w0jt
imo ciekawy ranking więc wklejam, zapraszam do komentowania.
Heavyweight
1. Fedor Emelianenko (29-1-0, 1 NC)
Emelianenko's brutal sparking of Andrei Arlovski in their Jan. 24 Affliction headliner has given rise to fervent, polarized discussion over whether Emelianenko is supernatural or fortunate. Any discussion of the sport's heavyweight king is welcomed, though, as he should have another blockbuster heavyweight bout this summer, when he’s expected to meet Josh Barnett.
2. Andrei Arlovski (14-6-0)
For three minutes, Arlovski was better than ever while peppering the sport's heavyweight king, Fedor Emelianenko, from range. Then, one cruel flying knee attempt later, Arlovski was face down, out cold on the mat -- a brutal punctuation mark put on what began as Arlovski's finest performance.
3. Josh Barnett (24-5-0)
Barnett's Jan. 24 victory over Gilbert Yvel at Affliction's "Day of Reckoning" was hardly one of his finest. However, the victory, coupled with the triumph of Fedor Emelianenko, should set up a high-stakes heavyweight marquee for Affliction's third offering in the early summer.
4. Frank Mir (12-3-0)
In a fight that he was almost universally counted out of, the former UFC champion turned in the best performance of his career, technically trumping Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira en route to becoming the first man to ever stop “Minotauro." Come May, Mir will have to duplicate his February 2008 win over Brock Lesnar to become the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight king.
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Nogueira, the early favorite in the UFC’s ad hoc heavyweight tournament, turned in a woeful performance against Mir, who took apart the former Pride heavyweight champion before finishing him off with punches in the second round. He’s still a top heavyweight, but Nogueira has a long way to go to erase memories of such a lopsided loss.
6. Brock Lesnar (3-1-0)
With the first legs of the UFC’s heavyweight tournament over, Lesnar will have the chance to make an enormous statement in just his fifth professional bout. He will take on Mir -- the man who handed him his first career loss at UFC 81 -- in a heavyweight title unification match at UFC 98 on May 23.
7. Randy Couture (16-9-0)
There is much hope for a fight with fellow fallen champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. That bout will have to wait, though, as "The Natural" is recovering from a nasty elbow injury. He had two abnormally large bone spurs mined from his elbow, and he’s also on tap for a leading role in Sylvester Stallone's forthcoming film “The Expendables."
8. Tim Sylvia (24-5-0)
There’s no clear next step for Sylvia. The two-time UFC champion’s looking to drum up interest from Japanese promoters, as well as chasing a potentially lamentable bout with elder statesman Ken Shamrock, who would hardly offer Sylvia real competition.
9. Ben Rothwell (29-6-0)
A bout with Pedro Rizzo at Affliction’s Jan. 24 show did not materialize. Instead, Rothwell got in a tidy tune-up bout, bashing an overmatched Chris Guillen at Adrenaline MMA’s second event on Dec. 11.
10. Alistair Overeem (29-11-0, 1 NC)
Overeem has been experiencing a major resurgence in the MMA world, and the Dutchman turned in one of the most brilliant performances of his career in the kickboxing ring on New Year’s Eve. He destroyed K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up and resident bad boy Badr Hari in less than a round, bringing the hype surrounding the “Demolition Man" to critical mass.
Other contenders: Junior dos Santos, Aleksander Emelianenko, Mirko Filipovic, Gabriel Gonzaga, Fabricio Werdum.
Light Heavyweight
1. Rashad Evans (13-0-1)
With his brilliant knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 in September, Evans took an enormous leap into light heavyweight legitimacy. However, he truly validated himself when he halted Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to capture the 205-pound crown and, with it, divisional supremacy.
2. Forrest Griffin (16-5-0)
Not only did Griffin lose his 205-pound UFC crown to Rashad Evans at UFC 92 in December, he also broke his right hand. Fortunately, the injury won't keep Griffin out as long as expected -- he anti****tes a summer comeback.
