Bleacher Report MMA Rankings for January 2016
And lo, there was much upheaval in these rankings.
Since the last time Bleacher Report published its MMA top-10 lists (on December 14, 2015), there have been five UFC events, four title fights and two new champions. Even at the breakneck speed we try to publish these things, it's hard to take all that in.
Conor McGregor dropped Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds to win the undisputed featherweight title, and Luke Rockhold ripped the middleweight belt from Chris Weidman, both at UFC 194. Meanwhile, lightweight titlist Rafael dos Anjos and welterweight kingpin Robbie Lawler both turned away popular challengers.
Several potential No. 1 contenders may also have been anointed—Frankie Edgar, Yoel Romero and Stipe Miocic, to name a few—while up-and-coming fighters such as Paige VanZant and Joseph Duffy suffered setbacks.
It made for a wild and woolly end to 2015 in MMA. How did B/R's panel of voters think all this action affected the rankings? Read on to find out.
As usual, the rankings of each panelist are available on Twitter.
Rules and Notes
1 of 11
Each month, Bleacher Report MMA will deliver monthly top-10 rankings for each major men's MMA division, as well as the women's strawweight and bantamweight divisions. The rankings will typically come out during the first week of each month, but timing will be flexible, depending on where major events fall on the calendar. Bleacher Report's rankings panel consists of Chad Dundas, Nathan McCarter, Steven Rondina, Jonathan Snowden and Patrick Wyman.
Which fighters are ranked? How are they ranked? Rules are as follows:
- Fighters are ranked in their weight class by each member of the panel, receiving up to 10 points based on where they are placed (the No. 1 fighter receives 10 points, the No. 2 fighter receives nine and so on). Ties are left unbroken, and fighters sharing the same number of points are ordered alphabetically.
- Weight classes for men include 125 pounds, 135 pounds, 145 pounds, 155 pounds, 170 pounds, 185 pounds, 205 pounds and 206 to 265 pounds. Weight classes for women include 115 pounds and 135 pounds.
- Fighters must have fought within the last 18 months and/or have a bout scheduled. If a fighter is removed from the rankings due to inactivity, he will only be readmitted after participating in a sanctioned MMA bout. Retirements and indefinite leaves from the sport are considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Fighters suspended for failed drug tests are immediately removed from the rankings. They are eligible to rejoin the rankings after serving their suspension and competing in a sanctioned MMA bout.
- Fighters suspended for behavioral reasons are handled on a case-by-case basis.
- Fighters are only eligible to be ranked in one weight class, determined at the panel's discretion.
Here are the notes for this month:
- Ben Askren will remain at welterweight for the time being, despite expressing his interest to Jim Edwards of MMA Latest in moving up to 185 pounds following One FC's new weight-cutting policies. He will be moved to middleweight after competing in a 185-pound bout and being scheduled for another.
- Similarly, Donald Cerrone will remain ranked at lightweight. He will be moved to welterweight, should he take another 170-pound fight following his bout with Tim Means.
Women's Strawweight
2 of 11
No. 1 — Joanna Jedrzejczyk (50 points)
Promotion: UFC (C)
Record: 11-0 (4 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 28
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 65"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: (No. 9) Valerie Letourneau, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 2 — Claudia Gadelha (45)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-1 (2 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 27
Height: 5'4"
Reach: 63"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Jessica Aguilar, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 3 — Jessica Aguilar (29)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 19-5 (2 knockouts, 8 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 5'4"
Reach: 61"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Claudia Gadelha, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 4 — Carla Esparza (28)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 10-3 (3 knockouts, 4 submissions)
Age: 28
Height: 5'1"
Reach: 63"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Loss, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 5 — Tecia Torres (27)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 7-0 (0 knockouts, 0 submissions)
Age: 26
Height: 5'1"
Reach: 61"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6 — Rose Namajunas (22)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 3-2 (0 knockouts, 3 submissions)
Age: 23
Height: 5'5"
Reach: 65"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Paige VanZant, Win, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 7 — Karolina Kowalkiewicz (19)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 8-0 (1 knockout, 1 submission)
Age: 30
Height: 5'3"
Reach: 65"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Randa Markos, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 8 — Jessica Penne (17)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-3 (2 knockouts, 7 submissions)
Age: 32
Height: 5'5"
Reach: 67"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Loss, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 9T — Valerie Letourneau (11)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 8-3 (4 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 32
Height: 5'7"
Reach: 68.5"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: (No. 1) Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 9T — Livia Renata Souza (11)
Promotion: Invicta FC (C)
Record: 8-0 (0 knockouts, 7 submissions)
Age: 24
Height: 5'4"
Reach: Unknown
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Katja Kankaanpaa, Win, Submission
Next Fight: DeAnna Bennett, Invicta FC 15 (January 16)
Movers and Shakers in December
There were two key results from December that helped tighten the scores for January: Namajunas' destruction of VanZant and Kowalkiewicz's edging out of Randa Markos. They each only gained one spot, but the tallies have narrowed almost for everyone not named Jedrzejczyk and Gadelha. The difference from third to seventh is just 10 points. This is a quality division with a lot of intrigue, and there are some good fighters outside of the top 10 as well.
