Editor's Choice: Top 10 Pound-for-Pound MMA Rankings
Posted on December 6, 2011, 12:21 PM by Joey SantosusWith many of MMA's biggest names set to do battle over the next several months, there's no better time than now to address that non-existent, yet oft-debated list that we in the community like to refer to as "Pound for Pound" rankings.
Though 2011 has been good to mixed martial arts fans, it will soon be behind us, and with it goes the rankings of past. Over the last 365-days, new faces have emerged to claim their spot on the coveted list, while others have fought tooth and nail to maintain their place.
Of course, as with any opinion-oriented list that has not been compiled by reviewing hours of various statistics and indisputable fact, there will be LowKick'ers who both agree and disagree with some of the names on my list. For those of you who disagree, I encourage you to make your opinion known in the comments section below. But, more importantly, I remind you that the LowKick.com community rankings not only empower you with the ability to exercise your opinion, but also impact the final list that is presented each month on the LowKick.com homepage. So, as always, remember to keep your rankings up to date!
On that note, let's take a look at my selections for the top ten pound-for-pound fighters in the world as of December 2011:
Photos by Francis Specker and Scott Hirano
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1. Anderson "The Spider" Silva (LK: 1)
No surprise here. Silva is still the best in the world, and though his aura of invincibility was all but shattered at the hands of Chael Sonnen, the nasty front-kick to Vitor Belfort's face and sound beating he laid on Yushin Okami in Brazil, have since gone a long way in repairing those cracks. Currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, "The Spider" isn't expected to return until June, and will likely face the winner of the UFC on Fox 2 headliner pitting Sonnen against Mark Munoz. |
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2. Georges "Rush" St. Pierre (LK: 2)
Another mainstay on this list, and a solid number-two, is Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre. Unbeaten since 2007, St. Pierre catches a lot of flak for his perceived lack of killer instinct. But, finish or no finish, all the Canadian knows how to do is win. He'll look to keep that streak alive when he meets the yin to his yang, "The Stockton Bad Boy" Nick Diaz on Super Bowl weekend. |
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3. Frankie "The Answer" Edgar (LK: 4)
To be the man, you've got to beat the man, and Frankie Edgar beat him twice. B.J. Penn was widely ranked among the top five pound for pound fighters in the world when he was dethroned by Edgar, and just because some people couldn't believe what had transpired, the should-be 145'er did it again in his first Lightweight title defense. Still not convinced? After nearly being beheaded by Gray Maynard on New Year's Day, Edgar managed to battle back to a draw in a fight that many feel he won. Of course, that debate became irrelevant in October, when "The Answer" knocked out the unbeaten "Bully" the fourth-round of their threematch. Up next for Edgar is former WEC stand-out, turned UFC contender crusher, Ben Henderson. |
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4. Jon "Bones" Jones (LK: 3)
Jon Jones' ascension up the Light Heavyweight ranks has certainly been a sight to behold. After 15 outings, which saw him run through veterans such as Stephan Bonnar and Vladamir Matyushenko, touted prospects Brandon Vera and Ryan Bader, and former title holders Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Jones' future is looking brighter than ever. In what will be his fourth fight this year, "Bones" will square off with another former champ in Lyoto Machida at UFC 140. If victorious, Jones just may be the answer to the game of musical chairs that has long plagued the Light Heavyweight title mix. |
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5. Jose "Scarface" Aldo (LK: 5)
Often likened to Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo presents as a less polished version of his "big brother," and at just 25-years-old, has plenty of time to smooth out the rough patches. Currently riding an impressive 13-fight winning streak, Aldo proved he could persevere in the face of adversity by weathering a late storm to retain his Featherweight strap against Mark Hominick, and answered questions surrounding the legitimacy of his past opposition by handily defeating UFC veteran and perennial title contender Kenny Florian. Waiting in the wings, however, is the hungry Team Alpha Male product Chad Mendes, who will put the Brazilian's grappling ability to the test when the two go head to head at UFC 142 in January. |
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6. Dominick "The Dominator" Cruz (LK: 7)
Dominick Cruz has bobbed and weaved through the best 135'ers that ZUFFA has to offer, avenging his sole career defeat and building a ten-fight winning streak along the way. Though the weight class remains under-appreciated by the casual MMA fan, there's no denying the legitimacy of his opponents. Of the last seven fighters Cruz has faced, only Urijah Faber has been stopped more than once, while the remaining six have either never been finished, or have been stopped only once. With a trilogy fight with Faber on deck for 2012, "The Dominator" appears to have officially cleared out his division. Here's hoping that TUF 14 will produce some new contenders to the throne. |