3. Quinton Jackson (29-7)
After his brutal swatting of arch-nemesis Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 in December, it seemed Jackson would be content to wait until the early summer for a blockbuster showdown with UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. However, with Zuffa needing a main event for the March 7 UFC 96 bill in Columbus, Ohio, we'll now get an extra dose of "Rampage" as he takes on Evans' teammate, Keith Jardine.
4. Lyoto Machida (14-0)
Machida's brilliant bashing of Thiago Silva strengthened his claim to a deserved UFC light heavyweight title shot. However, his title opportunity rests on Keith Jardine, for whom the karateka will have to root to knock off the other would-be challenger, Quinton Jackson, in their March 7 showdown.
5. Chuck Liddell (21-6)
The on-again, off-again bout with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is on again: They will finally meet in the co-main event of UFC 97 in Montreal on April 17. It’s a do-or-die bout for two men desperate to turn their fortunes in the 205-pound division.
6. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1, 1 NC)
While a move to the 185-pound division may be imminent, "The Axe Murderer" might only slide partway down the scale for the time being. Reports suggest he will take on Rich Franklin in a catchweight contest at UFC 99 on June 13 in Cologne, Germany.
7. Keith Jardine (14-4-1)
Jardine was already slated for a tough bout against Luis Arthur Cane when Zuffa asked him to headline UFC 96. "The Dean of Mean" stepped up, and now he’ll take on former light heavyweight king Quinton Jackson on March 7 in Columbus, Ohio. The match will be perhaps Jardine's biggest to date.
8. Luis Arthur Cane (9-1)
Keith Jardine's promotion to main event duty at UFC 96 didn't leave "Banha" without an opponent for long. The surging Brazilian banger will take on former WEC light heavyweight champ Steve Cantwell at UFC 97 in Montreal on April 18.
9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (16-3)
Thrilling it was not, but Nogueira avenged his August 2002 loss to Vladimir Matyushenko with a second-round stoppage at Affliction's Jan. 24 "Day of Reckoning." Next for Rogerio is likely a bout in Brazilian mainstay promotion Jungle Fight on April 25.
10. Thiago Silva (13-1)
Silva's first major bout couldn't have gone much more brutally. He was beaten from pillar to post by Lyoto Machida, who smashed the Brazilian banger just as the first round expired. If nothing else, it's hard to imagine Silva being so dominated in his next bout, no matter who the opponent is.
Other contenders: Rich Franklin, Jon Jones, Vladimir Matyushenko, Mauricio Rua, Renato Sobral.
Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva (23-4)
After considerable clamor over which division and which opponent Silva would tackle in his next bout, it is near official that “The Spider" will main event April’s UFC 97 in Montreal against fellow Brazilian Thales Leites. The bout will mark Silva’s fifth UFC middleweight title defense.
2. Yushin Okami (23-4)
The 185-pound elephant in the room for the UFC, Okami racked up his seventh win in the Octagon with an easy -- albeit awful -- unanimous decision victory over Dean Lister at UFC 92. The question now is whether the UFC will match Okami with a worthwhile opponent who will come to fight and whether Okami can be stirring enough to earn himself a title shot against Silva.
3. Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1)
It may not have been an MMA bout, but the 23-year-old Mousasi completely destroyed respected K-1 veteran Musashi at K-1 “Premium 2008 Dynamite." The fight brilliantly displayed why the Dutch-bred, Armenian-born Mousasi is one of the sport's most enthralling young fighters.
4. Nate Marquardt (28-8-2)
In a must-win bout against Wilson Gouveia at UFC 95, Marquardt came through with an explosive third-round stoppage. The victory was yet another step closer to a rematch with Anderson Silva, though he may first have to contend with fast-rising BJJ king Demian Maia.
5. Robbie Lawler (16-4, 1 NC)
After initially eyeing a return to the Octagon following the demise of EliteXC, Lawler will now head to Strikeforce. He'll see action on the promotion's May card in Tacoma, Wash.
