Bleacher Report MMA Rankings for May 2016
April wasn't the busiest month of MMA action, but it did feature a few big fights.
Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson made his debut in Bellator and suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov. Junior dos Santos returned to form against Ben Rothwell. The long-lost Khabib Nurmagomedov returned after a two-year absence and annihilated the overmatched Darrell Horcher. Edson Barboza announced his arrival as an elite lightweight with a victory over Anthony Pettis.
Most importantly, Jon Jones put his legal troubles behind him and scored a one-sided win over Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197.
Bleacher Report MMA is here with a new batch of rankings to reflect the April action, analyze what happened last month and look ahead to each division's biggest stories in May.
Rules and Notes
1 of 11
You can find the full rankings for each individual member of the panel on Google Docs.
Each month, Bleacher Report MMA will deliver 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 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 fighters are removed from the rankings due to inactivity, they 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, as determined at the panel's discretion.
Here are the notes for this month:
- The rankings panel now consists of four members. As such, there are a number of shake-ups.
- Raphael Assuncao is saved from being ejected due to inactivity due to being scheduled to fight at UFC 200.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov re-enters rankings consideration due to his UFC 197 win.
- Donald Cerrone remains ranked at lightweight due to continuing to seek fights in the division. This is not the case with John Dodson, who seems to be all-in on his run at bantamweight. Cerrone's division is, of course, subject to change.
Strawweight
2 of 11
No. 1- Joanna Jedrzejczyk (40 points)
No. 2- Claudia Gadelha (36)
No. 3- Rose Namajunas (28)
No. 4- Tecia Torres (23)
No. 5- Jessica Aguilar (21)
No. 6T- Carla Esparza (16)
No. 6T- Livia Renata Souza (16)
No. 8- Karolina Kowalkiewicz (12)
No. 9- Jessica Penne (10)
No. 10- Valerie Letourneau (9)
Steven: After two fairly dull months for the strawweight division, we finally had a big fight at 115 pounds. In the co-main event of UFC on Fox 19, Rose Namajunas took a unanimous decision off Tecia Torres.
Straight up, how did you feel about Namajunas' performance? If she faces off with Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the near future, how do you rate her chances?
Nathan: Negative chance against Jedrzejczyk.
And that's not to say her performance was bad, because it wasn't; it's only to say it helped highlight areas in which she still struggles. Torres is a smaller (in stature) strawweight and primarily a striker. Namajunas struggled to keep her outside and wasn't able to seriously threaten throughout the fight. It was just a steady showing.
Jedrzejczyk torches the version of Namajunas we saw perform last. It's a reminder that she is still just a prospect at 23 years old.
Steven: I agree with you on both counts, frankly. Namajunas certainly has her strengths, and Torres is actually a stylistically unfriendly opponent for her, but I feel worse about her chances in a fight with Jedrzejczyk today than I did one month ago. Her management of distance wasn't enough to keep Torres at bay, and if she lets the champ in on her like that...game over.
Speaking of prospects, we have an amazing fight lined up this weekend for the Invicta FC strawweight title in Livia Renata Souza vs. Angela Hill. Give fans the rundown on this one for me!
Nathan: Hill is actually taking this fight as a replacement for Alexa Grasso, but it's not exactly late notice. I'm not a fan of her taking this fight. She was essentially sent down to Triple-A (Invicta FC) because the major leagues (UFC) wanted her to develop, and she was doing just that. Now, she is being tossed in against a legitimate top-five-level talent in Souza.
If Souza chooses to play on the feet, Hill will be a live dog. She has excellent technique and some good power. Souza won't be outgunned, but it's not the best idea to toy with her standing. On the mat it's a runaway.
Expect an easy victory for Souza, but the best-case scenario is for Hill to at least be competitive early. It'll validate her status as a prospect who needs seasoning. If she just gets blown out of the water—which is completely plausible—then she'll lose that luster. Either way, this should be Souza's final Invicta fight before heading to the UFC as an instant title contender.
Flyweight
3 of 11
No. 1- Demetrious Johnson (40 points)
No. 2- Joseph Benavidez (36)
No. 3- Henry Cejudo (29)
No. 4- Kyoji Horiguchi (28)
No. 5- Jussier da Silva (23)
No. 6- Ian McCall (17)
No. 7- John Moraga (15)
No. 8- Ali Bagautinov (12)
No. 9- Zach Makovsky (10)
No. 10- Louis Smolka (4)
Steven: When Henry Cejudo took Demetrious Johnson down at UFC 197, it seemed, for a brief time, that he might have a chance at taking the title. That's not to say it felt like he would do it, obviously, but maybe (just maybe) the fight would be competitive.
