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Independent World MMA Rankings – February 12, 2010

By Zach Arnold | February 11, 2010

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From the office of the Independent World MMA Rankings

February 12, 2010: The February 2010 Independent World MMA Rankings have been released. These rankings are independent of any single MMA media outlet or sanctioning body, and are published on multiple web sites.

In addition to the numerous MMA web sites that publish the Independent World MMA Rankings, you can also access the rankings at any time by going to www.IndependentWorldMMARankings.com.

Some of the best and most knowledgeable MMA writers from across the MMA media landscape have come together to form one independent voting panel. These voting panel members are, in alphabetical order: Zach Arnold (Fight Opinion); Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings); Jared Barnes (Freelance); Jordan Breen (Sherdog); Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter, MMA Memories, and MMA Journalist Blog); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Todd Martin (CBS Sportsline); Jim Murphy (The Savage Science); Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA); Leland Roling (Bloody Elbow); Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse); Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion); Ivan Trembow (Freelance); and Dave Walsh (Head Kick Legend).

February 2010 Independent World MMA Rankings
Ballots collected on February 9, 2010

Heavyweight Rankings (206 to 265 lbs.)
1. Fedor Emelianenko (31-1, 1 No Contest)
2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)
3. Frank Mir (13-4)
4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1, 1 No Contest)
5. Shane Carwin (11-0)
6. Brett Rogers (10-1)
7. Junior dos Santos (10-1)
8. Alistair Overeem (32-11, 1 No Contest)
9. Cain Velasquez (7-0)
10. Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1)

Light Heavyweight Rankings (186 to 205 lbs.)
1. Lyoto Machida (16-0)
2. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-4)
3. Rashad Evans (14-1-1)
4. Quinton Jackson (30-7)
5. Anderson Silva (25-4)
6. Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1)
7. Forrest Griffin (17-6)
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3)
9. Dan Henderson (25-7)
10. Thiago Silva (14-2)

Middleweight Rankings (171 to 185 lbs.)
1. Anderson Silva (25-4)
2. Dan Henderson (25-7)
3. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)
4. Vitor Belfort (19-8)
5. Nathan Marquardt (29-9-2)
6. Demian Maia (12-1)
7. Jake Shields (24-4-1)
8. Yushin Okami (23-5)
9. Robbie Lawler (17-5, 1 No Contest)
10. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (11-2, 1 No Contest)

Welterweight Rankings (156 to 170 lbs.)
1. Georges St. Pierre (19-2)
2. Jon Fitch (21-3, 1 No Contest)
3. Thiago Alves (16-6)
4. Josh Koscheck (14-4)
5. Paulo Thiago (13-1)
6. Dan Hardy (23-6)
7. Nick Diaz (21-7, 1 No Contest)
8. Matt Hughes (43-7)
9. Paul Daley (23-8-2)
10. Matt Serra (10-6)

Lightweight Rankings (146 to 155 lbs.)
1. B.J. Penn (15-5-1)
2. Shinya Aoki (23-4, 1 No Contest)
3. Eddie Alvarez (19-2)
4. Kenny Florian (12-4)
5. Tatsuya Kawajiri (26-5-2)
6. Gray Maynard (9-0, 1 No Contest)
7. Frankie Edgar (11-1)
8. Diego Sanchez (21-3)
9. Joachim Hansen (19-8-1)
10. Gilbert Melendez (17-2)

Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)
1. Jose Aldo (16-1)
2. Mike Brown (23-5)
3. Urijah Faber (23-3)
4. Hatsu Hioki (20-4-2)
5. Bibiano Fernandes (7-2)
6. Raphael Assuncao (14-2)
7. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue (18-3)
8. Manny Gamburyan (10-4)
9. Marlon Sandro (15-1)
10. Michihiro Omigawa (9-8-1)

Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)
1. Brian Bowles (8-0)
2. Miguel Torres (37-2)
3. Masakatsu Ueda (10-0-2)
4. Dominick Cruz (14-1)
5. Joseph Benavidez (11-1)
6. Takeya Mizugaki (12-4-2)
7. Damacio Page (12-4)
8. Scott Jorgensen (8-3)
9. Wagnney Fabiano (13-2)
10. Akitoshi Tamura (14-8-2)

The Independent World MMA Rankings are tabulated on a monthly basis in each of the top seven weight classes of MMA, from heavyweight to bantamweight, with fighters receiving ten points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, and so on.

The rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the voting panel, with nobody’s vote counting more than anybody else’s vote, and no computerized voting.

The voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters’ actual accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition that they’ve actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective perception of which fighters would theoretically win hypothetical match-ups.

Inactivity: Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not eligible to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time they fight.

Disciplinary Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving disciplinary suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug test or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.

Changing Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that he is leaving one weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the fighter is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class until he has his first fight in the new weight class.

Catch Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are in between the limits of the various weight classes, they are considered to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits for each weight class are listed at the top of the rankings for each weight class.

Special thanks to Eric Kamander, Zach Arnold, and Joshua Stein for their invaluable help with this project, and special thanks to Garrett Bailey for designing our logo.

Topics: Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 57 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

57 Responses to “Independent World MMA Rankings – February 12, 2010”

  1. EJ says:

    “The Sylvia win was almost six years ago. I don’t think it adds much to his claim now. And obviously Brock wasn’t a champion when Mir beat him. He was a guy with one pro fight.

    Werdum has beaten Bigfoot, Vera, Gonzaga and Emelianenko. You don’t think any of those guys are good?

    I, of course, acknowledged the Nog win. That’s Mir’s only significant accomplishment since his accident, and I’d agree that it’s probably enough to get him in the top 10, given how highly ranked Nog was. But given his overall poor results, it’s not enough to get him over guys with more depth to their records.”

    Fine let’s put the Sylvia fight to the side, but let’s not for a second try and downplay the Brock win since 2 fights later he became UFC HW champion. That with the Nog win gives him 2 wins over top 5 HW’s in the past 2 years something Werdum has never even been close to doing. He’s beaten tough good HW’s but to claim that he’s done more than Mir is simply false.

  2. Isaiah says:

    I think it’s clear that Brock has improved significantly since the first Mir fight so we’ll just have to agree to disagree there.

    And that’s really the heart of disagreement about Mir. I think he’s had a mediocre career with one huge win (over a guy that would have probably lost to any top-10 HW). I don’t see how that compares with a guy like Werdum, who’s had multiple wins over good opponents and hasn’t lost to the level of guys who have beaten Mir.

  3. skwirrl says:

    Mir stinks and will lose his next fight no matter who its against whether his cycle is good or not.

  4. EJ says:

    “And that’s really the heart of disagreement about Mir. I think he’s had a mediocre career with one huge win (over a guy that would have probably lost to any top-10 HW). I don’t see how that compares with a guy like Werdum, who’s had multiple wins over good opponents and hasn’t lost to the level of guys who have beaten Mir.”

    3 huge wins over 3 UFC HW Champions all by stoppage, plus he’s a 2 time HW champion again Werdum’s resume isn’t even in the same league as Mir’s.

  5. Isaiah says:

    Brock wasn’t a champion when Mir beat him, and titles are irrelevant anyway.

  6. EJ says:

    Which is irrelevant, Mir still beat him and other titles are irrelevant but UFC titles are the only ones that matter.

  7. edub says:

    Yea titles are irrelevant. Just ask any fighter. Im sure none care about any title.

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