USA TODAY/MMA Nation September 2011 Consensus Rankings: Lightweight
by Richard Wade on Oct 1, 2011 12:36 PM EDT
in MMA Rankings
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| Rank | Fighter | % | Promotion | Last Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankie Edgar | 100 | UFC | 1 |
| 2 | Gray Maynard | 95 | UFC | 2 |
| 3 | Gilbert Melendez | 92 | Strikeforce | 3 |
| 4 | Shinya Aoki | 81 | DREAM | 4 |
| 5 | Eddie Alvarez | 79 | Bellator | 5 |
| 6 | Ben Henderson | 75 | UFC | 7 |
| 7 | Clay Guida | 72 | UFC | 6 |
| 8 | Jim Miller | 66 | UFC | 8 |
| 9 | Melvin Guillard | 64 | UFC | 9 |
| 10 | Anthony Pettis | 48 | UFC | 10 |
| 11 | B.J. Penn | 37 | UFC | 11 |
| 12 | Dennis Siver | 36 | UFC | 14 |
| 13 | Sean Sherk | 30 | UFC | 13 |
| 14 | Nate Diaz | 29 | UFC | NR |
| 15 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | 28 | DREAM | 12 |
| 16 | Rafael dos Anjos | 25 | UFC | 15 |
| 17 | Evan Dunham | 24 | UFC | 16 |
| 18 | Donald Cerrone | 22 | UFC | 18 |
| 19 | Gleison Tibau | 21 | UFC | 17 |
| 20 | Jorge Masvidal | 19 | Strikeforce | 20 |
| 21 | Sam Stout | 17 | UFC | 23 |
| 22 | Josh Thomson | 16 | K-1 | 22 |
| 23 | George Sotiropoulos | 15 | UFC | 24 |
| 24 | Matt Wiman | 14 | UFC | 25 |
| 25 | Mizuto Hirota | 14 | DEEP | 32 |
We finally get the third installment of #1 Frankie Edgar vs. #2 Gray Maynard this month as the two headline UFC 136. Also on that card is #9 Melvin Guillard seeking to hold onto his contender status as he takes on deservedly unranked Joe Lauzon and #10 Anthony Pettis looking to do the same against the unranked Jeremy Stephens.
UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson will host the rematch of #24 Matt Wiman and unranked Mac Danzig. It's possible this fight interests someone.
And why are people still ranking B.J. Penn and Tatsuya Kawajiri at this weight class? I don't know either.
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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I think
Melvin is underrated, and I’m not really sure why. He’s looked very, very good since that Diaz loss
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 Sep 29, 2011 8:47 PM EDT reply actions
i think hes ranked accordingly
Dunham is his only big win. Roller, Lowe, Torres are nice but uninspiring and the Stephens fight was a farce
Mark Hunt's Special Move: Oceanic Heritage! Years ago someone told Polynesian DNA that everyone was surrounded by sea monsters and it believed them. It made humans that were immune to head injuries, fast enough to run on the highway, and big enough to use the carpool lane. Putting two of them in the same ring is like telling your local tectonic plates to fuck themselves.
"I said ‘let me tell you, you’re one punch away from being worth zero’ and I was wrong, he was one triangle choke away from being worth zero." - Dana on Fedor
by Kevin Jennison J. Zametov-St Pierre on Oct 1, 2011 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Roller and Dunham aren't THAT different
Roller has better wrestling, while Dunham has sharper striking with a little less power, and a more dynamic submission game. However, they really both posed the same threat to Guillard, and overall he is blowing right through these “tests” and I suspect he’ll make it three in a row against Pausing, another fighter quite similar to his last two opponents.
Business as Usual has a STACKED team. I mean, we could win with just me, but you know.
by halitosis on Oct 1, 2011 10:58 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Fucking autocorrect
Lauzon* not pausing
Business as Usual has a STACKED team. I mean, we could win with just me, but you know.
by halitosis on Oct 1, 2011 10:59 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
why don't people turn that off?
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 Oct 1, 2011 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
That's possible?...
Off to my settings
Business as Usual has a STACKED team. I mean, we could win with just me, but you know.
by halitosis on Oct 1, 2011 11:27 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
He really hasn’t. He could’ve very easily lost decisions to Ronny Torres and Jeremy Stephens. He’s great in one round fights but he’s a much worse fighter when he tries to pace himself.
OMG
I am the only one who ever mentions the Ronys Torres fight. Nice.
I had it a draw, by the way. Think I did one of my first FanPosts on that.
