USA TODAY/MMA Nation November 2011 Consensus Rankings: Light Heavyweight
by Richard Wade on Dec 2, 2011 2:49 PM EST
in MMA Rankings
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| Rank | Fighter | Points | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jon Jones | 400 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Dan Henderson | 375 | UFC | 6 |
| 3 | Rashad Evans | 364 | UFC | 3 |
| 4 | Mauricio Rua | 352 | UFC | 2 |
| 5 | Quinton Jackson | 336 | UFC | 4 |
| 6 | Lyoto Machida | 332 | UFC | 5 |
| 7 | Phil Davis | 286 | UFC | 7 |
| 7 | Forrest Griffin | 266 | UFC | 8 |
| 9 | Gegard Mousasi | 194 | Strikeforce | 9 |
| 10 | Rafael Cavalcante | 191 | Strikeforce | 10 |
| 11 | Muhammed Lawal | 167 | Strikeforce | 11 |
| 12 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | 162 | UFC | 12 |
| 13 | Alexander Gustafsson | 153 | UFC | 13 |
| 14 | Thiago Silva | 146 | UFC | 16 |
| 15 | Rich Franklin | 138 | UFC | 14 |
| 16 | Tito Ortiz | 124 | UFC | 15 |
| 17 | Ryan Bader | 118 | UFC | 17 |
| 18 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 79 | UFC | 18 |
| 19 | Renato Sobral | 78 | Strikeforce | 20 |
| 20 | Stanislav Nedkov | 67 | UFC | 21 |
| 21 | Stephan Bonnar | 63 | UFC | 29 |
| 22 | Ryan Jimmo | 62 | UFC | 22 |
| 23 | Roger Gracie | 61 | Strikeforce | 22 |
| 24 | Brandon Vera | 58 | UFC | 25 |
| 25 | Luiz Cane | 56 | UFC | 27 |
Following a fight of the year performance against #4 Mauricio Rua in his return to the UFC, #2 Dan Henderson has vaulted ahead of inactive fighters such as #3 Rashad Evans, #4 Quinton Jackson and #6 Lyoto Machida.
Machida's inactivity is approaching its end though as he is set to challenge #1 Jon Jones for the title at UFC 140 next Saturday.
#12 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and #16 Tito Ortiz will also square off on December 10 as they both struggle to stay "in the mix."
The following weekend #35 Ovince St. Preux will face his toughest test to date in #9 Gegard Mousasi.
At UFC 141, #18 Vladimir Matyushenko will play springboard to another surging LHW prospect in #13 Alexander Gustafsson.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites 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.
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About the only insanity I can think of here
is that Leland thinks Cyril Diabate is a top20 LHW. Credit to everyone for ranking Hendo over Rua – I figured there’d be a couple sillies.
The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com
and Anthony Perosh just choked out Diabate
and without even looking I bet he ISN’T in Leland’s top 25.
The way I see it, either but Diabate out or put Perosh in.
"You got Floyd Mayweather making 25 million dollars...he can't stop the double leg." - Nick Diaz
He should be below Mo
who should be below Cavalcante.
I think OSP will make people RE-realize how not-that-amazing he is though.
"You got Floyd Mayweather making 25 million dollars...he can't stop the double leg." - Nick Diaz
I kind of have an issue with Hendo being so high.
His win over Fedor shouldn’t count, his win over Shogun should have been a draw and his competition at 205 in Strikeforce was pretty meh.
by Rob Young on Dec 2, 2011 2:57 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Even counting the Shogun win that's ONE win over a top guy at 205.
by Rob Young on Dec 2, 2011 2:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
That's ONE win over a (at the time) consensus top 3 former champ
He’s also got a win over Faijao
"Everyone has a plan until they’ve been hit."
~ Joe Lewis
http://worldisart365.blogspot.com/
And Fedor means something
I know it was at HW but it still means something. This isn’t a mathematical formula.
Learn JiuJitsu.
Semper Fi'
since when do fights not count?
The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com
by Cory Braiterman on Dec 2, 2011 3:53 PM EST up reply actions
When they're not in the weight class you're doing rankings in
by Rob Young on Dec 3, 2011 12:59 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
At least with Vitor, Franklin and Lindland had a lot of fights at 185
They were considered 185ers and Vitor KTFO’d them at a different weight. Fedor hasn’t ever competed at 205.
by Rob Young on Dec 3, 2011 1:03 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
so?