6. Dan Henderson (24-7)
It was not without a bit of a brouhaha, but Henderson earned a split decision over Rich Franklin at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland, on Jan. 17. Now the former two-division Pride champ has earned a lengthy promotional vehicle coaching against Michael Bisping on the ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter," as well as the season's larger payoff: a marquee bout against "The Count."
7. Demian Maia (10-0)
Another fight, another victory and another "Submission of the Night" bonus for Maia, as the BJJ king easily polished off Chael Sonnen in the first round of their Feb. 21 encounter. Now Maia may be but a bout away from a crack at divisional king Anderson Silva.
8. Jorge Santiago (21-7)
Flunking out of the UFC is now a distant memory for Santiago. The American Top Team product has ripped off nine straight victories, all stoppages, including two tournament victories. With his Jan. 4 come-from-behind choke-out of Kazuo Misaki, he captured Sengoku’s middleweight title.
9. Thales Leites (14-1)
Luck smiled upon Leites, as the Nova Uniao product is the winner in the Anderson Silva sweepstakes. The gifted grappler will challenge “The Spider" for his middleweight title at UFC 97 on April 18 in Montreal.
10. Vitor Belfort (18-8)
While the MMA world has grown skeptical of the multiple "returns" of Belfort, "The Phenom" has been sensational as a middleweight thus far. He polished off Terry Martin in July before brutally dispatching the well-regarded Matt Lindland in a mere 37 seconds on Jan. 24 to stake his claim in the division.
Other contenders: Yoshihiro Akiyama, Patrick Cote, Dan Miller, Frank Trigg, Chael Sonnen.
Welterweight
1. Georges St. Pierre (18-2)
Despite debate over the improper use of Vaseline by St. Pierre’s cornermen, “Rush" destroyed B.J. Penn in their Jan. 31 superfight at UFC 94. The bout reinforced St. Pierre’s case to be considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the game, and he’ll have another chance to bolster his case against a brilliant opponent when he meets Thiago Alves later this year.
2. Thiago Alves (16-3)
His brilliant 2008 breakout has earned him a shot against St. Pierre, probably at UFC 100 in July. However, if his in-cage meeting with St. Pierre at UFC 94 told us anything, it’s that the “Pitbull" will not be the crowd favorite against the budding Canadian superstar.
3. Jon Fitch (18-3, 1 NC)
After getting over the shock of his opponent’s gender-bending entrance theatrics, Fitch dominated always-tough veteran Akihiro Gono on Jan. 31. The win ran his UFC record to 9-1 and showed off the increasing depth to his game.
4. Jake Shields (22-4-1)
While the former EliteXC champion had his eye on a UFC debut following the demise of his home promotion, Shields will now fulfill the remainder of his contract with Strikeforce. There, he will meet the well-traveled Joe Riggs at the promotion’s April 11 debut on Showtime.
5. Karo Parisyan (19-5)
Things went from bad to worse for Parisyan. After his lackluster and uninspiring split decision win over Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94, Parisyan tested positive for a myriad of painkillers. That leaves him at the mercy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, potentially nixing a high-profile summer welterweight bout.
6. Paulo Thiago (11-0)
Thiago was supposed to be tough -- but not too tough -- as Josh Koscheck looked to work himself into the UFC welterweight title picture. Instead, Thiago shockingly flattened the American Kickboxing Academy standout in the first round at UFC 95 and took his place in line. Now, Thiago must prove he’s a bona fide welterweight and not a flash in the pan.
7. Josh Koscheck (12-4)
In what was shaping up to be a productive tune-up bout, Koscheck quickly found himself embroiled in a nightmare at UFC 95, as the little-known Thiago landed a brutal right uppercut that closed the show on “Kos." The loss set back “The Ultimate Fighter" alum in the hotly competitive UFC welterweight division.