Then, as if to punish Cejudo for my believing this, Mighty Mouse kicked off the Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling like he was nothing. From there, he locked him in the clinch, kneed him in the face and reopened the "No. 1 pound-for-pound and GOAT" can of worms.
So Nathan, where do you fall on those questions? Is Mighty Mouse the top pound-for-pound fighter today? And is he in that GOAT discussion?
Nathan: Johnson is, without debate, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Is he entering the talks of becoming the "greatest" ever? The initial reaction is to say it's too early, but when you look at the record and performances, one has to conclude that he is in the conversation.
Nobody has blended the MMA game together as well as Johnson has, and to be a consistent finisher elevates his status even further.
Unfortunately, fans just don't care about him or flyweights.
Steven: Indeed, it's impossible to argue against DJ being the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today. While ranking on a P4P basis is an inherently inexact science, he is at or near the top for pretty much every imaginable criterion, from finishing power to strength of competition to career record to pure technical prowess.
Jon Jones isn't far behind but after UFC 197...yeah, DJ all day.
The GOAT discussion is obviously a trickier one, but again it's getting harder and harder to deny him, and I'm struggling to explain why he isn't the best there is, was and ever will be. He has faced softer competition than Fedor Emelianenko and Georges St-Pierre, but he's as technically brilliant as either man, and he doesn't have obvious flaws. Plus, he has never really struggled during his reign, outside of his first fight with John Dodson.
I would actually be willing to predict that fans are starting to warm up to DJ...but that's neither here nor there. He is currently at eight consecutive title defenses and needs three more to break Anderson Silva's title-defense record. Do you think there's any chance this doesn't happen?
Nathan: Actually, I do. Only because the UFC is already struggling with finding him another fight, which leaves the company wanting to put Johnson at 135 against the champion—a fight he very much could win. I would not be at all surprised if he left 125 for a little bit and became the bantamweight champion.
In which case, his defense streak would cease to exist. That's the only way he doesn't break it, and it's a plausible scenario.
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Bantamweight
4 of 11
No. 1- Dominick Cruz (40 points)
No. 2- TJ Dillashaw (36)
No. 3- Renan Barao (30)
No. 4- Raphael Assuncao (27)
No. 5- Aljamain Sterling (23)
No. 6- Urijah Faber (20)
No. 7- Marlon Moraes (16)
No. 8- Thomas Almeida (11)
No. 9- Bibiano Fernandes (6)
No. 10T- John Dodson (3)
No. 10T- Michael McDonald (3)
Patrick: April was a quiet month on the bantamweight front. The only meaningful fight in the division was John Dodson's move back up from flyweight to 135 pounds, and he made the most of it by shellacking veteran Manvel Gamburyan in only 47 seconds.
The same can't be said for May. John Lineker takes on Rob Font at UFC 198, and then a barnburner of a fight between hot commodities Cody Garbrandt and Thomas Almeida headlines the Fight Night card in Las Vegas on May 29. If that weren't enough, the recently re-signed Aljamain Sterling takes on his verbal nemesis Bryan Caraway that same night.
Which one of these bouts, Chad, are you most excited about? And will one of them produce the next challenger for the winner of the Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber rubber match at UFC 199 on June 4?
Chad: I have to give the nod to Almeida vs. Garbrandt, but not by much. Almeida's first-round knockout of Anthony Birchak in November 2015 was his fourth straight Octagon win and his third consecutive appearance on a UFC main card. By today's standards, that's enough to net the 24-year-old Brazilian "top prospect" status in a landscape where fighters must do all they can to stand out.
The same could nearly be said—though perhaps quite as vehemently—for Garbrandt, who is now 3-0 in the UFC and figures to be the odds-on favorite to carry the banner for Team Alpha Male into the future. Both Garbrant and Almeida turn 25 in July, which makes this bout not only a surefire recipe for violence but a preview of what the men's 135-pound division might look like for the next few years.
Oh, and it looks good.
But as far as being championship-ready? I probably gotta go with Sterling, if he can get past Caraway. I'm glad the 26-year-old Funk Master's halfway contentious contract standoff with company brass is now over and he's back in action.
Jeez, there is no shortage of young up-and-comers ready to give Cruz a run for his money, eh? I mean, assuming Cruz dances circles around Faber in June.