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7. Jon Fitch (LK: NR)
In a parallel universe where Georges St. Pierre became a hockey player instead of a fighter, there's little doubt in my mind that Jon Fitch would have reigned atop the Welterweight division. Unfortunately for him though, we live in this universe, where GSP is champ and Fitch receives the same criticism for not finishing with none of the glory that the title brings. But, like his Canadian counterpart, Fitch is a winner, and if it weren't for his draw with B.J. Penn, the UFC would have ran out of excuses for not giving him another crack at the belt. With at least two contenders now ahead of him in the Welterweight title mix, Fitch will soon face the bearded one, Johny Hendricks, at UFC 141, in a bout where the AKA product has nothing to gain and everything to lose. |
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8. Nick Diaz (LK: 9)
Despite having seven losses to his name, "The Stockton Bad Boy" is 16-1 since 2007, with his only blemish in four years coming by way of a cut stoppage. This impressive streak coupled with the fact that I'm quite certain that he'd fight Brock Lesnar if the money was right, earns the former Strikeforce Champion a spot at number-eight on my list. One of the more well-rounded fighters in the game today, Diaz signed-on with the UFC after running out of contenders under the Strikeforce banner and has since went on to defeat B.J. Penn in an unprecedented manner. He'll soon be put to the ultimate test, however, when he challenges Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 143. If Diaz can learn to "play the game" and prove that wrestling is no longer his Achilles heel, the sky is the limit for the Cesar Gracie fighter. |
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9. "Suga" Rashad Evans (LK: NR)
After debuting as a Heavyweight on The Ultimate Fighter 2, Rashad Evans went on to claim the six-figure contract before dropping to 205, where he has since defeated the who's who of the division. Though long layoffs and untimely injuries have plagued the once-beaten former champ, Evans returned with a vengeance at UFC 133, absolutely destroying Tito Ortiz to improve his overall record to 16-1-1. With sights set firmly on his former friend turned arch-nemesis, Jon Jones, "Suga" will get yet another opportunity to prove why he's still number-one contender when he meets Phil Davis at UFC on Fox 2 in January. If victorious, the Jones-Evans grudge match will likely take place in 2012 - if Rashad can remain healthy, that is. |
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10. Dan "Hendo" Henderson (LK: 8)
Although it's not the first time that Dan Henderson has made an appearance on this list, for the veteran to re-emerge as a pound for pound great at the age of 41 speaks volumes about the type of competitor he is. Following a long, successful career in MMA, Henderson had absolutely nothing left to prove when he knocked out Rafael Cavalcante to claim the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title. Just as the natural Middleweight had no real rhyme or reason for taking on Heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko, who he dispatched of via TKO in the opening-round. But, perhaps most impressive, was his legendary battle with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua last month, a gutsy performance that will live on in the highlight reels for years to come. Though there has been no clear indication of what may lie ahead for Henderson, UFC President Dana White has stated that a title shot could be in reach for Hendo - which division appears to be up to him. |
Comments
Jones is amazing but he is also the biggest LHW in history of the sport so not sure he should be on a p4p ranking. Personally I have always thought Rashad to be the top p4p as I think he could fight at 170 easily.
easily fight at 170lbs? and people are sharping this? goes to show the knowledge of some of the people on lowkick
@Hunter
Yeah... I guess he doesnt realize he's contradicting his own point. Rashad walks around at 215-220 (he walks around at the weight Jones walks around at, at times)... If Rashad cut to 170 wouldnt that make him the "biggest WW in history"?
To all Lowkick Newcomers,
If you want to get instant SHARPS for your comments just say something negative about Bones or A.S. because confidence & winning is the DEVIL on this site.
or something positive about GSP...negative about Diaz.
First of all the article is well written but the subject is not
p4p is BS , and you can know that for a fact since you read the first line
"No surprise here. Silva is still the best in the world"
Anderson Silva is the best in our entire planet we called Earth, a planet where there are close to 7 billion people OK!
that doesn't sound exaggerated at all to start the subject.
So here we got a guy who weights arounds 215lbs and cuts to 185 a day before he fights and competes at the Middleweight division, the 5 out of 7 that exist , 2 having more heavier fighters LHW and HW's.
