Official BloodyKnux.Com MMA Top Ten Rankings?: March 2006

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Official BloodyKnux.Com MMA Top Ten Rankings™
March 2006 Update

Thank you to all voters who took the time to rank. Remember guests, you have to REGISTER in order to participate. Your March 2006 MMA Top 10 Rankings...

Heavyweight

1. Fedor Emelianenko (Russia/Red Devil Sport Club) - 350, 35 First Place Votes
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 301 Points
3. Andrei Arlovski (Belarus/Pitbull Team) - 279 Points
4. Mark Hunt (New Zealand/Oceania Super Fighters Club) - 212 Points
5. Mirko Filipovic (Croatia/Cro Cop Squad Gym) - 185 Points
6. Tim Sylvia (USA/Team Extreme) - 176 Points
7. Alistair Overeem (Holland/Golden Glory) - 166 points
8. Sergey Kharitonov (Russia/Russian Top Team) - 114 Points
9. Aleksander Emelianenko (Russia/Red Devil Sport Club) - 68 Points
10. Fabricio Werdum (Brazil/Cro Cop Squad Gym) - 41 Points

How much can a single upset alter a division's rankings? March 2006's Heavyweight Rankings may provide us with a suitable answer. The Top 3 remain unchanged from January, with Fedor taking the unanimous top position, with Nogueira and Arlovski solid at Numbers 2 and 3. Gone is former Number 4 Sergey Kharitonov; Sergey was crushed in defeat by former Top 10 Light Heavyweight Alistair Overeeem, who declared he would be moving to the Heavyweight class. In what was thought to be a mismatch, Alistair pounded Kharitonov to a convincing stoppage. As Overeem, not barring his older RINGS fights, was debuting in the weight class, Kharitonov's stock drops somewhat, elevating the status of the fighters in the former 5-7 positions. Mark Hunt, Mirko Filipovic and Tim Sylvia take spots 4-6, while the Dutchman Alistair Overeem on the heels of his grand Heavyweight debut comes in at Number 7, with his opponent Kharitonov at Number 8. Aleksander Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum, formerly Number 8 and 9, take a hit and each fall one spot to Numbers 9 and 10 with the appearance of Overeem in the Heavyweight rankings. Also, Jeff Monson slips from his former Number 10 spot as well, with Alistair making his presence felt amongst the Heavyweight rankings. There is much frailty below Number 4 in these Heavyweight rankings, and a big statistical win could help a fighter such Aleksander Emelianenko, who is big on skill but low on big statistical victories, make a big splash in the next ranking period.

Light Heavyweight

1. Chuck Liddell (USA/Pitfight Team) - 326 Points, 17 First Place Votes
2. Mauricio Rua (Brazil/Chute Boxe) - 316 Points, 12 First Place Votes
3. Wanderlei Silva (Brazil/Chute Boxe) - 279 Points, 6 First Place Votes
4. Ricardo Arona (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 229 Points
5. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 214 Points
6. Renato Sobral (Brazil/Gracia Barra Combat Team) - 200 Points
7. Quinton Jackson (USA/Freelance) - 131 Points
8. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan/Yoshida Dojo) - 86 Points
9. Tito Ortiz (USA/Team Punishment) - 72 Points
10. Jason Lambert (USA/North County Fight Club) - 47 Points