Patrick: In Sterling, Almeida and Garbrandt, the UFC has perhaps the brightest trio of young and potentially marketable fighters in any of its divisions. It's just a matter of time before they break through completely, and when they do, the promotion will have a slate of fantastic fights to make.
Think of all those wonderful possibilities both between the three of them and the established elite, and you see the recipe for a potentially marquee division.
I'm with you on Sterling. He seems like the most polished at this point, but he also has a tough stylistic matchup ahead in the form of Caraway, who's a sturdy wrestler and strong grappler in his own right. That seems like a recipe for a slow but still compelling fight.
It's hard to see that fight matching the fireworks that seem sure to erupt during Almeida vs. Garbrandt. Both youngsters are strikers by trade with big power, high output and a penchant for exchanging in the pocket. It's no exaggeration to say it's one of the best stylistic matchups that matchmaker Sean Shelby has put together this year.
Garbrandt still needs a bit more seasoning even if he comes out victorious, but Almeida or Sterling would likely be ready for that title shot with a win. I presume that'll be against Cruz.
And wait, what about Dillashaw? Wasn't it just yesterday that we were talking about him as a potential great?
Chad: Dillashaw's thing is that he only wins fights in streaks of four. Don't believe me? Check out the man's record. He started off 4-0 and then lost to John Dodson in late 2011. Afterward, he rattled off four more wins before dropping a bout to Raphael Assuncao in the fall of 2013. And then? You guessed it, he won four more fights in a row, winning the 135-pound title before meeting up with Cruz in January.
So, I guess if history tells us anything, it's that other bantamweights should avoid Dillashaw for a while?
In all seriousness, though, it's great that Dodson is back in the division and notched that quick win over Gamburyan. It makes sense to set up a rematch between Dodson and Dillashaw at this point. Let's see how much both guys have grown since the final of The Ultimate Fighter 14.
Another victory for Dodson makes him an automatic title contender in this division, while a victory for Dillashaw would get him back on the winning path. Not a lot to dislike there.
Patrick: Well, Chad, you just did Sean Shelby's job for him, so I expect you to receive a nice check in the mail in the near future.
Maybe not, but that's the fight to make for Dillashaw and Dodson. If Dillashaw handles him, as I suspect he would, the former champion is right back in the mix at the top of the division; otherwise, you have a popular, well-known former title challenger to market against the bantamweight elite.
That's what we in the business call a "win-win," and the division seems to be full of those kinds of matchups right now.
Women's Bantamweight
5 of 11
No. 1- Miesha Tate (37 points)
No. 2- Holly Holm (36)
No. 3- Ronda Rousey (35)
No. 4- Cat Zingano (27)
No. 5- Amanda Nunes (23)
No. 6- Alexis Davis (19)
No. 7- Tonya Evinger (16)
No. 8- Julianna Pena (11)
No. 9- Sara McMann (8)
No. 10- Valentina Shevchenko (4)
Chad: There was only one women's 135-pound fight in the UFC during this month's rankings period, Steven, and I'm not sure Raquel Pennington's split-decision victory over Bethe Correia will have much impact on our top 10. Miesha Tate is still booked to defend her title against Amanda Nunes on the gala UFC 200 card, but other than that—it's crickets.
Am I wrong to suggest that without Ronda Rousey running the show, the UFC is easing its foot off the promotional gas for the bantamweights? And at least for the time being, have the strawweights officially passed them up in terms of prestige? I'm not saying, I'm just asking.
Steven: Well, the UFC has never put the proverbial pedal to the proverbial metal when it came to its women's divisions, be it bantamweight or strawweight. Our pal Jonathan Snowden pointed out how infrequently the UFC booked matches for its women last year, and the promotion has actually somehow figured out a way to make its women's divisions even less active in 2016.
Since the start of 2016, the UFC has put together just five fights in the strawweight division and six in the women's bantamweight division. For the sake of comparison, there were five fights in the anemic heavyweight division at UFC Fight Night 86. Unfortunately, the UFC's mistreating the women on the roster is business as usual.
I would agree, however, that Rousey is basically the John Cena of the UFC right now. It doesn't feel like a single decision gets made at 135 pounds without considering how it affects her. Whether it's the quick turnaround for Miesha Tate or the conveniently timed debut of Cris Cyborg, the UFC seems to be lining everything up for her return this fall.
