Notable Info

• Nogueira re-enters the Top 3 at Heavyweight with a commanding win over Randy Couture, who falls to #8.  Couture is without a quality performance since August 2007.
• Muhammed Lawal makes a return bout at Heavyweight, completely embarrassing Mark Kerr.  He enters at #23.
• Musical chairs occurs in the bottom-half of the Top 50 at Heavyweight.  Tim Hague, and Justin McCully exit, while Rogent Lloret, Jessie Gibbs, and Todd Duffee enter.
• Thiago Silva hops back into the Top 10 with a devastating knockout win over the UFC’s own Techno Viking, who falls to #11.
• Nate Marquardt shocked Demian Maia in less than 30 seconds with one punch, capturing the #2 position at Middleweight.  Henderson falls to #3.
• Aaron Simpson and Jake Rosholt both make moves at Middleweight, with each jumping 65, and 86 positions respectively.
• Meet Travis Marx.  The latest relative unknown that is steadily creeping up the rankings.  With his most recent win, he moves up to 15-1, and to #17 at Bantamweight.

An interesting note.  This may be the first time that all fighters in a UFC card are ranked in the current rankings.  There are also no fighters coming off of a 15+ month term of inactivity.

There are a few changing of the guard possibilities here, with undefeated fighters that have never tied or lost a decision on a single scorecard, a marker that we highly respect – Dunham/Aurelio, Duffee/Hague, and Simpson/Herman.

Heavyweight
[#4] Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. [#6] Randy Couture

Light Heavyweight
[#9] Keith Jardine vs. [#14] Thiago Silva

Middleweight
[#37] Chris Leben vs. [#132] Jake Rosholt

Middleweight
[#4] Demian Maia vs. [#6] Nate Marquardt

Light Heavyweight
[#17] Brandon Vera vs. [#24] Krzysztof Soszynski

Middleweight
[#31] Ed Herman vs. [#96] Aaron Simpson

Heavyweight
[#18] Gabriel Gonzaga vs. [#31] Chris Tuchscherer

Heavyweight
[#36] Michael Russow vs. [#43] Justin McCully

Heavyweight
[#39] Tim Hague vs. [#61] Todd Duffee

Middleweight
[#107] Nick Catone vs. [#115 LHW] Mark Munoz

Lightweight
[#28 WW] Marcus Aurelio vs. [#70] Evan Dunham

Ranking Notes: Dark green font represents an approximate ranking. An asterisk represents a fighter who is ranked, but too low for an approximation. These two scenarios will clear up slightly as we move forward. “NR” means the fighter is not ranked, due to inactivity, or due to a rating that is at or below the default starter rating.

These are still in the alpha stages, and there are some important things to mention as there are some major differences between these rankings and the FightMatrix ratings.

• Rankings ARE division specific, however some fighters will experience run-over into divisions they jumped in and out of. Fighters CAN appear in more than one list, and will only given credit during times in which they produced quality performances in these divisions. Due to this, divisional info is seriously depended upon. This is a large reason why I think this is still in the alpha stage.
• Years of 1990 and later are considered.
• Monthly ranking snapshots are taken. Fighters are given points based on their standing in the Top 15, with the most points going toward a #1 spot, a little less to #2, right on down the line. Having longevity at the top of the division is key and those who only spend a limited time in a division will suffer. Divisional depth at the time is also given consideration.
• Heavyweight will look a bit odd, as it will include those who excelled at open-weight back in the 1990s.

Rank	Fighter	Total Record	All-Time Division Points
1	Urijah Faber Last Fight: 6/7/2009	22-3-0	803
2	Hatsu Hioki Last Fight: 8/2/2009	20-3-2	520
3	Mike Thomas Brown Last Fight: 6/7/2009	22-4-0	478
4	Alexandre Franca Nogueira Last Fight: 6/1/2008	13-5-2	476
5	Masakazu Imanari Last Fight: 8/23/2009	17-7-1	419
6	Jeff Curran Last Fight: 8/9/2009	31-12-1	392
7	Yoshiro Maeda Last Fight: 8/9/2009	24-7-2	304
8	Mark Hominick Last Fight: 7/19/2008	16-8-0	263
9	Wagnney Fabiano Last Fight: 4/5/2009	12-1-0	207
10	Antonio Carvalho Last Fight: 6/22/2008	10-4-0	186

1. Urijah Faber (803 All-Time Featherweight Points)

The most dominant Featherweight in recent memory takes the top spot.  Holding the #1 position for approximately two years, and competing in the division for his entire career has resulted in him being the top Featherweight of all-time.

2. Hatsu Hioki (520)

Hioki has long been the best Featherweight outside of North America.  Also having spent his entire career at Featherweight, Hioki holds two wins over Mark Hominick, and a win over Jeff Curran, both of whom are on this list.   Hioki has only lost three times, with two of those coming by way of split decision.