8. Carlos Condit (23-4)
Condit was originally slated for an unappealing March rematch with former first-round victim Brock Larson, but now the World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion will finally make the long-awaited jump to the UFC instead. “The Natural Born Killer" will debut against Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 18 on April 1 in Nashville, Tenn.
9. Matt Hughes (42-7)
The former welterweight ruler continues to recover from a knee injury. His long-delayed grudge match with fellow former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra will finally take place at UFC 98 on May 23 in Las Vegas.
10. Nick Thompson (38-10-1)
When “The Goat" looked to break into the upper strata of the division in July, he was cruelly cast away by Shields, who took just 63 seconds to submit him. However, the bout remains Thompson’s lone blemish in 15 fights, and he added a unanimous verdict over explosive Brit Paul Daley on Feb. 20.
Other contenders: Marcus Davis, Dan Hardy, Jay Hieron, Matt Serra, Mike Swick.
Lightweight
1. B.J. Penn (13-5-1)
Greasing controversies aside, Penn was dominated from bell to bell by rival Georges St. Pierre in their UFC 94 superfight. What the loss means for Penn is anyone’s guess given the mercurial decision-making of “The Prodigy." Penn will head back to 155 pounds to defend his title against Kenny Florian in the late summer if he gets his way.
2. Shinya Aoki (19-3, 1 NC)
Aoki will return to the welterweight division come April, when he will take part in Dream’s welterweight grand prix. In the meantime, he’ll look to add another highlight reel submission to his resume, as he tunes up in a lightweight affair against David Gardner at Dream 7 on March 8.
3. Eddie Alvarez (15-2)
An Aoki heel hook on Dec. 31 left Alvarez with a tweaked knee, canceling his planned January tune-up against Naoyuki Kotani. However, the fiery Philly native is still slated for April action as part of the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships on ESPN Deportes.
4. Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)
Despite the attention given to his New Year’s Eve rematch with Gesias Cavalcante, the bout was nixed at the last minute when a pre-fight medical test revealed an undisclosed head injury to Hansen.
5. Gesias Cavalcante (14-2-1, 1 NC)
Cavalcante was denied the chance to avenge his July 2004 loss to Hansen when their Dec. 31 date was canceled at the last minute. Fortunately, the fight’s cancellation gives “JZ" more time to rehabilitate his knee injury and prepare for his 2009 debut.
6. Sean Sherk (33-3-1)
Sherk’s quest toward regaining the UFC lightweight title will continue at UFC 98 on May 23, when “The Muscle Shark" will take on fellow dynamic wrestler Frank Edgar. Sherk has won 16 of 18 fights.
7. Kenny Florian (11-3)
He will continue to win over the world in the role of analyst, but Florian’s future in the cage now largely rests on Penn’s whims. Should “The Prodigy" acquiesce to the desires of the UFC, Florian could get his second crack at the lightweight title this summer.
8. Satoru Kitaoka (24-8-9)
The hulking Pancrase product continued his lightweight surge, as he effortlessly leglocked perennial divisional standout Takanori Gomi in less than two minutes in January. The victory gave Kitaoka the Sengoku lightweight title and some serious attention from the MMA populace, which had heard little about him prior to his recent run.
9. Josh Thomson (16-2, 1 NC)
Strikeforce’s lightweight ruler will make the first defense of his title on April 11, as part of the promotion’s first foray on Showtime. His opponent is none other than Gilbert Melendez, whom Thomson upset to capture the belt in June.
10. Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2)
Kawajiri turned in one of the most impressive performances of his career on New Year’s Eve. While it did not come in an MMA bout, the “Crusher" stormed Japanese kickboxing icon Kozo Takeda with a brutal first-round stoppage that put the former Shooto world champion’s improved striking on display.
Other contenders: Gray Maynard, Gilbert Melendez, Jim Miller, Eiji Mitsuoka, Jamie Varner.