That isn't a bad idea, mind you, since the Rousey Business is still boomin' (which is why, no, 135 is still the women's division). It stinks for everyone else, though.
Chad: I dunno. It just seems as though 115 pounds is getting more attention right now, from Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha coaching TUF to Paige VanZant's turn on Dancing with the Stars to Rose Namajunas and Tecia Torres getting the co-main spot on UFC on Fox 19.
But I digress. I guess the one positive of a Rousey-free bantamweight division is that it has given Holly Holm and Tate a chance to spread their wings a bit. That feels especially good for Tate, since she's long been this division's second-biggest star while getting perennially overshadowed by the company's fixation on Just One Woman.
If Tate can do good things against Nunes on the UFC 200 card, does she have a chance to plant a flag as a person of interest at 135 pounds, or is this division still All Ronda, All The Time?
Steven: It ultimately depends on the numbers. Tate has been a bit of a needle-mover since coaching opposite Rousey on The Ultimate Fighter, and her star has only risen since taking the gold off Holm. Is she a legitimate pay-per-view draw on her own now? It's too early to say, but it's possible.
That said, the UFC is still trying to get over the loss of Brock Lesnar four years ago, and Lesnar wasn't the transcendent star Rousey is. Unfortunately for Tate, Holm, Nunes and everyone else, the women's bantamweight division is going to be the Ronda Rousey Show for a long time.
Featherweight
6 of 11
No. 1- Conor McGregor (40 points)
No. 2- Jose Aldo (36)
No. 3- Frankie Edgar (32)
No. 4- Max Holloway (27)
No. 5- Chad Mendes (25)
No. 6- Ricardo Lamas (17)
No. 7- Charles Oliveira (13)
No. 8T- Daniel Straus (10)
No. 8T- Cub Swanson (10)
No. 10- Patricio Freire (4)
Patrick: April was a quiet month for the featherweight division, but it did have two big happenings.
First, Yair Rodriguez announced his arrival as an electric talent with a jumping switch-kick knockout of Andre Fili, a finish so spectacular that no mere written description can do it justice. Second, Cub Swanson notched his first win in almost two years by taking a decision from Hacran Dias.
Nathan, how high do you think Rodriguez can go in the increasingly stacked featherweight division? And does Swanson have it in him to make another run at the top?
Nathan: Let me start with Swanson.
He can make another title push. Do I think he'll make it? No, but it's at least possible. He's not a bad fighter, and although he hadn't won in nearly two years, he wasn't losing to scrubs. Swanson has the potential to get a couple of big wins, and big finishes, to become a viable option, which is the most important thing in the eyes of the UFC.
As for Rodriguez, he can be the champion of this division.
It may all depend on how the UFC handles his development. Fans need to remember he is only 23. If you look at where he is now and the current landscape of the division, it's possible he catches the majority of ranked fighters on the downside of their careers as he makes his ascent. The timing is right for him to be the next face.
On the other hand, the UFC could start chucking him in against the elite right away, where he may falter and plateau. We've seen it before. The UFC seems to get a sink-or-swim mentality that isn't always successful instead of fostering a budding star like Rodriguez.
Patrick: Swanson looked good against Dias, but I'm not sure he has it in him to make another run. He's 32 and has been a pro for nearly 12 years, and with rare exception, fighters at that stage generally trend downward. It would be nice to see him get another couple of opportunities—Swanson has always been an exciting fighter and a slick finisher—but the tea leaves aren't promising.
The same can't be said of Rodriguez.
What a talent. His raw athleticism is off the charts, and he combines that with an unbelievable kicking arsenal. Most importantly, though, he seems to have the wrestling skills to back up his flashy striking. That's something that other slick kickers (ahem, Anthony Pettis) have never really developed, and it's a good reason to be high on Rodriguez moving forward.
It would be easy, though, for the UFC to screw this up. As you point out, Nathan, he's only 23. He has four fights under the UFC banner. He's still raw and has major holes in his game that he needs to shore up. The sky is the limit, but careful matchmaking is a necessity. Whom would you like to see him fight next?
Looking ahead to the May schedule, it's a thin month of featherweight action. Former bantamweight champion Renan Barao makes his debut at 145 pounds against Jeremy Stephens, and over in Bellator Pat Curran takes on Georgi Karakhanyan. What are your thoughts on those matchups?
Nathan: Curran vs. Karakhanyan doesn't do much for me, but it should be a fun fight nonetheless. It's one of those fights that are good to watch on a slow evening if there is nothing else to do.
