USAT/SBN July 2010 MMA Consensus Rankings
by Nate Wilcox on Jul 29, 2010 9:45 AM EDT
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The July USA TODAY/Sports Blog Nation MMA Consensus Rankings are now live. Be sure and pick up a hard copy of USA TODAY to see them in print today.
The big movement was in the heavyweight division where Fedor Emelianenko fell from his long-time perch at the top.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA sources to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
More details on our methodology in the full entry.
NOTE: We have modified our method of gathering our rankings because the strict scheduling requirements of USA TODAY clash with the more irregular schedules of many of the MMA rankings sites. That was causing us to use a different set of sources almost every month. That combined with the small number of sites doing top 25 rankings was causing the Consensus rankings to have a lower "signal to noise" ratio than we would like -- that is if fighters are going to be moving up or down I would like it to be because there has been a change in the consensus opinion, not a change in our sources. Therefore we have cut back our sources to just those sites that we can depend on to update every month. We have also contacted many of the rankers that only publish top 10 lists and asked them to provide top 25 lists. As always we listen to your suggestions and are always working to improve the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings.
We have further modified our formula to better account for fighters who drift between multiple weight classes. We are now moving to what JCS of Fight Matrix has described as assumed rankings in an attempt to rank fighters who move between weight classes. This has been the biggest problem with the consensus rankings and we believe this new methodology will rectify that.
Let's take Anderson Silva for instance. 87% (13 of 15) of our panelists have him at Light Heavyweight and 100% (15 of 15) at Middleweight. On the 13 ballots that ranked Silva at 205, we took the average (21.2). We then reduced that number by half the percentage of Light Heavyweight ballots that he was not included on. Say he's not on 30% of them, then we do a 15% penalty on the average that we found in the previous step. That number is then used instead of the usual "normalization number" to provide points from those not ranking the fighter in the weight class in question. This avoids fighters being excessively penalized by confusion about which weight class they belong.
Check out the USA TODAY/Sports Blog Nation MMA Consensus Rankings to see who's rising and who's falling.
Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.
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The big movement was in the heavyweight division where Fedor Emelianenko fell from his long-time perch at the top.
by Nick Thomas on Jul 29, 2010 9:13 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
It's a new era
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Jul 29, 2010 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions
God bless...God.
Called it before the fight:
Cardio - The BIG question. Does Shane Carwin have cardio? He's never gone past the first round. His muscle mass is astounding and we all know that with all that muscle comes a need for the heart to pump fresh oxygenated blood to keep them from building lactic acid. He does train up in the thin air of Colorado, so that can't do anything but help. However, we have seen him pretty winded after a 1st round fight. Adrenaline dump or cardio problems? We won't find out the answer to that until someone takes him out of the first round.
by S.C. Michaelson on Jul 29, 2010 9:16 AM EDT reply actions
Surprised not a lot of love for Thiago Silva
His only losses are to #2 and #3. No huge wins, but a solid record in the UFC should get him at least into top 10.
"Deserve's got nothing to do with it." -Will Munny, a known thief and murderer, a man of notoriously vicious and intemperate disposition.
yayyyy. finally Ray Mercer is gone
a life: it's the shit that happens while you're waiting for moments that never come -Lester Freamon
by eastcoastatlas on Jul 29, 2010 9:25 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
but... what will you do without me bitching about that every month?
enjoy a cupcake?
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Jul 29, 2010 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Aren’t you new here?
Bolts from the Blue // "He looks like a catfish" - Nick Hardwick on Brandon Siler
Bloody Elbow // " looks like your comment violated rule #4. and it’s a heck of a rule, rule #4" - Kid Nate
by Richard Wade on Jul 29, 2010 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions
been here
about 13 months now (its in my profile?)