"How can I seize the day when it is dusk?"
by Dallas Winston on Oct 4, 2011 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I think I probably asked this last time
but why do people keep ranking BJ at LW? It’s not like he just switched to WW. He’s had 2 fights there and has a 3rd one scheduled.
Town Crier, I'd like to ask you a few questions. One, where's the fife? And two, gimme the fife.
I have no idea why people keep ranking him at LW.
No idea at all.
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan
by Richard Wade on Sep 30, 2011 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
One guy has Florian ranked
along with Kawajiri and Penn and he only ranked the top ten. Come on now son.
Head conductor of the Charles Oliveira hype train.
I am so stoked at how much Bendo fixed in his game in the past year.
After years of being ranked in the top ten, he now deserves to be in the top 10!
Unrelated: Dunham vs. Cerrone or Diaz would be fun as hell. I’d be happy with Stout or Dos Anjos too.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
Diaz/Cerrone sounds fun! The only problem is that Diaz is only on a 1 fight win streak.
Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves = Muay Thai wrecking machines!
by SentientAndroid on Oct 2, 2011 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
honestly, are people that stupid?
1) BJ has moved to WW
2) See that big collared square at the bottom? It has where people ranked fighters. See all the people who didn’t even put him on the ballot (bc he moved to WW)? That will drag down a ranking fast.
Why does this still come up? Christ
My Blog on lifting, movies, fish, and some mma: www.themindofshadow.blogspot.com
by dbcb on Oct 1, 2011 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Source that BJ has left LW and moved to WW permanently?
Hint: there isn’t one.
Very dramatic and inspiring rant though.
"How can I seize the day when it is dusk?"
by Dallas Winston on Oct 4, 2011 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Aoki has 8 wins over Top 10 ranked fighters, that’s more than Alvarez,Bendo,Guida,Guillard,Pettis combined.
And since rankings are composed of actual results and not hypothetical matchups he’s ranked accordingly
by KOQ24 on Oct 1, 2011 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
last 4 fights were against unranked Beerbohm, Clementi, and McCullough
and got KTFO in the MMA round by Jainotsiu
Mark Hunt's Special Move: Oceanic Heritage! Years ago someone told Polynesian DNA that everyone was surrounded by sea monsters and it believed them. It made humans that were immune to head injuries, fast enough to run on the highway, and big enough to use the carpool lane. Putting two of them in the same ring is like telling your local tectonic plates to fuck themselves.
"I said ‘let me tell you, you’re one punch away from being worth zero’ and I was wrong, he was one triangle choke away from being worth zero." - Dana on Fedor
by Kevin Jennison J. Zametov-St Pierre on Oct 1, 2011 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions
he got KOed out by a knee from a world class kickboxer.
It’s not like he got dropped by some scrub. He basically got struck by lightning. He is still solid top ten.
Who would you put above him?
"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 Oct 1, 2011 10:59 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Guillard, Bendo, and maybe Guida
Business as Usual has a STACKED team. I mean, we could win with just me, but you know.
by halitosis on Oct 1, 2011 11:03 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Aoki would stretch Guida.
Learn JiuJitsu.
"Gelato isn't Vegan?" -- Superman
"It's milk and eggs bitch." -- The Punisher
there is a high
Likelihood they get snap, crackled or popped.
"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 Oct 1, 2011 1:17 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Aoki is crafty at getting the fight to the ground, but I think Guilard and Bendo would keep him at bay with striking like Gil. Guilard could always make a stupid mistake like he used to, and I think Guida would eventually end up on the ground with Aoki.
bendo is due for being subbed.
He gets caught tooo deep in subs to often. You know melvins deal. They are both coin flip fights.
"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 Oct 1, 2011 2:02 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Melvin has progressed his game significantly
To a point where I’d be confident in picking him to beat Aoki, even if he does get taken down. Bendo too, if he could keep Aoki at bay with strikes. Guida I’m not as confident in, but he did “win” against a pretty good guard player in Anthony Pettis.
Business as Usual has a STACKED team. I mean, we could win with just me, but you know.
comparing aoki's guard to pettis's is like comparing
Chris leben’s striking to Anderson Silva’s.
Pettis is a legitimate purple belt, which is nothing to be scoffed at.
Aoki is a world class judo and bjj blackbelt with the medals to prove it. He is responsible for more broken bones than osteoporosis .
"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 Oct 1, 2011 2:15 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I know
I was just giving a little credit to Guida for stopping a lot of submission attempts. Don’t get me wrong, Aoki is very good, but unless he gets on top of Guida I don’t like his chances.
Business as Usual has a STACKED team. I mean, we could win with just me, but you know.
I don’t think Aoki would have shot in so recklessly in a real MMA fight either. He gave his opponent zero respect in the “MMA round.”
"He's like Elvis in Korea! They love him there." - Mike Goldberg on Denis Kang
i agree
"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 Oct 1, 2011 1:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
plus that fight isnt part of his mma record i guess.
"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 Oct 1, 2011 11:00 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It wasn't an MMA fight.
Learn JiuJitsu.
"Gelato isn't Vegan?" -- Superman
"It's milk and eggs bitch." -- The Punisher
The non UFC fighters are getting way too much love on this list IMO.
"He's got a great package... and an unusual one!" Joe Rogan (of Lyoto Machida)
" the wec guys would get handled by UFC fighters" – dummies from 2009
"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 Oct 1, 2011 2:06 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
I like Aoki and Alvarez
but it seems like they get spots 4 and 5 automatically, no matter how bad their competition is.
Head conductor of the Charles Oliveira hype train.
people have been flying armbared for saying less insulting things to Aoki.
You better hope he can’t read English.
"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 Oct 1, 2011 10:56 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
People like Jesse Holland, who ignore actual accomplishments in favor of their fantasies of what will happen in future fights shouldn’t be part of these rankings.
If he thinks one fighter is better than another why not rank them accordingly?
Saturday 10 Semptember 2011. Carl Noons vs Jack Marshman. That Fght Delivered
by Our Bovine Public on Oct 1, 2011 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
at some point, one has to take actual events into account
And in fairness to him, his LW rankings aren’t too absurd anymore. He used to have Alvarez #1 for the longest.
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 Oct 1, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah the guy in question seems to take things a bit too far but the point still stands. Sometimes I get the feeling people won’t rank a fighter above someone unless they have beaten them in a fight
Saturday 10 Semptember 2011. Carl Noons vs Jack Marshman. That Fght Delivered
by Our Bovine Public on Oct 1, 2011 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
You can rank a fighter over another, even if they haven’t fought. What you can’t do is rank a fighter over another fighter if they haven’t fought each other and that other fighter has fought and defeated vastly superior opposition, simply because you have a theory about who’s the better fighter.
There are plenty of LWs who I think would smash Aoki, but until one of them either does it, or compiles a resume of ACTUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS that exceed Aoki’s, they don’t get ranked above him.
You don’t have any problem with his crowning of Overeem as the #1 HW in the world when his best win at the weight class was Brett Rogers? Or, ranking Diaz as the #3 lightweight when his best win at WW was KJ Noons?
Some measure of subjectivity is obviously unavoidable when making rankings. But, the primary basis for rankings needs to be actual accomplishments: who you beat and how you beat them.
Yeah you’re right in a way. I just think it needs to be somewhere between the two systems rather than just one
Saturday 10 Semptember 2011. Carl Noons vs Jack Marshman. That Fght Delivered
by Our Bovine Public on Oct 1, 2011 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ve got no problem with taking two fighters who haven’t fought each other and have similar resumes and ranking them based on who you think would win a fight between the two. My problem with Holland is not that he has Nick Diaz ranked over Carlos Condit. They’ve never fought and their resumes at WW are similar. Carlos has maybe fought better opposition, but he’s also lost more recently. My problem is ranking Diaz over Fitch. Which, by the way, looks bad whether you do it because you somehow think Diaz has a better resume or if you do it because you somehow think Diaz would beat Fitch in an actual fight.
Descriptive vs. Predictive...
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan
Maynard should really be number 1. He has a win and a draw over the champ and no loses. That shiny thing on Edgar’s waist distracted everybody.
you gotta beat the Man to be the Man, is my take on #1.
Bj was the the undisputed king of 155. Frank took his crown. If gray wants the crown he has to go take it.
"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 Oct 1, 2011 2:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
edgar beating BJ twice
is better than everything Maynard has done
My Blog on lifting, movies, fish, and some mma: www.themindofshadow.blogspot.com
by dbcb on Oct 1, 2011 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Saying anyone but Frankie is number one
is a complete joke. Looking at you MMA ratings and MMA weekly
Head conductor of the Charles Oliveira hype train.
Yes.
Bolts from the Blue // "I eat cereal out of a giant novelty wine glass because it makes me feel fancy." - Britney Wade
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan
Guillard should be in front of Guida
Guida’s claim to fame is laying attop Pettis for 15 minutes, while guillard has knocked out or dominated his last 5 opponents, including former top 10 fighters Evan Dunham, and Denis Siver
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