The issue? There are not a lot of scheduled fights on the books.
Fights to Watch in January
- Livia Renata Souza vs. DeAnna Bennett, Invicta FC 15 (January 16)
- Lacey Schuckman vs. Mizuki Inoue, Invicta FC 15 (January 16)
Flyweight
3 of 11
No. 1 — Demetrious Johnson (50 points)
Promotion: UFC (C)
Record: 23-2-1 (4 knockouts, 9 submissions)
Age: 29
Height: 5'3"
Reach: 64"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: John Dodson, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 2 — Joseph Benavidez (43)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-4 (6 knockouts, 9 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5'4"
Reach: 65"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: John Moraga, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 3 — John Dodson (42)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-7 (8 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5'3"
Reach: 66"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Demetrious Johnson, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 4 — Henry Cejudo (33)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 10-0 (4 knockouts, 0 submissions)
Age: 28
Height: 5'4"
Reach: 64"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Jussier da Silva, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 5 — Kyoji Horiguchi (29)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-2 (9 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 24
Height: 5'5"
Reach: 66"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Chico Camus, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6 — Jussier da Silva (23)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-4 (0 knockouts, 8 submissions)
Age: 30
Height: 5'5"
Reach: 67"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Henry Cejudo, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 7 — Ian McCall (18)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-5-1 (4 knockouts, 3 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5'5"
Reach: 64"
Last Five: 2-3
Last Fight: John Lineker, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 8T — Ali Bagautinov (11)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-4 (5 knockouts, 4 submissions)
Age: 30
Height: 5'4"
Reach: 65.5"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Joseph Benavidez, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 8T — John Moraga (12)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-4 (2 knockouts, 8 submissions)
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 66"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Joseph Benavidez, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 10 — Zach Makovsky (10)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 19-6 (1 knockout, 6 submissions)
Age: 32
Height: 5'4"
Reach: 64"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: John Dodson, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
Movers and Shakers in December
Nothing really happened in the cage in December in this division. The lone noteworthy fight of the month came at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale when Geane Herrera defeated Joby Sanchez by TKO. While there isn't much set to happen in January, there is one news story that is definitely worth watching: the effects of One FC's new weight-cutting policy on the organization's lower weight classes.
