8 UFC Fighters Who Deserve to Be Higher Up the Official Rankings
Rankings are just a bunch of numbers, right?
While that may be an actuality, rankings often serve as an index for each and every divisional map.
Now while some values may be skewed and others short-handed, the UFC has done its best to maintain stability from the very depths of its roster.
But that doesn't mean some names are given numbers, or the lack thereof, that fail to articulate their true worth in blood, sweat, skill and perennial success.
Here are eight fighters who deserve to be slotted higher up in the UFC's official rankings.
*Fighters with substantial injuries and/or contractual disputes have been left off for those exact reasons
No. 15 Mike Easton
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Four-straight losses isn't good for anyone's career, but Mike Easton is too talented and too well-rounded to dip below the likes Alex Caceres, Francisco Rivera and even Joe Soto in the bantamweight rankings.
For what it's worth, Easton's recent demise inside the cage, stretching a grand total of 12 complete rounds, has not resulted in one finish.
No submissions, no knockouts, no nothing.
So while he hasn't been able to win on the judge's scorecards, it's not like he's getting ran out of the cage.
Instead, the 30-year-old has dropped a close split-decision loss to Brad Pickett, a back-and-forth battle to Raphael Assuncao and two one-sided beatdowns to current champion TJ Dillashaw and Yves Jabouin on the heels of a depleted wrestling game.
In any case, Easton remains one of the best athletes in the division and a former top contender who can easily turn it around should he rediscover his groove.
Unranked Joe Lauzon
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Joe Lauzon is Mr. Performance of the Night.
That's no secret.
But outside of his ability to finish fights when the opportunity presents itself, he still remains one of the most dangerous lightweights in the UFC today in his absolute totality.
From evolving striking to a strong clinch game, vicious ground-and-pound to nasty submissions, "J-Lau" can pretty much do it all.
He's certainly getting up there in age and promotional tenure, but back-to-back wins should be enough to land him back in the lightweight division's illustrious 15.
No. 8 Amanda Nunes
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At 26 years of age, Brazilian sensation Amanda Nunes remains one of the most promising female fighters in the world today.
Blessed with exceptional submission skills and heavy hands, she possesses the natural tools to one day compete for a championship.
Her overall progression was certainly thrown for a loop when she lost to Alexis Davis back in 2011, but with eight career knockouts, a 2-0 UFC record and a 14-second knockout victory over Julia Budd, Nunes' resume speaks for itself.
A victory over Cat Zingano at UFC 178 later this month could send "The Lioness" from No. 8 ranked to No. 1 contender overnight.
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Unranked Thiago Alves
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Yet another former divisional standout turned on-the-rise veteran.
After a two-year absence from the Octagon, welterweight juggernaut Thiago Alves finally made his return to the cage this past April opposite Seth Baczynski.
The Brazilian may have looked rusty, but he most certainly did enough to regain a good portion of the respect and fear he was commanded among his peers.
With other names like Jordan Mein, Mike Pyle and Ryan LaFlare gracing the division's Top 15, it's difficult to know that Alves is still competing and falling to the wayside.
It's a harsh reality, but if Alves' past dominance and admirable comeback doesn't warrant him a ranked spot, his current talent will get him there quickly.
No. 12 Dominick Cruz
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Dominick Cruz could have very well fallen into that discarded group of fighters with injuries who have been completely stripped of their ranking.
But as a former bantamweight champion and previous pound-for-pound standout, it's difficult to leave him out of the 135-pound division's Top 15 considering he's finally healthy.
However, upon further review, if Cruz was warranted any ranking, shouldn't it be higher than No. 12?
With a lone professional loss to Urijah Faber back in 2007, the now 29-year-old still remains one of the best fighters in the world.
Until his performance inside the cage suggests otherwise, culminating with him forfeiting his title as one of the best footwork specialists in the game, Cruz should remain near the top.
No. 8 Roy Nelson
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At this point in his career, it's difficult for Roy Nelson to escape heavyweight limbo.
In other words, his punching power is too prolific to fall outside of the division's Top 10 but too one-dimensional to make a successful run at the title.
That reality has created a particular aura around the big-bellied knockout specialist that more or less discredits his overall work.
Since 2011, Nelson has finished each one of his victories, including punishing knockouts of Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira and Cheick Kongo.
But when people look at the fact that he got outpointed by Fabricio Werdum, Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic on the feet, Nelson is often labeled a goat (not the Greatest of All Time).
Now he may never win a world championship fighting in the UFC, but considering Nelson has done more in the promotion over the past few years than Mark Hunt and Josh Barnett, his No. 8 ranking becomes something of a fallacy.
Unranked Max Holloway
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In what world does Max Holloway remain unranked?
Seriously.
As a 22-year-old versatile striker who can stand and bang with almost any featherweight in dodge, "Blessed" has displayed the overall success to deserve a number in front of his Hawaiian name.
Sure Holloway has dropped big-time fights to Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor and Dennis Bermudez, but those are three of the hottest 145-pound fighters in the world right now.
Not to mention he came away with a split-decision loss opposite Bermudez (who now commands a seven-fight win streak) and remains the only fighter ever to go three rounds with "The Notorious."
Need more proof?
How about the fact that Holloway has now won three fights in a row, finishing two of them by TKO and the other via submission?
With a stacked division at hand, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where he should go, but the kid deserves to be in there somewhere.
No. 14 Eddie Alvarez
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This is just wrong.
Newly signed Eddie Alvarez has been widely considered one of the best, if not the best, lightweight in the world over the past few years competing outside of the UFC.
Now that he has finally arrived, the former Bellator champion is being labeled as the division's No. 14 ranked fighter?
Huh?
It's possible that Alvarez's place in the division is being reserved until he proves his worth opposite Donald Cerrone in less than two weeks at UFC 178, but this is just a mockery.
Not for nothing, but Alvarez's impact on the 155-pound division could resemble the affect that guys like Robbie Lawler, Daniel Cormier and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza have had on their respective weight classes.
For more UFC news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell
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