Mr. Beelzebub
03-24-2003, 05:00 PM
MaxFighting's Pound for Pound MMA Rankings
1. Murilo Bustamante (9-1-1)
Until official notice, Bustamante, the best middleweight in the world, is the UFC 185-pound champion. It seems more than likely, however, that the Brazilian great will move to Japan and the PRIDE ring sometime this summer. Dominant wins over Dave Menne and Matt Lindland in 2002 showed Bustamante could finish a fight anywhere in the ring. May marks 12 months since his last fight and he needs to step in the ring soon in order to keep his place on the list. Despite being at the top of his game, Bustamante’s age may be the only thing working against him right now.
2. Matt Hughes (29-3-0)
Hughes continued his demolition of the welterweight class with a first-round TKO victory of Gil Castillo in late-November. That win coupled with his other 2002 dominations of Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and Carlos Newton punctuated a very impressive year for the undisputed top 170-pounder in the world. His scary strength is quickly being accented by scary skills and it seems highly unlikely that anyone in the welterweight division that can compete with him right now. Hughes next challenge comes April 25 by way of welterweight powerhouse Sean Sherk.
3. Chuck Liddell (11-1-0)
With his “fight anyone, anytime” attitude, Liddell has separated himself as the best light heavyweight in the world since stopping Kevin Randleman May of 2001. “The Iceman” followed up that win by decisioning Vitor Belfort and, most recently, KO’ing Renato “Babalu” Sobral, a first for the tough Brazilian. Liddell has stood up to any challenge thrown his way and unquestionably deserves a shot at UFC 205-pound titleholder Tito Ortiz. Whether that happens or not is up to Ortiz, who seems to want anything but.
4. Emelianenko Fedor (11-1-0)
Last June only close followers of the sport had heard of the Russian fighter. What a nine months it’s been. Beginning with a decision over the always-tough Semmy Schilt, Fedor followed with thoroughly dominating performances over heavyweight contender Heath Herring (TKO R1), and PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (unanimous decision). The most revolutionary ground-and-pound fighter since Mark Coleman first came onto the scene, Fedor systematically hammered Nogueira from within the Brazilian’s guard. It was truly an amazing performance.
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (19-2-1)
Previously ranked with Bustamante atop MaxFighting’s pound for pound rankings, Nogueira had been all but unstoppable the past 18 months. But Fedor ended his dominance on March 16 and for the first time Nogueira looked human. Though the loss knocks him from his perch, it should not inspire doubts to his greatness. He’s still an amazingly tough and skilled fighter. A rematch versus Fedor -- and you have to hope there is one soon -- would answer any questions regarding how the two fighters stack up in the pound-for-pound picture.
6. Anderson Silva (9-1-0)
Chute Boxe-trained Silva has confounded opponents with his lanky six-foot frame and competent ground game. Wins over Hayato Sakurai (he was the first to stop the highly-regarded Japanese fighter), Alex Stiebling, and a recent TKO of Carlos Newton highlight his resume. Sporting one of the best jabs in MMA, the former SHOOTO 167-pound champ has fought recent bouts closer to185 pounds; it appears he’ll stay at that weight for the near future.
7.Tito Ortiz (11-2-0)
Ortiz, the UFC 205-pound belt holder, has only one fight over the past 18 months (a three-round domination of veteran Ken Shamrock last November). When he has fought, he’s been absolutely dominant. Improved striking along with his unequaled cardio and brutal ground-and-pound amount to one hell of a good fighter. Yet, Ortiz drops from five to seven because of his apparent refusal to give Liddell, the clear-cut top contender for his UFC belt, a shot. The stalling makes one wonder.
8. Vanderlei Silva (21-3-1)
Silva has the talent and ferocity to hang with any light heavyweight in the world. Through no fault of his own, however, he’s been relegated to beating primarily b-level fighters since winning the PRIDE 205-pound title in November 2001. Save a special rules K-1/Pride bout between Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic that resulted in a draw, Silva’s wins versus Alexander Otsuka, Kiyoshi Tamura (the best out of the bunch), Tatsuya Iwasaki and an overmatched Hiromitsu Kanehara have done little to elevate him in the minds of most of the sport’s close observers. He gets a shot to quiet all his critics when he faces PRIDE number-one contender Quinton “Rampage” Jackson this coming June or August.
9. Takanori Gomi (13-0)
One of the few elite undefeated fighters in the world the SHOOTO 154-pound champ is the best all-around fighter in the lightweight division. After stopping top contender Dokonjonsuke Mishima in December, Gomi followed with a dominant one-round submission performance over an overmatched Nick Ertl. It appears as if Gomi is destined to compete against top contenders on this side of the Pacific, and his performance will do much to clarify his place on this list.
10. Alexandre Franca Nogueira (9-2-1)
The smallest fighter on the Max-rankings, Nogueira (145 pounds) had been considered amongst the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world before a shocking KO loss to Hiroyuki Abe last July relieved him of his status. The loss marked the second of his career. However, it also provided him another chance at redemption. The Brazilian answered Abe’s challenge by catching him in a rear naked choke in their December rematch. The SHOOTO champ is one of the most dangerous fighters on the list because of his ability to win the fight from any position.
