Sherdog Rankings

[MTG]

Heavyweight

1. Fedor Emelianenko (29-1, 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 against Josh Barnett.

2. Andrei Arlovski (14-6)
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)
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)
A knee injury postponed Mir’s May matchup with Brock Lesnar. Now the UFC's interim heavyweight champion will seek to unify both versions of the promotion's title when he rematches Lesnar at UFC 100 on July 11.

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Whether it will wind up being the fight that fans had long hoped for remains to be seen, but two of the sport’s most enduring icons will square off at UFC 102 in August when Nogueira finally meets up with Randy Couture.

6. Brock Lesnar (3-1)
The former WWE star got a bit of bad news when his UFC heavyweight title rematch with Frank Mir was postponed due to injury. Lesnar will get the chance to become the full and undisputed UFC heavyweight king come July 11 at UFC 100.

7. Randy Couture (16-9)
His bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is long overdue. Hopefully when "The Natural" and "Minotauro" square off at UFC 102 in August, the clash of heavyweight legends is not past its expiration date.

8. Tim Sylvia (24-5)
Not having seen action since his blowout loss to Fedor Emelianenko last July, the former UFC heavyweight champion is tracking down competition of a different sort. He'll box former Olympic gold medalist Ray Mercer on June 13.

9. Shane Carwin (11-0)
Just when it looked as if he were on the ropes, Carwin turned out the lights on Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga on March 7. The victory gave the touted heavyweight prospect his 11th stoppage win in as many fights.

10. Alistair Overeem (29-11, 1 NC)
Continuing his kickboxing odyssey, Overeem at least drew critical praise on March 28 when he rag-rolled three-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion Remy Bonjasky before a late knockdown cost him a razor-thin decision.

I more or less agree with this but i put carwin ahead of Sylvia since he hasn't fought in a while and i put Lesnar ahead of Big Nog for now.

Light Heavyweight

1. Rashad Evans (13-0-1)
Evans' March 23 defense against the ever-dangerous Quinton "Rampage" Jackson fell through. However, that won't save Evans from taking on an enormously dangerous opponent. He'll meet arguably the division's finest, undefeated Lyoto Machida, in the headliner of UFC 98 on May 23.

2. Quinton Jackson (30-7)
Jackson's hard-fought unanimous verdict over Keith Jardine on March 7 earned him a crack at UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans at UFC 98 on May 23. However, with just over two months turnaround for such a high stakes clash, "Rampage" has opted to step aside, allowing for Lyoto Machida to challenge Evans instead.

3. Forrest Griffin (16-5)
With his injured hand healing better than expected, the former UFC light heavyweight champ will return to action at UFC 101 on Aug. 8. He's slated to meet Thiago Silva.

4. Lyoto Machida (14-0)
After putting together a 6-0 mark in the Octagon, "The Dragon" will finally get his crack at UFC gold. He takes on fellow undefeated 205-pounder Rashad Evans for the UFC title and light heavyweight supremacy in the main event of UFC 98 on May 23.

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" will only slide partway down the scale for the time being. He will fight Rich Franklin in a catchweight contest at UFC 99 on June 13 in Cologne, Germany.

7. 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.

8. Keith Jardine (14-5-1)
Jardine did not walk away with a win in his March 7 meeting with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, but "The Dean of Mean" did extract some moral victory. He fought the former 205-pound king tooth-and-nail to a competitive decision, far exceeding expectations.

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 may be a bout in Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight on April 25.

10. Thiago Silva (13-1)
Silva was blown out by Lyoto Machida on Jan. 31. Now the Brazilian banger will look to recover from his first loss when he meets former divisional ruler Forrest Griffin on Aug. 8 at UFC 101.

I got Lyoto ahead of Forrest. I also have Jardine at 6 Cane at 7 and Wanderlei at 8

Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (23-4)
“The Spider†will headline the April 18 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)
Getting a title shot in the UFC certainly hasn't come easy for Okami. The next hurdle for the Japanese stalwart to clear is former IFL champ Dan Miller, whom Okami will meet at UFC 98 on May 23.

3. Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1)
It may not have been an MMA bout, but the 23-year-old Mousasi 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.

5. Robbie Lawler (16-4, 1 NC)
EliteXC's middleweight champion will look to pick up where he left off when his former employer closed up shop. "Ruthless" takes on fellow former EliteXC champ Jake Shields in the headliner of Strikeforce's June 6 bill on Showtime.

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. The BJJ king easily polished off Chael Sonnen in the first round of their Feb. 21 encounter. Now Maia is said to be waiting in the wings for the winner of the April 18 meeting between Anderson Silva and Thales Leites.