Fights to Watch in January
- Dustin Ortiz vs. Wilson Reis, UFC on Fox 18 (January 30)
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Bantamweight
4 of 11
No. 1 T.J. Dillashaw — (50 points)
Promotion: UFC (C)
Record: 12-2 (6 knockouts, 3 submissions)
Age: 29
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 68"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Renan Barao, Win, TKO
Next Fight: (No. 2) Dominick Cruz, UFC Fight Night 81 (January 17)
No. 2 — Dominick Cruz (44)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-1 (7 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 30
Height: 5'8"
Reach: 68"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Takeya Mizugaki, Win, Knockout
Next Fight: (No. 1) T.J. Dillashaw, UFC Fight Night 81 (January 17)
No. 3 — Renan Barao (39)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 33-3 (1) (8 knockouts, 15 submissions)
Age: 28
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 70"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: T.J. Dillashaw, Loss, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 4 — Raphael Assuncao (33)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 23-4 (3 knockouts, 10 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 5'5.5"
Reach: 67.5"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Bryan Caraway, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 5 — Urijah Faber (26)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 32-8 (7 knockouts, 19 submissions)
Age: 36
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 67"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Frankie Saenz, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6 — Aljamain Sterling (24)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 11-0 (2 knockouts, 5 submissions)
Age: 26
Height: 5'7"
Reach: 71"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Johnny Eduardo, Win, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 7 — Marlon Moraes (16)
Promotion: World Series of Fighting (C)
Record: 15-4-1 (5 knockouts, 5 submissions)
Age: 27
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 66"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Sheymon Moraes, Win, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 8 — Bibiano Fernandes (14)
Promotion: ONE Championship (C)
Record: 18-3 (2 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 35
Height: 5'7"
Reach: Unknown
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Toni Tauru, Win, Knockout
Next Fight: Kevin Belingon, ONE Championship: Dynasty of Champions (January 23)
No. 9 — Thomas Almeida (11)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-0 (16 knockouts, 3 submissions)
Age: 24
Height: 5'7"
Reach: 70"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Anthony Birchak, Win, Knockout
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 10 — Eduardo Dantas (7)
Promotion: Bellator
Record: 17-4 (4 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 26
Height: 5'10"
Reach: 69"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Mike Richman, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Marcos Galvao, Bellator 150 (February 26)
Movers and Shakers in December
Two elite bantamweights scored big wins in December. Newly minted free agent Aljamain Sterling stayed patient against Johnny Eduardo before taking him down and submitting him in the second round, while Urijah Faber won a tighter-than-expected decision against Frankie Saenz at UFC 189.
Fights to Watch in January
- T.J. Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz, UFC Fight Night 81 (January 18)
- Bibiano Fernandes vs. Kevin Belingon, ONE Championship: Dynasty of Champions (January 23)
Women's Bantamweight
5 of 11
No. 1 — Holly Holm (50 points)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 10-0 (7 knockouts, 0 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 5'8"
Reach: 69"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Ronda Rousey, Win, Knockout
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 2 — Ronda Rousey (45)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-1 (3 knockouts, 9 submissions)
Age: 28
Height: 5'7"
Reach: 66"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Holly Holm, Loss, Knockout
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 3 — Miesha Tate (40)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-5 (3 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 29
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 66.5"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Jessica Eye, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 4 — Cat Zingano (34)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 9-1 (5 knockouts, 3 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 68"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Ronda Rousey, Loss, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 5 — Amanda Nunes (25)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 11-4 (9 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 27
Height: 5'8"
Reach: 69"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Sara McMann, Win, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6 — Alexis Davis (24)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-6 (9 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 67"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Sarah Kaufman, Win, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 7 — Tonya Evinger (23)
Promotion: Invicta FC (C)
Record: 16-5 (7 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 34
Height: 5'7"
Reach: 67"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Pannie Kianzad, Win, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 8 — Julianna Pena (15)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 7-2 (3 knockouts, 3 submissions)
Age: 26
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 69"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Jessica Eye, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 9 — Sara McMann (11)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 8-3 (1 knockout, 3 submissions)
Age: 35
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 67"
Last Five: 2-3
Last Fight: Amanda Nunes, Loss, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 10 — Jessica Eye (3)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 11-4 (1) (3 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 29
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 66"
Last Five: 1-3 (1)
Last Fight: Julianna Pena, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
Movers and Shakers in December
Things cooled down in December following Holly Holm's upset win over Ronda Rousey. The biggest fight came at UFC on Fox 17, with UFC newcomer Valentina Shevchenko upsetting Sarah Kaufman. While Shevchenko isn't a complete fighter quite yet, she demonstrated a level of athleticism and striking prowess that makes her an interesting prospect at 135 pounds.
The fight knocked Kaufman clean off the rankings, with Jessica Eye sliding up into the No. 10 spot in her stead.