In another hot battle at the top of the Light Heavyweight rankings, Chuck Liddell narrowly edges Mauricio Rua for the top spot, which Rua took in January. Both men took big steps in opposite directions, as Liddell fought his rubber match with Randy Couture, picking up another solid Top 5 victory, while Shogun participated in an openweight fight with Mark Coleman suffering a defeat which doesn't hurt him stastically in this weight class, but still is a stumble when compared to Liddell winning. Wanderlei Silva takes home a couple of first place votes again, maintaining his spot at Number 3, while adversary Ricardo Arona remains at Number 4. With former Number 5 Randy Couture retiring and former Number 8 Alistair Overeem moving to heavyweight, the other Top 10'ers slide up. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Renato Sobral move from Number 6 and 7 up to Nmber 5 and 6 respectively. Former Number 9 and 10 Quinton Jackson and Kazuhiro Nakamura slide to Number 7 and 8 respectively. Once again, Nakamura's openweight participation does not really hurt him statistically here. Finally, the absence of Couture and Overeem, two new faces emerge as Tito Ortiz hops back into the Top 10, and Jason Lambert appears, having worked hard in smaller shows racking up wins to get to the UFC. Ortiz will have a chance to fortify himself when he faces Forrest Griffin, who is approaching the Top 10 himself. Jason Lambert after winning at UFC 58 will also have a shot against more solid Light Heavyweights to affirm his position as a Top 10 fighter in the division.

Middleweight

1. Rich Franklin (USA/Team Extreme) - 346 Points, 33 First Place Votes
2. Dan Henderson (USA/Team Quest) - 317 Points, 2 First Place Votes
3. Matt Lindland (USA/Team Quest) - 234 Points
4. Murilo Bustamante (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 210 Points
5. Nathan Marquardt (USA/Jackson Gaidojitsu) - 195 Points
6. David Loiseau (Canada/Triumph Fight Team) - 183 Points
7. Evan Tanner (USA/Freelance) - 138 Points
8. Jeremy Horn (USA/Team Extreme) - 110 Points
9. Akihiro Gono (Japan/Team GRABAKA) - 79 Points
10. Paulo Filho (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) - 38 Points

While the Top 2 remain unchanged at Middleweight, and show little signs of doing so in the near future, there has been some degree of jostling in the Middleweight ranks. Firstly, Anderson Silva last competed at Welterweight, and thus is absent from the rankings. This allowed for Paulo Filho to slide into the Number 10 slot, edging out up and coming Ultimate Figher alum Chris Leben. Filho has Top 5 talent, but has yet to rack up big victories at Middleweight, yet with promisaries of him fighting steadily at the weight this year, his stock could rise quickly. The only other changes to the rankings are the ramifications of UFC 58. Nathan Marquardt scored a win over the always solid journeyman in Joe Doerksen, and David Loiseau suffered a crippling, debilitating loss to Rich Franklin. Loiseau drops to sixth, which sees Bustamante climb one spot to Number 4, and Marquardt to climb from Number 8 to Number 5.

Welterweight

1. Matt Hughes (USA/Team Extreme) - 348 Points, 33 First Place Votes
2. Georges St-Pierre (Canada/Triumph Fight Team) - 317 Points, 2 First Place Votes
3. BJ Penn (USA/BJ Penn MMA) - 275 Points
4. Karo Parisyan (Armenia/Freelance) - 227 Points
5. Shinya Aoki (Japan/Paraestra Tokyo) - 199 Points
6. Akira Kikuchi (Japan/Killer Bee) - 171 Points
7. Diego Sanchez (USA/Jackson Gaidojitsu) - 163 Points
8. Joe Riggs (USA/Team Extreme) - 137 Points
9. Frank Trigg (USA/RAW Team) - 92 Points
10. Sean Sherk (USA/Team Extreme) - 68 Points


Perhaps the most dynamic of the divisions of the ranking period was the Welterweight division, as the division sees the addition of two new fighters. BJ Penn returns to the Welterweight ranks, coming in at Number 3 after a close split decision loss to Georges St-Pierre, who gains another first place vote against the man who formerly defeated him, Matt Hughes. Another flux occurs in the 5 and 6 spots, as Shinya Aoki rises from Number 10 to Number 5 after defeating Akira Kikuchi for the Shooto 167 Pound Championship in February. As such, Kikuchi himself falls from his former spot of Number 4, to Number 6. After a solid win over former Number 7 Nick Diaz, Joe Riggs appears at Number 8 in the Welterweight rankings, though it is suspected that he may move back up to Middleweight soon. Frank Trigg falls a few spots in voters favor to Number 9, as despite fighting Ronald Jhun in January, his other wins are the statistically average Renato Verrissimo and Dennis Hallman. Long time Top 10'er Sean Sherk falls two spots in the rankings down to Number 10 as a result of having no quality wins in quite some time. Sherk can fortify himself in the Top 10 however if his rumored fight against Nick Diaz happens in April, however.

