After Conor McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, things only got more complicated at the top of the 145 & 155-pound divisions. Snatching the lightweight title with a stunning performance, ‘The Notorious’ temporarily held two titles at once. Just weeks after the Irishman had claimed a record-breaking second belt, circumstances changed drastically. With alleged pressure
After Conor McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, things only got more complicated at the top of the 145 & 155-pound divisions. Snatching the lightweight title with a stunning performance, ‘The Notorious’ temporarily held two titles at once. Just weeks after the Irishman had claimed a record-breaking second belt, circumstances changed drastically. With alleged pressure to make UFC 206 marketable, Max Holloway vs. Anthony Pettis became the interim title fight.
The man McGregor had laid waste to at UFC 194, Jose Aldo, was promoted to full champion. ‘Scarface’ had topped Frankie Edgar for the junior belt at UFC 200. There’d been much friction from contenders in both divisions in regards to the decisions made by the UFC this year. The tension all started before UFC 196, where McGregor was originally meant to fight for the lightweight belt against Rafael dos Anjos. Who knew that it’d be two welterweight fights with Nate Diaz before McGregor would eventually hit 155? After going 1-1 at UFC 196 at UFC 202, McGregor was paired with Alvarez at UFC 205.
Rankings Update
After being stripped of the featherweight belt for not defending it in just under a year, McGregor has now been removed from the division’s ranks. This perhaps comes as no surprise, but is nonetheless decisive in terms of the Irishman’s future. Any questions regarding a potential return to 145 pounds have now been completely cleared up. Dying for his rematch, Aldo will now certainly have to go up to lightweight to make this a reality.
As a result of ‘The Notorious’ now being ranked only at lightweight, the rest of the featherweight category enjoys a boost. Frankie Edgar fills the number one spot behind champion Jose Aldo, Max Holloway is second followed by Ricardo Lamas, Cub Swanson and Anthony Pettis.
The image is courtesy of the official UFC website:
What About Middleweight?
After a stunning KO victory over Derek Brunson in Australia, Robert Whittaker jumps up past Anderson Silva to number six. ‘The Spider’ resides in 7th place, with Vitor Belfort at eight and Brunson in ninth. Elsewhere the rankings remain the same, for now.
After heading to Newark, New Jersey this past weekend (January 30, 2016) for UFC on FOX 18, the UFC has updated its official rankings. While no major changes were seen, there were a few key moves to take note of. Heavyweight veteran “Big” Ben Rothwell rose up two spots into the heavyweight top five after
After heading to Newark, New Jersey this past weekend (January 30, 2016) for UFC on FOX 18, the UFC has updated its official rankings.
While no major changes were seen, there were a few key moves to take note of.
Heavyweight veteran “Big” Ben Rothwell rose up two spots into the heavyweight top five after his impressive second round submission victory over Josh “The Warmaster” Barnett.
Becoming the first man to force Barnett to tap, Rothwell should be in line for a huge fight in the cloudy 265 pound division.
Legendary former middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva also returned to the 185 pound rankings after serving out a one year suspension due to a positive drug test. The Brazilian now sits at No. 10 ahead of his February 27th bout with Michael Bisping live on UFC Fight Pass.
Check out the full rankings below courtesy of UFC.com:
(I had no idea what to use for the featured image on this post, so I Googled “puppy taking a shit,” and found this. It fits surprisingly well, I think.)
Last week, we learned that the UFC and FightMetric were organizing a new set of official fighter-rankings, which would be updated often and made available to the public. It was a good idea in theory — for one thing, the rankings would be a helpful reference tool for casual fans trying to keep the rosters straight — but it suffered from two fatal flaws: 1) The rankings would have zero impact on which fights actually get booked, as we were once again reminded today, and 2) If the ranking body is only made up of media members who are on good terms with the UFC, as well as reporters who don’t automatically recognize this exercise as a conflict of interest, the results will inevitably be biased.
The debut rankings list came out today, featuring the opinions of 28 media members, including longtime shills (Franklin McNeil), obscure non-entities (“Burbank Leader”?), and left-field surprises. (Andreas Hale, good to see you my man!) Yeah, I know this sounds like sour grapes from a blacklisted media refugee, but after scanning through the new rankings lists, it’s clear that this thing is as useless as you probably imagined. Here are some notable lowlights…
1. Despite his 0-0 record in the UFC, Gilbert Melendez is listed as the #1 lightweight contender. You know, because he’ll be fighting for the title soon.