Barao vs. Stephens is similar, although there is a bit of intrigue behind the former 135-pound champion at a new weight class. Seeing how he looks and performs at 145 adds a bit of interest to the contest.
Lightweight
7 of 11
No. 1- Rafael Dos Anjos (40 points)
No. 2- Khabib Nurmagomedov (36)
No. 3- Eddie Alvarez (27)
No. 4- Tony Ferguson (26)
No. 5- Donald Cerrone (23)
No. 6- Will Brooks (22)
No. 7- Nate Diaz (18)
No. 8- Edson Barboza (15)
No. 9- Anthony Pettis (6)
No. 10- Michael Chiesa (3)
Patrick: April was a big month for the lightweight division.
The long-lost Khabib Nurmagomedov finally returned to action after a two-year absence and blasted the unfortunate Darrell Horcher. Michael Chiesa submitted Beneil Dariush to announce himself as an elite 155-pounder. Former champion Anthony Pettis dropped his third straight fight against the blossoming Edson Barboza.
What do we make of all this action, Steven? How high can Chiesa go in the division? Is Pettis done as a top lightweight? Is Nurmagomedov the uncrowned king?
Steven: Yeah, it was quite the month for the lightweight division, and it's relatively hard to give all these fights their due in such limited space.
I'll quote Dennis Green when it comes to Nurmy and Horcher. They are who we thought they were. Nurmagomedov is a human steamroller, and Horcher is now some fresh pavement.
The other three, though? They're mysteries to me.
I'm not sold on Chiesa quite yet. He's talented, but the strength of competition hasn't been so steep (Dariush included) that he leapfrogs guys such as Michael Chandler and Michael Johnson in my book. That, however, could change with another win or two.
As for Pettis and Barboza...man, that's tough to say.
Pettis has declined in a big way since beating Ben Henderson, and it's anyone's guess as to why. Is he physically breaking down? Was he psychologically ruined by Rafael Dos Anjos back at UFC 185? Did the rest of the division just catch up with him? Is Duke Roufus not coaching him properly?
I don't know. What I do know is that Barboza has evolved into the best striker in the division. His vocabulary of attacks has always been enormous, but he has improved his defense and spacing in a way that is going to be difficult for any lightweight to handle. His grappling isn't quite it should be, and that limits his ceiling in a big way, but no one at 155 pounds can beat him standing right now.
Patrick: Has Pettis actually declined? I don't think he has. His flaws—the inability to stay away from the fence and a lack of volume—have always been there; it's just a question of whether his opponents have been willing and able to exploit them. To beat Pettis, you can't get caught up in what he's trying to do to you, and his last three opponents have approached him without any fear.
It's more accurate to say Pettis hasn't really evolved, and the rest of the division has changed at a rapid pace.
Barboza is a prime example of that. He's a more polished striker than he was a few years ago, and he wasn't bad to begin with. Nurmagomedov hadn't come to prominence when Pettis won his title, but it's now clear the division has never seen a wrestler and grappler of his caliber. While Pettis was sidelined by injuries, Dos Anjos was wrecking fools and turning into one of the best pressure fighters in the sport.
Speaking of which, April's other big piece of lightweight news was the announcement of a title fight between Dos Anjos and Eddie Alvarez for the Fight Night show preceding UFC 200. What do you make of that matchup?
Steven: It's hard not to be happy for Alvarez. While plenty of fans only know him as "that guy who sued Bjorn Rebney to get out of Bellator," I still remember him scrapping with the likes of Tatsuya Kawajiri and Joachim Hansen in Japan. He has been around the block so many times, and I've enjoyed watching him fight. I'm glad to see him finally get his shot at the top prize. That's a feel-good story, if I've ever seen one.
Dos Anjos is the clear favorite here, and for good reason. But boy, Alvarez taking UFC gold and putting it on his mantel next to his Bellator title would be quite the tale.
Welterweight
8 of 11
No. 1- Robbie Lawler (40 points)
No. 2- Rory MacDonald (34)
No. 3- Stephen Thompson (27)
No. 4- Tyron Woodley (24)
No. 5- Demian Maia (20)
No. 6T- Ben Askren (19)
No. 6T- Johny Hendricks (19)
No. 8- Carlos Condit (18)
No. 9- Andrey Koreshkov (9)
No. 10- Neil Magny (8)
Steven: There were some fights at 170 pounds in the UFC, sure. The hottest action, though, took place outside the UFC.
