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Independent World MMA Rankings – July 8, 2010
By Zach Arnold | July 9, 2010
From the office of the Independent World MMA Rankings
July 8, 2010 – The July 2010 Men’s 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 MMA web sites, as well as www.IndependentWorldMMARankings.com.
Some of the best and most knowledgeable MMA writers from across the MMA media landscape have come together to form an 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 and MMA Journalist Blog); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Todd Martin (Los Angeles Times and Sherdog); 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).
Note: Nick Diaz, Jason Miller, and Jake Shields were all recently issued disciplinary suspensions by the Tennessee Athletic Commission for their roles in the post-fight brawl at the Strikeforce event in Nashville. Like all fighters who are serving disciplinary suspensions, these fighters have temporarily lost their eligibility to be ranked, and they will regain their eligibility to be ranked as soon as their disciplinary suspensions have ended. Shields’ three-month disciplinary suspension began on June 9; Miller’s began on June 16; and Diaz’ began on June 23. Gilbert Melendez’ three-month disciplinary suspension has not yet begun, due to the fact that his consent order has not yet been received, so he has not yet lost his eligibility to be ranked.
July 2010 Men’s Independent World MMA Rankings
Ballots collected on July 6, 2010
Heavyweight Rankings (206 to 265 lbs.)
1. Brock Lesnar (5-1)
2. Fedor Emelianenko (31-2, 1 No Contest)
3. Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1)
4. Cain Velasquez (8-0)
5. Shane Carwin (12-1)
6. Junior dos Santos (11-1)
7. Alistair Overeem (33-11, 1 No Contest)
8. Frank Mir (13-5)
9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1, 1 No Contest)
10. Antonio Silva (14-2)
Light Heavyweight Rankings (186 to 205 lbs.)
1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-4)
2. Lyoto Machida (16-1)
3. Rashad Evans (15-1-1)
4. Quinton Jackson (30-8)
5. Anderson Silva (25-4)
6. Forrest Griffin (17-6)
7. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (7-0)
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-3)
9. Gegard Mousasi (28-3-1)
10. Thiago Silva (14-2)
Middleweight Rankings (171 to 185 lbs.)
1. Anderson Silva (25-4)
2. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)
3. Nathan Marquardt (29-9-2)
4. Dan Henderson (25-8)
5. Vitor Belfort (19-8)
6. Demian Maia (12-1)
7. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (12-2, 1 No Contest)
8. Yushin Okami (24-5)
9. Jorge Santiago (22-8)
10. Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 No Contest)
Welterweight Rankings (156 to 170 lbs.)
1. Georges St. Pierre (20-2)
2. Jon Fitch (22-3, 1 No Contest)
3. Thiago Alves (16-6)
4. Josh Koscheck (15-4)
5. Dan Hardy (23-7, 1 No Contest)
6. Martin Kampmann (17-3)
7. Paulo Thiago (13-2)
8. Matt Hughes (44-7)
9. Paul Daley (23-9-2)
10. Matt Serra (11-6)
Lightweight Rankings (146 to 155 lbs.)
1. Frankie Edgar (12-1)
2. B.J. Penn (15-6-1)
3. Gilbert Melendez (18-2)
4. Kenny Florian (13-4)
5. Eddie Alvarez (20-2)
6. Shinya Aoki (23-5, 1 No Contest)
7. Gray Maynard (9-0, 1 No Contest)
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri (26-5-2)
9. Evan Dunham (11-0)
10. George Sotiropoulos (13-2)
Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)
1. Jose Aldo (17-1)
2. Manny Gamburyan (11-4)
3. Urijah Faber (23-4)
4. Mike Brown (23-6)
5. Hatsu Hioki (21-4-2)
6. Bibiano Fernandes (8-2)
7. Marlon Sandro (17-1)
8. Josh Grispi (14-1)
9. Michihiro Omigawa (10-8-1)
10. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue (18-4)
Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)
1. Dominick Cruz (15-1)
2. Brian Bowles (8-1)
3. Joseph Benavidez (12-1)
4. Miguel Torres (37-3)
5. Scott Jorgensen (10-3)
6. Takeya Mizugaki (13-4-2)
7. Damacio Page (15-4)
8. Wagnney Fabiano (14-2)
9. Masakatsu Ueda (11-1-2)
10. Rani Yahya (15-6)
The Men’s 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 his first fight in the new weight class has taken place.
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 | 23 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
I like how Jacare is now magically ahead of Okami.
MW is a mess, Belfort and Henderson have barely fought anybody at 185, they both have wins over Franklin but neither were at 185. You are then left with mediocre wins over Martin & Lindland for Belfort and Palhares & Bisping for Henderson
Palhares is a mediocre win?!?
Ranking-wise, sure. What’s Palhares’s best career win? Jeremy Horn on a two fight slide? An Ivan Salaverry who had lost his previous fight to Terry Martin? Lucio Linhares? He’s a good fighter and all, but his resume is hurting for high-caliber wins.
I AM ACTUALLY SATISFIED WITH THE HW RANKINGS. My top 3 look like these however.
#1 WERDUM
#2 FEDOR
#3 LESNAR
Surprised Carwin is still so high. My philosophy is kind of “easy come, easy go.” I think if a guy gets in to the list on the basis of one or two big wins, he should fall more after a loss than a guy who has a thicker resume.