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Jul 30, 2010 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Jake Shields
It seems a little counter-intuitive that Jake Shield would be ranked 3rd at Middleweight and 11th at Welterweight. I guess after his next fight will take him off the Middleweight list and put him at Welterweight.
by FragglesHateKos on Jul 29, 2010 9:42 AM EDT reply actions
it's been so long since Shields fought at welterweight
that most of our panelists only rank him at MW. We’ve adjusted per our weight class formula, but there’s only so much you can do when the guy isn’t ranked in a division at all by the majority of the rankers.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
My biggest beefs:
Heavyweight
Fedor at number 2 above Wredum
- Edgar jumped Penn, why wouldn’t Werdum jump Fedor
Light Heavyweight
- I still think Mousasi and Mo are ranked too high, but this will be an ongoing beef.
Middleweight
- Vitor Belfort: Terry Martin and Matt Lindland do not justify a number 6 ranking
Welterweight
- I love watching Nick Diaz fight, but he has done nothing to justify a number 5 ranking. Zaromski was obviously massively over rated and Diaz hasn’t fought top WW competition in 4 years.
Heavyweight
Fedor at number 2 above Wredum
Edgar jumped Penn, why wouldn’t Werdum jump Fedor
I guess because Werdum was #9, and Edgar was #7 prior to their last wins. Also, Edgar’s record is a little bit better than Werdum’s.
I want Kim Winslow or Tan Dan to ref Tito Ortiz' next loss.
by MMAInFeRioRiTy on Jul 29, 2010 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Werdum had a recent loss to JDS
Edgar had a recent loss to Maynard
Werdum had more wins over top 15 competition.
I don’t know… I think the situations are pretty similar.
Maybe the correct comparison is Fedor and BJ
Fedor’s been #1 forever, BJ only for the last 2 or so years. Just a guess on my part as to their reasoning.
by Pantherhare on Jul 29, 2010 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Werdum has a loss within the last two years
Edgar didn’t.
Called it before the fight:
Cardio - The BIG question. Does Shane Carwin have cardio? He's never gone past the first round. His muscle mass is astounding and we all know that with all that muscle comes a need for the heart to pump fresh oxygenated blood to keep them from building lactic acid. He does train up in the thin air of Colorado, so that can't do anything but help. However, we have seen him pretty winded after a 1st round fight. Adrenaline dump or cardio problems? We won't find out the answer to that until someone takes him out of the first round.
by S.C. Michaelson on Jul 29, 2010 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions
keep in mind
we’re just attempting to document the state of opinion, not making opinion ourselves.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Jul 29, 2010 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh, I know.
I am just attempting to discuss the opinions that could create these things that I consider oddities.
cool
yeah there are a lot of head scratchers in the rankings. basically its an impossible task IMO.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Jul 29, 2010 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Anything you find particularly odd?
The Diaz one really confuses me some times. Some people argue that he isn’t ranked high enough. I think he has done pretty well considering who he fought.
Who should be above Vitor? Maia was, then lost so he dropped. Henderson lost to Shields. Okami got dominated by Sonnen. Santiago is in WVR and lost to Khalidov.
I think Vitor’s ranking just kind of speaks to middleweight being a bit of a mess.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Jul 29, 2010 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
I guess my issue is that the Franklin fight wasn't at MW
and a lot of people treat it like it was. You are right, MW is a mess though.
Yeah.
I don’t really think Vitor’s resume is all that great at 185. And the Franklin fight wasn’t at 185. So you’re really going off Lindland (who appears a little bit shot) and Terry Martin. Vitor is clearly getting ranked on the “potential” scale.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Jul 29, 2010 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Alistair has yet to this day beat a heavyweight as good as Matt Lindland.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
Contributor for WatchKalibRun.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com
by Derek Suboticki on Jul 29, 2010 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
no disrespect to anderson
but i think they should take him out of the lhw rankings after a while since he has said he is gonna stay a MW, pity thou lots of good fights at 205, maybe he knows 205 is a tougher division…
Mayhem.
Where he at? Dood just fought the “#3” Middleweight yet he’s not even in the top 25. I guess cuz he hasn’t been as busy lately as some others? Idk..
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