Heavyweight
1. Fedor Emelianenko (29-1-0, 1 NC)
Emelianenko's brutal sparking of Andrei Arlovski in their Jan. 24 Affliction headliner has given rise to fervent, polarized discussion over whether Emelianenko is supernatural or fortunate. Any discussion of the sport's heavyweight king is welcomed, though, as he should have another blockbuster heavyweight bout this summer, when he’s expected to meet Josh Barnett.
2. Andrei Arlovski (14-6-0)
For three minutes, Arlovski was better than ever while peppering the sport's heavyweight king, Fedor Emelianenko, from range. Then, one cruel flying knee attempt later, Arlovski was face down, out cold on the mat -- a brutal punctuation mark put on what began as Arlovski's finest performance.
3. Josh Barnett (24-5-0)
Barnett's Jan. 24 victory over Gilbert Yvel at Affliction's "Day of Reckoning" was hardly one of his finest. However, the victory, coupled with the triumph of Fedor Emelianenko, should set up a high-stakes heavyweight marquee for Affliction's third offering in the early summer.
4. Frank Mir (12-3-0)
In a fight that he was almost universally counted out of, the former UFC champion turned in the best performance of his career, technically trumping Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira en route to becoming the first man to ever stop “Minotauro." Come May, Mir will have to duplicate his February 2008 win over Brock Lesnar to become the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight king.
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Nogueira, the early favorite in the UFC’s ad hoc heavyweight tournament, turned in a woeful performance against Mir, who took apart the former Pride heavyweight champion before finishing him off with punches in the second round. He’s still a top heavyweight, but Nogueira has a long way to go to erase memories of such a lopsided loss.
6. Brock Lesnar (3-1-0)
With the first legs of the UFC’s heavyweight tournament over, Lesnar will have the chance to make an enormous statement in just his fifth professional bout. He will take on Mir -- the man who handed him his first career loss at UFC 81 -- in a heavyweight title unification match at UFC 98 on May 23.
7. Randy Couture (16-9-0)
There is much hope for a fight with fellow fallen champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. That bout will have to wait, though, as "The Natural" is recovering from a nasty elbow injury. He had two abnormally large bone spurs mined from his elbow, and he’s also on tap for a leading role in Sylvester Stallone's forthcoming film “The Expendables."
8. Tim Sylvia (24-5-0)
There’s no clear next step for Sylvia. The two-time UFC champion’s looking to drum up interest from Japanese promoters, as well as chasing a potentially lamentable bout with elder statesman Ken Shamrock, who would hardly offer Sylvia real competition.
9. Ben Rothwell (29-6-0)
A bout with Pedro Rizzo at Affliction’s Jan. 24 show did not materialize. Instead, Rothwell got in a tidy tune-up bout, bashing an overmatched Chris Guillen at Adrenaline MMA’s second event on Dec. 11.
10. Alistair Overeem (29-11-0, 1 NC)
Overeem has been experiencing a major resurgence in the MMA world, and the Dutchman turned in one of the most brilliant performances of his career in the kickboxing ring on New Year’s Eve. He destroyed K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up and resident bad boy Badr Hari in less than a round, bringing the hype surrounding the “Demolition Man" to critical mass.
Other contenders: Junior dos Santos, Aleksander Emelianenko, Mirko Filipovic, Gabriel Gonzaga, Fabricio Werdum.
Light Heavyweight
1. Rashad Evans (13-0-1)
With his brilliant knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 in September, Evans took an enormous leap into light heavyweight legitimacy. However, he truly validated himself when he halted Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to capture the 205-pound crown and, with it, divisional supremacy.
2. Forrest Griffin (16-5-0)
Not only did Griffin lose his 205-pound UFC crown to Rashad Evans at UFC 92 in December, he also broke his right hand. Fortunately, the injury won't keep Griffin out as long as expected -- he anti****tes a summer comeback.