2. Other 0-0 fighters on the rankings list: Tarec Saffiedine (#10 welterweight), Luke Rockhold (#7 middleweight), and Gegard Mousasi (#10 light-heavyweight).
3. After losing his featherweight debut against Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar is now the 4th-ranked featherweight contender in the UFC.
(I had no idea what to use for the featured image on this post, so I Googled “puppy taking a shit,” and found this. It fits surprisingly well, I think.)
Last week, we learned that the UFC and FightMetric were organizing a new set of official fighter-rankings, which would be updated often and made available to the public. It was a good idea in theory — for one thing, the rankings would be a helpful reference tool for casual fans trying to keep the rosters straight — but it suffered from two fatal flaws: 1) The rankings would have zero impact on which fights actually get booked, as we were once again reminded today, and 2) If the ranking body is only made up of media members who are on good terms with the UFC, as well as reporters who don’t automatically recognize this exercise as a conflict of interest, the results will inevitably be biased.
The debut rankings list came out today, featuring the opinions of 28 media members, including longtime shills (Franklin McNeil), obscure non-entities (“Burbank Leader”?), and left-field surprises. (Andreas Hale, good to see you my man!) Yeah, I know this sounds like sour grapes from a blacklisted media refugee, but after scanning through the new rankings lists, it’s clear that this thing is as useless as you probably imagined. Here are some notable lowlights…
1. Despite his 0-0 record in the UFC, Gilbert Melendez is listed as the #1 lightweight contender. You know, because he’ll be fighting for the title soon.
2. Other 0-0 fighters on the rankings list: Tarec Saffiedine (#10 welterweight), Luke Rockhold (#7 middleweight), and Gegard Mousasi (#10 light-heavyweight).
3. After losing his featherweight debut against Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar is now the 4th-ranked featherweight contender in the UFC.
4. In a related story, Edgar is #9 on the pound-for-pound list — right between Demetrious Johnson and Dan Henderson — despite being on a three-fight losing skid.
6.A dude named Anthony Springer Jr. had Roy Nelson and Pat Barry listed as the UFC’s #3- and #4-ranked heavyweight contenders — based on accomplishments, not personality — and ranked Brian Bowles as the #3 bantamweight, directly over Urijah Faber. Also, Daniel Cormier was in his Top 10 P4P list, but wasn’t included in his heavyweight rankings. This is the caliber of MMA-pundit that they’re relying on, guys.
7.Nick Diaz is ranked above Rory MacDonald on the welterweight list, which is kind of ludicrous if we’re considering their actual recent accomplishments in the welterweight division.
8. Since the UFC only has three fighters in its women’s bantamweight division, a rankings list for that division doesn’t exist.
9. Speaking of weak divisions, the flyweight ranking list has two fighters who sport 0-1 records in the UFC — #10-ranked Ulysses Gomez, and Jussier Da Silva, who managed to place all the way at #5.
10.Ian McCall is winless at flyweight in the UFC. He’s still ranked as the #3 contender, right above John Moraga (2-0).
And there you have it, folks — the difference between rankings and “rankings.” If anything else on the list upsets you, let us know in the comments section.
Here at CagePotato, if we’re going to take the time to put together a rankings or list, it’s probably going to be one like this one. That doesn’t mean, however, that we’re opposed to taking part in others’ rankings. Take, for example, the Yahoo! Sports Top 10 MMA Pound for Pound Rankings, the voting for which is done by a panel that includes many luminaries of the MMA journalism community and also, for some unknown reason, me.
The latest Yahoo! Sports Top 10 list was released this week (panel voting and publication of the rankings are done monthly) and there are some familiar faces as well as some changes. Anderson Silva maintained his long-time top spot, followed by Jon Jones and then Georges St. Pierre in the number three spot.
Cain Velasquez made it back on to the list after beating Junior Dos Santos in their recent return bout. A number of notable fighters were not eligible for the list because of inactivity (Dominick Cruz, Alistair Overeem) and suspension (Nick Diaz, Overeem again).