Fights to Watch in January
- Colleen Schneider vs. Raquel Pa'aluhi, Invicta FC 15 (January 16)
Featherweight
6 of 11
No. 1 — Conor McGregor (50 points)
Promotion: UFC (C)
Record: 19-2 (17 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 27
Height: 5’9”
Reach: 74"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Jose Aldo, Win, KO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 2 — Jose Aldo (45)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 25-2 (14 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 29
Height: 5'7"
Reach: 70"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Conor McGregor, Loss, KO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 3 — Frankie Edgar (40)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-4-1 (6 knockouts, 4 submissions)
Age: 34
Height: 5'6"
Reach: 68"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Chad Mendes, Win, KO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 4 — Chad Mendes (32)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-4 (7 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 30
Height: 5’6”
Reach: 66"
Last Five: 2-3
Last Fight: Frankie Edgar, Loss, KO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 5 — Max Holloway (30)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-3 (6 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 24
Height: 5’11”
Reach: 69"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Jeremy Stephens, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6 — Ricardo Lamas (23)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-4 (4 knockouts, 4 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 5’8”
Reach: 71"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Diego Sanchez, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 7 — Daniel Straus (16)
Promotion: Bellator (c)
Record: 25-5 (4 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5’8”
Reach: 67"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Patricio Freire, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 8 — Charles Oliveira (15)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-5 (1) (6 knockouts, 13 submissions)
Age: 26
Height: 5’10”
Reach: 74"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Myles Jury, Win, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 9 — Cub Swanson (10)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-7 (8 knockouts, 7 submissions)
Age: 32
Height: 5’7”
Reach: 70"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Max Holloway, Loss, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 10 — Patricio Freire (6)
Promotion: Bellator
Record: 24-2 (10 knockouts, 8 submissions)
Age: 28
Height: 5’5”
Reach: 65"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Daniel Straus, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
Movers and Shakers Since December
Featherweight news pretty much starts and stops with one man these days. Conor McGregor's 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194 was good enough to propel the Irishman up two spots to No. 1.
Now that he's the undisputed 145-pound champion, most of the intrigue surrounding this division centers on whether McGregor will stay there. He continues to insist he wants to be champion at both featherweight and lightweight and is speculated to be headed for possible bouts with Frankie Edgar, Anthony Pettis or Rafael dos Anjos.
Behind him, it was a big month for the division at large, though the new champ overshadowed all other action. Edgar kept himself in the discussion with a first-round knockout of Chad Mendes at the TUF 22 live finale. If anyone in the featherweight class is next up for McGregor, it'll be him. Max Holloway also stayed on his hot streak, defeating Jeremy Stephens on the UFC 194 undercard, while Charles Oliveira beat Myles Jury at UFC on Fox 18.
Fights to Watch in January
- No major fights are scheduled in January.
Lightweight
7 of 11
No. 1 — Rafael dos Anjos (50 points)
Promotion: UFC (C)
Record: 25-7 (5 knockouts, 8 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5’9”
Reach: 70"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Donald Cerrone, Win, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 2 — Anthony Pettis (43)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-3 (7 knockouts, 8 submissions)
Age: 28
Height: 5’10”
Reach: 73"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Rafael dos Anjos, Loss, Unanimous decision
Next Fight: (No. 6) Eddie Alvarez, UFC Fight Night 81 (January 17)
No. 3 — Donald Cerrone (42)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 28-7 (1) (5 knockouts, 15 submissions)
Age: 32
Height: 6’0”
Reach: 73"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Rafael dos Anjos, Loss, TKO
Next Fight: Tim Means, UFC Fight Night 82 (at welterweight, February 21)
No. 4 — Tony Ferguson (33)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-3 (9 knockouts, 7 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5’11”
Reach: 76"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Edson Barboza, Win, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 5 — Will Brooks (32)
Promotion: Bellator (C)
Record: 17-1 (5 knockouts, 4 submissions)
Age: 29
Height: 5’10”
Reach: 71"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Marcin Held, Win, Unanimous decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6 — Eddie Alvarez (25)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 26-4 (14 knockouts, 7 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5’9”
Reach: 69"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Gilbert Melendez, Win, Split decision
Next Fight: (No. 2) Anthony Pettis, UFC Fight Night 81 (January 17)
No. 7 — Nate Diaz (19)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-10 (4 knockouts, 11 submissions)
Age: 30
Height: 6'0"
Reach: 76"
Last Five: 2-3
Last Fight: Michael Johnson, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 8 — Beneil Dariush (15)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 12-1 (2 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 26
Height: 5’10”
Reach: 72"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Michael Johnson, Win, Split decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 9 — Justin Gaethje (6)
Promotion: WSOF (C)
Record: 15-0 (12 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 27
Height: 5’11”
Reach: 71"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Luis Palomino, Win, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 10 — Edson Barboza (5)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-4 (10 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 29
Height: 5' 11"
Reach: 75"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Tony Ferguson, Loss, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
Movers and Shakers Since December
There was a lot of turmoil at 155 pounds to close out 2015. Rafael dos Anjos retained his title with a quick and easy win over Donald Cerrone at UFC on Fox 17, and while those men's places in the rankings didn't change, there was plenty of upheaval further down the list. The month's biggest mover was Tony Ferguson, who jumped up from No. 6 to No. 4 with his win over Edson Barboza at the TUF 22 live finale.