Fights are still fights. They have to matter at some level.
The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com
by Cory Braiterman on Dec 3, 2011 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
you should be stripped of your
American citizenship. Dan Henderson is a god among men the #2 Lhw, top 10 Hw and should be a top ten middle weight.
How god Damn dare you!
"Many have the will to win. Few have to will to prepare to win."
" A black belt only covers 2 inches of your ass. The rest is up to you." - Royce Gracie
"Wanderlei eventually got to his feet and stalked Fujita like a Japanese octopus in an all-female prison." - Sean Baby Cracked.com
by the-gentle-way on Dec 2, 2011 5:27 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Hendo's jump to #2 is ridiculous
i still have Evans, Rampage, and even Machida (debatable) ranked ahead of him.
Yea
Hendo with one top 10 win going all the way to #2 is pretty odd.
1. Anderson Silva is waiting for you to punch him.
2. That guy is Anderson Silva.
3. Don't fucking punch that guy.
Wow.
I’m amazed I’m the only one who doesn’t have Hendo Top 3.
by MichaelDavidSmith on Dec 2, 2011 3:15 PM EST up reply actions
*meh
I really don’t have an issue with it, look at the top 6 last two fights (outside of Jones):
6. Lyoto – SD loss to Rampage, spectacular ko against Randy
5. Rampage – solid win against Hamill, one-sided loss against Jones
4. Shogun – ko win against Griffin, spectacular performance against Hendo, but a loss is a loss on paper
3. Rashad Evans – inactive for 15 months, spectacular performance and tko win against Tito…Tito Ortiz.
2. Hendo – first man to truly tko/ko (I say ko) Fedor, even if it was at hw, spectacular performance and win against Shogun (even if it should have been a draw). Not to mention the fact that Hendo is the only man out of the five mentioned who’s currently on a 4 fight win streak with 3 of those wins coming by way of a devastating stoppage. In their last 4, Lyoto is 2-2, Rampage is 2-2, Shogun is 2-2 and Rashad is 3-1, but has been super inactive. I’d say Hendo’s ranking is fairly just.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Dec 2, 2011 6:56 PM EST up reply actions
That outlook is so odd
Considering that most of the arguments about rankings are that the guy who just beat another deserves to leapfrog him outright.
"Release man from the shackles of flesh and flesh misery and then he's no longer a poor, petty little man afraid to dream because he knows his frail body stands between him and the fulfillment of dreams, then he's ready to wage war, the only war worth waging-- the conflict of man reborn and the whole confounded universe!"
by Dallas Winston on Dec 6, 2011 11:32 AM EST up reply actions
key phrase "...inactive fighters..."
didn’t Rashad just re-fought Tito? Rampage for the title?
dang, was it getting that close to print date?
by Tatsu Maki Sen Puu Kyaku on Dec 2, 2011 3:52 PM EST reply actions
I'm going to take a picture of these rankings.
Because it’s the only time you’ll see Stucky Nedkov in the top 20.
"Hi. I don't know you." - me
"Cigano punch my face...all the time." - Anderson Silva
Randy Coutore retired how long ago? that's silly.... and Hamill is done too so why bother?
not to mention Spider Silva… his last Fight at LHW was what ‘09 ish… yeah that’s relevant, Not saying he wouldn’t be top 30 or whatever I’m saying it’s presuming alot… if that’s the case let’s presume a hell of alot more then that for other guys on the list…
I hate Rankings…. jesus christ King Mo #11 Really?… Really?
Visit fiveouncesofpain.com
The people that love to shit on middleweight/bantamweight/featherweight are generally the same ones that say the light heavyweight division is ‘stacked’..personally I don’t see it. After the top 7, the rest of the division isn’t everything that its cracked up to be. I put it on par with middleweight, in no way is it even close to welterweight/lightweight. If Jones beats Machida and Rashad, then light heavyweight will become middleweight; a division struggling to find top contenders that the champion hasn’t already destroyed.
Don't get me wrong Dan Henderson is A beast..
But rashad and machida should not be ranked lower than him.
Drink.
Pee.
Repeat.
by DonnMcslick on Dec 2, 2011 4:36 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Hmm
Rafael Cavalcante should be #9, King Mo should be #10, and Gegard Mousasi should be #11.