Lightweight

1. Takanori Gomi (Japan/Team RASCAL) - 350 Points, 35 First Place Votes
2. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan/T-BLOOD) - 287 Points
3. Hayato Sakurai (Japan/Mach Dojo) - 258 Points
4. Vitor Ribeiro (Brazil/Nova Uniao) - 252 Points
5. Joachim Hansen (Norway/Team Frontline) - 203 Points
6. Norifumi Yamamoto (Japan/Killer Bee) - 171 Points
7. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Japan/T-BLOOD) - 114 Points
8. Koutetsu Boku (Japan/Killer Bee) - 105 Points
9. Mark Hominick (Canada/Team Tompkins) - 72 Points
10. Yves Edwards (Bahamas/Thugjitsu) - 49 Points

The Lightweight rankings of March 2006 see the bottom of the rankings reshaped by a single upset. There was very little activity in the Top 6, where the rankings remained the same with almost identical point values from January. However, the bottom of the rankings was turned upside down by Yves Edwards' stunning loss to former featherweight Mark Hominick. As such, Yves falls from Number 7 down to Number 10, with Mark Hominick above him, which bounces former Yves' opponent Josh Thomson from the rankings. As Yves' statistically crippling loss drops his stock, the stock of T-BLOOD team co-founder Mitsuhiro Ishida rises, as he became Shooto Pacific Rim 155 Pound Champion in February, defeating a solid Kenichiro Togashi. Former Shooto 155 Pound Pacific Rim Champion, Koutetsu Boku, who was defeated by Ishida some three years ago, is just behind Ishida at Number 8.

Featherweight

1. Gilbert Melendez (USA/Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu) - 140 Points, 14 First Place Votes
2. Masakazu Imanari (Japan/Team Roken) - 115 Points
3. Joao Roque (Angola/Nova Uniao) - 110 Points
4. Urijah Faber (USA/Capital City Fighting Alliance) - 93 Points
5. Ivan Menjivar (El Salvador/Triumph Fight Team) - 91 Points
6. Jeff Curran (USA/Team Curran) - 70 Points
7. Antonio Carvalho (Canada/Shah Franco) - 56 Points
8. Rumina Sato (Japan/roots) - 41 Points
9. Hatsu Hioki (Japan/ALIVE Academy) - 31 Points
10. Takeshi Inoue (USA/Shooting Gym Yokohama) - 16 Points

While Gilbert Melendez unanimously swept the Featherweight voting with 14 first place ballots, the rest of the ranking is not so cut and dry. Imanari and Roque remain at Number 2 and 3 respectively, but the rest of the rankings take on a new face. The controversial match between Urijah Faber and Ivan Menjivar which ended in a DQ win for Faber due to an illegal kick was a hot topic for voters. who were split on how to perceive the win, with ballots alternating between ranking Faber and Menjivar. Faber eventually came out on top, grabbing the fourth spot by only two points. Thankfully for Faber, Tyson Griffin who defeated him this summer, previously ranked Number 9, last competed at Lightweight, and thus is absent from the Featherweight rankings. Another victim of ranking circumstance is Antonio Carvalho, who scored a huge win over former Number 4 Rumina Sato. Carvalho, formerly ranked Number 10, hit somewhat of a ceiling however due to his recent loss to Jeff Curran for the Shooto Americas 143 pound title. As Curran was also dominated to a JD by Ivan Menjivar, Carvalho's statistical stock doesn't quite soar as anticipted. This chaotic ranking period also sees Shooto shooting star Hatsu Hioki fall one spot to Number 9, due to Carvalho leaping over him, and Faber's presence in the Top 10. Rounding out the Top 10 is a new, and worthy face to the contingent. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue, the 2004 Shooto Rookie Champion at 143 pounds, grabs the Number 10 spot after a convincing victory over the always formidible Makoto Ishikawa.

