The MMA Top 10 1.01.10: Week 2 - Top 10 Fighters of 2009
Posted by Dustin James on 01.01.2010
Who does 411's Dustin James consider the best fighter of 2009? Was it Jose Aldo? Lyoto Machida? Georges St. Pierre? Perhaps even Fedor Emelianenko or Anderson Silva managed to snag the top spot? There's only one way to find out......
Welcome back to The MMA Top 10! It's officially 2010 and I can totally tell the difference already. The whole entire world is happy that it's a "new year" for "new beginnings". Everyone has their resolutions set and are determined to have a better year than last year! The truth is, once March rolls around, fat people will still be fat, gym memberships will have gone unused for weeks, and I will still refuse to wear underwear. It happens every year and it cracks me up every time. Anyway, have a good new year, I know I will!
Before we move on to the top 10, I feel I have to discuss the tasteless act put on by Shinya Aoki at the FEG Dynamite!! show over in Japan. Aoki put MMA sportsmanship back ten years by purposely breaking his opponents arm during a hammerlock submission then tastelessly flipping the dude off as well as the entire crowd. Really Aoki? REALLY? MMA has a hard enough time being accepted among the general public without this bullshit happening. Sports journalists all over the world are just WAITING for something like this to happen in the UFC so they can jump all over it and bash MMA. Why give them ammunition?
While I don't mind a good finger to the crowd every once in awhile....to break someone's arm and then flip them off, that just comes across as sadistic. While I have seen fighters get their arms broke before in MMA(Mir/Sylvia), I have never seen an opponent disrespect the other guy after doing it. Please come to the UFC Aoki. You stand little to no chance against the likes of BJ Penn, Gray Maynard, Sean Sherk, etc. Hopefully in 2010 we will get to see Penn whip some respect into this "rainbow tights loving" bastard.
With that out of the way.........
LET'S GET IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!..........................
HONORABLE MENTIONS!
Tyron Woodley
Currently Fighting For: Strikeforce
2009 Record: 5-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Rudy Bears at Strikeforce Challengers Series 5 via arm-triangle submission
- win over Zach Light at Strikeforce Challengers Series 3 via armbar submission
- win over Sal Woods at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields via brabo choke submission
- win over Jeff Carstens at RIE 2: Brotherly Love Brawl via rear-naked choke submission
- win over Steve Schneider at Headhunter Productions: The Patriot Act via submission via punches
Opponents Combined Records: 39-55-1
Vitor Belfort
Currently Fighting For: UFC
2009 Record: 2-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Rich Franklin at UFC 103 via TKO
- win over Matt Lindland at Affliction: Day of Reckoning via KO
Opponents Combined Records: 46-12
Eddie Alvarez
Currently Fighting For: DREAM & Bellator
2009 Record: 4-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Katsunori Kikuno at DREAM 12 via arm-triangle submission
- win over Toby Imada at Bellator 10 via rear-naked choke submission
- win over Eric Reynolds at Bellator 4 via rear-naked choke submission
- win over Greg Loughran at Bellator 1 via guillotine choke submission
Opponents Combined Records: 64-32-2
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
Currently Fighting For: Strikeforce
2009 Record: 4-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Mike Whitehead at Strikeforce: Evolution via KO
- win over Mark Kerr at M-1 Global: Breakthrough via TKO
- win over Ryo Kawamura at Sengoku 7 via uanimous decision
- win over Yukiya Naito at Sengoku: No Ran 2009 via TKO
Opponents Combined Records: 65-29-4
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Currently Fighting For: UFC
2009 Fights: 3-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Luis Cane at UFC 106 via TKO
- win over Dion Staring at Jungle Fight 13 via triangle choke submission
- win over Vladimir Matyushenko at Affliction: Day of Reckoning via KO
Opponents Combined Records: 52-12
AND NOW.......THE TOP 10!!!!!!!!
10) Benson Henderson
Currently Fighting For: WEC
2009 Fights: 3-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Donald Cerrone at WEC 43 via unanimous decision
- win over Shane Roller at WEC 40 via TKO
- win over Anthony Njokuani at WEC 38 via guillotine choke submission
Opponents Combined Records: 30-6
Benson Henderson definitely exploded onto the MMA scene in 2009. Henderson made his WEC debut at WEC 38 with an impressive victory over Anthony Njokuani and he ended the year when he beat Donald Cerrone to win the interim WEC lightweight title in what many consider the "Fight of the Year". Henderson will be defending his title in just a few weeks against WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner to unify the titles and that could end up potentially being the 2010 Fight of the Year. Either way, I'm excited to see what else this guy has in his tank......
