USAT/SBN June 2011 MMA Consensus Rankings: Welterweight

by Richard Wade on Jul 1, 2011 10:40 AM EDT in MMA Rankings

Rank	Fighter	%	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Georges St. Pierre	100	UFC	1
2	Jon Fitch	95	UFC	2
3	Jake Shields	90	UFC	3
4	Josh Koscheck	83	UFC	5
5	Nick Diaz	81	Strikeforce	6
6	B.J. Penn	77	UFC	7
7	Carlos Condit	71	UFC	8
8	Thiago Alves	62	UFC	4
9	Rick Story	57	UFC	23
10	Diego Sanchez	45	UFC	9
11	Paul Daley	44	Strikeforce	10
12	Martin Kampmann	42	UFC	11
13	Matt Hughes	35	UFC	12
14	Anthony Johnson	31	UFC	13
15	Charlie Brenneman	29	UFC	NR
16	Mike Pyle	28	UFC	14
17	Jay Hieron	28	Bellator	15
18	Paulo Thiago	27	UFC	17
19	Ben Askren	27	Bellator	16
20	Dong Hyun Kim	24	UFC	18
21	Jake Ellenberger	24	UFC	21
22	John Hathaway	22	UFC	19
23	Dan Hardy	19	UFC	20
24	Rory MacDonald	17	UFC	31
25	Chris Lytle	17	UFC	22
25	Siyar Bahadurzada	17	Ultimate Glory	24

#8 Thiago Alves dropped a unanimous decision to #9 Rick Story who then dropped a unanimous decision to #15 Charlie Brennaman leaving the loser of each fight awkwardly ranked above the winner.

#7 Carlos Condit will take on #20 Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132 this weekend in a bout that is likely less of a mismatch than the rankings might suggest.

UFC 132's feature match was originally scheduled to be #2 Jon Fitch vs #6 B.J. Penn, but injuries derailed the hotly anticipated rematch.

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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Comments

Leland on the Diaz haterade

I approve. But ahead of Hardy? Damn man, I don’t know if I’d go that far at all. Also MDS is all over the map here. wtf

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by Cory Braiterman on Jun 29, 2011 6:55 PM EDT reply actions

Same here

Diaz has 1 win over a Top 30 fighter (a guy who is one the the most one-dimensional fighters in mma) and 0 wins over Top-10 fighters.

When I see him in some people’s top-5 my head starts to hurt.

by Willow Cat on Jun 29, 2011 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions

wasn't daley top 10 when they fought?

by dbcb on Jul 1, 2011 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I turned mine in before Sunday

So that explains part of what I assume you’re questioning. I know most people think I have John Hathaway way too high but I just can’t move him below Diego Sanchez based on how thorough that beating was.

by MichaelDavidSmith on Jul 1, 2011 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions

i'm guessing most of the consensus did that

since a lot of the picks don’t gel with what happened Sunday

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by TylerTreese on Jul 1, 2011 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions

more like

rory mcdonald

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by Cory Braiterman on Jul 1, 2011 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions

I feel like Fight Matrix and I are the only people that updated after Sunday’s card.

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
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by Derek Suboticki on Jun 29, 2011 8:53 PM EDT reply actions

Roth updated.

Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "Everybody underestimates the kick in the groin." - Bas Rutten

by Richard Wade on Jun 29, 2011 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions

he did?

and has Brenneman at 19 and Story way above at 7?

Also I think MMA Ratings and Luke Thomas also updated.

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by TylerTreese on Jul 1, 2011 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Brenneman was completely unranked before that fight

Story was in the top 3 so Roth’s rankings reflect that fight.

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by Nate Wilcox on Jul 1, 2011 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Prior to the fight

Brenneman was something like 90th…I can’t put him in the top 10 with the win. Even though it was a great win.

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by Matthew Roth on Jul 1, 2011 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Pyle ahead of Ellenburger is complete garbage

what else besides TKOing the guy in the second round and then going on to win 3 more fights after that must you do to be ranked ahead of him?

A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.

by TheCode on Jun 30, 2011 12:33 AM EDT reply actions

but pyle beat jon hathaway and someone else since then

rankings are so fucking dumb

"I have smoked weed with alot of UFC champions" - Joe Rogan
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by milk72 on Jul 1, 2011 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

no diaz fanboys complaining? lmao

by Rampage01 on Jul 1, 2011 10:47 AM EDT reply actions

I think BJ Penn is ranked to high in WW.

What has he done besides draw with fitch in a fight that Fitch was the only one to do much of anything damage wise(That was weird to say). Ducks and covers head from the rocks about to be thrown at me.

" Its like when I'm right I'm right, when I'm wrong I coulda been right, so I'm still right cause I coulda been wrong, you know, and I'm sorry cause I could be wrong right now, I could be wrong, but I'm right..." Bama

by 40 Cal. on Jul 1, 2011 10:56 AM EDT reply actions

knocked out a top 10 guy in Hughes and then drew with #2 Fitch

So he deserves to be top 5-ish.

I thought he lost to Fitch but you have to go with the records.