So the guy is undefeated for a while and is the Champion, yet the names worthy of calling them opponents he has beat can be count with 1 hand. So far so good? are you guys keeping up?
Good lets continue the class, So this guy is call the best in the entire planet yet there are 2 Champions above him fighting bigger and more skillful fighters , there are 10 Top contenders in each of the 2 divisions yet Mr Joey says Anderson Silva can beat them all base on ... not sure , maybe Dana White's claims of him saying he is the best.
Because if Dana's says so it must be true, remember he said a former WWE wrestler was the baddest man on the planet after beating 1 Top 25 heavyweight and the later Old timer Champion 220 pounds fighter Randy 47 years old Couture OK!
I guess then Pacquiao can beat all the Boxers in the world as well.
huh?
Wow, your just itching to be torn down. Maybe I'm feeling to nice tonight, but I'm gonna give you a free pass...
No, nope, I can't:
First off, never try to act like you're giving anybody on this site a class again. Your rant contains the knowledge of a guy who seems to have been watching the sport for a year or two. Plus conclusions jumped too out of thin air
Examples: "yet Mr Joey says Anderson Silva can beat them all base on .."
Nope, no he never said that. You put that line in so you could feel better about a self-centered poorly written diatribe that contained little information. He puts him on the top of his PFP list because he hasn't had a legitimate L on his record since 2004, and he's taken apart an entire weight class and beat up on a few top tier 205 guys too.
"maybe Dana White's claims of him saying he is the best.
Because if Dana's says so it must be true,"
I didn't see him mention Dana anywhere in there, did you? I mean you must have to shit on his credibility like that so quickly. Isn't it much more likely that he is the most deserving of the spot? No, Dana says it interviews so that is the most likely explanation. You would be great on the Sherdog forums.
Anderson is at the top of 99% of PFP lists in the MMA community because he has been the most impressive and dominant fighter for the past 7 years. He's beaten more top ten fighters in that time frame then you could count on two hands, he's gone up a weight class and defeated a top 5 opponent, and he has the most defenses of a championship in the history of PRIDE or the UFC.
PFP can mean a lot of things, but trying to break it down as who would beat who if everybody weighed the same is illogical, inaccurate, and an answer-less question. The best PFP fighter in the world is the guy who has been dominant for the longest time, over the best competition possible. That guy right now is Anderson Silva, with GSP right behind.
i agree in everything youve said about AS being #1 and about your definition of p4p. but i dont agree that anderson had beaten the most top 10 on the last 7 years. on my ranking AS is number 1 P4P but IMO GSP has beaten toughest competition and by far. he has not only beat more top 10s at his division (that is tougher than MW) but he has beaten a lot of top 10 p4p fighters. like hugues (2 times), penn (2 times) and shields. at that time those guys were top 10 p4p on most sites. i really dont considered guys like leben, lutter, leites, cote, irwin as top 10s but thats my opinion
if GSP beats diaz he will have another top 10 p4p fighter on his record. the only guy that i really consider that was maybe a top10 p4p fighter at the time he fought AS was hendo. and a lot of guys will say he wasnt because of the rampage fight. IMO he still was a top 10 p4p.
but i to consider AS number 1 P4P because of his finishes, his huge talent and his longest winning streak. i think gsp has been more dominant than him at least on the 4.5 last years and also has beaten better competition. i mean dominant by the way he almost won every round he fought (maybe some of them were boring) and that he seemed to be unbeatable. AS also has that but on a couple of fights he has shown some vulnerabilities.
if GSP has a great win against diaz or jones destroys machida its going to be really hard for me to pick a #1 p4p guy.
I find it crazy that so many people are calling him things like this... now hes the "biggest LHW in history"???
In WEIGHT CLASSES size is determined by WEIGHT.... so how is a man that walks around at 220 and only cuts 15 lbs the "biggest LHW in history"?
@hunter
Yea...you see waaaaayyy less stupid comments when it's easier to keep track of what someone says. Can't wait for the forums where intelligence will decide validity of comments and not popularity.
"lol omg silva jones aldo should all move up a weightclass they are sewww big an its not fayer!!" Lately i guess jones has beaten some of the pride hype boat so everyone needs an excuse, funny how noone talks about stefan struves awesome reach advantage or brock lesnars.
I can't wait to put john dodson on this list
@Nemesis
Speaking of Pride, lets talk about how much Rampage cuts.... at times over 50 lbs.
