Rankings Update – UFC on Fox 6 – January 27
All rankings have been updated following UFC on Fox 6. Anthony Pettis, Ricardo Lamas, T.J. Grant, and Glover Teixeira definitely raised their stock with their performances Saturday night.
Biggest Winners
Ricardo Lamas
Ricardo Lamas put himself on the map Saturday night. Lamas’ contender status was still questionable coming into his fight against Erik Koch. Lamas had won his last two fights over Top 10 fighters Hatsu Hioki and Cub Swanson, yet it seemed as is if he was being passed over in recent weeks due to Cub Swanson proclaiming that his fight against Dennis Siver was the for the #1 contender spot. Now, I think Lamas has made it impossible for the UFC to give the Swanson-Siver winner a title shot over him. Lamas needed a signature victory to boost his stock and he got it in every way finishing one of the top prospects in the sport. I don’t know if Lamas would offer featherweight champion Jose Aldo much of a fight, but his blend of wrestling, toughness, and striking is about as good as anyone else in the featherweight division. Should Lamas have to wait his turn in case of a possible rematch between Aldo and Frankie Edgar (very possible considering Edgar’s recent history), fights with Chad Mendes or Chan Sung Jung look fitting for determining the next #1 contender.
Anthony Pettis
I was one of Anthony Pettis’ doubters coming into Saturday night. I had seen flashes of Pettis’ striking dominance, but was also doubting him based on his less than impressive performances against Jeremy Stephens and Clay Guida. Pettis stepped on the big stage Saturday night and absolutely destroyed Donald Cerrone. It’s even more impressive after taking into account his recent injury layoff and the difficulty in finishing someone as tough as Cerrone. Pettis is the #1 contender in my eyes, but it’s hard to rank him above Gilbert Melendez who was forced to fight against the limited amount of Strikeforce lightweight contenders available. One thing if for sure, no matter who wins the Ben Henderson-Gilbert Melendez fight, they better watch out because Anthony Pettis truly fights as if he is a champion in the making.
T.J. Grant
I don’t think too many people recognized or respected T.J. Grant enough to call him a future Top 10 fighter, but following Grant’s brutal finish of ultra-tough Matt Wiman, there may be no denying his arrival to the elite of the division. Grant still needs to prove his skills against the Top 10, but the improvements he has made in his striking and physicality is a scary combination considering his already solid wrestling and grappling game. Grant would benefit from facing a big name opponent next. Possibly Donald Cerrone or even someone like Gray Maynard could be in store for Grant, but the likelihood is that we will see Grant fight someone around his same rank (Jamie Varner, Rafael dos Anjos, Khabib Nurmagomedov).
Glover Teixeira
Glover Teixeira answered a lot of questions in his unanimous decision victory over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Teixeira showed off an excellent chin, taking some of Rampage’s biggest hits. What was more impressive though was Teixeira’s conditioning. There were some questions regarding Glover’s ability to fight in deep waters considering his explosive fighting style. Glover fought like a veteran and now has solidified his status as a Top 10 fighter at Light Heavyweight.
Shawn Jordan
Jordan did not look overly impressive on Saturday night, but he did score a much needed win against a tough heavyweight opponent. Jordan was on the ropes in the 1st round of his fight with Mike Russow, but he showed his toughness and superior conditioning to weather the storm and ultimately turn the tables in the 2nd round. Jordan’s roster spot was likely on the line in this fight, and though he is nowhere near Top 10 competition, he seems to be a prospect to keep an eye on. Jordan has a shot at sticking around for awhile considering the limited ground games of possible future opponents Matt Mitrione, Pat Barry, and Todd Duffee.
Biggest Losers
Donald Cerrone
Most fans were expecting more of a fight from “Cowboy,” but it was apparent after the first few exchanges that Anthony Pettis’ striking was just on another level. Cerrone’s ability against elite competition is now as questionable as ever. Cerrone is a combined 0-4 against Top 5 lightweights Ben Henderson, Pettis, and Nate Diaz. Cerrone is still capable of winning countless Fight of the Night awards, but for him to break into title contention he will have to fix the holes in his striking defense.
Erik Koch
Koch was about to fight for the featherweight title in 2012, but injuries once again struck. Koch was sidelined for all of 2012, but it was presumed that he would return with a vengeance. It was basically a pick’em fight coming into Saturday night and most felt Koch had a distinct striking advantage over Ricardo Lamas. Though Koch looked quick on his feet in the 1st round, Lamas soon took over with his top control and dominating ground ‘n’ pound. In the matter of one night, Koch went from a possible #1 contender to a questionable prospect.
Hatsu Hioki
The UFC paid a hefty price for Hatsu Hioki’s services in 2011. Hioki was arguably the #2 featherweight in the world at the time, but since coming over to the UFC he is just 2-2 overall. He showed flashes of his abilities in his win over Palaszewski and the 1st round of his fight against Lamas, but otherwise he has just looked flat and uninspired. Hioki had to know he was in a close fight going into the 3rd round against Clay Guida, but instead of turning up his activity he seemed lethargic and willing to let the cards fall as they may. It was very similar to his lackluster effort against Lamas and George Roop. The one thing to take away from Hioki’s Saturday night performance is that he will never be a legitimate threat to Jose Aldo.
