The MMA Rankings will be updated on Monday 7/21, due to the DREAM 5 card.  This will be a huge update considering the cards that took place in the previous week.

However, there is also something else important to note.  Sherdog, our main data provider, is doing some type of database-related maintenance.  For the time being, they are experiencing glitches.  One of which is causing some amateur and semi-pro bouts to be displayed on the event and fighter pages.  This was a potential issue before w/ some bouts being incorrectly classified, but this latest glitch added thousands of amateur bouts.

Unknowingly, we synchronized our database with theirs, and unfortunately, they have no designator for us to properly classify the pro/amateur status of a bout.  On a positive note, they should be rectifying this in the near future, but this rectification will also cause more fluctuations once we remove the amateur bouts.  Either way, the effects on top ranked fighters are minimal, as they are far removed from their amateur days.

Last week, we tracked the progress of the heavyweight class of The Ultimate Fighter Season 2 contestants.  Now let’s take a look at the other half of the equation: Season 2 welterweights.

While none of the welterweights have reached the truly elite level yet, Season 2 featured a diverse cast of memorable and entertaining fighters – from the eventual winner Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson and the unlikely runner-up Luke Cummo, to the alternate Jason Von Flue who, despite a spotty record, will be remembered for popularizing the arm triangle variant now know as the ‘Von Flue’ choke, to Marcus Davis who made one of the most amazing career turnarounds ever seen in the sport.

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• Rankings updated with recent shows.

Stay tuned for a MASSIVE update in the upcoming weekend!

Obviously, opposition strength is an extremely important characteristic in determining who becomes a top-ranked fighter and who holds onto their high ranking in times of bad performances.

Here is the Top 10 list for fighters with the best opposition strength since 1/1/2007.  The ratings were normalized by division and a minimum of 3 fights is required for listing.

1> Dan Henderson (161.8)

2> Forrest Griffin (126.6)

3> Yasuhiro Urushitani (122.7)

4> Jens Pulver (120.8)

5> Quinton Jackson (120.7)

6> Mamoru Yamaguchi (112.1)

7> Wanderlei Silva (108.9)

8> Matt Hughes (105.9)

9> Georges St. Pierre (104.1)

10> Gabriel Gonzaga (102.8)

After the inaugural season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ reality series became an instant television hit, Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship quickly rounded up another load of up-and-coming MMA fighters and filmed another season.  The second season of ‘TUF’ featured heavyweights and welterweights, and notably did not feature the usual feud between coaches.  Instead, the coaches were friends, one-time training partners, and both UFC title holders at the time: Rich Franklin and Matt Hughes.  Let’s look at how the careers of the participants turned out since then.  I will examine the heavyweight class first, and the welterweights next week.

All in all, the heavyweight edition of TUF has been a failed experiment.  Of the ten fighters who participated, only two are still fighting in the UFC and both dropped down to 205 lbs, as did Mike Whitehead who has had an impressive win streak outside of the Octagon.   None of the true heavyweights of the group enjoyed great success in MMA since the Season 2 finale.

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• Ratings updated with effects from recent shows.  The most notable one being UFC 86.

We have a new king at Light Heavyweight and a new Top 10 entrant at Lightweight!

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•  Ranks show the effects from the addition of recent shows and some old ones.