So according to Krogan, doesnt that make him the biggest LHW in history??? He needs to move up to HW!
No he doesn't, he fought in pride.
Are you kidding me? Rashad Evans would have to cut off a leg to make 170.
you must of never heard of Forest Griffen, and Stephan Bonnar
no JDS seriuosly?!?
i agree with u lights_out11....JDS has been on a tear and his road to belt was no easy task...imo JDS had the toughest fights towards getting a title shot and then ko the champion, who was favorite, in the first round...i personally dont think fitch should be in this list...he is a top 170er but not p4p.
sry i meant "fitch should not be in p4p list"
I have bob Sapp in my P4p list as number 2, Hong man choi as number 3 screw you guys if you disagree !!!!!!!
Actually the biggest LHW in the world is Chuck Liddel
By biggest i ment, the biggest thing that happened to LHW
Jon Fitch at number 7? Please.
I agree. No title, no P4P list. Fitch does not belong. Otherwise pretty good list.
What. Steven Seagal doesn't have a title but you can't tell me he shouldn't be on the list!
;-)
No JDS?? come on hes on one of the best winning streak in the HW division ever n hes beaten all his opponents pretty easily including like 2-3 top 10 HW's and just KO'd the undefeated Cain Valesquez who was considered top 10 p4p
meant to say best HW streak in UFC not in MMA obviously Fedor has JDS beat there
Ever?
JDS definitely, in place of Fitch.
I would say so, I cant thing of many other UFC HW's who won 8 straight fights and beating fighters like Werdum/Nelson/Cro Cop/Carwin/Cain all who were or are top 10 in the HW division
Hendo deserves better, considering he's the most decorated fighter, still a big force at his age (7 out of last 8 wins/4 fight win streak including wins over Bisping, Shogun and Fedor) and has fought in multiple weight divisions
How can Jon "decision" Fitch be number 7 beside he hasn't had a fight in almost a year, you should have to be an active P4P to be on anyones P4P list...
besides*
Jon Fitch dominates the decisions... it's not like he's getting close split decisions and only a single fighter has beat him in the UFC... the WW king GSP.
Jon Fitch who has never been a champ, drew his last fight and is notorious for not being able to finish his fights at No.7! Get real.
Also not a single heavyweight in there. JDS is definately top 10 p4p.
Editor got it very wrong!
In my humble opinion, the HW division is still rather shallow. Though JDS and Cain are great competitors, there aren't enough opponents at their skill level to really test them.
As the division continues to grow and they continue to win against high-level opposition, they will surely find a place on my list. As for now, however, there are only ten slots available, and these are the fighters I feel are most deserving. I do appreciate your input, but I felt perhaps an explanation was in order. Thanks.
Appreciate lists like this are down to individual opinion but still feel the need to challenge.
I would also argue that HW is much more stacked than the WW division. Would you say the top 10 WWs are as good as JDS, Cain, Brock, Overeem, Mir, Carwin, Kongo, Big Nog, Big Roy and Mitrione? I doubt it. It's all well and good talking abot winning streaks but you have to look at the quality of opponents in your weight class as well.
Compared to GSP, Fitch, Condit, Ellenburgh, Mac Donald, Diaz to name a few with another half dozen names that more than match your HW list for comparable talent. The WW division is miles ahead of the HW division. MILES!! It is second only to the LW division for depth.
Everyone knows the lighter divisions are faaarrrrrrr more skillful than heavyweight. Compare season 10 to season 14 on TUF. Don't know why people ever put velasquez on the list
JDS is a good pick, but the list isn't exactly broken for not having him
I have been more vocal than many in the last few years about the depth in the HW division, but even I admit it is starting to take on some depth and legitimacy in comparison to some other divisions. Far from the finished article, it does have some way to go, but it is certainly much better than a couple of years ago.
Aldo should be 3 and Cruz 4 then Jones 5! Fitch, Evans and Hendo should not even be on this list... I like Hendo but he is not top 10 anymore! Where is JDS? Velasquez? There needs to be a better job done on these lists if you want someone to actually take them seriously! I think Diaz is a punk and barely made the list... No. 10 is more like it if he even deserves that high!
List is close to be stupid. No JDS and Fitch is better than Evans hahaha.
