to return. Beyond that, the division looks fairly bleak. [#2] Junior Dos Santos is 1-2 against the champ; he may still be the next best fighter in the division but will need to win a few fights to earn another title shot. [#3] Daniel Cormier is slimming down to try his luck at 205 lbs; [#4] Antonio Silva is out for most of the year with a PED suspension, and the remainder of the Top 10 with the exception of Mark Hunt are all coming off losses. The upcoming fight between [#11] Stipe Miocic and [#14] Gabriel Gonzaga could determine the next contender after Werdum/Browne, though I won’t wager on the HW title being defended more than once in 2014, but if you want to take the risk BitBet.com is a good choice.
With Anderson Silva losing his middleweight title and GSP vacating the welterweight belt, light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones became UFC’s longest-reigning title holder with 6 consecutive defenses. He will get the opportunity to make it 7 when he faces [#6] Glover Texeira at UFC 172. But before that, two other high-profile bouts are on deck for the 205lbs division: [#2] Rashad Evans vs [#3 HW] Daniel Cormier, and [#4] Alexander Gustafsson vs [#17] Jimi Manuwa. The winner of either fight could make a solid case for the next title shot – or they could face off for the #1 contender eliminator. Meanwhile, [#3] Phil Davis has quietly amassed a 3-fight winning streak, and though he doesn’t currently have a fight scheduled, Davis has to be mentioned among the potential contenders in the upcoming year.
This is where things start to get really interesting. About a year ago, a rumored matchup between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort failed to materialize. Instead Chris Weidman went on to beat Anderson Silva twice in 2013, capturing and defending the middleweight title, while Belfort racked up wins against Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, and Dan Henderson – all three by head kick KO. Weidman and Belfort are now ranked #1 and #2 in the division, and will finally meet later this year (date not yet scheduled) with gold on the line. With the previous champion [#4] Anderson Silva out for most of the year (if not permanently), there are a few fresh faces waiting to challenge the winner of Weidman/Belfort. [#3] Lyoto Machida vs [#10 LHW] Gegard Mousasi and [#5] Rolando Souza vs [#7] Francis Carmont are the matchups most likely to produce the next middleweight contender. A few other names in the proverbial mix include [#6] Luke Rockhold, [#8] Michael Bisping, [#13] Tim Kennedy, [#14] Thales Leites, [#18] Brad Tavares, and [#20] Yoel Romero Palacio – all of them are coming off big wins and could find themselves in the title picture under the right circumstances.
George St.Pierres’s hiatus from the sport left the welterweight division wide open. While [#1] Johnny Hendricks and [#2] Robbie Lawler will face off at UFC 171 for the vacant title, a number of fighters will be impatiently waiting for the outcome and an opportunity for a shot at the title. [#5] Jake Shields and [#9] Hector Lombard will meet on the undercard of Hendricks-Lawler, with the winner likely getting the contender nod. Looking beyond those two bouts, [#2] Carlos Condit, [#4] Rory MacDonald, [#10] Matt Brown, [#11] Dong Hyun Kim, [#11] Tyrone Woodley, and [#12] Tarec Saffedine will also be looking to make a big impact in 2014.
Fight Matrix Program: UFC on FOX 10 (01-25-2014)
Lightweight (155)
[#2/#8DD] Ben Henderson (19-3-0, -282) vs. [#9] Josh Thomson (20-5-0, +226)
Ben Henderson is the All-Time #3 ranked Lightweight and #25 ranked Absolute fighter.