3. Mike Thomas Brown (480)

Having only come to prominence since first beating Urijah Faber, Brown has been a great Featherweight, as well as a decent Lightweight since 2004.  The sky may be the limit now, as it appears that he may be the next dominant WEC Featherweight champion.

4. Alexandre Franca Nogueira (476)

Pequeño was the first great Featherweight when MMA emerged into the main scene, albeit at a time when the division was very weak and virtually non-existent in the Americas.  As Nogueira aged, he decided to test the waters at Lightweight, and failed miserably.

5. Masakazu Imanari (419)

Although back at Bantamweight, Imanari has been a Top 15 featherweight for his entire tenure in the division.  He holds wins over Mike Thomas Brown, and Yoshiro Maeda, two fighters that are on this list.  His record is skewed by 7 losses, though a majority of them have come at Lightweight.

6. Jeff Curran (392)

Sporadically competing in the division since the late 1990s, Curran is probably the best Featherweight to not have won a major or mid-major championship in the division.  Like Nogueira, Curran found it difficult to compete in this division, but has decided to go down in weight, rather than up, and like Nogueira, has not found success in this move.

7. Yoshiro Maeda (304)

His story sounds like a hybrid of the three mentioned above.  Starting out a little later than Nogueira, Imanari found success in the Featherweight division, and even notched a few wins at Lightweight.  However, upon reaching American soil, Maeda did not fare well, and decided to move to Bantamweight.  With a record of 1-2, Maeda went to the 139lb DREAM Featherweight tournament, where he was TKO’d in the second round.

8. Mark Hominick (263)

The list weakens a bit as we get to #8.  Undoubtedly the best Featherweight from Canada,  Hominick has yet to reach elite status on the worldwide scene.  Inactive since July 2008, Hominick has lost eight times, but almost all of those losses have come to top notch fighters.

9. Wagnney Fabiano (207)

A stint at Lightweight in the IFL cost him some tenure in the Featherweight division.  However, while in the division, he has fared well, only losing a controversial split decision to #6 Jeff Curran.  Fabiano remains a top ranked Featherweight fighter.

10. Antonio Carvalho (186)

Carvalho has flown under the radar a bit, but he’s #2 to Hominick as far as Canadian Featherweights go.  He holds a close loss to Jeff Curran, as well as wins over Hatsu Hioki, Rumina Sato, and Takeshi Inoue.

Notable Info

• Fabricio Werdum returns to the win column with a victory over Mike Kyle, but remains outside the Top 10 at Heavyweight.
• Gegard Mousasi moved to the Light Heavyweight division and obliterated Renato Sobral.  He debuts at #4, ahead of Forrest Griffin, who slips to #5.
• The little known Brazilian, Renan Barao, is starting to make a name for himself on the world circuit, moving to 15-1 and into the Top 30 at Featherweight.  His only loss came in his debut.
• Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos ends Gina Carano’s undefeated streak and moves to #2 in the Womens’ division.  Carano slips outside the Top 10.

We posted the Flyweight Top 5 last week, and here’s Bantamweight. These are still in the alpha stages, and there are some important things to mention as there are some major differences between these rankings and the FightMatrix ratings.

• Rankings ARE division specific, however some fighters will experience run-over into divisions they jumped in and out of. Fighters CAN appear in more than one list. Due to this, divisional info is seriously depended upon. This is a large reason why I think this is still in the alpha stage.
• Years of 1990 and later are considered.
• Monthly ranking snapshots are taken. Fighters are given points based on their standing in the Top 15, with the most points going toward a #1 spot, a little less to #2, right on down the line. Having longevity at the top of the division is key and those who only spend a limited time in a division will suffer. Divisional depth at the time is also given consideration.
• Heavyweight will look a bit odd, as it will include those who excelled at open-weight back in the 1990s.

Rank	Fighter	Total Record	All-Time Division Points
1	Miguel Torres Last Fight: 8/9/2009	37-2-0	336
2	Ryota Matsune Last Fight: 10/14/2006	15-1-1	122
3	Masahiro Oishi Last Fight: 12/6/2008	19-11-7	111
4	Kentaro Imaizumi Last Fight: 8/27/2008	9-7-5	94
5	Akitoshi Hokazono Last Fight: 7/21/2006	6-0-2	87
6	Chase Beebe Last Fight: 3/8/2009	12-4-0	82
7	Eddie Wineland Last Fight: 4/5/2009	14-6-1	77
8	Antonio Banuelos Last Fight: 6/7/2009	16-5-0	76
9	Paul McVeigh Last Fight: 5/23/2009	15-5-0	72
10	Marcos Galvao Last Fight: 3/1/2009	6-3-1	72

1. Miguel Torres (336 All-Time Bantamweight Points)

Without question, the greatest Bantamweight in history.  Defeated all of the opponents he’s faced, with the exception of Brian Bowles, whom he he has not yet had a chance to rematch.  A 37-2 record, with all bouts (that we have divisional info for) taking place in the Bantamweight division.