Ben Henderson teaches you some MMA........
9) Fedor Emelianenko
Currently Fighting For: M-1 Global & Strikeforce
2009 Record: 2-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Brett Rogers at Strikeforce/M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers via TKO
- win over Andrei Arlovski at Affliction: Day of Reckoning via KO
Opponents Combined Records: 25-8
You know, I'm sick and tired of only getting to see the "#1 heavyweight fighter in the world" fight once or twice a year. In a perfect world, we would have seen Fedor sign with the UFC in 2009 and then fight every 3-4 months to solidify his #1 ranking. However, once again.....we didn't get that. Instead we got to see Fedor pick apart two opponents who were nowhere near the kind of competition Emelianenko should be facing. Hopefully in 2010, we will finally see M-1 Global go out of business (meaning Fedor FINALLY kicks them to the curb!) and Fedor will finally suck up his pride and sign a contract with the UFC. JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN ALREADY~!
Because this never gets old.........
8) Gegard Mousasi
Currently Fighting For: M-1 Global & Strikeforce
2009 Record: 4-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Gary Goodridge at FEG Dynamite 2009!! via TKO
- win over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at M-1 Global/Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers via TKO
- win over Renato Sobral at Strikeforce: Cyborg vs. Carano via TKO
- win over Mark Hunt at DREAM 9 via armbar submission
Opponents Combined Records: 70-39-1
In 2009, Gegard Mousasi showed the world why he is one of the best fighters currently not under contract with the UFC. While he may not have faced the best competition, the simple fact is....the man destroyed anything put in his path. Hopefully in 2010, we will finally see Mousasi break free of M-1 Global and sign a contract with Zuffa. It's almost a crime that Mousasi isn't tearing up the UFC ranks right now.
(For the record, I wrote this before Mousasi's fight against Gary Goodridge at the Dynamite!! show. However, since the win was over Gary Goodridge, it really wouldn't sway my judgment either way.....)
It's Gegard Mousasi vs. "Babalu" Sobral.....
7) BJ Penn
Currently Fighting For: UFC
2009 Record: 2-1
2009 Fights:
- win over Diego Sanchez at UFC 107 via TKO
- win over Kenny Florian at UFC 101 via rear-naked choke submission
- loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 via TKO
Opponents Combined Records: 52-9
I'll admit. Last week when I ranked the "Top 10 best UFC fighters of 2009", I really whiffed on BJ Penn. The truth is, when I was calculating the results, I kind of skimmed over anyone who had a loss. Even though Penn did get a loss under his belt in 2009, the simple fact that he once again showed the world that he is the top lightweight in MMA with his impressive victories over Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez, that should be reason enough to consider BJ Penn one of the top 10 fighters of the year.
Will BJ Penn own Duane "BANG" Ludwig? Of course he will.......
6) Gilbert Melendez
Currently Fighting For: Strikeforce
2009 Record: 3-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Josh Thomson at Strikeforce: Evolution via unanimous decision
- win over Mitsuhiro Ishida at Strikeforce: Cyborg vs. Carano via TKO
- win over Rodrigo Damm at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs Diaz via KO
Opponents Combined Records: 42-12-1
After starting out his career 13-0, Melendez went on to suffer his first loss to Mitsuhiro Ishida back on New Year's Eve 2007. Well, about 6 months later, Melendez lost his second professional fight to Josh Thomson. Well, what's a guy to do after starting his career 13-0 and then losing twice? Ohhhhh, that's right! Wait until 2009 comes along and then beat the crap out of both of them. Well, I don't know if that's exactly what was in Melendez's plan....but that's what happened. Melendez not only earned back both those losses, but his rematch with Thomson was one of the greatest fights I have ever seen. It was definitely a fantastic year for "El Nino".....
Here's Melendez vs. DAMMMMMMMM.....