Josh Thomson is the All-Time #25 ranked Lightweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Ben Henderson (2-1-0)
2013-08-31: L vs. [#1LW/#6DD/#7P4P] Anthony Pettis (17-2-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:31 of round 1
2013-04-20: W vs. [#3LW] Gilbert Melendez (22-3-0) via SD (48-47, 48-47, 47-48)
2012-12-08: W vs. [#10LW] Nate Diaz (17-9-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 50-43)
Last 3 Fights: Josh Thomson (2-1-0)
2013-04-20: W vs. [#10LW] Nate Diaz (17-9-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:44 of round 2
2012-05-19: L vs. [#3LW] Gilbert Melendez (22-3-0) via SD (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
2012-03-03: W vs. [#75LW] K.J. Noons (12-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ben Henderson 147, Josh Thomson 280
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 3 win(s) against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (265)
[#11] Stipe Miocic (10-1-0, -258) vs. [#14] Gabriel Gonzaga (16-7-0, +202)
Last 3 Fights: Stipe Miocic (2-1-0)
2013-06-15: W vs. [#13HW+] Roy Nelson (19-9-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2012-09-29: L vs. [#18HW+] Stefan Struve (25-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:50 of round 2
2012-05-26: W vs. [*] Shane del Rosario (11-2-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 3:14 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Gabriel Gonzaga (2-1-0)
2013-10-19: W vs. [#28HW+] Shawn Jordan (15-5-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:33 of round 1
2013-07-06: W vs. [#92HW+] Dave Herman (21-6-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:17 of round 1
2013-04-13: L vs. [#6HW+] Travis Browne (16-1-1) via KO (Elbows) in 1:11 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Stipe Miocic 224, Gabriel Gonzaga 98
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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Lightweight (155)
[#11] Donald Cerrone (21-6-0) vs. [#35] Adriano Martins (25-6-0)
Last 3 Fights: Donald Cerrone (2-1-0)
2013-11-16: W vs. [#31LW] Evan Dunham (14-5-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 3:49 of round 2
2013-08-28: L vs. [#7LW] Rafael dos Anjos (20-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2013-05-25: W vs. [#75LW] K.J. Noons (12-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Last 3 Fights: Adriano Martins (3-0-0)
2013-11-09: W vs. [#80LW] Daron Cruickshank (13-4-0) via Submission (Straight Armbar) in 2:49 of round 2
2013-01-12: W vs. [#470LW] Jorge Gurgel (14-9-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2012-03-31: W vs. [#874LW] Jimmy Donahue (6-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:02 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Donald Cerrone 70, Adriano Martins 77
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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The Argument for or against Cruiserweight: Revisited (Again x2)
About a year ago, I posted the second update to my original post.
I feel the need to keep revisiting this as we get more data, because every few months I see this topic bubble up to the top of various sites and forums.
In summary, we started tracking weigh-in weights, and I wanted to see if the heavier fighters won more often than lighter fighters. Using the same ideals as before, with an even larger data set:
- In 1,123 non-draw official pro fights where both fighters weighed in at different weights, but above 210 (our Light Heavyweight limit), 556 were won by the lighter fighter, and 567 won by the heavier fighter (50.5%).
- When you allow for mismatches and include matches in which only one fighter had to weigh above 210, the total tally increases to 1322 and the heavier fighter only won 651 (49.2%).
- For the record, across the board, the heavier fighter has won 52.6% of the time.
