ESPN.com has released their latest top 10 pound-for-pound list for MMA. Six members of the ESPN staff weighed in on the issue, including MMA Live host Jon Anik.
UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva was the unanimous pick for the top spot on the list, while welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was able to lock down the second spot.
St-Pierre’s stock undoubtedly took a hit after winning a snoozefest against Jake Shields at UFC 129, with not one voter picking GSP over Silva this time.
Anik actually felt that St-Pierre’s performance was so underwhelming, that he personally felt that light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was more deserving of the second spot than GSP was.
Jones ended up ranked No. 3 on the list, surprisingly passing up UFC featherweight title holder Jose Aldo.
This change is probably the most controversial one on the list, as Aldo has not lost since 2005; his sole career loss, and has won 12 fights in a row since then.
Regardless where fans feel Jones belongs on this list, it is impossible to ignore that this superstar is taking the MMA world by storm.
Incredible takedowns and striking, both on his feet and on the ground, have led Jones to a 13-1 professional record. He has also earned his place in the record books, as “Bones” is the UFC’s youngest champion ever at 23 years old.
Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar rounded out the top five, while UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz claimed the sixth spot on the list.
Despite a 17-1 career record and a UFC title around his waist, Cruz is still not a household name for most MMA fans.
Cruz has a great opportunity to open some eyes at UFC 132, when he has a chance to avenge his only career loss against Urijah Faber in the main event.
Cain Velasquez was the lone heavyweight to crack the top 10, with the staff praising his abilities as a boxer, wrestler and jiu-jitsu practitioner.
Gilbert Melendez was the only Strikeforce selection in ESPN’s power ranking list, as the lightweight champion is coming off a dominant TKO victory over Tatsuya Kawajiri and is currently riding a five-fight win streak.
ESPN’s selection at No. 9 is described by the staff as “MMA’s Sisyphus,” none other than welterweight grinder Jon Fitch.
Fitch is 21-1-2 since 2002, with his sole loss coming against welterweight king Georges St-Pierre.
Gray Maynard rounds out the list at No. 10, owning quality wins over the likes of Jim Miller, Kenny Florian, and is currently still the only man who has defeated UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
“The Bully” has a chance to prove his relevance in the UFC lightweight division when he meets Edgar for a third time at UFC 130.
Maynard hopes finally to get his first taste of gold in the UFC, and definitively prove once and for all that he is a better fighter than Edgar.
Regardless who wins the main event at UFC 130, a superfight between Gilbert Melendez and either Edgar or Maynard remains very intriguing for deciding who is the best 155-pounder in MMA.
So to recap, ESPN’s latest top 10 pound-four-pound list reads as follows: 1. Anderson Silva, 2. Georges St-Pierre, 3. Jon Jones, 4. Jose Aldo, 5. Frankie Edgar, 6. Dominick Cruz, 7. Cain Velasquez, 8. Gilbert Melendez, 9. Jon Fitch, and 10. Gray Maynard.
Also receiving votes are Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, UFC light heavyweight contender Rashad Evans, and welterweight contender BJ Penn.
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Authentic Sports Management and First Round Management merged in February 2011, making them a major player in the MMA world, but the short-lived partnership is already over.
Lineal champions have always interested me for one reason or another, and with talk intensifying of Strikeforce champions facing UFC champions in the near future, I thought it would be interesting to see where the WEC and PRIDE titles have ended up, considering those are the two biggest organizations Zuffa purchased over the years. No disrespect to the EliteXC or the IFLs of the world, but that would just get too confusing.