Rankings Update – UFC on Fuel 6 Aftermath
The UFC rankings have been updated following UFC on Fuel 6 and Bellator 80 this weekend. Fighters with the most movement in the rankings are listed below.
Biggest Winners
John Lineker
Lineker’s second opportunity in the UFC was a huge success as he once again utilized his heavy hands and iron chin to take out one of the most respected flyweights in the world. It was a bit surprising that Lineker could not score the finish, but that was likely a testament to Urushitani’s toughness. Lineker seems destined for big things in the UFC with his fan-friendly fighting style.
Dong Hyun Kim
Kim has struggled against stiffer competition, and Paulo Thiago was thought to be a solid test for the South Korean, but that proved wishful thinking as Kim dominated large portions of the fight with his grappling. Kim cemented his status as one of the stronger fighters in the division and leapfrogged Rick Story, Thiago Alves, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Aaron Simpson, all of whom are coming off losses except Alves.
Cung Le
Back to back wins over former MW title contenders Rich Franklin and Patrick Cote have propelled Cung Le towards fringe contender status. Most of the fighters ranked above him in the division are younger and better grapplers. Le has likely reached his ceiling regarding his ranking.
Rad Martinez (Bellator)
Martinez picked up a signature win over veteran grappler Wagnney Fabiano this weekend. Martinez has made some huge improvements in his striking and overall fight skills over the last couple of years. He will have his hands full with Shahbulat Shamhaelaev in the tournament finals, but his wrestling may give him the edge come fight night.
Biggest Losers
Rich Franklin
I knowingly had Franklin ranked too high in the MW rankings. His only losses had been to marquee fighters and I still thought he could hold his own at MW considering his only losses at 185 lbs. were to p4p kingpin Anderson Silva. Now, we know that Franklin’s lack of quickness has taken a toll on his ability to be a title contender at MW. Franklin’s recent win over Wanderlei Silva still carries some weight in the rankings, but he will have an uphill battle trying to work his way back into contender status.
Paulo Thiago
Thiago is now 1-4 in his last 5 fights and could be nearing a possible pink slip from the UFC. Thiago is a huge fan favorite in Brazil, but he has not been able to capitalize on his popularity as he has struggled to improve his takedown defense. Thiago still belongs in the UFC thanks to his previous upset wins over Koscheck and Swick, but he will need to show the UFC something in his next fight to avoid the ax.
Jeff Hougland
Hougland did not fall too far down the rankings as I already had him ranked 2nd to last in the BW divsision. Now, he is officially at the bottom of the UFC bantamweight rankings. I am not sure why Hougland has received such high-profile fights since winning a sloppy grappling matchup over now-released Donny Walker. Hougland is tough, but he can’t compete in the UFC with his current skill-set.
Yasuhiro Urushitani
Urushitani was a top flyweight for years prior to making his UFC debut in 2011. Now, standing at 0-2 and possibly facing his UFC release, Urushitani has little room for error should he get another opportunity in the octagon.
Tom DeBlass
DeBlass was considered to be one of the top rising prospects in the sport prior to signing with the UFC, but he is now 0-2 in the octagon, having lost to non-contenders Riki Fukuda and Cyrille Diabate. DeBlass’ hands looked a lot better against Fukuda, but he seems to be struggling to compete with the level of athleticism and conditioning possessed by most of the UFC roster.
