To the FightMatrix system, the most noteworthy match is based on cumulative rank strength accompanied by divisional strength.
In 2011, the most “noteworthy” match was: Frankie Edgar KO(4) Gray Maynard.
This saw the #1 versus the #2, for the most important championship in the deepest division (at least by number of competitors). The only other #1 vs. #2 in 2011 (in the men’s — at least) was the first match between Edgar and Maynard.
The FightMatrix Most Improved Fighter of the Year for 2011 is: Michael Chandler
Chandler, who was unranked at the end of 2010, skyrocketed all the way up to #5 in the Lightweight division, with wins over highly ranked fighters such as Patricky Freire and Eddie Alvarez. After going 4-0 in 2011, his career record stands at a perfect 9-0.
Honorable Mention: Robert Peralta
| Monday, May 4th 2026: Deep 131 Impact: 25th Anniversary | |||
 [#2 SW] Sora Sugiyama | [#14 SW] Sukai China | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 12/14/2025 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#6 SW] Haruo Ochi Last 5: - - W W W | Last Fight Date: 3/08/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [NR] Musashi Musashi Last 5: W W W W W | ||
| Sunday, April 12th 2026: RIZIN LANDMARK 13 in FUKUOKA | |||
 [#24 W115] Natalia Kuziutina | [#6 W105] Ayaka Hamasaki | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 8/16/2025 [Ural Fighting Championship] Last Opponent: [#77 W115] Rose Conceicao Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 11/23/2025 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#14 W105] Ye Ji Lee Last 5: W L W L W | ||
| Saturday, April 25th 2026: OKTAGON 87: Szabová vs. Fernandes | |||
 [#17 W135] Lucia Szabova |  [#25 W125] Leidiane Fernandes | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 8/09/2025 [Oktagon MMA] Last Opponent: [#96 W135] Cecilie Maria Bolander Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 10/25/2025 [Jungle Fight] Last Opponent: [#44 W125] Brena Cardozo Last 5: W W L W W | ||
| [#262 WW] |  Rustambek Nurzhanov | [#12 MW] |  Israel Adesanya | |
| [#5 MW] |  Joe Pyfer | [#834 LW] |  Daniel Holt | |
| [NR] | Guy Mezger | [#5 W125] |  Alexa Grasso | |
| [#19 WW] | Michael Chiesa | [#30 LW] |  Tofiq Musayev | |
| [#52 MW] |  Yousri Belgaroui | [#1 LHW] | Alex Pereira |
Notable Info
With upsets of the year, we use pre-bout point totals and also put some exclusions into play — both fighters cannot be suffering from any inactivity penalty and the losing fighter must have a respectable rank — within the top 20. We also do the math two ways; proportional raw point difference and net point difference normalized by division.
Using both equations, the upset of the year was Robert Peralta SD(3) Hiroyuki Takaya
Honorable Mention: Jake Ellenberger KO(1) Jake Shields
Had this taken into account the actual outcome (Split vs. KO), you could certainly argue for these placements to be flip-flopped.
Our men’s rookie fighter of the year for 2011 is Sultan Aliev Levan Razmadze.
So far, this Light Heavyweight has gone 4-0 in Russia and has a combined opponent record of 19-6-1.
He is currently ranked #69 at Light Heavyweight.
2011 Honorable Mentions: Levan Razmadze, Ben Reiter, Aljamain Sterling, Mansour Barnaoui
It’s probably no surprise to most, but our women’s rookie fighter of the year for 2011 is Ronda Rousey.
She fulfilled our basic requirements of debuting and fighting three times in the 2011 calendar year. Furthermore, she has earned the #3 ranking in the 145 division, which may turn into the #2 ranking depending on Baszler who is likely to drop down to 135 or go inactive. She has also finished all four of her opponents by submission, within a minute. This was a no-brainer.
As for a follow-up on our 2010 winner, Liz Carmouche, she has not fared so well. Although fighting against top opposition, she has went 0-2 on the year.
2011 Honorable Mention: Sara McMann
[#68 HW] Gilbert Yvel makes his Light Heavyweight debut against [#316 MW] Damien Dantibo. Here’s a picture of Light Heavyweight Yvel, who did make 205 pounds at the weigh-in.
Image is courtesy of www.onthemat.com
Also on the card, is [#115 BW] Jens Pulver, who faces [NR] Tim Elliott in a Bantamweight fight. UFC vet, Justin McCully, is also on the card.