All the news wasn't bad for Barboza, though. That loss to Ferguson was apparently impressive enough for the voters to put him back on the list at No. 10. Speaking of newcomers, Nate Diaz also debuted at No. 7 after his win over Michael Johnson at UFC on Fox 17. Barboza's and Diaz's gains were Johnson's and Al Iaquinta's losses. They both dropped off.
Fights to Watch in January
Cerrone will move up to welterweight and fight Tim Means at UFC Fight Night 82 on February 21.
- Anthony Pettis vs. Eddie Alvarez, UFC Fight Night 81 (January 17)
Welterweight
8 of 11
No. 1 — Robbie Lawler (50 points)
Promotion: UFC (C)
Record: 26-10 (1) (20 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 33
Height: 5'11"
Reach: 74"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Carlos Condit, Win, Split Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 2 — Johny Hendricks (41)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-3 (8 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 32
Height: 5'9"
Reach: 69"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Matt Brown, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Stephen Thompson, UFC 196 (February 6)
No. 3 — Rory MacDonald (40)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-3 (7 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 26
Height: 6'0"
Reach: 76"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Robbie Lawler, Loss, Knockout
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 4 — Tyron Woodley (32)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-3 (5 knockouts, 5 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 5'8"
Reach: 74"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Kelvin Gastelum, Win, Split Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 5 — Carlos Condit (30)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 30-8 (15 knockouts, 13 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 76"
Last Five: 2-3
Last Fight: Robbie Lawler, Loss, Split Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6 — Demian Maia (26)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-6 (3 knockouts, 10 submissions)
Age: 37
Height: 6'0"
Reach: 72"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Gunnar Nelson, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 7 — Ben Askren (23)
Promotion: ONE Championship
Record: 14-0 (1) (4 knockouts, 4 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5'10"
Reach: 71"
Last Five: 4-0 (1)
Last Fight: Luis Santos, No-contest
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 8 — Dong Hyun Kim (11)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-3-1 (1) (9 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 6'1"
Reach: 76"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Dominic Waters, Win, Knockout
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 9 — Matt Brown (9)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-13 (12 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 34
Height: 6'0"
Reach: 75"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Tim Means, Win, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 10 — Benson Henderson (6)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 23-5 (2 knockouts, 10 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 5'9"
Reach: 70"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Jorge Masvidal, Win, Split Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
Movers and Shakers in December
Despite the massive quantity of meaningful fights in December, the only one featuring a ranked welterweight was Demian Maia's domination of Gunnar Nelson at UFC 194. The first weekend in January, however, saw Robbie Lawler defend his UFC title in controversial fashion against Carlos Condit.
Fights to Watch in January
- No major fights are scheduled in January.