Over in the Philippines, Ben Askren posted a signature "Ben Askren" performance at One Championship: Global Warriors. He stepped into the cage against some poor sucker named Nikolay Aleksakhin, put on a top-control clinic and took home a handy-dandy unanimous decision.
The more interesting fight from a rankings perspective happened in Bellator, with Ben Henderson getting downright dominated by Andrey Koreshkov. Lots of folks were taken aback by this. Were you among that lot, Nathan?
Nathan: Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch either fight live, but I was a bit surprised by the result for Henderson. The surprise was how dominant it appeared by all accounts. I was never a big fan of Henderson's move to 170, and his success at the weight was blown a bit out of proportion.
This result likely puts things back into perspective and gives a nice rub to Koreshkov.
Now that we're in May, I'm excited to get to UFC 198 and Demian Maia vs. Matt Brown.
Steven: Trust me when I tell you that anything you heard about Koreshkov dominating Bendo and him doing little more than survive was completely, 100 percent true. While lots of fans remember Alexander Shlemenko's protege as "that guy that Askren destroyed back in 2013," he has evolved in a way few would have expected, and this was easily the best all-around performance of his career against a guy who would have been Bleacher Report's No. 11 welterweight in the world.
And you're right that this serves as yet another cautionary tale when it comes to weight cutting. While folks got rattled by the hospitalizations of Kelvin Gastelum and Charles Oliveira and started reading into the success of Anthony Johnson, Robert Whittaker and, yes, Henderson, they forgot that weight cutting pays huge dividends in the cage.
I'm surprised you're into Maia vs. Brown, though. Sell me on that fight!
Nathan: Size matters. There's no way around it.
Maia vs. Brown is intriguing to me because of Maia's place in the division with four consecutive victories. I was there at UFC 196 for his dominant showing against Gunnar Nelson. Maia's ground work remains one of the most beautiful things to watch in this sport.
Brown always brings the fight, which is reason enough to watch, but Maia may be the contender the welterweight division needs. If he can make Brown tap inside of two rounds, it may be time to pull the trigger on his title bid.
Middleweight
9 of 11
No. 1- Luke Rockhold (40 points)
No. 2- Chris Weidman (36)
No. 3- Ronaldo Souza (31)
No. 4- Michael Bisping (23)
No. 5- Lyoto Machida (21)
No. 6- Vitor Belfort (19)
No. 7- Robert Whittaker (18)
No. 8- Gegard Mousasi (15)
No. 9- Anderson Silva (8)
No. 10- Derek Brunson (5)
Steven: It was a relatively light month for the middleweight division, but there was one particularly good fight to talk about. At UFC 197, Robert Whittaker took a unanimous decision off Rafael Natal, extending his winning streak to five in the process.
Whittaker is securely in the Bleacher Report 185-pound top 10, but there is still plenty of speculation about his ceiling. So, Chad, what do you think of Whittaker at this point? Is he a champ in the making, or is he somebody who will eventually fall into a gatekeeper role?
Chad: For starters, Whittaker is exactly the kind of guy the middleweight division needs right now. If you take a look at the upper echelon of the top 10, you'll see a lot of fighters who might charitably described as, uh, "mature," maybe? Like the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions above it, 185 pounds is old, man. So for the time being, I'm inclined to look at 25-year-old Whittaker, the pride of Auckland, New Zealand, and simply nod my head in recognition of his status as a good prospect.
At this point Whittaker is 7-2 in the UFC and is riding high on a five-fight win streak after early career losses to Court McGee and Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson. He's not just beating up chumps, either. His last three wins—over Natal, Uriah Hall and Brad Tavares—are of good quality for this stage in his journey.
Until I'm proved wrong, I'm going to put my preliminary stamp of approval on Whittaker. How about you?
Steven: I'm all-in on Whittaker. I'd go so far as to say he's championship-material. He has the physical tools and the fighting style to contend with almost anyone in the division. He needs a bit more polish, but his striking is good, and there's reason to believe his defensive wrestling is where it needs to be, given his wins over Tavares and Natal.
At this point, he is owed a fight against a savvy veteran such as Michael Bisping or Gegard Mousasi. If he can get through one of them in impressive fashion, he deserves a shot at the gold.
Changing gears, let's talk about an upcoming fight we probably won't be able to cover next month: Rafael Carvalho vs. Melvin Manhoef for the Bellator middleweight title. Carvalho won the title in impressive fashion, but there's no such thing as an easy fight involving the Dutch kickboxer.