Lightweight (155)
[#2] Gilbert Melendez (19-2-0) vs. [#11] Jorge Masvidal (22-6-0)
Gilbert Melendez is the All-Time #6 ranked Lightweight and #18 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Gilbert Melendez (3-0-0)
2011-04-09: W vs. [#2FW] Tatsuya Kawajiri (29-7-2) via TKO (Elbows) in 3:14 of round 1
2010-04-17: W vs. [#6LW] Shinya Aoki (29-5-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
2009-12-19: W vs. [#35LW] Josh Thomson (18-4-0) via UD (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)
Last 3 Fights: Jorge Masvidal (2-1-0)
2011-06-18: W vs. [#53LW] KJ Noons (10-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2011-03-05: W vs. [#84LW] Billy Evangelista (11-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2010-09-11: L vs. [#22WW] Paul Daley (29-11-2) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Gilbert Melendez 252, Jorge Masvidal 182
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Gilbert Melendez leads 1-0
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Women Featherweight Championship (145)
[*] Cristiane Santos (10-1-0) vs. [#2/#10DD] Hiroko Yamanaka (12-1-0)
Cristiane Santos is the All-Time #9 ranked Women’s fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Cristiane Santos (3-0-0)
2010-06-26: W vs. [#18BW] Jan Finney (8-10-0) via KO (Knee to the Body) in 2:56 of round 2
2010-01-30: W vs. [#3BW/#7DD] Marloes Coenen (19-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:40 of round 3
2009-08-15: W vs. [*] Gina Carano (7-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:59 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Hiroko Yamanaka (3-0-0)
2011-07-09: W vs. [#36FW] Bolormaa Erdenebileg (2-2-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 2:20 of round 2
2010-12-17: W vs. [#24SFL] Molly Helsel (8-13-1) via TKO (Punches) in 3:12 of round 2
2010-08-29: W vs. [NA] Sandy Furner (0-1-0) via Submission (Forearm Choke) in 1:45 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Cristiane Santos 539, Hiroko Yamanaka 161
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 (205)
[#8] Gegard Mousasi (31-3-2) vs. [#44] Ovince St Preux (11-4-0)
Gegard Mousasi is the All-Time #19 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Gegard Mousasi (2-0-1)
2011-07-16: W vs. [#63LHW] Hiroshi Izumi (4-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:29 of round 1
2011-04-09: D vs. [#15LHW] Keith Jardine (17-10-2) via Draw in 5:00 of round 3
2010-09-25: W vs. [#27LHW] Tatsuya Mizuno (10-7-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 6:10 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Ovince St Preux (3-0-0)
2011-07-22: W vs. [#209LHW] Joe Cason (9-1-0) via Submission (Punches) in 1:12 of round 1
2011-01-07: W vs. [#159LHW] Ron Humphrey (7-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2010-12-04: W vs. [#113LHW] Benji Radach (20-6-0) via UD (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Gegard Mousasi 154, Ovince St Preux 148
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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Keep Reading
| Division | Recorded | Estimated | Percentage |
| Heavyweight | 718 | 875 | 8.28% |
| Light Heavyweight | 731 | 925 | 8.76% |
| Middleweight | 1203 | 1550 | 14.68% |
| Welterweight | 1675 | 2150 | 20.36% |
| Lightweight | 1798 | 2300 | 21.78% |
| Featherweight | 1234 | 1520 | 14.39% |
| Bantamweight | 782 | 950 | 9.00% |
| Flyweight | 244 | 290 | 2.74% |
I just wanted to give everyone a glimpse of how dense some divisions are in comparison to others. These counts are for fighters above the starter rating and have had a pro fight in the last 450 days that we know about. The recorded count is what we currently have in the database, while the estimated count factors in data availability to give a more “true” count. Nevertheless, journeymen with records like 1-7 are likely not going to be included.
Using this info, it’s fair to say that the average fighter weighs in at about 169 pounds — and probably walks around at about 195 :).
It should be interesting to see how this changes with the UFC bringing in Flyweights and also after they have the Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions for another year or two.
* Male fighters only
You can view the original post from October here.
In case you missed it, Dana White announced that on March 3rd, the UFC will roll out the Flyweight division with the first round of a four man tournament.
In our original post, we laid out some tournament possibilities and actually nailed one of the first round match-ups.
[#12 BW] Demetrious Johnson (14-2-0) vs. [#2] Ian McCall (11-2-0)
The other first round match-up includes a fighter we believe is the #1 seed in the tournament versus another we did not think would make the trip over to the USA.
[#3 BW] Joseph Benavidez (15-2-0) vs. [#1] Yasuhiro Urushitani (19-4-6)
Let’s hope that there are no injuries or delays and that this thing comes off as scheduled. I’m also hoping that they setup at least one alternate bout.
Light Heavyweight Championship (205)
[#1/#5DD] Jon Jones (14-1-0) vs. [#6] Lyoto Machida (17-2-0)
Jon Jones is the All-Time #13 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.