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.

This ones weird for me. I have Mousassi at 2, Hendo at 3, Okami at 5, Maia at 6, lawler 7 and the rest is ok.

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, most likely at UFC 100 in July.

2. Thiago Alves (16-3)
His noted 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)
Jon Fitch will have the chance to atone for the indiscretions of teammate Josh Koscheck, as he'll take on his AKA compatriot's upset author Paulo Thiago at UFC 100 on July 11.

4. Jake Shields (22-4-1)
With no forthcoming opposition at 170 pounds, the former EliteXC welterweight champ will step up to 185 pounds to take on standout middleweight Robbie Lawler in the headliner of Strikeforce's second Showtime effort on June 6.

5. Martin Kampmann (15-2)
Kampmann gutted out a split decision victory over Carlos Condit on April 1, and with his victory, Denmark's top MMA export firmly entrenched himself amongst the top 170-pounders in the world.

6. Karo Parisyan (18-5, 1 NC)
It will be a long 2009 for Karo Parisyan. After getting popped for painkillers following his Jan. 31 split decision win over Dong Hyun Kim, Parisyan's win was stripped, and now "The Heat" will serve a nine-month suspension.

7. Paulo Thiago (11-0)
He is gutsy, if nothing else: having aced his February UFC debut against Josh Koscheck, the relatively unknown Brazilian will now attempt to knock off Koscheck's teammate and consensus top-three welterweight Jon Fitch at UFC 100 on July 11.

8. Josh Koscheck (12-4)
Following his shock upset loss to Paulo Thiago in February, Koscheck was scheduled for comeback duty against tough Chris Wilson at UFC 98 in May. Unfortunately, the TUF alum was forced out of the bout due to a foot injury.

9. Carlos Condit (22-5)
A victory was not in the cards for Condit in his UFC debut, but his wildly entertaining April 1 split decision loss to Martin Kampmann did show that the former WEC champ belongs in the Octagon with the sport's top 170-pounders.

10. 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.

1-5 i agree with but Koscheck is at 6, Dustin Hazelet is at 7, Karo 8, Hughes 9, Thiago 10 with davis and Hardy looking in.

Lightweight

1. B.J. Penn (13-5-1)
With his Greasegate protests now seemingly behind him, Penn has accepted the offer to defend his UFC 155-pound crown against Kenny Florian at UFC 101 on Aug. 8, in a long overdue lightweight matchup.

2. Shinya Aoki (20-4, 1 NC)
Shinya Aoki was keen to avenge his August 2005 loss to Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, as he stepped back up to the welterweight division on April 5 for Dream. Instead, Aoki lasted only 27 seconds, as he was brutally destroyed by a belt of Sakurai knees and punches.

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)
After overcoming an early scare, Alvarez got a comeback victory under his belt and opened the Bellator Fighting Championships’ lightweight tournament in style, notching a first-round submission over Greg Loughran on April 3.

4. Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)
Despite the attention given to his New Year’s Eve rematch with Gesias “JZ†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)
With his New Year's Eve scrap with Joachim Hansen getting nixed at the last minute, "JZ" will finally get into the ring with a stalwart opponent, as he'll take on Tatsuya Kawajiri at Dream 9 on May 26.

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)
Florian won't have to wait much longer for his second crack at the UFC's lightweight title, as champion B.J. Penn has accepted to face "Ken Flo" at UFC 101 in August.

8. Satoru Kitaoka (24-8-9)
Kitaoka is expected to make the first defense of his Sengoku lightweight title in August, but as a Pancrase torchbearer, the powerhouse grappler has chosen to make a stopover in his old stomping grounds for a June 7 tune-up.

9. Josh Thomson (16-2, 1 NC)
Injury has struck Strikeforce's champion yet again, as a broken leg suffered in training will nix his slated April 11 rematch with the man he took that title from, Gilbert Melendez.

10. Gray Maynard (7-0, 1 NC)
Maynard turned in his fifth straight victory inside the Octagon at UFC 96 in March, battering a serious fighter in Jim Miller over three dominant rounds to claim his place in these rankings.

Lmfao. Florian gets NO respect. He should be at 3, with everyone else moving down one. and maynard ahead of Thomson

 

[xtremebadass]

Wandy and Jardine should be before Liddell IMO. Forrest should also be ahead of Rampage. WTF, why is Matt Hughes on the list? lol at Thales being number 9 and getting a title shot, that basically screams he is going to be fed to Silva.

 

[MTG]

Liddell definitely shouldn't be after wandy there's no way. Liddell beat wandy in their last fight + wandys on a 2 fight loosing streak.

Jardine is arguable.