I'll say it again. Look at the top 10 WW right now, Jon Fitch has not Defeated any of them. So yeah he might win but he still hasnt beat ANY top 10 WW currently ranked. Never been Champ, last fight was a Draw with Bj who's record at WW is 2-4-1. How does this equal P4P?!?
To be fair, the UFC won't let him fight the top ranked WW's right now because they know he will beat them and they do not want to give Fitch another title shot ;)
Omg joey you mean the fighters don't decide who they fight?!?!?!
I mainly just disagree w/ where Diaz and Fitch are in the line-up. No offense but writing an article about it is lose-lose.
Also, I appreciate you making an attempt at a highly debated issue as a p4p list (which should never exist). I think Chael commented best about his thoughts on a p4p list, and I couldn't agree w/ him more.
Lastly, I would fight and die for your right to write this article.
Tomorrow is a day, "that will live in infamy." Let's remember and respect that. Could be posting "zis in german."
so based on the fights he should have win that the ufc never put for him he is so highly ranked???
thats new
yea cause thats what he said right? dumb ass
Chicken Silva first and JDS propably the real p4p fighter in the World not in top 10 lol.Hector Lombard will kill Silva he is not ewen best in MW devision
mokoko your rankings are a joke
Diaz below Fitch...BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Yup, agree completely.
Fedor has beaten the second most top 10 fighters in the HW division of all-time.
The only HW to beat more than him is Big Nog and Fedor dominated him twice... so Fedor arguably is the best HW in history...
UFC HW Champion automatically = #1 HW EVER! lol.
fitch had a draw with bj and diaz destroyed bj... at least diaz has to be above fitch
i really dont understand how someone gives more credit to fitchs or rashads wins than JDS wins... ill take both of those guys out of the list and put JDS and sonnen in there
i agree with diaz and hendo being there to
Style make fights though buddy and Fitch's style = Diaz getting smashed for three rounds.
and thats important on p4p?? if machida wins on saturday will it be the same with shogun??? styles make fights... so shogun should be ranked on top of him??
"If victorious, Jones just may be the answer to the game of musical chairs that has long plagued the Light Heavyweight title mix." I feel the game of "Pass the parcel" would have been a more suitable analogy but musical chairs is ok too xD
I also tossed around the idea of "hot potato," but settled with the musical chairs
you made the right choice Mr Santosus
Submitted like an amateur? It's obvious, you sir, never trained UFC.
HEY HEY HEY Anton I train Shark Fights, not everyone trains UFC.
Where the hell is Bisping's name?? (Laughs out loud).
Silva loses the top spot through lack of activity. If he was serious about staying #1, he wouldn't be on vacation.
Every hear any specifics about what's wrong with Silva' shoulder? No, becaue that would set a time line.
The only thing he's rehabbing is his contract with the UFC.
June is the date that is suspected for his return...
For more details, June is not only the date he's supposedly going to be cleared for injury, but also coincides with the UFC's return to Brazil, which both Anderson and Dana spoke of him fighting on that card.
...which is insane. 10 months to rehab a shoulder injury that didn't need surgery?
He beat Sonnen in 2010, and has fought 5 minutes in 2 bouts since then. For a fighter who relies on speed and reflex so much, that is not a lot of work.
Silva will probably be well past his 37th birthday when he fights next. If you don't use it, you lose it, and that might even apply to the Spider...
@cranestyle
He has bursitis, which has been known to take 6 months to a year to heal in the shoulder area.
GSP isnt going to be fighting for 11 months by the time his fights on, and he took all that time off to rehab an injury that didnt need surgery either. He beat Koscheck in 2010 and has fought only 1 bout since then.
Again... how come your not criticizing him? As long as you keep criticizing 1 fighter for his time off but supporting another fighter who is taking EVEN MORE time off for a "strained hamstring" (which is a less severe injury) and fighting EVEN LESS often, you are ruining your own credibility and looking like a fool. Seriously, do some research before posting.
Lets put anderson off number 1 ranking.
Frankie edgar should be number one for toughness after his two maynard fights....
Im a little dissapointed that Cigano isnt on the list, Jon Fitch should be taken off the list in favor of JDS taking that spot in the list
Joey: Our first seven is completely the same. However, I got JDS at 8, Melendez at 9, and Rashad at 10. No room for Hendo or Diaz.
where is JDS???
he has been knocking everybody out to be the champion of the biggest and most difficult weight division of them all....
better to skip this pfp list shit. its just a joke and nothing that you can measure...