Lyoto Machida is the All-Time #4 ranked Light Heavyweight and #14 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Jon Jones (3-0-0)
2011-09-24: W vs. [#5LHW] Quinton Jackson (32-9-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:14 of round 4
2011-03-19: W vs. [#4LHW] Mauricio Rua (20-6-0) via TKO (Punches and Knees) in 2:37 of round 3
2011-02-05: W vs. [#16LHW] Ryan Bader (13-2-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 4:20 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Lyoto Machida (1-2-0)
2011-04-30: W vs. [#14LHW] Randy Couture (19-11-0) via KO (Front Kick) in 1:05 of round 2
2010-11-20: L vs. [#5LHW] Quinton Jackson (32-9-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2010-05-08: L vs. [#4LHW] Mauricio Rua (20-6-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:35 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jon Jones 77, Lyoto Machida 224
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Jon Jones leads 3-2
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Heavyweight (265)
[#7] Frank Mir (15-5-0) vs. [#8] Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1)
Frank Mir is the All-Time #8 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is the All-Time #2 ranked Heavyweight and #5 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Frank Mir (2-1-0)
2011-05-28: W vs. [#17HW+] Roy Nelson (16-6-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
2010-09-25: W vs. [#31HW+] Mirko Filipovic (27-10-2) via KO (Knee) in 4:02 of round 3
2010-03-27: L vs. [#10HW+] Shane Carwin (12-2-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:48 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2-1-0)
2011-08-27: W vs. [#15HW+] Brendan Schaub (8-2-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:09 of round 1
2010-02-20: L vs. [#2HW+] Cain Velasquez (9-1-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:20 of round 1
2009-08-29: W vs. [#14LHW] Randy Couture (19-11-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Frank Mir 196, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 105
Previous Match-up Record: Frank Mir leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#11] Tito Ortiz (17-9-1) vs. [#22] Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-5-0)
Tito Ortiz is the All-Time #6 ranked Light Heavyweight and #24 ranked Absolute fighter.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is the All-Time #12 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Tito Ortiz (1-2-0)
2011-08-06: L vs. [#3LHW] Rashad Evans (19-1-1) via TKO (Knee to the Body and Punches) in 4:48 of round 2
2011-07-02: W vs. [#16LHW] Ryan Bader (13-2-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 1:56 of round 1
2010-10-23: L vs. [#21LHW] Matt Hamill (10-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (1-2-0)
2011-03-26: L vs. [#10LHW] Phil Davis (9-0-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2010-09-25: L vs. [#16LHW] Ryan Bader (13-2-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2010-05-29: W vs. [#50LHW] Jason Brilz (18-5-1) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Tito Ortiz 126, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 259
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Tito Ortiz leads 3-2
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Keep Reading
Season 14 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ reality series came to a close this past weekend. This was the first season of ‘TUF’ to feature featherweight and bantamweight fighters, and the last season to be aired on Spike TV; future seasons will be broadcast on Fx network as UFC makes a transition to the FOX family of channels.
Over the fourteen seasons, TUF proved to be a formidable tool for building up UFC rosters and creating stars. While winning the TUF tournaments carried certain accolades, a number of other contestants from every season turned their appearance in the Ultimate Fighter house into a successful and lasting career in the UFC.
For example, Season 1 rivals Josh Koscheck and Chris Leben didn’t make it to the finals of the middleweight tournament. Nevertheless, both fighters received a UFC contract (with Koscheck dropping to welterweight following the season finale) and made the best of it, becoming two of the most active fighters in history of the organization.
With 19 bouts in the Octagon a piece, Leben and Koscheck share the #5 slot on the list of fighters with most UFC bouts. For a point of reference, that’s one fight ahead of the UFC veterans George St. Pierre, Rich Franklin, and Frank Mir! The only fighters with more Octagon experience than Koscheck and Leben are Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, BJ Penn, and Chris Lytle. With most of these names either retired or on the verge or retirement, it’s very conceivable that in a couple of years Koscheck and Leben may top the list.
While Leben’s record is on hold as he begins serving a year-long suspension due to testing positive for banned painkillers after his most recent fight, Josh Koscheck’s upcoming bout with Carlos Condit will have him tied with Chris Lytle at 20 UFC appearances each.
Not only is Josh one of the most active UFC fighters in history, he is also one of the winningest: with 14 victories in the Octagon, he shares the #4 slot with Anderson Silva, and is only trailing behind Matt Hughes, George St. Pierre, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, and Tito Ortiz. A win over Condit will see Koscheck bypass ‘The Spider’ with 15 wins, only 3 behind Matt Hughes’ record of 18 Octagon victories!