Bantamweight

1. Ryota Matsune (Japan/Paraestra Matsudo) - 96 Points, 6 First Place Votes
2. Akitoshi Hokazono (Japan/Cobra Kai) - 94 Points, 4 First Place Votes
3. Marcos Galvao (Brazil/Nova Uniao) - 75 Points
4. Daiki Hata (Japan/K.I.B.A.) - 68 Points
5. Kenji Osawa (Japan/Wajyutsu Keisyukai Shooters School) - 56 Points
6. Daniel Lima (Brazil/Five Rings Dojo) - 52 Points
7. So Tazawa (Japan/Shooto Gutsman Dojo) - 51 Points
8. Miguel Torres (USA/Corral Martial Arts Academy) - 27 Points
9. Takahiro Hosoi (Japan/Paraestra Matsudo) - 23 Points
10. Hiroyuki Tanaka (Japan/Chokushin Kai) - 12 Points

The month of March sees the the gap between former Shooto 132 pound champion Ryota Matsune, and Number 1 contender Akitoshi Hokazono narrow. Matsune's inactivity along with vacating the Shooto title of have hurt his statistical standing as he seeks to fully rehab a nagging knee injury. Hokazono now pulls within two voting points of Matsune, garnering one more first place vote than he had previously. The three and four spots remain the same with Marcos "Louro" Galvao and Daiki "DJ Taiki" Hata holding tight. The tight 5-7 spots see some jostling, as with a game victory over Naoya Uematsu, he jumps over the inactive Daniel Lima and So Tazawa. Shooto Americas champion Miguel Torres holds fast to his eight spot, while Takahiro Hosoi rises to Number 9 after drawing the game Akira Kibe. Former Number 8 Koetsu Okazaki falls from the Top 10 due to prolonged inactivity, and this allows for new Number 10 Hiroyuki Tanaka, who will need to take on stronger competition in 2006 to ascend in the Bantamweight rankings.

Flyweight

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/Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW) - 71 Points
5. Robson Moura (Brazil/Nova Uniao) - 65 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) - 28 Points
9. Yusei Shimokawa (Japan/K'z Factory) - 26 Points
10. Toshimichi Akagi (Japan/Cobra Kai) - 15 points

Since the Janury 2006 balloting, not much has changed in the Flyweight rankings. The rankings remain absolutely identical from 1-9, and Number 10 sees the ranking of young Cobra Kai product Toshimichi Akagi. Narrowly edging out former Number 10 Takeyasu Hirono, Akagi won his last fight at the very end of the voting period, taking a commanding unanimous decision over BJJ black belt and Paraestra Hachioji head trainer Ayumu "GoZo" Shioda. Akagi has been spotty at times, drawing with the pedestrian Tomohiro "Tomohilock '84" Hashi. Conversely, he was game enough to draw with Number 2 ranked Shinichi "BJ" Kojima, and was arguably winning the fight up until the very end, even scoring a full kimura against the dynamic Kojima. While this voting period did not see great change among the Flyweights, the next voting period will, with two blockbuster fights tabbed to happen in the coming weeks, as Top 5 calibre Masatoshi Abe will return from a two and a half year hiatus to face Homare Kuboyama, and in a match up of epic proportions, Mamoru Yamaguchi will put his Shooto 123 Pound Title, and Number 1 status on the line against shooting star and Number 2 ranked Shinichi "BJ" Kojima.



Previous Rankings:

May 2005
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2927

September 2005
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7529

January 2006
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11664


Discuss The Rankings Here:

http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?p=360810