3. Quinton Jackson (29-7)
After his brutal swatting of arch-nemesis Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 in December, it seemed Jackson would be content to wait until the early summer for a blockbuster showdown with UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. However, with Zuffa needing a main event for the March 7 UFC 96 bill in Columbus, Ohio, we'll now get an extra dose of "Rampage" as he takes on Evans' teammate, Keith Jardine.
4. Lyoto Machida (14-0)
Machida's brilliant bashing of Thiago Silva strengthened his claim to a deserved UFC light heavyweight title shot. However, his title opportunity rests on Keith Jardine, for whom the karateka will have to root to knock off the other would-be challenger, Quinton Jackson, in their March 7 showdown.
5. Chuck Liddell (21-6)
The on-again, off-again bout with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is on again: They will finally meet in the co-main event of UFC 97 in Montreal on April 17. It’s a do-or-die bout for two men desperate to turn their fortunes in the 205-pound division.
6. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1, 1 NC)
While a move to the 185-pound division may be imminent, "The Axe Murderer" might only slide partway down the scale for the time being. Reports suggest he will take on Rich Franklin in a catchweight contest at UFC 99 on June 13 in Cologne, Germany.
7. Keith Jardine (14-4-1)
Jardine was already slated for a tough bout against Luis Arthur Cane when Zuffa asked him to headline UFC 96. "The Dean of Mean" stepped up, and now he’ll take on former light heavyweight king Quinton Jackson on March 7 in Columbus, Ohio. The match will be perhaps Jardine's biggest to date.
8. Luis Arthur Cane (9-1)
Keith Jardine's promotion to main event duty at UFC 96 didn't leave "Banha" without an opponent for long. The surging Brazilian banger will take on former WEC light heavyweight champ Steve Cantwell at UFC 97 in Montreal on April 18.
9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (16-3)
Thrilling it was not, but Nogueira avenged his August 2002 loss to Vladimir Matyushenko with a second-round stoppage at Affliction's Jan. 24 "Day of Reckoning." Next for Rogerio is likely a bout in Brazilian mainstay promotion Jungle Fight on April 25.
10. Thiago Silva (13-1)
Silva's first major bout couldn't have gone much more brutally. He was beaten from pillar to post by Lyoto Machida, who smashed the Brazilian banger just as the first round expired. If nothing else, it's hard to imagine Silva being so dominated in his next bout, no matter who the opponent is.
Other contenders: Rich Franklin, Jon Jones, Vladimir Matyushenko, Mauricio Rua, Renato Sobral.
Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva (23-4)
After considerable clamor over which division and which opponent Silva would tackle in his next bout, it is near official that “The Spider" will main event April’s UFC 97 in Montreal against fellow Brazilian Thales Leites. The bout will mark Silva’s fifth UFC middleweight title defense.
2. Yushin Okami (23-4)
The 185-pound elephant in the room for the UFC, Okami racked up his seventh win in the Octagon with an easy -- albeit awful -- unanimous decision victory over Dean Lister at UFC 92. The question now is whether the UFC will match Okami with a worthwhile opponent who will come to fight and whether Okami can be stirring enough to earn himself a title shot against Silva.
3. Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1)
It may not have been an MMA bout, but the 23-year-old Mousasi completely destroyed respected K-1 veteran Musashi at K-1 “Premium 2008 Dynamite." The fight brilliantly displayed why the Dutch-bred, Armenian-born Mousasi is one of the sport's most enthralling young fighters.
4. Nate Marquardt (28-8-2)
In a must-win bout against Wilson Gouveia at UFC 95, Marquardt came through with an explosive third-round stoppage. The victory was yet another step closer to a rematch with Anderson Silva, though he may first have to contend with fast-rising BJJ king Demian Maia.
5. Robbie Lawler (16-4, 1 NC)
After initially eyeing a return to the Octagon following the demise of EliteXC, Lawler will now head to Strikeforce. He'll see action on the promotion's May card in Tacoma, Wash.