Middleweight
9 of 11
No. 1 — Luke Rockhold (50 points)
Promotion: UFC (C)
Record: 15-2 (4 knockouts, 9 submission)
Age: 31
Height: 6'3"
Reach: 77"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Chris Weidman, Win, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 2 — Chris Weidman (45)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-1 (6 knockouts, 3 submission)
Age: 31
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 78"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Luke Rockhold, Loss, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 3 — Yoel Romero (40)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 10-1 (2 knockouts, 8 submissions)
Age: 38
Height: 5'10"
Reach: 75"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Ronaldo Souza, Win, Split Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 4 — Ronaldo Souza (33)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-3, (1) (2 knockouts, 16 submissions)
Age: 36
Height: 6'1"
Reach: 72"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Yoel Romero, Loss, Split Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 5 — Vitor Belfort (28)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 25-11 (18 knockouts, 3 submissions)
Age: 38
Height: 6'0"
Reach: 74"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Dan Henderson, Win, KO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6 — Lyoto Machida (26)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 22-7 (9 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 37
Height: 6'1"
Reach: 74"
Last Five: 2-3
Last Fight: Yoel Romero, Loss, Knockout
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 7 — Michael Bisping (19)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 27-7 (15 knockouts, 4 submissions)
Age: 36
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 75"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Thales Leites, Win, Split Decision
Next Fight: Anderson Silva, UFC Fight Night 83 (February 27)
No. 8 — Tim Kennedy (9)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-5 (6 knockouts, 8 submission)
Age: 36
Height: 5'11"
Reach: 74"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Yoel Romero, Loss, Knockout
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 9 — Gegard Mousasi (8)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 37-6-2 (19 knockouts, 12 submissions)
Age: 30
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 76"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Uriah Hall, Loss, Knockout
Next Fight: Thales Leites, UFC Fight Night 83 (February 27)
No. 10 — Robert Whittaker (7)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 15-4 (7 knockouts, 5 submissions)
Age: 25
Height: 6'0"
Reach: 73.5"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Uriah Hall, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
Movers and Shakers in December
Does a new champion count as a mover and shaker? Oh, yes, yes it does. Luke Rockhold is your new middleweight king after stopping the previously undefeated Weidman. And UFC 194 also gave us a possible title eliminator when Yoel Romero eeked out a controversial decision nod over Jacare.
Fights to Watch in January
- Tim Boetsch vs. Ed Herman, UFC Fight Night 81 (January 17)
Light Heavyweight
10 of 11
No. 1 — Jon Jones (50 points)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 21-1 (9 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 28
Height: 6'4"
Reach: 84.5"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Daniel Cormier, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 2 — Daniel Cormier (45)
Promotion: UFC (C)
Record: 17-1 (6 knockouts, 5 submissions)
Age: 36
Height: 5'11"
Reach: 72"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Alexander Gustafsson, Win, Split Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 3 — Anthony Johnson (40)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-5 (14 knockouts, 0 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 78"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Jimi Manuwa, Win, Knockout
Next Fight: Ryan Bader, UFC on Fox 18 (January 30)
No. 4T — Ryan Bader (31)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 20-4 (6 knockouts, 4 submissions)
Age: 32
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 74"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Rashad Evans, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Anthony Johnson, UFC on Fox 18 (January 30)
No. 4T — Alexander Gustafsson (31)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 16-4 (10 knockouts, 3 submissions)
Age: 28
Height: 6'5"
Reach: 79"
Last Five: 2-3
Last Fight: Daniel Cormier, Loss, Split Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6 — Phil Davis (25)
Promotion: Bellator
Record: 15-3 (1) (3 knockouts, 5 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 79"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Francis Carmont, Win, Knockout
Next Fight: (No. 8) Liam McGeary, Unknown Date
No. 7 — Glover Teixeira (21)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 24-4 (13 knockouts, 7 submissions)
Age: 35
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 76"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Patrick Cummins, Win, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 8 — Liam McGeary (13)
Promotion: Bellator (C)
Record: 11-0 (5 knockouts, 5 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 6'6"
Reach: 81"
Last Five- 5-0
Last Fight: Tito Ortiz, Win, Submission
Next Fight: (No. 6) Phil Davis, Unknown Date
No. 9 — Rashad Evans (6)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 19-4-1 (7 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 36
Height: 5'11"
Reach: 75"
Last Fight: Ryan Bader, Loss, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 10 — Ovince Saint Preux (5)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 18-7 (9 knockouts, 5 submissions)
Age: 32
Height: 6'3"
Reach: 80"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Glover Teixeira, Loss, Submission
Next Fight: Rafael Cavalcante, UFC 196 (February 6)
Movers and Shakers in December
The light heavyweight division was quiet in December, but one fighter managed to keep things quite interesting: Bellator's "King" Mo Lawal. He had established himself as a top-10-level talent when he took the Strikeforce light heavyweight title off Gegard Mousasi in 2010, but injuries, illness, struggles at the gym and a questionable fight IQ had many wondering if he was doomed to "recognizable journeyman" status.