With that in mind, I think Mir should have fallen off the list altogether after his loss to Lesnar and Carwin never should have made the list. And if Mir didn’t fall after the Lesnar and Carwin did rise nearly to the top after beating him, Mir should have fallen off after losing to Carwin and Carwin should have taken a bigger hit after losing to Brock, especially considering the manner of his defeat.
In that case, shouldn’t Overeem not be on the list either because he only beat Rogers who had one lucky KO?
My point was that if you don’t have much of a case to get on the list, a loss should hurt you a lot. I definitely think Rogers should not be on the list for that reason.
-Mousasi got on the list after NO big wins, he should be outside the top 10.
-I still don’t understand how Shields is not in the 185 top 4 let alone not in the top 10.
-170-135 are the best rankings I have seen, maybe ever for MMA. Every position is perfect IMHO. Except maybe Ueda still being top 10…
Mousasi has a lot of very definitive wins and that counts for a lot.
I don’t care who you’re fighting… I don’t care if he’s 0-0, if he can magically banish you out of the universe in the first 20 seconds of the fight, (and there is no rule against multi-dimensional manipulation), I’d rank him #1 in the world. I’d fight Tyson with 4 oz gloves and no takedowns outside of my weight class before I can fight the guy that can destroy me like that.
So there is a lot to be said for dismantling guys.
“Mousasi has a lot of very definitive wins and that counts for a lot.
I don’t care who you’re fighting… I don’t care if he’s 0-0, if he can magically banish you out of the universe in the first 20 seconds of the fight, (and there is no rule against multi-dimensional manipulation), I’d rank him #1 in the world. I’d fight Tyson with 4 oz gloves and no takedowns outside of my weight class before I can fight the guy that can destroy me like that.
So there is a lot to be said for dismantling guys.”
What in the world is this comment representing? That Mousasi beating up cans like Hunt, and Goodrich give you a leg up in standings? That beating a bunch of guys at 185 give you a high ranking at 205?
Lots of people look unstoppable against lower class competition. Gegard should never have been passed #8 or #9, and now that he lost to a guy way outside the top 20 he should be out of the top 10…
Who would replace Mir in the top 10? Barnett has’nt fought anybody good in nearly 5 years and has been busted for roids 3 times. Rogers has one big win against Arlovski the rest were nobodies.
Palhares hasnt really beat anybody that wasin the top 20 and if you are’nt in the top 20 then I would consider you mediocre.
I see Fed is experiencing the “barnett effect”.
🙂
But I dont have a problem with it in this example.
Jake Shields anyone?
1. Anderson Silva (25-4)
2. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)
3. Nathan Marquardt (29-9-2)
4. Dan Henderson (25-8)
5. Vitor Belfort (19-8)
6. Demian Maia (12-1)
7. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (12-2, 1 No Contest)
8. Yushin Okami (24-5)
9. Jorge Santiago (22-8)
10. Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 No Contest)
Seriously is this just a mistake?
Ah, I should read it more carefully next time. Although I was under the impression jake and Nick weren’t even serving suspensions yet….
Good Point, where is Jake Shields? He did beat Dan Henderson. I would put him at #3.
How is Werdum ranked above JDS?
How is JDS ranked above Joaquim Ferreira? Not a serious question, but then neither is yours.
No it’s pretty serious…
Ferreira has lost to mediocre opposition since beating Dos santos. JDS is undefeated against Gonzaga, Yvel, Struve, and CroCop since KOing Werdum in the first round.
Werdum has a wins against a 205er in Mike Kyle, Big Foot Silva, and #1 Fedor.
It is definately a valid argument. But that’s what were here for right Isaiah? Practice what you preach martyr.
If Werdum is going to rocket up the list for beating Fedor why didn’t the guy who clobbered him and was ranked above him before also get pulled up the list?
I think Fedor should have dropped further than #2 from that loss. I think there is a lot of sentimentality for the guy that is reflected in these rankings.
So you really believe that past wins should affect a guy’s rankings when guys he beat get bigger wins in the future? But you make an exception when you have a bunch of losses. So what about Hae Joon Yang? He was the first guy to beat JDS after JDS’s loss to Ferreira and he’s still undefeated. According to your ranking principles, he should be ahead of JDS, right?
As it says above:
“Note: Nick Diaz, Jason Miller, and Jake Shields were all recently issued disciplinary suspensions by the Tennessee Athletic Commission for their roles in the post-fight brawl at the Strikeforce event in Nashville. Like all fighters who are serving disciplinary suspensions, these fighters have temporarily lost their eligibility to be ranked, and they will regain their eligibility to be ranked as soon as their disciplinary suspensions have ended. Shields’ three-month disciplinary suspension began on June 9; Miller’s began on June 16; and Diaz’ began on June 23. Gilbert Melendez’ three-month disciplinary suspension has not yet begun, due to the fact that his consent order has not yet been received, so he has not yet lost his eligibility to be ranked.”
Is Ben Henderson serving a suspension? I’ve noticed he’s not ranked here, and is below the top 10 on most lists. What gives? He’s the current WEC champ and is 12-1. I must be missing something.