6. Dan Henderson (24-7)
It was not without a bit of a brouhaha, but Henderson earned a split decision over Rich Franklin at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland, on Jan. 17. Now the former two-division Pride champ has earned a lengthy promotional vehicle coaching against Michael Bisping on the ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter," as well as the season's larger payoff: a marquee bout against "The Count."
7. Demian Maia (10-0)
Another fight, another victory and another "Submission of the Night" bonus for Maia, as the BJJ king easily polished off Chael Sonnen in the first round of their Feb. 21 encounter. Now Maia may be but a bout away from a crack at divisional king Anderson Silva.
8. Jorge Santiago (21-7)
Flunking out of the UFC is now a distant memory for Santiago. The American Top Team product has ripped off nine straight victories, all stoppages, including two tournament victories. With his Jan. 4 come-from-behind choke-out of Kazuo Misaki, he captured Sengoku’s middleweight title.
9. Thales Leites (14-1)
Luck smiled upon Leites, as the Nova Uniao product is the winner in the Anderson Silva sweepstakes. The gifted grappler will challenge “The Spider" for his middleweight title at UFC 97 on April 18 in Montreal.
10. Vitor Belfort (18-8)
While the MMA world has grown skeptical of the multiple "returns" of Belfort, "The Phenom" has been sensational as a middleweight thus far. He polished off Terry Martin in July before brutally dispatching the well-regarded Matt Lindland in a mere 37 seconds on Jan. 24 to stake his claim in the division.
Other contenders: Yoshihiro Akiyama, Patrick Cote, Dan Miller, Frank Trigg, Chael Sonnen.
Welterweight
1. Georges St. Pierre (18-2)
Despite debate over the improper use of Vaseline by St. Pierre’s cornermen, “Rush" destroyed B.J. Penn in their Jan. 31 superfight at UFC 94. The bout reinforced St. Pierre’s case to be considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the game, and he’ll have another chance to bolster his case against a brilliant opponent when he meets Thiago Alves later this year.
2. Thiago Alves (16-3)
His brilliant 2008 breakout has earned him a shot against St. Pierre, probably at UFC 100 in July. However, if his in-cage meeting with St. Pierre at UFC 94 told us anything, it’s that the “Pitbull" will not be the crowd favorite against the budding Canadian superstar.
3. Jon Fitch (18-3, 1 NC)
After getting over the shock of his opponent’s gender-bending entrance theatrics, Fitch dominated always-tough veteran Akihiro Gono on Jan. 31. The win ran his UFC record to 9-1 and showed off the increasing depth to his game.
4. Jake Shields (22-4-1)
While the former EliteXC champion had his eye on a UFC debut following the demise of his home promotion, Shields will now fulfill the remainder of his contract with Strikeforce. There, he will meet the well-traveled Joe Riggs at the promotion’s April 11 debut on Showtime.
5. Karo Parisyan (19-5)
Things went from bad to worse for Parisyan. After his lackluster and uninspiring split decision win over Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94, Parisyan tested positive for a myriad of painkillers. That leaves him at the mercy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, potentially nixing a high-profile summer welterweight bout.
6. Paulo Thiago (11-0)
Thiago was supposed to be tough -- but not too tough -- as Josh Koscheck looked to work himself into the UFC welterweight title picture. Instead, Thiago shockingly flattened the American Kickboxing Academy standout in the first round at UFC 95 and took his place in line. Now, Thiago must prove he’s a bona fide welterweight and not a flash in the pan.
7. Josh Koscheck (12-4)
In what was shaping up to be a productive tune-up bout, Koscheck quickly found himself embroiled in a nightmare at UFC 95, as the little-known Thiago landed a brutal right uppercut that closed the show on “Kos." The loss set back “The Ultimate Fighter" alum in the hotly competitive UFC welterweight division.
8. Carlos Condit (23-4)
Condit was originally slated for an unappealing March rematch with former first-round victim Brock Larson, but now the World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion will finally make the long-awaited jump to the UFC instead. “The Natural Born Killer" will debut against Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 18 on April 1 in Nashville, Tenn.