In 2015, however, he returned to legitimate contender status and managed to cap the year by winning the Rizin FF Cruiserweight Tournament. Fighting three times at Rizin's two debut events, he managed to run through some deceptively solid competition. While that wasn't enough to get into the top 10 in full, he is now emerging on ballots and could be a win or two away from breaking into these rankings.
Fights to Watch in January
- Anthony Johnson vs. Ryan Bader, UFC on Fox 18 (January 30)
Heavyweight
11 of 11
No. 1 — Fabricio Werdum (50 points)
Promotion: UFC (C)
Record: 20-5 (6 knockouts, 10 submissions)
Age: 38
Height: 6'4"
Reach: 77"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Cain Velasquez, Win, Submission
Next Fight: (No. 2) Cain Velasquez, UFC 196 (February 6)
No. 2 — Cain Velasquez (45)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 13-2 (11 knockouts, 0 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 6'1"
Reach: 77"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Fabricio Werdum, Loss, Submission
Next Fight: (No. 1) Fabricio Werdum, UFC 196 (February 6)
No. 3 — Stipe Miocic (38)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 14-2 (10 knockouts, 1 submission)
Age: 33
Height: 6'4"
Reach: 80"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Andrei Arlovski, Win, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 4 — Alistair Overeem (33)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 41-14-1 (20 knockouts, 17 submissions)
Age: 35
Height: 6'4"
Reach: 80"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Junior dos Santos, Win, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 5 — Junior dos Santos (27)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-4 (12 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 31
Height: 6'4"
Reach: 77"
Last Five: 2-3
Last Fight: Alistair Overeem, Loss, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6T — Andrei Arlovski (23)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 25-11-1 (17 knockouts, 3 submissions)
Age: 36
Height: 6'4"
Reach: 77"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Stipe Miocic, Loss, TKO
Next Fight: Unknown
No. 6T — Travis Browne (23)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 17-3-1 (13 knockouts, 2 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 6'7"
Reach: 80"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Andrei Arlovski, Loss, TKO
Next Fight: Matt Mitrione, UFC Fight Night 81 (January 17)
No. 8 — Ben Rothwell (19)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 35-9 (20 knockouts, 12 submissions)
Age: 33
Height: 6'4"
Reach: 79"
Last Five: 4-1
Last Fight: Matt Mitrione, Win, Submission
Next Fight: (No. 9) Josh Barnett, UFC on Fox 18 (January 30)
No. 9 — Josh Barnett (9)
Promotion: UFC
Record: 34-7 (8 knockouts, 20 submissions)
Age: 37
Height: 6'3"
Reach: 78"
Last Five: 3-2
Last Fight: Roy Nelson, Win, Unanimous Decision
Next Fight: (No. 7) Ben Rothwell, UFC on Fox 18 (January 30)
No. 10 — Vitaly Minakov (4)
Promotion: Fight Nights
Record: 17-0 (9 knockouts, 6 submissions)
Age: 30
Height: 6'2"
Reach: 78"
Last Five: 5-0
Last Fight: Josh Copeland, Win, Submission
Next Fight: Unknown
Movers and Shakers in December
As you might have noticed, the heavyweight rankings are...quite different from what they were last month.
Stipe Miocic vs. Andrei Arlovski, which saw the Clevelander cold-cock the former champ, would have shaken things up all on its own, sure. But when Alistair Overeem chinned Junior dos Santos at UFC on Fox 17, all hell broke loose.
Overeem has long split huge wins with crushing losses, and that has made him tough to rank with confidence. Having him cleanly beat the consensus No. 3 heavyweight (while still reeling from his losses to Ben Rothwell and Travis Browne, no less) resulted in a big shuffle throughout the rankings.
Oh! And Bellator champ Vitaly Minakov wrecked Josh Copeland at Fight Nights: Moscow! He's quite good, too.
Fights to Watch in January
- Travis Browne vs. Matt Mitrione, UFC Fight Night 81 (January 17)
- Josh Barnett vs. Ben Rothwell, UFC on Fox 18 (January 30)
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