Rankings Update – UFC 154 Aftermath

The UFC rankings have been updated following UFC 154 and Bellator 81 this weekend. Fighters with the most movement in the rankings are listed below.

Biggest Winners
Johny Hendricks
Outside of GSP, the biggest story coming out of UFC 154 was the true emergence of Johny Hendricks as the #1 contender in the welterweight division. Deemed the mini-Dan Henderson by some, Hendricks has now scored two 1st round knockouts of top contenders Martin Kampmann and Jon Fitch. Hendricks may be forced to fight once more depending on GSP’s possible Super Fight with Anderson Silva.
Rafael dos Anjos
Rafael dos Anjos deserves a top-tier opponent after dispatching gritty grappler Mark Bocek. Dos Anjos’ striking and overall development as a well-rounded fighter have him rising the ranks as a legitimate threat in the division. It is now time to see if he can hang with the likes of Anthony Pettis, Jim Miller, or Joe Lauzon. People forget that dos Anjos was likely on his way to winning a decision over Clay Guida before he was forced to submit due to injury. Had he won that fight, dos Anjos would have been in the thick of the division’s top 10.
Pablo Garza
A lot of people did not see this coming, including myself, as Pablo Garza utilized his wrestling and top game to win a decision over veteran Mark Hominick. Garza showed a ton of heart weathering through an early knockdown and turning it into his style of fight. Garza has likely earned himself another tough opponent, and this time I won’t make the mistake of disregarding his knack for pulling off upsets.
John Makdessi
Makdessi displayed an excellent jab and conditioning as he pulled off the upset decision over Sam Stout. Stout tried to expose Makdessi’s ground game, but Makdessi showed some improved takedown defense to keep things standing. Though the win boosted Makdessi’s longterm job status in the UFC, recent losses to Anthony Njokuani and Dennis Hallman have exposed his limitations in the cage.
Darren Elkins
Elkins continues to rack up wins in the UFC’s featherweight division. He is now 4-0 at 145 lbs. and has likely earned himself a fight against a fringe contender like Manny Gamburyan or Rani Yahya. Elkins overall finishing skills are severely lacking, but his wrestling and top game have made him one of the toughest outs in the division.
Marcin Held (Bellator)
Marcin Held ruined the cinderella run of veteran Rich Clementi on Friday night. Held once again relied on his leglock submissions to carry him to victory as he earned the tap out in round 2. Held’s striking is still a work in progress, but he has a legitimate shot at beating Dave Jansen in the finals to win the tournament.
Biggest Losers
Martin Kampmann
Kampmann was on the verge of a potential title shot with a win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 154. Unfortunately, his chin finally failed him as he was knocked out in the 1st round. Kampmann is still one of the toughest, well-rounded fighters in the sport, but after watching him get pounded out by Hendricks, Paul Daley, and Nate Marquardt, he has to start changing his style to have some sort of career longevity. A Condit-Kampann rematch may be on the horizon as both fighters will likely be sidelined for awhile and their first bout was nearly dead even.
Mark Hominick
Hominick has lost his last 4 fights and is legitimately on the bubble as far as being released by the UFC. Hominick has just not been the same since losing to Jose Aldo. Hominick has taken a ton of damage in recent fights and one has to wonder if he will ever be able to reach contender status again without the late Shawn Tompkins in his corner. It has been a puzzling decline for one of the best technical strikers in the sport.
Mark Bocek
Bocek had finally built some momentum in the UFC’s lightweight division, but he once again fell short against stiffer opposition. Rafael dos Anjos negated Bocek’s grappling attack and the bottom dropped out soon thereafter as Bocek’s striking still pales in comparison to his wrestling. There is no shame in losing to dos Anjos, but Bocek has to shore up his weaknesses if he ever wants to get over the hump regarding contender status.
Sam Stout
Inconsistency continues to haunt Sam Stout as he falls to 7-7 overall in the UFC. Outside of Stout’s knockout win over Yves Edwards, Stout seems to have no killer instinct. Stout is extremely frustrating to watch as there have been multiple times that he is allowed a close fight to go to the judges instead of trying to ramp up his offense and possibly earn a finish. 12 out of Stout’s 14 UFC fights have ended via decision, and he seems to be doing nothing to turn that statistic around.