Rankings Update – January 1st (Post-UFC 155)

All rankings have been updated following UFC 155. Fighters which had the most movement in the rankings are listed below.

Biggest Winners
Cain Velasquez
Cain did what not many people thought he could not do, win a 5-round decision over Junior dos Santos. Velasquez not only won via decision, but dominated the fight in a way that truly brings doubt to dos Santos’ future chances of winning a third fight. Velasquez is without question the #1 heavyweight fighter in the world, but Alistair Overeem will look to test that label should he get past Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in 2013.
Myles Jury
Myles Jury pulled off the biggest upset of the weekend, defeating rising lightweight Michael Johnson. Jury was best known for a failed stint on two versions of The Ultimate Fighter (Seasons 13 & 15), though the former was due to injury. Jury exposed Johnson’s suspect ground game and has ultimately positioned himself for a high-profile bout next time out. Jury still has some developing to do in the striking department, but he seems to be a solid prospect to watch in the future.
Costa Philippou
Costa Philippou benefited from his training partner, Chris Weidman, falling victim to injury, which ultimately opened the door for Philippou to suddenly find himself on the main card against a Top 10 contender in Tim Boetsch. Philippou looked shaky early on, but finally started to get on track as the fight wore on. Philippou did not win pretty, but a win over Boetsch is something Hector Lombard and Yushin Okami could not do. Philippou is now arguably a Top 10 middleweight with the win, but he will have an uphill battle as he continues to face top-level competition at the upper realms of the division. Philippou may be ultimately chosen to welcome Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold into the UFC, or he could possibly find himself in a fight opposite Lombard, Okami, or Cung Le.
Jamie Varner
Varner once again stepped up to the plate as he knocked off another top UFC lightweight. Varner has gone 2-1 in his return to the UFC, and his previous struggles in the WEC and upset loss to Dakota Cochrane on the independent circuit look to be behind him. Varner seems primed for another high-profile bout and truly may be able to crack the top 10 if he can avoid the mental lapses of earlier losses.
Leonard Garcia
Leonard Garcia lost at UFC 155, but to many observers he came out a winner as he gave top prospect Max Holloway all he could handle for 3 rounds. Garcia will likely never contend for a title again, but his penchant for brawling has likely cemented his roster spot in the UFC regardless of his struggling record. Garcia’s previous loss to Matt Grice was embarrassing and he really seemed to be on his way out of the UFC with another loss, but Garcia came to fight on Saturday night, and truly showed the UFC and fans that he still had a bit to offer in regards of entertaining fights.
Will Brooks (Independent Circuit)
Will Brooks pulled off a big upset in Japan’s Dream promotion as he knocked off the always dangerous submission artist Satoru Kitaoka. Brooks used his wrestling and some deft submission defense to avoid Kitaoka’s leglock attacks, and eventually wear Kitaoka down and finish him with strikes. Brooks will likely have Bellator calling him, though he could potentially face Shinya Aoki should Dream hold another card.
Conor McGregor (Independent Circuit)
Ireland looks to have its first legitimate breakout star in featherweight prospect Conor McGregor. McGregor moved up to lightweight and knocked out out M-1 veteran veteran Ivan Buchinger. McGregor has been on a terror as of late and deserves a call from the UFC based on his recent winning streak. The UFC is not supposed to return to Ireland until 2014, but McGregor is not simply a regional fighter that would be added to a UFC overseas card.
Georgi Karakhanyan (Independent Circuit)
Karakhanyan is best known for his Bellator losses to Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and Joe Warren, but he seems to be nearing an opportunity to redeem himself in the big leagues after his decision victory over Hiroyuki Takaya. Karakhanyan would likely struggle with wrestlers, but he has proven to be a solid striker with the skills and record to be in the UFC, Bellator, or World Series of Fighting.

Biggest Losers
Alan Belcher
Alan Belcher had the most to gain from UFC 155 outside of Cain Velasquez. Belcher had a ton of hype around him, and if he could get past Okami, who has been a virtual gatekeeper to title contender status, Belcher would have arguably been one fight away from facing Anderson Silva. Yet, Belcher showed the exact holes that led to his prior loss to Okami and now finds himself outside of the Top 10 and serious long-term question of his ability to compete against marquee competition.
Chris Leben
Leben looked lethargic upon his return from a yearlong suspension. Leben was never known for his athleticism and Derek Brunson simply outclassed him with speed and wrestling. Hopefully, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has learned a lesson and will book Leben in fan-friendly fights against fellow strikers. Leben’s MMA career seems to be on shaky ground and he will have to truly consider a drop down to 170 lbs. or hope Joe Silva books him favorably in his next few appearances.
Michael Johnson
I questioned why Michael Johnson’s management would have even allowed him to accept a fight with virtually unknown Myles Jury at UFC 155. Johnson stated he wanted another fight in 2012, but he paid the price by possibly being way too confident in his ability to defeat Jury. Johnson’s previous momentum from solid wins over Danny Castillo and Tony Ferguson is now washed away and he will have to completely start over his climb up the lightweight ranks.
Tim Sylvia (Independent Circuit)
Sylvia lost a decision to undersized Japanese Olympian Satoshi Ishii this weekend. Sylvia was petitioning strongly for a spot in the UFC, but following a no-contest against Andrei Arlovski and now a loss to Ishii, Sylvia’s career seems to be all but finished. His name value could still qualify him for fights with upcoming prospects, but a promotion would have to pay a big price for Sylvia’s services. Sylvia still deserves credit for his prior UFC heavyweight championship run, but he is a shell of his former self and has continually struggled with his weight in recent years.
Other Fighters in Action this Weekend:
Shinya Aoki (LW, Top 25, Top 10 Free Agent) – defeated Antonio McKee via 2nd round TKO
Melvin Manhoef (MW,  Top 10 Free Agent) – defeated Denis Kang via 1st round KO
Tatsuya Kawajiri (FW, Top 25, Top 10 Free Agent) – defeated Michihiro Omigawa via Decision (Unanimous)
Mirko Cro Cop (HW, Top 25, Top 10 Free Agent) – defeated Shinichi Suzukawa via 1st round Submission