When was the last time Renato Sobral even won a fight against an actual light heavyweight opponent?
January of 2009 against the almighty Sokoudjou…since then he is 1-2, with the 1 being a decision win over MIDDLEWEIGHT Robbie Lawler in a catchweight fight, and the 2 being brutal first round knockouts in under 2 minutes…he hasn’t fought in a year…I could go on.
The fact that he is in the top 25 is crazy, let alone was able to go from 20 to 19. Just as a direct reference, the two guys right below him, Nedkov and Bonnar, would SMASH him.
Also, I think it’s a little unfair that Anthony Perosh choked out #19 Cyrille Diabate and this month NIEHTER of them are in the top 25. I mean, if Diabate was like #24…a win over him doesn’t necessarily mean you WERE top 25 level…perhaps it just means he WASN’T….but Diabate was #19….come on…give credit where credit is due.
Still don’t get how Jimmo got into the top 25. A 15 fight win streak didn’t get him in…but adding a controversial decision win over Sokoudjou where nobody was impressed was what earned him a top 25 spot? At least he is in the UFC and we’ll found out what he’s really all about.
"You got Floyd Mayweather making 25 million dollars...he can't stop the double leg." - Nick Diaz
Hendo is ranked #2 at LHW
but ranked #24 at HW and #25 at MW. The only logical reason for this is it shows how WEAK the LHW Division is, right?
Just Breed!
by ScoreCardOTN on Dec 2, 2011 5:25 PM EST via mobile reply actions
No way should hendo be ranked over rashad at lhw.
Chael sonnen is a cheating douchebag.
by MMA Boss on Dec 2, 2011 5:41 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Really?
The only thing that Rashad has done in the last 19 months was beat the brakes of Tito Ortiz. In that same span of time Hendo has fought 5 times losing only once by way of decision. He took the SF belt, ko’d the Emperor and was 1/2 of one of the most epic battles of the 2010-2019 decade.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Dec 2, 2011 7:02 PM EST up reply actions
Good post
"Release man from the shackles of flesh and flesh misery and then he's no longer a poor, petty little man afraid to dream because he knows his frail body stands between him and the fulfillment of dreams, then he's ready to wage war, the only war worth waging-- the conflict of man reborn and the whole confounded universe!"
by Dallas Winston on Dec 6, 2011 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
My top 10 lighthvywt.
Why is Forrest still in top 10? He’s was ko’d in 1st rd by a jab as A.Silva was backn up. Demolished by Rua in 1st n has been,gnp out then tapped out by Rashad. 1Jonjones2Lyoto3Hendo4Rashad5Rampage6LilNog7Lawal8Mousasi9Bader10Ortiz
by Hankverdee on Dec 2, 2011 10:35 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Lol, 4got about Rua! Have Shogun @ #4. The rest get bumped down a notch.
by Hankverdee on Dec 2, 2011 10:41 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Why is Forest in the top 10, I mean really?
My opinion>Your onion.
by Tairy Hesticles on Dec 2, 2011 11:52 PM EST reply actions
Probably because
He’s a former champion, owns wins over the current #4, 5 and 15, and the people below him are mostly unproven.
duh?
The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com
by Cory Braiterman on Dec 3, 2011 11:30 AM EST up reply actions
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![Always honest, Forrest Griffin tells Sherdog he's anticipating a difficult weight cut and conditioning issues for his upcoming fight in Rio against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua:
"I definitely put on more weight than I would like," Griffin told Sherdog.com. "I need to cut weight and it won’t be easy. I’ll have a lot of problems until the fight in Brazil, but I’ve gotta do it. I don’t want to fight at heavyweight, so I gotta cut that f--king weight."
"He’s one of the best fighters ever," Griffin said of his opponent, who he submitted in September 2007. "He has a blitz style. He goes forward. He’s dangerous. I gotta make him move backward and let’s see what happens. I want to go hard for all 15 minutes of the fight."
"It’s difficult to adjust yourself [to another country]," said Griffin. "There’s the jetlag thing, and it’s difficult to make weight since Brazil doesn’t have the distilled water I use in the U.S. and the food I need to eat. It’s always difficult to change your routine when you go to another country. I feel stupid because I can’t communicate with people from the hotels and can’t even say how I want my eggs. It’s clearly a pain in the ass."
UFC 134: Rio coverage](http://cdn0.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/203416/1116628_bin_small.jpg)
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