MMA Pound for Pound Rankings

Ranking

MMA Fighter

MMA Fighter Comments

Previous Ranking

Ranking Change

Fedor Emelianenko

32-1, 1 NC, 1-0 Strikeforce - Until Fedor loses, or one of the other top 3 fighters defeats another one (I’m looking at you Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre), it’s hard to not put “The Last Emperor” as the #1 fighter in the world. His upcoming fight with the #9 ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum on June 26th at Strikeforce & M-1 Global's Fedor vs Werdum event will no doubt have ramifications on his ranking. If he is to win, and win big, like he did versus Tim Sylvia, he solidifies his position as the #1 fighter in the world. If he loses, well, let’s just say it’ll be the last time we see the Emperor in the top 5.

Anderson Silva

26-4, 11-0 UFC - The argument can be made for Silva as the #1, but the fact that 3 of his last 4 fights have been long drawn out snoozefests against some not do dangerous opponents (Patrick Cote and Thales Leites), the argument can also be made that he doesn’t deserve to be in the top 2. His upcoming fight with #2 ranked middleweight Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 should put an end to any mystery as to where Silva stands in the MMA world.

Georges St. Pierre

20-2, 14-2 UFC - St-Pierre has been one of the most dominating fighters in MMA for the past 5 years, however his KO loss to Matt Serra still haunts his reputation like a criminal record. GSP would easily be the #2 fighter in the world if his striking was nearly close to his wrestling ability, but as the years have progressed, while others stand up has improved, St-Pierre’s has remained mostly the same. Recent training sessions with Freddie Roach and Gegard Mousassi may change his striking for the better, but until he shows he can handle himself on the feet like Emelianenko and Silva, he’ll be #3.

Jose Aldo

17-1, 7-0 WEC - Aldo, at only 23 years of age, is on the fast track to becoming the #1 Pound for Pound fighter in the world. In three years, it is likely that both Emelianenko and Silva will be retired, and GSP past his prime, leaving Aldo, if he can sustain his stranglehold atop the WEC Featherweight Rankings, to claim the throne. Aldo’s next fight is yet to be announced, but whoever it is, they’re going to have a tough time beating Aldo on the feet or ground.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

19-4, 3-2 UFC - If Shogun’s career hadn’t be marred with injuries, it is likely that he could be in the top 3, but since it has, and since he did lose to Forrest Griffin three years ago, he isn’t in the top 4. Shogun is one of the most devastating strikers in the world, and he showed against Lyoto Machida, that a patient Shogun is even more deadly than an aggressive one. Shogun is currently on the shelf recovering from yet another knee surgery, but when he returns, he is expected to take on #3 light heavyweight Rashad Evans. A win against Evans will provide further evidence for Shogun’s listing as the #5 P4P fighter in the world.

BJ Penn

15-6-1, 11-5-1 UFC - Yes, BJ just lost to Frankie Edgar, but it was a razor close decision, and frankly, it was BJ’s first loss at lightweight since 2006. I refuse to place Edgar ahead of BJ until he proves he can beat Penn again at UFC 118. A focused Penn is hard to come by, but when he is, he’s a monster. Depending upon how BJ comes back from his loss, he could return to the Top 5 or slip all the way down to #10 in the Pound for Pound rankings. I fully expect to see a BJ Penn we’ve never seen before, and probably never again will, at UFC 118.

Lyoto Machida

16-1, 8-1 UFC - With wins over BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, Rashad Evans, and a controversial decision victory over Shogun Rua, Machida easily cracks the top 10 despite a first round KO loss to Rua at UFC 113. Machida, when he sticks to his game plan, is as deadly as any fighter, and while he slipped up against Rua, he will get the opportunity to redeem himself against either #4 LHW Rampage Jackson or #10 LHW Rich Franklin. Being #2 in one of the most talent rich divisions counts for something.

Frankie Edgar

12-1, 7-1 UFC - It’s hard to put BJ Penn ahead of Edgar after Edgar beat him just two months ago, but the truth is, I need to see it again. Styles make fights; just because you can beat a fighter one night, doesn’t mean you can do it again. When Buster Douglas upset Mike Tyson in 1990, it didn’t make him a better fighter than Tyson save for one night. And the same holds true for Edgar and Penn, that is unless Edgar can defeat Penn again atop the UFC 118 fight card. And if he does, Edgar will leapfrog his way to #6 in the rankings, where many will argue, and justifiably so, he deserves to be currently.

Jake Shields

25-4-1, 3-0 Strikeforce - Aside from almost being knocked out by heavy-handed Dan Henderson in the opening minutes of his last fight, Shields has demonstrated the ability to dominate opponents in both the middleweight and welterweight divisions. The wrestling Shields demonstrated against Henderson places him as one of the best wrestlers in two divisions, and, combined with his terrific jiu-jitsu, makes him a deadly grappler. If Shields does decide to jump ship to the UFC, his legacy will largely be defined by his accomplishments in the #1 MMA promotion in the world.

Jon Fitch

22-3, 1 NC, 12-1 UFC - Having lost only one fight in the past 7 years, to #3 P4P George St. Pierre, Jon Fitch could easily be in the top 5. The only problem is that Fitch doesn’t finish fights, nor does he display the capability to do so. He does control and dominate his opponents, but his average striking ability, and reluctance to pass guard and work for a finish make it hard to place him in the same category as any of the top 5 fighters in the world who finish fights both on the feet and the ground. A win over #3 welterweight Thiago Alves on the UFC 117 fight card would further support Fitch’s listing at a top 10 P4P fighter, but only a finish would raise his ranking from anything other than #10.