The results are nearly identical to before, though the heavier fighter (again) gained ground in all three statistics. There are a few possibilities to explain this and it could be a combination of:
Fight Matrix Program: Fight Night 35 (01-15-2014)
Middleweight (185)
[#6] Luke Rockhold (10-2-0, -407) vs. [#15] Costas Philippou (12-3-0, +307)
Luke Rockhold is the All-Time #22 ranked Middleweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Luke Rockhold (2-1-0)
2013-05-18: L vs. [#2MW/#7DD] Vitor Belfort (24-10-0) via KO (Spinning Heel Kick and Punches) in 2:32 of round 1
2012-07-14: W vs. [#13MW] Tim Kennedy (17-4-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
2012-01-07: W vs. [*] Keith Jardine (17-11-2) via TKO (Punches) in 4:26 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Costas Philippou (2-1-0)
2013-09-21: L vs. [#7MW] Francis Carmont (22-7-0) via UD (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
2012-12-29: W vs. [#16MW] Tim Boetsch (17-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:11 of round 3
2012-07-07: W vs. [#63MW] Riki Fukuda (19-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Luke Rockhold 242, Costas Philippou 116
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)
[#20] Lorenz Larkin (14-1-0, -231) vs. [#26] Brad Tavares (11-1-0, +185)
Last 3 Fights: Lorenz Larkin (2-1-0)
2013-11-06: W vs. [#36MW] Chris Camozzi (19-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2013-04-20: L vs. [#7MW] Francis Carmont (22-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2012-07-14: W vs. [#3WW] Robbie Lawler (22-9-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Brad Tavares (3-0-0)
2013-08-28: W vs. [#80MW] Bubba McDaniel (21-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2013-03-03: W vs. [#63MW] Riki Fukuda (19-7-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2012-09-29: W vs. [#33MW] Tom Watson (16-6-0) via SD (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Lorenz Larkin 70, Brad Tavares 140
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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Lightweight (155)
[#35] Charlie Brenneman (19-5-0, -178) vs. [#418] Beneil Dariush (6-0-0, +148)
Last 3 Fights: Charlie Brenneman (3-0-0)
2013-10-26: W vs. [#302LW] Kyle Baker (12-8-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 4:07 of round 2
2013-06-22: W vs. [#363LW] Gemiyale Adkins (8-6-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-04-13: W vs. [#995LW] Jeremy Castro (11-12-0) via Submission (Peruvian Necktie) in 4:34 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Beneil Dariush (3-0-0)
2013-05-04: W vs. [#975LW] Jason Meaders (12-12-0) via KO (Punch) in 0:43 of round 2
2013-01-19: W vs. [#1094FW] Trace Gray (3-2-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 0:36 of round 1
2012-10-27: W vs. [NA] Gilberto dos Santos (1-5-0) via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in 4:03 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Charlie Brenneman 81, Beneil Dariush 256
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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Current MMA Rankings Updated (01-12-2014)
Notable Info
- Look for an additional mid-week rating update after the UFC show.
Fight Matrix Program: UFC Fight Night (01-04-2014)
Welterweight (170)
[#13] Tarec Saffiedine (14-3-0) vs. [#85] Hyun Gyu Lim (12-3-1)
Last 3 Fights: Tarec Saffiedine (3-0-0)
2013-01-12: W vs. [#23WW] Nate Marquardt (32-13-2) via UD (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)
2012-08-18: W vs. [#307LW] Roger Bowling (11-5-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
2012-01-07: W vs. [#59WW] Tyler Stinson (26-9-0) via SD (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Hyun Gyu Lim (3-0-0)
2013-08-31: W vs. [#242WW] Pascal Krauss (11-2-0) via KO (Knee and Punches) in 3:58 of round 1
2013-03-03: W vs. [#258WW] Marcelo Guimaraes (8-1-1) via KO (Knee) in 4:00 of round 2
2012-07-28: W vs. [#772WW] Ryan Bigler (9-3-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in ? of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Tarec Saffiedine 357, Hyun Gyu Lim 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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Featherweight (145)
[#16] Tatsuya Kawajiri (32-7-2) vs. [#128] Sean Soriano (8-0-0)
Last 3 Fights: Tatsuya Kawajiri (3-0-0)
2012-12-31: W vs. [#91FW] Michihiro Omigawa (13-14-1) via UD ()
2012-03-31: W vs. [#67FW] Donald Sanchez (29-13-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 3:27 of round 1