How do you feel about Carvalho at this point, and do you think he can get the better of Manhoef?
Chad: Well, it hasn't always been pretty with Carvalho, but so far he's gotten the job done in Bellator. Perhaps—like welterweight champ Andrey Koreshkov—all he needs is a former UFC champion to show up and get schooled by him so we will all take notice. Carvalho hasn't fought the greatest competition in the world—and there have been a couple of close calls—but he also hasn't lost a fight since his professional debut back in 2011. I guess you can't argue with that.
After cleaning up the Brazilian independent scene for a couple of years, he showed up in Bellator in the fall of 2014 and immediately started beating some of that company's more familiar names. He survived a split-decision verdict against Joe Schilling at Bellator 136 and then rebounded from a tough first round to put the kibosh on Brandon Halsey's own nine-fight win streak at Bellator 144 last October. That last victory netted Carvalho the title after a liver kick turned off Halsey's robot brain in the second.
I'm not exactly over-the-moon about what I've seen from Carvalho, but I also can't quibble with the results. Also, every time I start thinking I'm going to see something cool from Manhoef, he lets me down and loses. So, I'm guessing the title stays put for now.
Light Heavyweight
10 of 11
No. 1- Jon Jones (40 points)
No. 2- Daniel Cormier (36)
No. 3- Anthony Johnson (32)
No. 4- Alexander Gustafsson (26)
No. 5- Phil Davis (21)
No. 6- Ryan Bader (19)
No. 7- Glover Teixeira (18)
No. 8- Liam McGeary (14)
No. 9- Ovince Saint Preux (9)
No. 10- Muhammed Lawal (5)
Steven: Well, Patrick. Jon Jones is back...more or less. The former (and now interim) 205-pound champ returned at UFC 197 with a fairly one-sided win over Ovince Saint Preux, but he left many fans wanting more.
So what did you think of the fight? Were you in the "unimpressed" boat? If so, what do you chalk that up as?
Patrick: No, don't count me among the unimpressed. To paraphrase the great '90s film 10 Things I Hate About You, I wasn't underwhelmed, I wasn't overwhelmed, I was simply whelmed. It was a workmanlike and still dominant performance from Jones against an opponent who was different in every meaningful way from the guy he had prepared for.
While Jones probably could have pushed harder, it was his first fight in 16 months. He had to adapt his pace to carrying 20 or so more pounds of muscle than he has in the past. It was a tricky stylistic challenge for him, and Saint Preux was game and had solid answers for much of what Jones was trying to do.
I'm sure the plan was to wear down the normally shallow gas tank of Saint Preux, but the challenger showed uncharacteristically strong cardio, which more or less resigned Jones to a dominant win.
I understand the critiques of Jones' performance, but they miss the factors that may have led him to cruise in second gear, not the least of which was a shot at Daniel Cormier's title at UFC 200. What do you think of that fight? Is it the right decision for the division and for that card?
Steven: I'm pretty much right with you. OSP is a tricky opponent for Jones, and few fans appreciate how big the transition from "orthodox wrestler" to "southpaw power-puncher" is for a game plan-focused fighter like Bones. A finish would have been nice, but it's worth remembering that OSP's entire offensive output was limited to a single punch, so it's not like this fight wasn't a strong performance from Jones that segues nicely into DC vs. Jones 2.
When it comes to that fight, the UFC had few choices outside of booking that fight. There are no other logical contenders for Cormier, and, frankly, I don't know that either man would be willing to sign onto a fight against anyone else. Add to that the drama surrounding the UFC 200 main event and...yeah, what other option did the UFC have?
What I'm wondering is whether Jones' whelming performance, as you called it, was a one-off thing, or if this might be a problem going forward. Do you have any worries about the post-hit-and-run Jones? And did his performance against OSP make you rethink his chances against Cormier?
Patrick: His performance against Saint Preux highlighted just how much Jones relies on opponent-specific preparation. He spars with specific fighters in camp. He works on specific drills tailored to the situations that are most likely to appear in the fight. When he hits pads, his coach Brandon Gibson tries to move him as his opponent will try to in the fight, something I've seen Gibson do in person with other fighters.
This fight highlighted that a substantial part of what makes Jones so effortlessly dominant is his ability to prepare specific things for his opponents, and he couldn't really do that against Saint Preux.