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by TylerTreese on Jul 1, 2011 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Matt Hughes is my favorite fighter of all time (see the avatar)

But he just isn’t a top-tier guy anymore. Yeah I know he was on a win streak and ranked pretty high but you can see he is so slow and his strength has diminished more then almost any fighter I’ve seen.

by 40 Cal. on Jul 1, 2011 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Thats where subjectivity comes into play

Fact is Hughes was on an impressive winning streak at the time and Penn did knock him out in the first round. Then, he got a draw (should have been a W in my opinion as I thought he won rounds 1 & 2) against the best guy in the world not named Georges. Personally I think the top 5 should be:
5. Fitch
4. Penn
3. Shields
2. Diaz
1. GSP

In my opinion you can rate Koscheck, Shields, Fitch, Penn & Diaz anywhere between 2-6 and it’d be justified.

by Johnnynumber5 on Jul 1, 2011 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions

:O

Diaz number 2!?

Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!

by SentientAndroid on Jul 1, 2011 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Fight Matrix really likes Siyar, huh?

I was wondering how he got on the top 25.

by simpsycho on Jul 1, 2011 11:23 AM EDT reply actions

lots of wins

their system rewards activity.

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by Nate Wilcox on Jul 1, 2011 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions

That explains a lot

It’s one way of doing it, I suppose.

by simpsycho on Jul 1, 2011 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I know he's not been able to prove it yet

But Mike Pierce is gonna be the next big thing in the WW division…

He’s put up the best fight against Fitch, outside of BJ and GSP…and he took that fight on short notice…

Between Ellenburger, Pierce, Story, Brenneman and Brian Foster…The WW division has alot of youth and potential.

by Fedorable on Jul 1, 2011 11:36 AM EDT reply actions

sadly they're

all pretty dull and at this point interchangeable.

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by Nate Wilcox on Jul 1, 2011 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Ellenberger is dull?

Somebody better tell Carlos Condit that he got his ass kicked by a dull fighter in the first round

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
Editor, HeadKickLegend.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com

by Derek Suboticki on Jul 1, 2011 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions

true story.

"Many have the will to win. Few have to will to prepare to win."

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by the-gentle-way on Jul 1, 2011 1:53 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

BJ Penn at...

Six is a joke.

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by Sergio Hernandez on Jul 1, 2011 12:02 PM EDT reply actions

It really isn't if you look at what he's done recently.

Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "Everybody underestimates the kick in the groin." - Bas Rutten

by Richard Wade on Jul 1, 2011 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Go...

2-2-1 in his last five?

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by Sergio Hernandez on Jul 1, 2011 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions

really ?

Why?

"Many have the will to win. Few have to will to prepare to win."

by the-gentle-way on Jul 1, 2011 12:55 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

At WW in the UFC, he's...

2-3-1 with both those wins over Hughes. One was impressive, the other was against a 37-year old.

He also lost to Hughes and GSP twice.

And sorry, but going to a draw against Fitch shouldn’t factor in THAT heavily. Call me when if he actually beats him.

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by Sergio Hernandez on Jul 1, 2011 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

lots of people think he won the first gsp fight.

And many believe he won the draw with Fitch. hence the high ranking. Records arent always the best indication of a fighter.

"Many have the will to win. Few have to will to prepare to win."

by the-gentle-way on Jul 1, 2011 1:51 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

also i think the win hughes got was kind of flukey.

Also Hughes was on a legitimate hot streak before Bj crushed him in the third fight. I don’t see how he couldn’t be top ten after that win.

"Many have the will to win. Few have to will to prepare to win."

by the-gentle-way on Jul 1, 2011 1:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

That's generally why...

I usually avoid rankings. They get too subjective.

No, records aren’t always the best indication of how good a fighter is but it should have weight heavily when fighters are being ranked.

Did you beat this guy? Yes? You move up. No? You move down.

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by Sergio Hernandez on Jul 1, 2011 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

yea i am a very subjective ranker.

it is not just that you win. it is how you win . A bunk decision doesn’t do much for me in terms how I view a fighter. I know more about fighting than almost every judge there is . Why should how they view things be more important than how I do?

"Many have the will to win. Few have to will to prepare to win."

by the-gentle-way on Jul 1, 2011 2:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I agree

He has a case for five.

by LBo on Jul 1, 2011 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions

i don't understand why Rick story is so high

Yes, he beat Alves, but he didn’t dominate him, it was a close fight, and i think Alve did more damage especially in the 3rd. Story won the first 2 but he mainly did it by holding Alves against the cage.

I still Think that Alves is a better fighter than story, just like i think that even thou Story lost to Brennaman, Story is a better fighter than The Spaniaard.

In case you guys are wondering, i still have Thiago at #4, because i cant bring myself to put #5 Koschek ahead of him because he is A) Coming of of a loss, and B) Lost to Thiago

Diaz is at #6 for me because he simply hasn’t beaten the same caliber of opponents as the top 5 WW’s in the world.

I have story at #19 after the loss to Charlie (#15 before the loss), and Charlie at #23

by darkotto23 on Jul 1, 2011 1:04 PM EDT reply actions

You can’t put Thiago ahead of Koscheck because Koscheck lost to GSP and Thiago beat him, but you rank Thiago, who is also coming off of a loss – to Story – ahead of Story?

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
Editor, HeadKickLegend.com
Still Subo at Fightlinker.com

by Derek Suboticki on Jul 1, 2011 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

not all wins are the same

Thiago Alves clearly dominated Koscheck, which to me is worth more than Story beating Alves in a close decision. I just wasn’t that impressed with Story in the Alves fight, i always knew he was a tough son of a bitch, but he didn’t really prove that he was better than alves (in my eyes, people are free to disagree) he won the same way that Brenneman won, controlled him but didn’t do that much damage.

by darkotto23 on Jul 1, 2011 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions