my sex is artsy
01-08-2006, 06:19 PM
Official BloodyKnux.Com Top Ten Rankings?: January 2006
Here are your January 2006 updated MMA Top Ten rankings, as voted on by you, and your fellow BloodyKnux.Com forum posters. 35 Ballots were submitted this time, and as these rankings are now going to be a monthly occurance, we can only hope that this number climbs with each successive month.
For comparison's sake, previous rankings for May 2005 and September 2005 can be found here at:
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2927
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7529
The discussion thread for the January 2006 rankings can be found here:
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11662
And now, your January 2006 MMA Rankings...
Heavyweight
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1. Fedor Emelianenko (Russia/Red Devil Sport Club) - 350, 35 First Place Votes
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 303 Points
3. Andrei Arlovski (Belarus/Pitbull Team) - 278 Points
4. Sergey Kharitonov (Russia/Russian Top Team) - 234 Points
5. Mirko Filipovic (Croatia/Cro Cop Squad Gym) - 183 Points
6. Mark Hunt (New Zealand/Oceania Super Fighters Club) - 172 Points
7. Tim Sylvia (USA/Team Extreme) - 159 Points
8. Aleksander Emelianenko (Russia/Red Devil Sport Club) - 132 Points
9. Fabricio Werdum (Brazil/Cro Cop Squad Gym) - 46 Points
10. Jeff Monson (USA/American Top Team West) - 32 Points
As has been the case almost three years now, Fedor Emelianenko reigns unanimously atop the Heavyweight division. However, there has been some jostling below him. The typically unanimous second ranked Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, while still holding the said spot, is rapidly being approached by UFC Heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. Nogueira's place at Number Two is being approached due to his inactivity, being as though he has only fought once in 2005 against unranked Polish judoka Pawel Nastula. Mirko Filipovic's recent loss to Mark Hunt, 1-1 in the heavyweight division, causes him to slip from his former standard third position to fifth, allowing Arlovski to vault into third, and Russian Top Team stalwart Sergey Kharitonov to slide ahead into fourth. Voters take on the Filipovic/Hunt debacle was varied; many ranked Mirko still at three while introducing Hunt into the Top 10, and many others saw Mirko slip to seventh or eighth in the rankings. Hunt didn't quite surpass Mirko in the rankings likely due to a) his unproven and thus far mediocre accomplishments as an MMA Heavyweight, and b) the close margin of victory over Filipovic. Hunt can help himself in the immediate feature by securing solid wins in the heavyweight division, which will allow him to slide past Mirko as voters see him as being more established. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia appears in the seven slot, whether due to past accomplishments such as victories over the then Top 3 Ricco Rodriguez, and the then Top 10 Gan McGee, or simply due to the thinness of the MMA Heavyweight class. Two ADCC stand outs round out the Top 10, as Brazilian Fabricio Werdum's stock has risen not only because of wins over UFC competitor Gabriel Gonzaga, Georgian standout Tengiz Tedoradze, and MMA veteran Tom Erikson, but also because of his split decision loss to fourth ranked Kharitonov. Jeff Monson, due to compete in the UFC next month at UFC 57, has turned a 13 fight winning streak into a Top 10 position. While most of those fights were not against top competition, two wins over the aforementioned Tengiz Tedoradze, and a win over upstart Devin Cole are not to be scoffed at.
Light Heavyweight
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1. Mauricio Rua (Brazil/Chute Boxe) - 319 Points, 15 First Place Votes
2. Chuck Liddell (USA/The Pit) - 312 Points, 14 First Place Votes
3. Wanderlei Silva (Brazil/Chute Boxe) - 284 Points, 6 First Place Votes
4. Ricardo Arona (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 230 Points
5. Randy Couture (USA/Team Quest) - 211 Points
6. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 169 Points
7. Renato Sobral (Brazil/Gracia Barra Combat Team) - 165 Points
8. Alistair Overeem (Holland/Golden Glory) - 87 Points
9. Quinton Jackson (USA/Freelance) - 63 Points
10. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan/Yoshida Dojo) - 53 Points
In what all knew would be a close battle of ballots, PRIDE Grand Prix winner Mauricio "Shogun" Rua edged out UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell by seven points to secure the top spot in the January 2006 rankings. One can only reasonably conjecture that the concentration of Shogun's work, entailing the dispatch for four ranked opponents this year, was perceived more favorably than Liddell's long standing domination of the division. This was likely due in part to the fact that Liddell's only fights for 2005 were Randy Couture, a Top 3 opponent he defeated by KO, and the borderline Top 20 Jeremy Horn. Former Light Heavyweight ruler Wanderlei Silva breaks the Top 3 again with his close victory over adversary Ricardo Arona, responsible for Silva's fall from grace. Here, Silva acted as a spoiler for Liddell; Silva didn't only absorb six first place votes, but many ranked both him and Shogun ahead of Liddell, accounting for the seven point disparity between Shogun and Liddell, despite only a difference of one in first place votes. Below Silva, predictably, is Ricardo Arona, who slips behind Silva after their recent clash. Randy Couture, set to take on Chuck Liddell again in February, appears at five, and may be poised to rocket to the top again. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira came in sixth, due to not only beating the Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem, but also by having an incredibly close, see-saw battle with top ranked Shogun, which was a definite Fight of the Year candidate. By the closeness of the loss to the man who would eventually secure the top rank, Rogerio's stock rises as well. Below him is the much-loved Brazilian bad boy Renato "Babalu" Sobral, who rides a 9 fight winning streak, and two high profile UFC wins, into the seventh spot. Holland's tall order Alistair Overeem clocks in at eight, after he surprised many with his decimation of Vitor Belfort and Igor Vovchanchyn, who both hold high favor with many older fans. Alistair looks to continue his climb in 2006, as he is already scheduled to fight Cacareco and Melvin Manhoef in the first half of the year. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson regained some form against pro wrestler turned MMA fighter Hirotaka Yokoi, but it obviously was not enough to atone for his much publicized fall from grace in late 2004 and 2005. Yoshida Dojo product Kazuhiro Nakamura turns a win over PANCRASE legend Yuki Kondo into a means by which to gain ground on Jackson; previously he was twenty seven points behind Rampage, and now he is only 10 points behind him in the balloting. All in all, the bottom five of the Light Heavyweight rankings remain intact from September, the top half sees only the switches b[etween Shogun and Liddell, and Silva and Arona.
Middleweight
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1. Rich Franklin (USA/Team Extreme) - 346 Points, 31 First Place Votes
2. Dan Henderson (USA/Team Quest) - 313 Points, 4 First Place Votes
3. Matt Lindland (USA/Team Quest) - 231 Points
4. David Loiseau (Canada/Triumph Fight Team) - 206 Points
5. Murilo Bustamante (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 204 Points
6. Evan Tanner (USA/Freelance) - 162 Points
7. Anderson Silva (Brazil/Muay Thai Dream Team) - 123 Points
8. Nathan Marquardt (USA/Jackson Gaidojitsu) - 116 Points
9. Jeremy Horn (USA/Team Extreme) - 64 Points
10. Akihiro Gono (Japan/Team GRABAKA) - 56 Points
While some thought Dan Henderson's drop to the Middleweight class, and subsequent winning of the PRIDE 183 Pound Grand Prix would see him test Rich Franklin for the top spot in the division, Ace nixed those plans by raking in all but four possible points in the balloting. Henderson, after defeating Chonan, Gono and Bustamante, appears as the strong second, however. Former division king and now freelance star Matt "The Law" Lindland has stayed active in 2005, only adding to his solid body of work while perhaps atoning for his stunning KO loss to upstart David Terrell, who has fallen from the Top 10 due to inactivity and injury. David Loiseau, the UFC's Number 1 contender at 185 pounds, rockets up the charts to the fourth spot, narrowly edging out the resurgent Murilo Bustamante. Loiseau's win over Evan Tanner shot him quickly through the rankings, while Bustamante's path featured PRIDE superhero Ikuhisa Minowa, Shooto 183 pound champion Masanori Suda, and a very close and hotly debated split decision loss to Dan Henderson. Evan Tanner falls to sixth after his loss to "The Crow", while his once-rumored opponent Anderson Silva slips to seven. While Silva recently defended his Cage Rage title against Curtis Stout, his slip is due more in part to the emergences of Henderson, Bustamante and Loiseau. Former PANCRASE champion Nathan Marquardt escapes from his steroid trial with the NSAC unscathed, and his win over Ivan Salaverry helps him hold fast at eight. Jeremy Horn's dip back to middleweight pays dividends as he comes in at ninth, but perhaps those dividends were not as rich as they should have been as Horn's defeat of South African Trevor Prangley was widely criticized. Finally, the Top 10 ends on a strong note with veteran PANCRASE vet Akihiro Gono, floating in the rankings due to his win over Chute Boxe upstart Daniel Acacio.
Welterweight
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1. Matt Hughes (USA/Team Extreme) - 349 Points, 34 First Place Votes
2. Georges St-Pierre (Canada/Triumph Fight Team) - 316 Points, 1 First Place Vote
3. Karo Parisyan (Armenia/Freelance) - 256 Points
4. Akira Kikuchi (Japan/Killer Bee) - 254 Points
5. Frank Trigg (USA/RAW Team) - 181 Points
6. Diego Sanchez (USA/Jackson Gaidojitsu) - 171 Points
7. Nick Diaz (USA/Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu) - 117 Points
8. Sean Sherk (USA/Team Extreme) - 68 Points
9. Drew Fickett (USA/Arizona Combat Sports) - 49 Points
10. Shinya Aoki (Japan/Paraestra Tokyo) - 43 Points
A clean sweep...almost. Matt Hughes misses only a single point in his domination of the Welterweight rankings, as former opponent Georges St-Pierre takes home 34 second place votes, and one first place. While Hughes dispatched adversary Frank Trigg in dramatic fashion, and a young, emotionally frayed Joe Riggs, St-Pierre racked up wins over forum hero and Hawaiian hunter Jason "Mayhem" Miller, the aforementioned Trigg, and long-time stand out Sean Sherk. Perhaps the rationale for GSP garnering a first place vote comes in his victories over Trigg and Sherk; against Trigg, Hughes was in trouble at the outset. Against Sherk, Hughes had to win a 25 minute battle of attrition. For "Rush", however, Frank Trigg looked like a rolling session against a white belt at BJJ class, and his elbow-laden destruction of "The Muscle Shark" gave Sherk a taste of his own medicine. The battle for the third spot was furious throughout balloting, with position switching back and forth with nearly every ballot. Eventually, it was former Hayastan Grappling fighter Karo "The Heat" Parisyan coming out on top, and looking to climb further in 2006 as he hopes to gain another opportunity to face Matt Hughes. Shooto 167 pound champion Akira Kikuchi added to his muscular resume and picked up solid wins this year in K1 HEROS, with a close win over crafty PANCRASE veteran Kiuma Kunioku, and a mauling of Interim PANCRASE champion Katsuya Inoue. Kikuchi swapped places from the last rankings with Frank Trigg, who has fallen in the perception of many due to the nature of his losses against Hughes and St-Pierre. Trigg will look to regain his form and stomp up the ranks at the upcoming Rumble on the Rock tournament, where he faces Ronald Jhun in the first round. Ultimate Fighter Season 1 stand out Diego Sanchez debuts in the rankings at a very respectable six, after his grappling exhibition with fellow young star Nick Diaz, who appears at seven. Sean Sherk appears again at eighth, however this time the gap between Sherk and the seventh spot has widened, as Sherk's inactivity, lack of quality opponents, and recent shellacking at the hands of St-Pierre hurt his stock. At nine and ten, the rankings welcome two new faces: Drew "The Master" Fickett breaks into the Top 10 with his recent wins over Josh Neer, and Josh Koscheck. Fickett also has solid wins over veteran Dennis Hallman, and one of MMA's hottest up and comers, Carlo Prater. The tenth spot is secured by Yuki Nakai pupil and ADCC competitor Shinya Aoki. The breathtaking and unorthodox grappler secured an elbow popping win over Keith Wisniewski to begin the year, and ended the year with a flying-triangle-sweep-to-mount beating of personal adversary Kuniyoshi Hironaka. Aoki is now beginning to get his due respect with his flashy style and solid wins, as he continues to call out Shooto champion Akira Kikuchi, in hopes of ascending higher in the Welterweight class.
Lightweight
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1. Takanori Gomi (Japan/Kiguchi Dojo) - 350 Points, 35 First Place Votes
2. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan/T-BLOOD) - 288 Points
3. Hayato Sakurai (Japan/Mach Dojo) - 251 Points
4. Vitor Ribeiro (Brazil/Nova Uniao) - 224 Points
5. Joachim Hansen (Norway/Team Scandinavia) - 204 Points
6. Norifumi Yamamoto (Japan/Killer Bee) - 165 Points
7. Yves Edwards (Bahamas/Thugjitsu) - 157 Points
8. Josh Thomson (USA/American Kickboxing Academy) - 54 Points
9. Koutetsu Boku (Japan/Killer Bee) - 38 Points
10. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Japan/T-BLOOD) - 36 Points
In our second of three unanimous weight class sweeps, "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi solidfies himself as the best lightweight in the world for a second time in his career, following wins over previously top ranked Tatsuya Kawajiri, and his recent incredible KO win over the comeback fighter of 2005, Hayato Sakurai. Speaking even more for Gomi, is that Kawajiri and Sakurai appear second and third in the rankings. At four, former Number 1 Lightweight and current Cage Rage champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro moves up a spot, and justifiably so. Shaolin hopes to turn his brilliant grappling game into further riches and laurels as he is set to compete in GCM's MARS project in February. A former opponent of Ribeiro, Norway's Joachim Hansen, clocks in at five after a strong win over Yves Edwards, and a competitive and exciting fight with Hayato Sakurai. Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto bullies his way into sixth place with his high profile win over fan favorite Genki Sudo, as well as his win over the long respected Caol Uno. Despite being almost 20 pounds under the weight limit for the class, KID has perservered against larger opponents and will continue to do so as the main draw for K1's HEROS brand. Yves Edwards slips down the rankings slightly after a close loss to Joachim Hansen, but could look to rise again in 2006 with promises of the UFC reinstating the Lightweight division, where Yves could become champion. A former Yves opponent Josh Thomson comes in at number eight, and another two new faces emerge at the tail end of the rankings. While he recently vacated his Shooto Pacific Rim title to have knee surgery, Killer Bee product Koutetsu Boku gained a strong win over former Top 10 Hermes Franca which vaulted him greatly in the rankings. At 10 is a man who once beat Boku, Mitsuhiro Ishida, the teammate of second ranked Tatsuya Kawajiri. Ishida edged out K1 star and highlight reel king Genki Sudo by only a single point for the tenth spot. While still in Kawajiri's shadow to some extent, Ishida has looked strongly lately, especially in his ground and pound victory over Takashi Nakakura. With more exposure, and more German Suplexes, Ishida's star can only continue to rise in the 155 pound class.
Featherweight
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1. Gilbert Melendez (USA/Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu) - 159 Points, 15 First Place Votes
2. Masakazu Imanari (Japan/Team Roken) - 114 Points
3. Joao Roque (Angola/Nova Uniao) - 112 Points
4. Rumina Sato (Japan/K'z Factory ROOTS) - 111 Points
5. Ivan Menjivar (El Salvador/Triumph Fight Team) - 109 Points, 1 First Place Vote
6. Jeff Curran (USA/Team Curran) - 74 Points
7. Yoshiro Maeda (Japan/PANCRASE Inagakigumi) - 58 Points
8. Hatsu Hioki (Japan/Alive Academy) - 42 Points
9. Tyson Griffen (USA/Nor Cal Fighting Alliance) - 30 Points
10. Antonio Carvalho (Canada/Shah Franco) - 27 Points
In basically one year, "Tequila" has gone from a virtual unknown, to an absolute terror at featherweight. While the longest reigning champ in the sport, Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira, is absent from the rankings due to his last competition being at 155 pounds, Melendez has seized the opportunity in the rankings and ascended to the top spot. Now Melendez only lays in wait for his inevitable title match with Pequeno, which is now looking like it will be in May as Pequeno requested another two months to train for his title match with the unruly-haired grappler. The bald headed, wizard bearded Masakazu Imanari comes in at number two, after incredible leg lock wins over Mike Thomas Brown, and Yoshiro Maeda to win the DEEP Featherweight Grand Prix. Imanari is undefeated at featherweight, and his unorthodox style has many dubbing 2006 the Year of the Leglock. At number 3 is the much more traditional grappler, Joao Roque. While losing to Pequeno in a title match in March, Roque has a very strong body of work which keeps him afloat in the strong division. Only one point behind Roque, is the Shooto superstar, Charisma personified, Rumina Sato. Sato looks to bounce back from his quick cut loss to Gilbert Melendez in February, where he is rumored to take on either the aforementioned Roque, or Jeff Curran. Such a win would slide him even further up the standings. At five is the ultra-talented and dynamic Ivan Menjivar, whose recent win over the underrated Joe Lauzon with a brilliant submission perfectly personifies why he is a Top 5 fighter and if his one first place ballot is clairvoyant, perhaps a future Number 1. Jeff Curran reaches the sixth spot with his recent win in Ironheart Crown over Antonio Carvalho, to win the Shooto Americas 143 pound title. "The Big Frog" can look to leap even further up in the rankings if he indeed faces Rumina Sato in February. Versatile and exciting Yoshiro Maeda has slipped a bit since his loss to Imanari, but will look to bounce back in 2006 at PANCRASE are set to create a title for the 141 division, a division which Maeda already rules with an iron fist. At eight is the twenty two year old Hatsu Hioki. Dubbed to be a "supernova" in Shooto, Hioki had a breakout year in 2005, when he destroyed Miletich product Joe Pierson, upset Shooto veteran Hideki Kadowaki, and outgrappled Finnish submission artist Tom Niinimaki. The 5'10" featherweight of the ALIVE Academy can only move on to bigger and better things as he soars up Shooto's rankings. At nine, is David Terrell prodigy Tyson Griffen. Griffen broke into the rankings with his win over Urijah Faber, who was seen as the best sub-155 prospect in the Americas. Griffen quickly nixed this notion by putting a systematic beatdown on "The California Kid" in the summer. The caboose of the featherweight Top 10 is Canadian Antonio Carvalho, who lost a competitive match to Jeff Curran in November, but also scored a big win over then undefeated Shooto upstart "Lion" Takeshi Inoue. Hopefully in the near future we can see Carvalho take on more ranked opponents, potentially in the form of Ivan Menjivar, who Carvalho was previously scheduled to fight in 2005.
Bantamweight
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1. Ryota Matsune (Japan/Paraestra Matsudo) - 97 Points, 7 First Place Votes
2. Akitoshi Hokazono (Japan/Cobra Kai) - 93 Points, 3 First Place Votes
3. Marcos Galvao (Brazil/Nova Uniao) - 73 Points
4. Daiki Hata (Japan/K.I.B.A.) - 58 Points
5. So Tazawa (Japan/Shooto Gutsman Dojo) - 54 Points
6. Daniel Lima (Brazil/Five Rings Dojo) - 53 Points
7. Kenji Osawa (Japan/Wajyutsu Keisyukai Shooters School) - 51 Points
8. Miguel Torres (USA/Corral Martial Arts Academy) - 19 Points
9. Koetsu Okazaki (Japan/Cobra Kai) - 15 Points
10. Takahiro Hosoi (Japan/Paraestra Matsudo) - 11 Points
In what was a closer race than expected, "Shooto Junkie" Ryota Matsune holds on to the top spot at Bantamweight despite not fighting in 2005 and returning in Shooto 132 pound title, needing more time to recover from a knee injury. Nonetheless, Matsune has dominated the division for over two years, and is still widely seen as the top Bantamweight. Coming up on Matsune's heels however, is Cobra Kai's Akitoshi Hokazono. Hokazono had been steadily climbing in the rankings since 2003, but stomped into the second spot overall with his whipping of former number one contender Marcos "Louro" Galvao, who came in at three. At number four, the young "DJ Taiki" comes in with a 2-0-1 record at 132 pounds featuring a decisive win in GCM: Demolition over Kenji Osawa. Also garnering Hata considerable merit from voters is the fact that in PANCRASE, at 141 pounds, he bested long-term Shooto Number 1 contender Kentaro Imaizumi. This reflects one considerable problem of the bantamweight class, being that PANCRASE's lowest weight class is 141 pounds, and therefore it is tumultuous to attempt to rank these bulked Bantams in their appropriate class. At five, Shooto Gutsman Dojo product So Tazawa weighs in after his 2005 win over the underrated Seiji Otsuka, and hopefully will be more active in 2006 as the 132 pound class heats up. One point behind Tazawa is Brazilian Daniel Lima, who makes his home in Australia. Lima debuted in Shooto against champion Ryota Matsune, and has since drew Akitoshi Hokazono, and Kenji Osawa. He and Osawa traded votes back and forth, after their recent stalemate, typically with one being placed on top of the other on each successive ballot. However, it appears that Lima's draw with Hokazono, in conjunction with Osawa's loss to Hokazono, which gave Lima the extra needed push to get the sixth spot. At eight is Miguel Torres, who scored a recent win over the always tough Ryan Ackerman. Torres is widely seen as the best fighter in North America below the featherweight class. Up and comers Koetsu Okazaki and Takahiro Hosoi round out the Top 10 with a solid number of wins over their rookie counterparts, positioning them for bigger and better things in the Shooto A-class in the coming year.
Flyweight
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1. Mamoru Yamaguchi (Japan/Shooting Gym Yokohama) - 100 Points, 10 First Place Votes
2. Shinichi Kojima (Japan/Abe Ani Combat Club) - 90 Points
3. Setsu Iguchi (Japan/Team BADASS13) - 75 Points
4. Yasuhiro Urushitani (Japan/RJW Central) - 72 Points
5. Robson Moura (Brazil/NovA Uniao) - 63 Points
6. Junji Ikoma (Japan/Chokushin Kai) - 51 Points
7. Homare Kuboyama (Japan/K'z Factory) - 41 Points
8. Daiji Takahashi (Japan/Akimoto Dojo Jungle Junction) - 25 Points
9. Yusei Shimokawa (Japan/K'z Factory) - 15 Points
10. Takeyasu Hirono (Japan/Wajyutsu Keisyukai GODS) - 11 Points
As if there was any surprise over who the third unanimous Number 1 would be, Mamoru Yamaguchi sweeps the flyweight class with all ten first place votes. One of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, the versatile and dynamic Mamoru is perhaps known more as "That Japanese guy with an Afro" than anything else. Nonetheless, he has ruled the flyweight class with an iron fist for the last two years, and shows no signs of slowing down. While big rematches with Urushitani and Moura were both post poned during 2005, Mamoru stayed active and took the time to hone his skill set, even competing in Thailand to sharpen his Muay Thai. The unanimous number two, to no one's shock is Shinichi "BJ" Kojima, the shooting star from AACC. No fighter in all of MMA made a bigger, more impressive splash this year than Kojima. Kojima seems to improve tenfold every time he steps through the ropes; first taking out eighth ranked Takahashi in January, drawing the then-Top 3 Urushitani in a wild stand up war in September, travelling to America and dominating Chris McGrath in Euphoria MFC, before returning to face his biggest test yet. In December, Kojima was set to face Setsu Iguchi, the consensus Number 2 Flyweight, who was brought to Shooto specifically to challenge Mamoru. Kojima however had a plan of his own, as he dished out a pounding on Iguchi, prompting Iguchi's corner to throw the towel in only 31 seconds into the second round. As such, Iguchi falls to Number 3. However, some voters sank Iguchi even lower after his crippling loss, likely considering his draw with Homare Kuboyama in his Shooto debut as well. Nonetheless, Iguchi still ranks ahead of Number 4 Urushitani, who was his breakout win in GCM: Demolition. The rest of the flyweight ranking is fairly systematic: Pederneiras product and Number 1 contender to the Shooto title, Robson Moura, comes in at five, as he hopes to heal from injury and settle his score with Mamoru in 2006. Junji Ikoma, the Karate practicioner who Moura defeated, comes in at six, while Homare Kuboyama who Ikoma defeated comes in at seven. The game Daiji Takahashi came in at eighth. Takahashi has never been finished in his career, and has only lost to elites (Mamoru, Kojima and Masatoshi Abe who is only not ranked due to inactivity) and is now 3-3 at 123 pounds after his defeat to champion Mamoru in December. Takahashi still frustrated Mamoru in their fight, cutting him above the eye and making Mamoru work much harder than was previously expected. 123 pound prospect Yusei Shimokawa comes in at ninth, and is seen as the best of the flyweight prospects due to his victory over Toshimichi Akagi. At ten is Wayjutsu fighter Takeyasu Hirono. While not sporting a great record overall, Hirono is 4-4 at 123 pounds, and as many flyweights, doesn't have a beefed up record simply due to the nature of the division. As the talent pool at flyweight is shallow, all top guys face each other almost exclusively, and there is very little opportunity for tune-up and enhancement fights. As such, Hirono's flyweight losses come at the hands of Thai fighter Rambaa "M-16" Somdet, the sixth ranked Ikoma, and two losses to third ranked Iguchi. Apart from these losses, he has defeated all of his other flyweight adversaries, illustrating how there is little room for error at flyweight, as nearly every fight is a crucial one.
Enjoy 2006 and thanks for reading.
And hey, if you disagree or even approve of these rankings - don't forget to tell us here. (http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11662)
And if you're not a member, REGISTER HERE (http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/register.php) and participate in our Pick 'Em contests, Top 10 pollings and forum debates!
-Jordan Breen (http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/member.php?u=306)
Here are your January 2006 updated MMA Top Ten rankings, as voted on by you, and your fellow BloodyKnux.Com forum posters. 35 Ballots were submitted this time, and as these rankings are now going to be a monthly occurance, we can only hope that this number climbs with each successive month.
For comparison's sake, previous rankings for May 2005 and September 2005 can be found here at:
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2927
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7529
The discussion thread for the January 2006 rankings can be found here:
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11662
And now, your January 2006 MMA Rankings...
Heavyweight
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1. Fedor Emelianenko (Russia/Red Devil Sport Club) - 350, 35 First Place Votes
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 303 Points
3. Andrei Arlovski (Belarus/Pitbull Team) - 278 Points
4. Sergey Kharitonov (Russia/Russian Top Team) - 234 Points
5. Mirko Filipovic (Croatia/Cro Cop Squad Gym) - 183 Points
6. Mark Hunt (New Zealand/Oceania Super Fighters Club) - 172 Points
7. Tim Sylvia (USA/Team Extreme) - 159 Points
8. Aleksander Emelianenko (Russia/Red Devil Sport Club) - 132 Points
9. Fabricio Werdum (Brazil/Cro Cop Squad Gym) - 46 Points
10. Jeff Monson (USA/American Top Team West) - 32 Points
As has been the case almost three years now, Fedor Emelianenko reigns unanimously atop the Heavyweight division. However, there has been some jostling below him. The typically unanimous second ranked Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, while still holding the said spot, is rapidly being approached by UFC Heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. Nogueira's place at Number Two is being approached due to his inactivity, being as though he has only fought once in 2005 against unranked Polish judoka Pawel Nastula. Mirko Filipovic's recent loss to Mark Hunt, 1-1 in the heavyweight division, causes him to slip from his former standard third position to fifth, allowing Arlovski to vault into third, and Russian Top Team stalwart Sergey Kharitonov to slide ahead into fourth. Voters take on the Filipovic/Hunt debacle was varied; many ranked Mirko still at three while introducing Hunt into the Top 10, and many others saw Mirko slip to seventh or eighth in the rankings. Hunt didn't quite surpass Mirko in the rankings likely due to a) his unproven and thus far mediocre accomplishments as an MMA Heavyweight, and b) the close margin of victory over Filipovic. Hunt can help himself in the immediate feature by securing solid wins in the heavyweight division, which will allow him to slide past Mirko as voters see him as being more established. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia appears in the seven slot, whether due to past accomplishments such as victories over the then Top 3 Ricco Rodriguez, and the then Top 10 Gan McGee, or simply due to the thinness of the MMA Heavyweight class. Two ADCC stand outs round out the Top 10, as Brazilian Fabricio Werdum's stock has risen not only because of wins over UFC competitor Gabriel Gonzaga, Georgian standout Tengiz Tedoradze, and MMA veteran Tom Erikson, but also because of his split decision loss to fourth ranked Kharitonov. Jeff Monson, due to compete in the UFC next month at UFC 57, has turned a 13 fight winning streak into a Top 10 position. While most of those fights were not against top competition, two wins over the aforementioned Tengiz Tedoradze, and a win over upstart Devin Cole are not to be scoffed at.
Light Heavyweight
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1. Mauricio Rua (Brazil/Chute Boxe) - 319 Points, 15 First Place Votes
2. Chuck Liddell (USA/The Pit) - 312 Points, 14 First Place Votes
3. Wanderlei Silva (Brazil/Chute Boxe) - 284 Points, 6 First Place Votes
4. Ricardo Arona (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 230 Points
5. Randy Couture (USA/Team Quest) - 211 Points
6. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 169 Points
7. Renato Sobral (Brazil/Gracia Barra Combat Team) - 165 Points
8. Alistair Overeem (Holland/Golden Glory) - 87 Points
9. Quinton Jackson (USA/Freelance) - 63 Points
10. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan/Yoshida Dojo) - 53 Points
In what all knew would be a close battle of ballots, PRIDE Grand Prix winner Mauricio "Shogun" Rua edged out UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell by seven points to secure the top spot in the January 2006 rankings. One can only reasonably conjecture that the concentration of Shogun's work, entailing the dispatch for four ranked opponents this year, was perceived more favorably than Liddell's long standing domination of the division. This was likely due in part to the fact that Liddell's only fights for 2005 were Randy Couture, a Top 3 opponent he defeated by KO, and the borderline Top 20 Jeremy Horn. Former Light Heavyweight ruler Wanderlei Silva breaks the Top 3 again with his close victory over adversary Ricardo Arona, responsible for Silva's fall from grace. Here, Silva acted as a spoiler for Liddell; Silva didn't only absorb six first place votes, but many ranked both him and Shogun ahead of Liddell, accounting for the seven point disparity between Shogun and Liddell, despite only a difference of one in first place votes. Below Silva, predictably, is Ricardo Arona, who slips behind Silva after their recent clash. Randy Couture, set to take on Chuck Liddell again in February, appears at five, and may be poised to rocket to the top again. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira came in sixth, due to not only beating the Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem, but also by having an incredibly close, see-saw battle with top ranked Shogun, which was a definite Fight of the Year candidate. By the closeness of the loss to the man who would eventually secure the top rank, Rogerio's stock rises as well. Below him is the much-loved Brazilian bad boy Renato "Babalu" Sobral, who rides a 9 fight winning streak, and two high profile UFC wins, into the seventh spot. Holland's tall order Alistair Overeem clocks in at eight, after he surprised many with his decimation of Vitor Belfort and Igor Vovchanchyn, who both hold high favor with many older fans. Alistair looks to continue his climb in 2006, as he is already scheduled to fight Cacareco and Melvin Manhoef in the first half of the year. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson regained some form against pro wrestler turned MMA fighter Hirotaka Yokoi, but it obviously was not enough to atone for his much publicized fall from grace in late 2004 and 2005. Yoshida Dojo product Kazuhiro Nakamura turns a win over PANCRASE legend Yuki Kondo into a means by which to gain ground on Jackson; previously he was twenty seven points behind Rampage, and now he is only 10 points behind him in the balloting. All in all, the bottom five of the Light Heavyweight rankings remain intact from September, the top half sees only the switches b[etween Shogun and Liddell, and Silva and Arona.
Middleweight
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1. Rich Franklin (USA/Team Extreme) - 346 Points, 31 First Place Votes
2. Dan Henderson (USA/Team Quest) - 313 Points, 4 First Place Votes
3. Matt Lindland (USA/Team Quest) - 231 Points
4. David Loiseau (Canada/Triumph Fight Team) - 206 Points
5. Murilo Bustamante (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 204 Points
6. Evan Tanner (USA/Freelance) - 162 Points
7. Anderson Silva (Brazil/Muay Thai Dream Team) - 123 Points
8. Nathan Marquardt (USA/Jackson Gaidojitsu) - 116 Points
9. Jeremy Horn (USA/Team Extreme) - 64 Points
10. Akihiro Gono (Japan/Team GRABAKA) - 56 Points
While some thought Dan Henderson's drop to the Middleweight class, and subsequent winning of the PRIDE 183 Pound Grand Prix would see him test Rich Franklin for the top spot in the division, Ace nixed those plans by raking in all but four possible points in the balloting. Henderson, after defeating Chonan, Gono and Bustamante, appears as the strong second, however. Former division king and now freelance star Matt "The Law" Lindland has stayed active in 2005, only adding to his solid body of work while perhaps atoning for his stunning KO loss to upstart David Terrell, who has fallen from the Top 10 due to inactivity and injury. David Loiseau, the UFC's Number 1 contender at 185 pounds, rockets up the charts to the fourth spot, narrowly edging out the resurgent Murilo Bustamante. Loiseau's win over Evan Tanner shot him quickly through the rankings, while Bustamante's path featured PRIDE superhero Ikuhisa Minowa, Shooto 183 pound champion Masanori Suda, and a very close and hotly debated split decision loss to Dan Henderson. Evan Tanner falls to sixth after his loss to "The Crow", while his once-rumored opponent Anderson Silva slips to seven. While Silva recently defended his Cage Rage title against Curtis Stout, his slip is due more in part to the emergences of Henderson, Bustamante and Loiseau. Former PANCRASE champion Nathan Marquardt escapes from his steroid trial with the NSAC unscathed, and his win over Ivan Salaverry helps him hold fast at eight. Jeremy Horn's dip back to middleweight pays dividends as he comes in at ninth, but perhaps those dividends were not as rich as they should have been as Horn's defeat of South African Trevor Prangley was widely criticized. Finally, the Top 10 ends on a strong note with veteran PANCRASE vet Akihiro Gono, floating in the rankings due to his win over Chute Boxe upstart Daniel Acacio.
Welterweight
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1. Matt Hughes (USA/Team Extreme) - 349 Points, 34 First Place Votes
2. Georges St-Pierre (Canada/Triumph Fight Team) - 316 Points, 1 First Place Vote
3. Karo Parisyan (Armenia/Freelance) - 256 Points
4. Akira Kikuchi (Japan/Killer Bee) - 254 Points
5. Frank Trigg (USA/RAW Team) - 181 Points
6. Diego Sanchez (USA/Jackson Gaidojitsu) - 171 Points
7. Nick Diaz (USA/Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu) - 117 Points
8. Sean Sherk (USA/Team Extreme) - 68 Points
9. Drew Fickett (USA/Arizona Combat Sports) - 49 Points
10. Shinya Aoki (Japan/Paraestra Tokyo) - 43 Points
A clean sweep...almost. Matt Hughes misses only a single point in his domination of the Welterweight rankings, as former opponent Georges St-Pierre takes home 34 second place votes, and one first place. While Hughes dispatched adversary Frank Trigg in dramatic fashion, and a young, emotionally frayed Joe Riggs, St-Pierre racked up wins over forum hero and Hawaiian hunter Jason "Mayhem" Miller, the aforementioned Trigg, and long-time stand out Sean Sherk. Perhaps the rationale for GSP garnering a first place vote comes in his victories over Trigg and Sherk; against Trigg, Hughes was in trouble at the outset. Against Sherk, Hughes had to win a 25 minute battle of attrition. For "Rush", however, Frank Trigg looked like a rolling session against a white belt at BJJ class, and his elbow-laden destruction of "The Muscle Shark" gave Sherk a taste of his own medicine. The battle for the third spot was furious throughout balloting, with position switching back and forth with nearly every ballot. Eventually, it was former Hayastan Grappling fighter Karo "The Heat" Parisyan coming out on top, and looking to climb further in 2006 as he hopes to gain another opportunity to face Matt Hughes. Shooto 167 pound champion Akira Kikuchi added to his muscular resume and picked up solid wins this year in K1 HEROS, with a close win over crafty PANCRASE veteran Kiuma Kunioku, and a mauling of Interim PANCRASE champion Katsuya Inoue. Kikuchi swapped places from the last rankings with Frank Trigg, who has fallen in the perception of many due to the nature of his losses against Hughes and St-Pierre. Trigg will look to regain his form and stomp up the ranks at the upcoming Rumble on the Rock tournament, where he faces Ronald Jhun in the first round. Ultimate Fighter Season 1 stand out Diego Sanchez debuts in the rankings at a very respectable six, after his grappling exhibition with fellow young star Nick Diaz, who appears at seven. Sean Sherk appears again at eighth, however this time the gap between Sherk and the seventh spot has widened, as Sherk's inactivity, lack of quality opponents, and recent shellacking at the hands of St-Pierre hurt his stock. At nine and ten, the rankings welcome two new faces: Drew "The Master" Fickett breaks into the Top 10 with his recent wins over Josh Neer, and Josh Koscheck. Fickett also has solid wins over veteran Dennis Hallman, and one of MMA's hottest up and comers, Carlo Prater. The tenth spot is secured by Yuki Nakai pupil and ADCC competitor Shinya Aoki. The breathtaking and unorthodox grappler secured an elbow popping win over Keith Wisniewski to begin the year, and ended the year with a flying-triangle-sweep-to-mount beating of personal adversary Kuniyoshi Hironaka. Aoki is now beginning to get his due respect with his flashy style and solid wins, as he continues to call out Shooto champion Akira Kikuchi, in hopes of ascending higher in the Welterweight class.
Lightweight
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1. Takanori Gomi (Japan/Kiguchi Dojo) - 350 Points, 35 First Place Votes
2. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan/T-BLOOD) - 288 Points
3. Hayato Sakurai (Japan/Mach Dojo) - 251 Points
4. Vitor Ribeiro (Brazil/Nova Uniao) - 224 Points
5. Joachim Hansen (Norway/Team Scandinavia) - 204 Points
6. Norifumi Yamamoto (Japan/Killer Bee) - 165 Points
7. Yves Edwards (Bahamas/Thugjitsu) - 157 Points
8. Josh Thomson (USA/American Kickboxing Academy) - 54 Points
9. Koutetsu Boku (Japan/Killer Bee) - 38 Points
10. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Japan/T-BLOOD) - 36 Points
In our second of three unanimous weight class sweeps, "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi solidfies himself as the best lightweight in the world for a second time in his career, following wins over previously top ranked Tatsuya Kawajiri, and his recent incredible KO win over the comeback fighter of 2005, Hayato Sakurai. Speaking even more for Gomi, is that Kawajiri and Sakurai appear second and third in the rankings. At four, former Number 1 Lightweight and current Cage Rage champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro moves up a spot, and justifiably so. Shaolin hopes to turn his brilliant grappling game into further riches and laurels as he is set to compete in GCM's MARS project in February. A former opponent of Ribeiro, Norway's Joachim Hansen, clocks in at five after a strong win over Yves Edwards, and a competitive and exciting fight with Hayato Sakurai. Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto bullies his way into sixth place with his high profile win over fan favorite Genki Sudo, as well as his win over the long respected Caol Uno. Despite being almost 20 pounds under the weight limit for the class, KID has perservered against larger opponents and will continue to do so as the main draw for K1's HEROS brand. Yves Edwards slips down the rankings slightly after a close loss to Joachim Hansen, but could look to rise again in 2006 with promises of the UFC reinstating the Lightweight division, where Yves could become champion. A former Yves opponent Josh Thomson comes in at number eight, and another two new faces emerge at the tail end of the rankings. While he recently vacated his Shooto Pacific Rim title to have knee surgery, Killer Bee product Koutetsu Boku gained a strong win over former Top 10 Hermes Franca which vaulted him greatly in the rankings. At 10 is a man who once beat Boku, Mitsuhiro Ishida, the teammate of second ranked Tatsuya Kawajiri. Ishida edged out K1 star and highlight reel king Genki Sudo by only a single point for the tenth spot. While still in Kawajiri's shadow to some extent, Ishida has looked strongly lately, especially in his ground and pound victory over Takashi Nakakura. With more exposure, and more German Suplexes, Ishida's star can only continue to rise in the 155 pound class.
Featherweight
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1. Gilbert Melendez (USA/Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu) - 159 Points, 15 First Place Votes
2. Masakazu Imanari (Japan/Team Roken) - 114 Points
3. Joao Roque (Angola/Nova Uniao) - 112 Points
4. Rumina Sato (Japan/K'z Factory ROOTS) - 111 Points
5. Ivan Menjivar (El Salvador/Triumph Fight Team) - 109 Points, 1 First Place Vote
6. Jeff Curran (USA/Team Curran) - 74 Points
7. Yoshiro Maeda (Japan/PANCRASE Inagakigumi) - 58 Points
8. Hatsu Hioki (Japan/Alive Academy) - 42 Points
9. Tyson Griffen (USA/Nor Cal Fighting Alliance) - 30 Points
10. Antonio Carvalho (Canada/Shah Franco) - 27 Points
In basically one year, "Tequila" has gone from a virtual unknown, to an absolute terror at featherweight. While the longest reigning champ in the sport, Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira, is absent from the rankings due to his last competition being at 155 pounds, Melendez has seized the opportunity in the rankings and ascended to the top spot. Now Melendez only lays in wait for his inevitable title match with Pequeno, which is now looking like it will be in May as Pequeno requested another two months to train for his title match with the unruly-haired grappler. The bald headed, wizard bearded Masakazu Imanari comes in at number two, after incredible leg lock wins over Mike Thomas Brown, and Yoshiro Maeda to win the DEEP Featherweight Grand Prix. Imanari is undefeated at featherweight, and his unorthodox style has many dubbing 2006 the Year of the Leglock. At number 3 is the much more traditional grappler, Joao Roque. While losing to Pequeno in a title match in March, Roque has a very strong body of work which keeps him afloat in the strong division. Only one point behind Roque, is the Shooto superstar, Charisma personified, Rumina Sato. Sato looks to bounce back from his quick cut loss to Gilbert Melendez in February, where he is rumored to take on either the aforementioned Roque, or Jeff Curran. Such a win would slide him even further up the standings. At five is the ultra-talented and dynamic Ivan Menjivar, whose recent win over the underrated Joe Lauzon with a brilliant submission perfectly personifies why he is a Top 5 fighter and if his one first place ballot is clairvoyant, perhaps a future Number 1. Jeff Curran reaches the sixth spot with his recent win in Ironheart Crown over Antonio Carvalho, to win the Shooto Americas 143 pound title. "The Big Frog" can look to leap even further up in the rankings if he indeed faces Rumina Sato in February. Versatile and exciting Yoshiro Maeda has slipped a bit since his loss to Imanari, but will look to bounce back in 2006 at PANCRASE are set to create a title for the 141 division, a division which Maeda already rules with an iron fist. At eight is the twenty two year old Hatsu Hioki. Dubbed to be a "supernova" in Shooto, Hioki had a breakout year in 2005, when he destroyed Miletich product Joe Pierson, upset Shooto veteran Hideki Kadowaki, and outgrappled Finnish submission artist Tom Niinimaki. The 5'10" featherweight of the ALIVE Academy can only move on to bigger and better things as he soars up Shooto's rankings. At nine, is David Terrell prodigy Tyson Griffen. Griffen broke into the rankings with his win over Urijah Faber, who was seen as the best sub-155 prospect in the Americas. Griffen quickly nixed this notion by putting a systematic beatdown on "The California Kid" in the summer. The caboose of the featherweight Top 10 is Canadian Antonio Carvalho, who lost a competitive match to Jeff Curran in November, but also scored a big win over then undefeated Shooto upstart "Lion" Takeshi Inoue. Hopefully in the near future we can see Carvalho take on more ranked opponents, potentially in the form of Ivan Menjivar, who Carvalho was previously scheduled to fight in 2005.
Bantamweight
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1. Ryota Matsune (Japan/Paraestra Matsudo) - 97 Points, 7 First Place Votes
2. Akitoshi Hokazono (Japan/Cobra Kai) - 93 Points, 3 First Place Votes
3. Marcos Galvao (Brazil/Nova Uniao) - 73 Points
4. Daiki Hata (Japan/K.I.B.A.) - 58 Points
5. So Tazawa (Japan/Shooto Gutsman Dojo) - 54 Points
6. Daniel Lima (Brazil/Five Rings Dojo) - 53 Points
7. Kenji Osawa (Japan/Wajyutsu Keisyukai Shooters School) - 51 Points
8. Miguel Torres (USA/Corral Martial Arts Academy) - 19 Points
9. Koetsu Okazaki (Japan/Cobra Kai) - 15 Points
10. Takahiro Hosoi (Japan/Paraestra Matsudo) - 11 Points
In what was a closer race than expected, "Shooto Junkie" Ryota Matsune holds on to the top spot at Bantamweight despite not fighting in 2005 and returning in Shooto 132 pound title, needing more time to recover from a knee injury. Nonetheless, Matsune has dominated the division for over two years, and is still widely seen as the top Bantamweight. Coming up on Matsune's heels however, is Cobra Kai's Akitoshi Hokazono. Hokazono had been steadily climbing in the rankings since 2003, but stomped into the second spot overall with his whipping of former number one contender Marcos "Louro" Galvao, who came in at three. At number four, the young "DJ Taiki" comes in with a 2-0-1 record at 132 pounds featuring a decisive win in GCM: Demolition over Kenji Osawa. Also garnering Hata considerable merit from voters is the fact that in PANCRASE, at 141 pounds, he bested long-term Shooto Number 1 contender Kentaro Imaizumi. This reflects one considerable problem of the bantamweight class, being that PANCRASE's lowest weight class is 141 pounds, and therefore it is tumultuous to attempt to rank these bulked Bantams in their appropriate class. At five, Shooto Gutsman Dojo product So Tazawa weighs in after his 2005 win over the underrated Seiji Otsuka, and hopefully will be more active in 2006 as the 132 pound class heats up. One point behind Tazawa is Brazilian Daniel Lima, who makes his home in Australia. Lima debuted in Shooto against champion Ryota Matsune, and has since drew Akitoshi Hokazono, and Kenji Osawa. He and Osawa traded votes back and forth, after their recent stalemate, typically with one being placed on top of the other on each successive ballot. However, it appears that Lima's draw with Hokazono, in conjunction with Osawa's loss to Hokazono, which gave Lima the extra needed push to get the sixth spot. At eight is Miguel Torres, who scored a recent win over the always tough Ryan Ackerman. Torres is widely seen as the best fighter in North America below the featherweight class. Up and comers Koetsu Okazaki and Takahiro Hosoi round out the Top 10 with a solid number of wins over their rookie counterparts, positioning them for bigger and better things in the Shooto A-class in the coming year.
Flyweight
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1. Mamoru Yamaguchi (Japan/Shooting Gym Yokohama) - 100 Points, 10 First Place Votes
2. Shinichi Kojima (Japan/Abe Ani Combat Club) - 90 Points
3. Setsu Iguchi (Japan/Team BADASS13) - 75 Points
4. Yasuhiro Urushitani (Japan/RJW Central) - 72 Points
5. Robson Moura (Brazil/NovA Uniao) - 63 Points
6. Junji Ikoma (Japan/Chokushin Kai) - 51 Points
7. Homare Kuboyama (Japan/K'z Factory) - 41 Points
8. Daiji Takahashi (Japan/Akimoto Dojo Jungle Junction) - 25 Points
9. Yusei Shimokawa (Japan/K'z Factory) - 15 Points
10. Takeyasu Hirono (Japan/Wajyutsu Keisyukai GODS) - 11 Points
As if there was any surprise over who the third unanimous Number 1 would be, Mamoru Yamaguchi sweeps the flyweight class with all ten first place votes. One of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, the versatile and dynamic Mamoru is perhaps known more as "That Japanese guy with an Afro" than anything else. Nonetheless, he has ruled the flyweight class with an iron fist for the last two years, and shows no signs of slowing down. While big rematches with Urushitani and Moura were both post poned during 2005, Mamoru stayed active and took the time to hone his skill set, even competing in Thailand to sharpen his Muay Thai. The unanimous number two, to no one's shock is Shinichi "BJ" Kojima, the shooting star from AACC. No fighter in all of MMA made a bigger, more impressive splash this year than Kojima. Kojima seems to improve tenfold every time he steps through the ropes; first taking out eighth ranked Takahashi in January, drawing the then-Top 3 Urushitani in a wild stand up war in September, travelling to America and dominating Chris McGrath in Euphoria MFC, before returning to face his biggest test yet. In December, Kojima was set to face Setsu Iguchi, the consensus Number 2 Flyweight, who was brought to Shooto specifically to challenge Mamoru. Kojima however had a plan of his own, as he dished out a pounding on Iguchi, prompting Iguchi's corner to throw the towel in only 31 seconds into the second round. As such, Iguchi falls to Number 3. However, some voters sank Iguchi even lower after his crippling loss, likely considering his draw with Homare Kuboyama in his Shooto debut as well. Nonetheless, Iguchi still ranks ahead of Number 4 Urushitani, who was his breakout win in GCM: Demolition. The rest of the flyweight ranking is fairly systematic: Pederneiras product and Number 1 contender to the Shooto title, Robson Moura, comes in at five, as he hopes to heal from injury and settle his score with Mamoru in 2006. Junji Ikoma, the Karate practicioner who Moura defeated, comes in at six, while Homare Kuboyama who Ikoma defeated comes in at seven. The game Daiji Takahashi came in at eighth. Takahashi has never been finished in his career, and has only lost to elites (Mamoru, Kojima and Masatoshi Abe who is only not ranked due to inactivity) and is now 3-3 at 123 pounds after his defeat to champion Mamoru in December. Takahashi still frustrated Mamoru in their fight, cutting him above the eye and making Mamoru work much harder than was previously expected. 123 pound prospect Yusei Shimokawa comes in at ninth, and is seen as the best of the flyweight prospects due to his victory over Toshimichi Akagi. At ten is Wayjutsu fighter Takeyasu Hirono. While not sporting a great record overall, Hirono is 4-4 at 123 pounds, and as many flyweights, doesn't have a beefed up record simply due to the nature of the division. As the talent pool at flyweight is shallow, all top guys face each other almost exclusively, and there is very little opportunity for tune-up and enhancement fights. As such, Hirono's flyweight losses come at the hands of Thai fighter Rambaa "M-16" Somdet, the sixth ranked Ikoma, and two losses to third ranked Iguchi. Apart from these losses, he has defeated all of his other flyweight adversaries, illustrating how there is little room for error at flyweight, as nearly every fight is a crucial one.
Enjoy 2006 and thanks for reading.
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