1. Murilo Bustamante (9-1-1)
Until official notice, Bustamante, the best middleweight in the world, is the UFC 185-pound champion. It seems more than likely, however, that the Brazilian great will move to Japan and the PRIDE ring sometime this summer. Dominant wins over Dave Menne and Matt Lindland in 2002 showed Bustamante could finish a fight anywhere in the ring. May marks 12 months since his last fight and he needs to step in the ring soon in order to keep his place on the list. Despite being at the top of his game, Bustamante’s age may be the only thing working against him right now.
2. Matt Hughes (29-3-0)
Hughes continued his demolition of the welterweight class with a first-round TKO victory of Gil Castillo in late-November. That win coupled with his other 2002 dominations of Hayato “Mach” Sakurai and Carlos Newton punctuated a very impressive year for the undisputed top 170-pounder in the world. His scary strength is quickly being accented by scary skills and it seems highly unlikely that anyone in the welterweight division that can compete with him right now. Hughes next challenge comes April 25 by way of welterweight powerhouse Sean Sherk.
3. Chuck Liddell (11-1-0)
With his “fight anyone, anytime” attitude, Liddell has separated himself as the best light heavyweight in the world since stopping Kevin Randleman May of 2001. “The Iceman” followed up that win by decisioning Vitor Belfort and, most recently, KO’ing Renato “Babalu” Sobral, a first for the tough Brazilian. Liddell has stood up to any challenge thrown his way and unquestionably deserves a shot at UFC 205-pound titleholder Tito Ortiz. Whether that happens or not is up to Ortiz, who seems to want anything but.
4. Emelianenko Fedor (11-1-0)
Last June only close followers of the sport had heard of the Russian fighter. What a nine months it’s been. Beginning with a decision over the always-tough Semmy Schilt, Fedor followed with thoroughly dominating performances over heavyweight contender Heath Herring (TKO R1), and PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (unanimous decision). The most revolutionary ground-and-pound fighter since Mark Coleman first came onto the scene, Fedor systematically hammered Nogueira from within the Brazilian’s guard. It was truly an amazing performance.
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (19-2-1)
Previously ranked with Bustamante atop MaxFighting’s pound for pound rankings, Nogueira had been all but unstoppable the past 18 months. But Fedor ended his dominance on March 16 and for the first time Nogueira looked human. Though the loss knocks him from his perch, it should not inspire doubts to his greatness. He’s still an amazingly tough and skilled fighter. A rematch versus Fedor -- and you have to hope there is one soon -- would answer any questions regarding how the two fighters stack up in the pound-for-pound picture.
6. Anderson Silva (9-1-0)
Chute Boxe-trained Silva has confounded opponents with his lanky six-foot frame and competent ground game. Wins over Hayato Sakurai (he was the first to stop the highly-regarded Japanese fighter), Alex Stiebling, and a recent TKO of Carlos Newton highlight his resume. Sporting one of the best jabs in MMA, the former SHOOTO 167-pound champ has fought recent bouts closer to185 pounds; it appears he’ll stay at that weight for the near future.
7.Tito Ortiz (11-2-0)
Ortiz, the UFC 205-pound belt holder, has only one fight over the past 18 months (a three-round domination of veteran Ken Shamrock last November). When he has fought, he’s been absolutely dominant. Improved striking along with his unequaled cardio and brutal ground-and-pound amount to one hell of a good fighter. Yet, Ortiz drops from five to seven because of his apparent refusal to give Liddell, the clear-cut top contender for his UFC belt, a shot. The stalling makes one wonder.
8. Vanderlei Silva (21-3-1)
Silva has the talent and ferocity to hang with any light heavyweight in the world. Through no fault of his own, however, he’s been relegated to beating primarily b-level fighters since winning the PRIDE 205-pound title in November 2001. Save a special rules K-1/Pride bout between Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic that resulted in a draw, Silva’s wins versus Alexander Otsuka, Kiyoshi Tamura (the best out of the bunch), Tatsuya Iwasaki and an overmatched Hiromitsu Kanehara have done little to elevate him in the minds of most of the sport’s close observers. He gets a shot to quiet all his critics when he faces PRIDE number-one contender Quinton “Rampage” Jackson this coming June or August.
9. Takanori Gomi (13-0)
One of the few elite undefeated fighters in the world the SHOOTO 154-pound champ is the best all-around fighter in the lightweight division. After stopping top contender Dokonjonsuke Mishima in December, Gomi followed with a dominant one-round submission performance over an overmatched Nick Ertl. It appears as if Gomi is destined to compete against top contenders on this side of the Pacific, and his performance will do much to clarify his place on this list.
10. Alexandre Franca Nogueira (9-2-1)
The smallest fighter on the Max-rankings, Nogueira (145 pounds) had been considered amongst the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world before a shocking KO loss to Hiroyuki Abe last July relieved him of his status. The loss marked the second of his career. However, it also provided him another chance at redemption. The Brazilian answered Abe’s challenge by catching him in a rear naked choke in their December rematch. The SHOOTO champ is one of the most dangerous fighters on the list because of his ability to win the fight from any position.