9. Matt Hughes (42-7)
The former welterweight ruler continues to recover from a knee injury. His long-delayed grudge match with fellow former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra will finally take place at UFC 98 on May 23 in Las Vegas.
10. Nick Thompson (38-10-1)
When “The Goat" looked to break into the upper strata of the division in July, he was cruelly cast away by Shields, who took just 63 seconds to submit him. However, the bout remains Thompson’s lone blemish in 15 fights, and he added a unanimous verdict over explosive Brit Paul Daley on Feb. 20.
Other contenders: Marcus Davis, Dan Hardy, Jay Hieron, Matt Serra, Mike Swick.
Lightweight
1. B.J. Penn (13-5-1)
Greasing controversies aside, Penn was dominated from bell to bell by rival Georges St. Pierre in their UFC 94 superfight. What the loss means for Penn is anyone’s guess given the mercurial decision-making of “The Prodigy." Penn will head back to 155 pounds to defend his title against Kenny Florian in the late summer if he gets his way.
2. Shinya Aoki (19-3, 1 NC)
Aoki will return to the welterweight division come April, when he will take part in Dream’s welterweight grand prix. In the meantime, he’ll look to add another highlight reel submission to his resume, as he tunes up in a lightweight affair against David Gardner at Dream 7 on March 8.
3. Eddie Alvarez (15-2)
An Aoki heel hook on Dec. 31 left Alvarez with a tweaked knee, canceling his planned January tune-up against Naoyuki Kotani. However, the fiery Philly native is still slated for April action as part of the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships on ESPN Deportes.
4. Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)
Despite the attention given to his New Year’s Eve rematch with Gesias Cavalcante, the bout was nixed at the last minute when a pre-fight medical test revealed an undisclosed head injury to Hansen.
5. Gesias Cavalcante (14-2-1, 1 NC)
Cavalcante was denied the chance to avenge his July 2004 loss to Hansen when their Dec. 31 date was canceled at the last minute. Fortunately, the fight’s cancellation gives “JZ" more time to rehabilitate his knee injury and prepare for his 2009 debut.
6. Sean Sherk (33-3-1)
Sherk’s quest toward regaining the UFC lightweight title will continue at UFC 98 on May 23, when “The Muscle Shark" will take on fellow dynamic wrestler Frank Edgar. Sherk has won 16 of 18 fights.
7. Kenny Florian (11-3)
He will continue to win over the world in the role of analyst, but Florian’s future in the cage now largely rests on Penn’s whims. Should “The Prodigy" acquiesce to the desires of the UFC, Florian could get his second crack at the lightweight title this summer.
8. Satoru Kitaoka (24-8-9)
The hulking Pancrase product continued his lightweight surge, as he effortlessly leglocked perennial divisional standout Takanori Gomi in less than two minutes in January. The victory gave Kitaoka the Sengoku lightweight title and some serious attention from the MMA populace, which had heard little about him prior to his recent run.
9. Josh Thomson (16-2, 1 NC)
Strikeforce’s lightweight ruler will make the first defense of his title on April 11, as part of the promotion’s first foray on Showtime. His opponent is none other than Gilbert Melendez, whom Thomson upset to capture the belt in June.
10. Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2)
Kawajiri turned in one of the most impressive performances of his career on New Year’s Eve. While it did not come in an MMA bout, the “Crusher" stormed Japanese kickboxing icon Kozo Takeda with a brutal first-round stoppage that put the former Shooto world champion’s improved striking on display.
Other contenders: Gray Maynard, Gilbert Melendez, Jim Miller, Eiji Mitsuoka, Jamie Varner.
Business as usual
Krzysztof Piekarz
M.Manhoef
a tak na serio to Arlowski niżej powinien być no i Machida wyżej
Kruszek
Alg
adambs1987
Picasso79
