MMA world rankings update
All rankings are now updated following this weekend’s action. Quick summaries of Top 100 action are listed below:
LW
Jorge Masvidal moved up the ranks following his dominating victory over KJ Noons. Masvidal still has a lot of critics who have cited his past inconsistencies, but he looks primed for a Strikeforce title shot.
JZ Cavalcante and Justin Wilcox fought to a no decision, following an inadvertent eye poke suffered by Wilcox. The 1st round looked lively as both fighters tried to establish their striking. Cavalcante came out a bit more aggressive in the 2nd round, but we will never know how the fight would have ended. Wilcox moved up a couple of spots, as he looked impressive in the 1st round.
Magno Almeida dropped out of the rankings after losing a razor-thin decision to Conor Heun. The fight was a battle of wills on the ground, which may have resulted in a broken arm for Heun. Almeida could not put the wrestler away though, and failed to sway the judges with his submissions.
Dan Lauzon makes his debut in the Top 100 lightweight rankings, following a win on the independent scene.
WW
No Top 100 welterweights competed this weekend
MW
Bruno Santos rolled the dice with his unblemished record, as he competed in an 8-man tournament in Brazil. Santos won 3 fights to win the tournament and raise his record to 11-0.
John Salter and Francis Carmont are making their respective debuts in the middleweight rankings following wins over former UFC veterans on the independent scene.
Salter, a former UFC fighter himself, defeated Kalib Starnes. After the fight, Starnes announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
Carmont defeated Jason Day this weekend. Carmont has won 4 straight fights since taking a 2-year hiatus and is likely a win away from being signed by a major promotion.
LHW
Robert Drysdale defeated Mike Nickels via 1st round submission. Drysdale is being fast-tracked to the octagon, as his elite grappling skills belong on the grandest of stages.
HW
The heavyweight division was busy this weekend as Strikeforce presented fans with four solid fights.
Alistair Overeem defeated Fabricio Werdum via unanimous decision, avenging his previous loss to Werdum. Both fighters have been the target of criticism though, as the fight was lackluster in many fans’ eyes considering Overeem’s finishing power. Overeem fought a smart fight though. He did not want to make the same mistake that cost him last fight against Werdum, so he stayed cautious throughout the bout and ultimately moves on to the next round of the tournament.
Josh Barnett picked up a needed win over Brett Rogers, as Barnett’s Strikeforce career may have been on the line had he lost. Barnett showcased his grappling dominance over Rogers, finally submitting him in the 2nd round.
Daniel Cormier looked impressive against aging Jeff Monson. Cormier kept the fight standing, despite his olympic-level wrestling, punishing Monson with strikes. Cormier is ready to take another step up in competition, possibly against the likes of Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, or Chad Griggs. Monson will hopefully be given one more shot in Strikeforce, as he ran up a 17-3 record on the independent scene.
Chad Griggs continues to win, and that is something that is difficult to do at the elite level. Although Griggs has faced untested or journeyman competition, he suddenly finds himself one injury away from being placed in a marquee fight.