Jose Aldo was eligible because he is fighting so close to the end of voting, and he took the number four spot. The rankings may soon get shaken up again after tonight’s UFC 156.
Frankie Edgar drops down to featherweight to try and take out Aldo. Would Aldo get a bump in the rankings by beating a former lightweight champ? Would Edgar skyrocket in the rankings if were to win a championship in a second weight class?
Also, will Overeem justify the media’s crush on him with an impressive fight against BigFoot that will propel him into the Top 10? Check out the full rankings Top 10 after the jump and then let us know your Top 10 in the comments section.
(It’s good to be king)
Here at CagePotato, if we’re going to take the time to put together a rankings or list, it’s probably going to be one like this one. That doesn’t mean, however, that we’re opposed to taking part in others’ rankings. Take, for example, the Yahoo! Sports Top 10 MMA Pound for Pound Rankings, the voting for which is done by a panel that includes many luminaries of the MMA journalism community and also, for some unknown reason, me.
The latest Yahoo! Sports Top 10 list was released this week (panel voting and publication of the rankings are done monthly) and there are some familiar faces as well as some changes. Anderson Silva maintained his long-time top spot, followed by Jon Jones and then Georges St. Pierre in the number three spot.
Cain Velasquez made it back on to the list after beating Junior Dos Santos in their recent return bout. A number of notable fighters were not eligible for the list because of inactivity (Dominick Cruz, Alistair Overeem) and suspension (Nick Diaz, Overeem again).
Jose Aldo was eligible because he is fighting so close to the end of voting, and he took the number four spot. The rankings may soon get shaken up again after tonight’s UFC 156.
Frankie Edgar drops down to featherweight to try and take out Aldo. Would Aldo get a bump in the rankings by beating a former lightweight champ? Would Edgar skyrocket in the rankings if were to win a championship in a second weight class?
Also, will Overeem justify the media’s crush on him with an impressive fight against BigFoot that will propel him into the Top 10? Check out the full rankings Top 10 after the jump and then let us know your Top 10 in the comments section.
Yahoo! Sports Top 10 MMA Pound for Pound Rankings:
(“In my unbiased opinion as an MMA journalist, Chael Sonnen is the #1-ranked fighter at *all* weight classes. In addition, he has the biggest arm and does the most harm.” Photo via Fuel TV.)
For the first time ever, the UFC will publish fighter ranking lists in each of their weight divisions. The new rankings will be generated by FightMetric, in collaboration with a wide range of media members. Here’s the scoop, via a press release on UFC.com:
FightMetric®, the official statistics provider of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), will continue to enhance fans experience by providing UFC Fighter Rankings. UFC Fighter Rankings by FightMetric will poll opinions from sports media worldwide and will be recognized by the UFC and integrated into its broadcast and featured on UFC.com. Voting will be open to media immediately after each live event with results made available to UFC.com within 24 hours.
“We are thrilled to have UFC recognize our fighter rankings and to have them hosted on UFC.com, as well as incorporated into event broadcasts. FightMetric has worked closely with the UFC for several years as an industry-leader in MMA statistics. Sports fans are accustomed to seeing performance data and rankings on their favorite baseball, football and soccer players, and now we can engage UFC fans on a similar level,” said FightMetric creator Rami Genauer.
“UFC Fighter Rankings are a great tool for new and existing fans alike to learn and better keep up with the fast pace of the UFC,” said UFC President Dana White. “We always look for opportunities to engage fans and media, allowing them to connect and voice their opinions, and this just one more way of doing that.”
(“In my unbiased opinion as an MMA journalist, Chael Sonnen is the #1-ranked fighter at *all* weight classes. In addition, he has the biggest arm and does the most harm.” Photo via Fuel TV.)
For the first time ever, the UFC will publish fighter ranking lists in each of their weight divisions. The new rankings will be generated by FightMetric, in collaboration with a wide range of media members. Here’s the scoop, via a press release on UFC.com:
FightMetric®, the official statistics provider of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), will continue to enhance fans experience by providing UFC Fighter Rankings. UFC Fighter Rankings by FightMetric will poll opinions from sports media worldwide and will be recognized by the UFC and integrated into its broadcast and featured on UFC.com. Voting will be open to media immediately after each live event with results made available to UFC.com within 24 hours.