2011-12-31: W vs. [#143FW] Kazuyuki Miyata (13-9-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 4:54 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Sean Soriano (3-0-0)
2013-05-24: W vs. [#311FW] Elvin Leon Brito (5-1-0) via UD ()
2013-01-19: W vs. [#456FW] Victor Delgado (6-1-1) via UD (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
2012-06-30: W vs. [*] Matthew Perry (4-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:44 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Tatsuya Kawajiri 369, Sean Soriano 225
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)
[#279MW] Luiz Jorge Dutra Jr. (11-2-1) vs. [#291] Kiichi Kunimoto (15-5-2)
Last 3 Fights: Luiz Jorge Dutra Jr. (3-0-0)
2012-04-21: W vs. [NA] Pabulo Vitor Souza (1-4-0) via Submission (Ankle Lock) in 2:08 of round 1
2009-11-28: W vs. [#268WW] Arni Isaksson (12-5-0) via UD ()
2009-09-12: W vs. [*] Henrique Cesar Nogueira (6-6-1) via TKO (Punches) in 3:49 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Kiichi Kunimoto (3-0-0)
2013-07-28: W vs. [#985WW] Edward Faaloloto (2-5-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 1:55 of round 1
2013-03-31: W vs. [#746WW] Fumitoshi Ishikawa (8-2-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 1:59 of round 5
2012-11-18: W vs. [NA] Gyu Myung Lee (3-1-0) via Submission (Shoulder Choke) in 4:40 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Luiz Jorge Dutra Jr. 623, Kiichi Kunimoto 160
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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2013 Awards: Men’s Fighter of the Year
Men’s Fighter of the Year: Demetrious Johnson
The “safe” pick for this award is probably Chris Weidman, but Johnson eeked it out for us, having defeated three quality challengers and putting the icing on the cake by stopping Joseph Benavidez by KO in the first round. Not only that, but Johnson was the top-ranked Flyweight for the entire calendar year. He is well on his way to surpassing the three-headed Japanese dragon (Yamaguchi, Urushitani, Kojima) in the All-Time Flyweight rankings. Some would argue that he has shot past them already, but for us, he needs more tenure in the division.
2nd Place: Chris Weidman
Many will doubt one of his wins against Silva and some would doubt both, but you can’t argue that he scored two official wins over one of the top two or three greatest fighters in the history of the sport.
3rd Place: Cain Velasquez
Solid contender “Bigfoot” Silva and easily the next-best in the division, Junior dos Santos, really had nothing for Velasquez in the two 2013 matchups with the champion. Velasquez is now one of the top several Heavyweights in history and it will be interesting to see how close he can come to the legendary Fedor.
2013 Awards: Women’s Fighter of the Year
Women’s Fighter of the Year: Ronda Rousey
Rousey, a repeat winner, defended her universally recognized title twice in the calendar year. Although by our ratings, she didn’t face the strongest contenders available — actually not even close, Rousey remained #1 by a wide margin for the entire year in the strongest division in Women’s MMA.
2nd Place: Barb Honchak
Perhaps forgotten about, in 2013, Honchak scored strong victories against the currently ranked #2 and #3 fighters in her division. She also won and defended the only title in the division that actually matters. It’s tough to do more than that.
3rd Place: Cris Cyborg
Cyborg returned from inactivity to go 2-0 on the year and again, prove that she is easily the best fighter in her division. Here’s hoping she can somehow shed 10 pounds and make the fight with Rousey happen sometime in the near future.
2013 Awards: Most Noteworthy Match of the Year
Most Noteworthy Match of the Year: Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva II
No surprise here. A rematch consisting of undefeated, defending champion Chris Weidman against one of the greatest fighters in history, Anderson Silva. Not much more needs to be said on the matter.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva I, Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos III
2013 Awards: Most Improved Fighter
Most Improved Fighter of the Year: Albert Tumenov
The future looks bright for 22 year old, Albert Tumenov. Previous to this year, the recent UFC signee was making a career out of fighting and beating unknowns. Now 12-1, Tumenov took out a respectable journeyman in Yasubey Enomoto, to become a Top 75 fighter in a packed Welterweight division.
Honorable Mentions: Mateusz Gamrot, Derek Anderson