2. Ryota Matsune (122)

The “Shooto Junkie” takes the silver with a 15-1-1 record at the division.  Fought, and once defended the Shooto Featherweight (132) championship.  Beat All-Time top bantamweights such as Kentaro Imaizumi and Masahiro Oishi.  Only lost once by decision, and drew with Takeya Mizugaki, who is currently a top ten ranked Bantamweight.

3. Masahiro Oishi (111)

His total record like many Shooto fighters’, leaves something to be desired, but this is simply because judges there like even rounds and great parity is experienced.  Nevertheless, he has been a top Bantamweight for well over a decade and has also routinely competed at Featherweight.

4. Kentaro Imaizumi (94)

Like Oishi, his record appears subpar, but a closer look reveals a unanimous decision win over Ryota Matsune, and two rematches where he fought on nearly even terms with him.  He also has wins over Jin Akimoto, Takeyasu Hirono, and a draw with #3 All-Time Oishi.  Recently tested the waters unsuccessfully at Featherweight (Shooto Lightweight).

5. Akitoshi Hokazono (87)

Short and sweet.  Although his career was limited with only 8 fights, he sports a rare, undefeated Shooto record of 6-0-2, with his final win coming over Kenji Osawa for the Shooto 132lb title.  He also has a win over Marcos Galvao, who is ranked in this Top 10 list.

6. Chase Beebe (82)

Coming off three losses, with his last being at Featherweight, Beebe started his career at 11-1.  A former WEC Bantamweight champion that beat the best Bantamweights that the USA had to offer not named Torres before the start of his losing streak.

7. Eddie Wineland (77)

The first WEC Bantamweight champion. Outside of this first match though, is 0-2 in the organization, although his losses are to no slouches.

8. Antonio Banuelos (76)

Rounding out the WEC portion of the list is Banuelos.  Unlike Wineland and Beebe, Banuelos still holds a top ranking in the Bantamweight division, and looks to improve his position on this list.

9. Paul McVeigh (72)

A surprise entry from the United Kingdom, McVeigh is easily the all-time best Bantamweight in Europe.  Let’s hope he can get some notice on the world stage as the current competition gap between the UK and the rest of the world does not allow him the opportunity to earn a lofty ranking.

10. Marcos Galvao (72)

Right out of the gate, Galvao defeated top competition in Shooto. Although crushed in his last matchup against Damacio Page, Galvao has beaten some impressive competition on the world stage in Kenji Osawa, Fredson Paixao, Jin Akimoto, and has a draw against Masakatsu Ueda.

Notable Info

• The Heavyweights are eerily quiet this week, with absolutely no movement in the Top 50.
• Forrest Griffin barely holds onto his Top 4 spot at Light Heavyweight after being blitzed by Anderson Silva.
• The decision in Sakara/Leites creates a bit of a mess in the bottom of the Middleweight top 15. After proving himself as a top 15 fighter with several quality wins, Leites drops two straight and just maybe gets the short end of the stick in this decision. As a result, Sakara now finds himself in the Top 15 at Middleweight.
• BJ Penn reclaims the top spot at Lightweight with a commanding win over Kenny Florian, who fell to #8.
• Brian Bowles pulls off the upset as he stops Miguel Torres in the first round. As a result, Bowles takes the top spot at Bantam, and also rises to #2 in Division Dominance. Perhaps a bit of a stretch, but he’s an undefeated, universally recognized champion who just scored a 1st round stoppage over the best Bantamweight in history. Torres drops to #2 at Bantam, and #9 in Division Dominance.
• Jesse Taitano’s attempt to put Guam on the map has stalled, as he dropped a unanimous decision to Noboru Tahara in an 118 pound match.  Taitano falls out of the Top 15 at Flyweight.

UFC Lightweight Championship
[#2] Kenny Florian vs. [#3-C] BJ Penn
First time since the site’s creation that the UFC champion faced a higher-ranked contender.

Light Heavyweight
[#1 MW] Anderson Silva vs. [#4] Forrest Griffin

Welterweight
[#54] Johny Hendricks vs. [#256 MW] Amir Sadollah

Middleweight
[#31] Ricardo Almeida vs. [#42] Kendall Grove

Lightweight
[#27] Josh Neer vs. [#47] Kurt Pellegrino

Lightweight
[#81] Shane Nelson vs. [#164] Aaron Riley

Welterweight
[#24] John Howard vs. [#55] Tamdan McCrory

Middleweight
[#14] Thales Leites vs. [#58] Alessio Sakara

Welterweight
[#96] Matt Riddle vs. [#500] Dan Cramer

Lightweight
[#425] George Roop vs. [NR] George Sotiropoulos

Welterweight
[#37] Jesse Lennox vs. [#75] Danillo Villefort

Ranking Notes: Dark green font represents an approximate ranking. An asterisk represents a fighter who is ranked, but too low for an approximation. These two scenarios will clear up slightly as we move forward. “NR” means the fighter is not ranked, due to inactivity, or due to a rating that is at or below the default starter rating.