Pound for Pound MMA Rankings: May 2011 Posted by Staff (05/09/2011 @ 8:40 am) Anderson Silva of Brazil and compatriot Demian Maia fight during their bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament in Abu Dhabi April 10, 2010. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Tags: SPORT) HeavyMMA.com has released their pound for pound rankings for the month of May. We’ve long hoped to see a fight between Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre. We thought it would be the ultimate super-fight, a way to truly see who the best fighter in the world is while watching both men etch their superb careers even further into the annals of history. After UFC 129, we’re not really interested in seeing that fight any more. It doesn’t hold the same kind of intrigue, not after you’ve seen St. Pierre struggle with Jake Shields and realize that the much-larger Silva would almost certainly have his way with the current welterweight champion. Let’s take a look at our pound-for-pound rankings after UFC 129: 1. Anderson Silva It’s becoming obvious that we’re not going to see Silva face Georges St. Pierre, and that’s fine. We’ve gotten to the point where we’re not sure how well St. Pierre would do in a fight against the much-bigger Silva, anyway. Instead, the pound for pound king will focus his attention on Yushin Okami, who he’ll face in the main event of UFC 134 in August. Okami was the last man to beat him. Sure, it was by disqualification, but you don’t have to put that in the marketing materials.
Check out the rest of the rankings. MMA Middleweight Rankings Posted by Staff (04/20/2011 @ 9:15 am) Anderson Silva of Brazil and compatriot Demian Maia fight during their bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament in Abu Dhabi April 10, 2010. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Tags: SPORT) Rankings Week over at HeavyMMA.com continues with a look at the top middleweights in the world of mixed martial arts. The UFC’s middleweight king finally has a new opponent, and it’ll be Yushin Okami drawing the short straw to face Silva at UFC 134 in August. The rest of the division will see a sea change over the summer, as top contender Nate Marquardt vacates the division to move down to welterweight while banished superstar Chael Sonnen will return to action, likely against Michael Bisping. It’s an interesting time to be a UFC middleweight. 1. Anderson Silva Silva’s next opponent has been named, and it’s not Georges St. Pierre. Despite Dana White’s insistence that Silva would face GSP if St. Pierre beats Shields next weekend, it appears that Yushin Okami, instead, will get the next title shot. Okami presents the same kind of challenges for Silva that training partner Chael Sonnen did — namely his wrestling. That fight headlines UFC Rio in August. 2. Chael Sonnen Sonnen goes before the Nevada State Athletic Commission to apply for a fighter and cornerman’s license next week. If the bid is successful, Sonnen will likely coach The Ultimate Fighter 14 against Michael Bisping. If it’s not, Sonnen will still likely coach The Ultimate Fighter 14, but the UFC will have to be creative in how they handle it.
Check out the full rankings. MMA Light Heavyweight Rankings Posted by Staff (04/19/2011 @ 9:14 am) HeavyMMA.com released their latest rankings. Here are their rankings for the top light heavyweights in the sport. Jon Jones’ destruction of Shogun Rua at UFC 128 signaled the end of the PRIDE years and heralded the rise of a new fighter who could dominate the division for years to come. Instead of speaking about potential challengers for the title, fans and journalists have been left trying to figure out who in the world could possibly present a stiff challenge for Jones. It’s hard not to get caught up in the hype train, but so long as Jones maintains the maturity he’s displayed thus far, he’ll be fine. Will he be the first true mainstream superstar to come from the world of MMA? That remains to be seen. For now, he’s content with simply evolving. Oh, and ruling the light heavyweight division with an iron fist. 1. Jon Jones Jones utterly dominated former champion Shogun Rua at UFC 128 in Newark which lands him atop this poll without any debate. Now comes a fight with Rashad Evans. What? He’s fighting Rashad Evans? It’s true. The former teammates had a falling out and will now square off for the light heavyweight strap sometime this fall. 2. Rashad Evans Evans, a long time Greg Jackson student, has left the Albuquerque, NM camp and set up shop in Florida to prepare for newly crowned champ Jon Jones. Thought to be heading down to middleweight should Jones win the belt, Evans had a change of heart when “Bones” announced he’d fight his then teammate on national television.
Check out the full rankings. 2011 MMA Pound for Pound Rankings: March Posted by Staff (03/21/2011 @ 8:48 am) HeavyMMA.com updated their pound for pound rankings for the month of March. Where does Jon Jones land after his stunning victory over Shogun Rua? 1. Anderson Silva We thought Silva’s next challenge would come from Georges St. Pierre, but it appears that won’t be the case. Instead, look for Yushin Okami to finally get his title shot, likely in the main event of UFC 132 in July. Media and fans are already clamoring for Silva to move up a weight class and face Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title. Should it come to fruition, that would easily be the biggest fight of 2012. 2. Georges St. Pierre St. Pierre will face Jake Shields at UFC 129 next month. There was talk of St. Pierre abdicating the welterweight throne with a win, but that train seems to be leaving the station. Staying at welterweight might be better for St. Pierre’s legacy, and it’s not like the fans will ever tire of seeing him destroy challengers. 3. Jose Aldo Aldo finally makes his UFC debut next month with a title defense against Mark Hominick. UFC fans will be pleasantly surprised at just how awesome Aldo actually is. Hominick is the best striker Aldo has faced thus far, but he’ll be no match for the Brazilian wunderkind.
Check out the rest of the rankings. Posted in: Mixed Martial Arts, UFC Tags: Anderson Silva, Dominick Cruz, Frankie Edgar, Georges St. Pierre, Gilbert Melendez, Jake Shields, Jon Fitch, Jon Jones, Jose Aldo, MMA, MMA Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC
MMA Pound for Pound Rankings: March 2011 Posted by Staff (03/10/2011 @ 10:03 am) Did Jon Fitch’s performance at UFC 127 drop him in HeavyMMA.com’s latest pound for pound rankings? 1. Anderson Silva Silva’s playing the waiting game at the moment and won’t have any idea what his future holds until after UFC 129 at the end of April. It might be a few months after that before Silva’s next opponent is even decided, because Georges St. Pierre certainly doesn’t sound too sure about moving up to middleweight any more. Either way, a win by St. Pierre will determine what is next for the reigning middleweight champion. 2. Georges St. Pierre The Canadian is in the midst of his training camp for UFC 129, putting all of his focus on training for his title defense against Jake Shields. He’ll walk into the cage on that night as a national hero in front of the biggest live crowd in North American mixed martial arts history, but there’s a good chance he loses that fight. Shields is no joke. 3. Jose Aldo Aldo finally makes the first defense of his UFC featherweight title at UFC 129 against Mark Hominick. Few give Hominick a chance – and for good reason – but the Canadian can probably match Aldo in the striking department. Everything else will probably give him some trouble. Check out the full rankings. |