“We are thrilled to have UFC recognize our fighter rankings and to have them hosted on UFC.com, as well as incorporated into event broadcasts. FightMetric has worked closely with the UFC for several years as an industry-leader in MMA statistics. Sports fans are accustomed to seeing performance data and rankings on their favorite baseball, football and soccer players, and now we can engage UFC fans on a similar level,” said FightMetric creator Rami Genauer.
“UFC Fighter Rankings are a great tool for new and existing fans alike to learn and better keep up with the fast pace of the UFC,” said UFC President Dana White. “We always look for opportunities to engage fans and media, allowing them to connect and voice their opinions, and this just one more way of doing that.”
Media members will vote for top fighters, currently active in the UFC, by weight class and pound-for-pound. A fighter can only appear in one weight division at a time. The champion and interim champions of each division are set in the first and second positions respectively and are not eligible for voting by media. However, champions can be voted on for the pound-for-pound rankings. Media voting is by invitation only and interested media members can apply at UFC.com/Rankings.
The UFC’s creation of public rankings is a smart move for two reasons: 1) The rankings will add another mark of legitimacy to a sport that is still battling for public acceptance, and 2) As Dana White mentioned in the release, they’ll help fans — and not just causal fans — keep up with the growing rosters and weight divisions under the promotion’s control. You’d have to be a die-hard fan to know which bantamweights are outside the top-five at any given moment, for example. These rankings will help keep fans clued in, especially when they’re trying to figure out who’s worth watching during the next UFC on FOX Sports 2 card.
So will these rankings have any effect on future UFC matchups, and which fighters get title shots? Not exactly. “Regardless of the rankings, I’ll put together the fights the people want to see,” White reportedly said yesterday, according to Ariel Helwani. So think of them as more of a promotional, informational tool provided by 90 journalists who are on relatively good terms with the UFC, rather than a literal, unbiased look at the pecking order in each division.
We’ll let you know when our application is rejected : (
Nearly every aspect of MMA has been under evaluation on how it can be improved. Whether it’s drug testing and TRT regulation, referee calls and judge’s scoring, or the actual combat rules altogether; everyone is.
Nearly every aspect of MMA has been under evaluation on how it can be improved. Whether it’s drug testing and TRT regulation, referee calls and judge’s scoring, or the actual combat rules altogether; everyone is giving their two cents on how to improve the sport one way or another. After all the debating that has taken place about more issues in MMA than anyone can possible address, it’s strikingly peculiar that nobody has brought up the issue of MMA rankings and how they should be calculated.
There are a plethora of websites, television shows, and other MMA related organizations that have their own version of an MMA ranking order. MMA is a unique sport that doesn’t quite follow the style of a traditional ranking system, and it’s unlikely that any two ranking lists are identical. Even with all the facts and statistics about a fighter, there is much information left for personal interpretation to form, sometimes bias, opinions about a fighters ranking order in their respective weight class. A fighter’s winning streak, quality of opponents, ability to finish, and fighting frequency are just several of many factors that are viewed differently from person to person in the ongoing argument of ranking order significance.
For the most part, the majority of MMA ranking lists share similar names, but to have a fighter like Erik Koch ranked as the third best featherweight in the world on one list, and then not even have him in the top ten on another is truly baffling. When was the last time that such a ridiculous ranking conundrum occurred in any other sport? Most likely, it hasn’t. Arguing a fighters position one or two slots is one thing and is perfectly acceptable, but in this case, top three to outside top ten is pushing the envelope too far.
MMA has always had its mixed opinions on ranking, but now the importance of this issue is greater now then it has ever been. While it’s true that some MMA promotions, such as UFC, will give a title shot to anyone that they believe deserves one, many title shots are influenced by media rankings, and with nearly every weight class having several fighters that could be given the next title shot, it is important that the rankings reflect who truly is the most deserving of such an opportunity.
No ranking system will ever be perfect, but if anyone’s MMA rankings are to taken seriously, there needs to be at least a few general guidelines put into place so there can be a mutual understanding of how MMA rankings will be determined and the majority of ranking lists would come to a similar consensus, but still leave room for minor debate.
![6001077340340224[1]](http://cdn.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/60010773403402241.jpg)