There's no reason to worry about Jones. His coaches are always on the ball, and now they have 25 minutes of data to analyze to see how Jones can improve. More precisely, I didn't see anything in particular in that fight that would trouble Jones against Cormier in their rematch. He handled him the first time, and it's probably safe to say he was prepared to handle him again the second time around.
I do wonder, however, if the new muscle means that Jones' days at 205 pounds are nearly over. Cutting from, say, 230 muscular pounds is a much greater challenge than he's had to face before. How many more fights does Jones have at light heavyweight?
Steven: There was a bit of drama when it came to Jones, his power lifting and how his head coach thought it impacted his performance. Is Greg Jackson right? I don't know. I'm not a nutritionist or a coach.
I am, however, relatively knowledgeable when it comes to dollars and cents. And right now? I'm not seeing much reason for him to jump up quite yet.
He has the Cormier rematch in front of him. That's big money. He could finally rematch Alexander Gustafsson. Again, big money. He has unfinished business with Anthony "Rumble" Johnson. Not big money but decent money.
Obviously, things can change in an instant, but we are not necessarily going to see Jones make the jump anytime soon. That's not a bad thing in my mind, since all three of those fights should be fun.
Heavyweight
11 of 11
No. 1- Fabricio Werdum (40 points)
No. 2- Cain Velasquez (36)
No. 3- Stipe Miocic (30)
No. 4- Alistair Overeem (24)
No. 5- Junior dos Santos (23)
No. 6- Ben Rothwell (19)
No. 7- Andrei Arlovski (18)
No. 8- Travis Browne (16)
No. 9- Mark Hunt (8)
No. 10- Josh Barnett (4)
Steven: UFC Fight Night 86 packed a whole month of heavyweight action into just one night with five big-man bouts across the card. There's a lot to talk about, but we should probably start from the top. The main event saw Ben Rothwell's Cinderella story end with a less-than-awesome performance where he was boxed up by former champ Junior dos Santos.
There were many conflicting takes about this fight. Some say JDS is back. Others say he's not. Some say Rothwell is still in the hunt. Others say he never actually was.
So, Chad, what say you? Is Dos Santos coming or going? And what of Big Ben?
Chad: It was a tough night for The Dark Lord Rothwell, no doubt about it. Fortunately for him, if Dos Santos' experience shows us anything, it's that no heavyweight is ever too far from contender status. Sure, the defeat—ugly as it was—snapped Big Ben's four-fight win-streak and cooled any talk of a title shot for the time being, but if he can nab another win or two over decent competition, it'll swing the narrative right back in his favor.
As for JDS, so long as he holds onto his status as one of the heavyweight division's younger talents, he's always going to be a contender. It's possible we overreacted to his three losses—two to Cain Velasquez, one to Alistair Overeem—from 2012 to 2015. He still belongs among the 265-pound elite.
This card also featured Derrick Lewis nabbing his third straight UFC win with a first-round KO of heavyweight stalwart Gabriel Gonzaga. Steven, how seriously should we be taking The Black Beast right now?
Steven: Lewis is a big, strong heavyweight who can hit really, really hard. You can stick around in the UFC's heavyweight division for a long time on that, but you're not going to win a title.
Let's not forget that Lewis got Sweet Chin Music'd by Shawn Jordan less than one year ago. He hasn't shown any major improvements since then, and even in his win over Gonzaga, the broken-down Brazilian was able to take him down and take his back with ease befitting a self-defense DVD.
Lewis can get wins and can build up streaks, but the actual skills just aren't there for him to have consistent success over actual contenders.
If I'm going to label anyone a "guy who we should start taking seriously," it's Francis Ngannou. He scored an impressive win over Curtis Blaydes at the same event and has me looking forward to his next fight. That's something I haven't said about a heavyweight in a long time.
Chad: Indeed, both Ngannou and Blaydes seemed like the kind of dudes you'd like to see a lot more of in the 265-pound class—big, relatively skilled and not yet into their 30s. By virtue of getting his second straight UFC win and advancing his overall record to 7-1, Ngannou is deserving of our attention, but I hope the company lets the 25-year-old Blaydes stick around awhile too.
Basically, this division needs all the help it can get. I will say, though, with the emergence of guys such as Ngannou and Blaydes, Lewis starting to make a name for himself and some fun heavyweight fights on the books (Werdum vs. Miocic for the title, Velasquez vs. Browne at UFC 200), there is reason to feel as bullish about the big fellas as we have in a long time.
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