5) Marius Zaromskis
Currently Fighting For: Strikeforce
2009 Record: 4-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Myeon Ho Bae at DREAM 12 via KO
- win over Jason High at DREAM 10 via KO
- win over Hayato Sakurai at DREAM 10 via TKO
- win over Seichi Ikemoto at DREAM 8 via unanimous decision
Opponents Combined Records: 70-32-7
Perhaps no one exploded onto the scene with such excitement in 2009 as this man. Not only did Zaromskis win the DREAM 2009 Welterweight Grand Prix tournament, but the man did it in VERY impressive fashion. The dude basically head kicked his way to winning the DREAM tournament and becoming one of the most talked about welterweights in MMA. Now that Zaromskis has signed with Strikeforce, it will be great to see what kind of noise he can make in 2010. His opponents have been warned though.....BEWARE OF THE HEAD KICK~!
Marius Zaromskis kicks off the head of one of the coolest guys in MMA.......
4) Anderson Silva
Currently Fighting For: UFC
2009 Record: 2-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 via KO
- win over Thales Leites at UFC 97 via unanimous decision
Opponents Combined Records: 32-9
Anderson "The Spider" Silva is perhaps the greatest middleweight fighter in UFC history. The man is now 11-0 in his UFC career and has cleaned out his division. He's such a good fighter that he went into his fight with Thales Leites at UFC 97 with the game plan of letting Leites beat him. Well, after the fans thought that match was "boring as shit", Silva came out and reminded everyone of how dangerous he really is when he dismantled Forrest Griffin at UFC 101. Had Silva not gotten injured then we perhaps would have seen him compete in the Octagon on three different occasions. However, that happened and it's in the past and we all must move on and look forward to Silva vs. Vitor Belfort in 2010! COUNT ME IN!
Watch out for those elbows of Anderson Silva.......
3) Georges St. Pierre
Currently Fighting For: UFC
2009 Record: 2-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Thiago Alves at UFC 100 via unanimous decision
- win over BJ Penn at UFC 94 via TKO
Opponents Combined Records: 31-11-1
You know I'll admit when I'm wrong, and I was pretty wrong last week when I ranked Anderson Silva ahead of GSP in the "top 10 UFC fighters of the year" list. While Silva had a very impressive year, he didn't defeat one of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world....and GSP did just that when he beat BJ Penn at UFC 94. GSP then went on to face what many considered his "toughest challenge yet" when he fought Thiago Alves to a decision victory at UFC 100. One thing is for sure, GSP was truly outstanding in 2009 and will more than likely have the same sort of impact in 2010.
Here's a tribute to GSP himself.........
2) Jose Aldo
Currently Fighting For: WEC
2009 Record: 4-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Mike Brown at WEC 44 via TKO
- win over Cub Swanson at WEC 41 via TKO
- win over Chris Mickle at WEC 39 via TKO
- win over Rolando Perez at WEC 38 via KO
Opponents Combined Records: 67-26
This was a really tough call for me. I actually had to sit here and contemplate who I considered my "2009 Fighter of the Year". In the end, it came down to the guy at #1 and the man who DOMINATED the WEC this year.....Jose "Junior" Aldo! Seriously, before 2009 we all knew Aldo was pretty bad ass, but we had no idea he was THIS bad ass. The guy fought four times this year and absolutely was unstoppable. He not only defeated Swanson, Mickle, and Perez in the first round, but he came out and defeated the #1 featherweight in the world (and the man who had just defeated Urijah Faber twice....), Mike Brown, to win the WEC Featherweight Title. Hopefully sometime in 2009 we will get to see Aldo vs. Faber. Perhaps we will see that fight if the WEC decides to head to PPV? 2010 should end up being a great year for Aldo as well seeing as I can't see anyone stopping this dude.
You want to see exactly how badass Aldo is?.............
1) Lyoto Machida
Currently Fighting For: UFC
2009 Record: 3-0
2009 Fights:
- win over Mauricio Rua at UFC 104 via unanimous decision
- win over Rashad Evans at UFC 98 via KO
- win over Thiago Silva at UFC 94 via KO
Opponents Combined Records: 45-6-1
In my eyes, Lyoto Machida is the 2009 Fighter of the Year. I honestly don't think anyone else had a better year than Machida. "The Dragon" not only gave Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva their first professional losses, but he captured the UFC Light Heavyweight Title along the way. He then capped the year off by defeating "Shogun" Rua in a very controversial decision. While many people believe that Rua actually won that fight, it doesn't matter. In the end, Machida's got the "W" under his belt and he's now the man who defeated "Shogun", Rashad, and Thiago all in the same year. No one else in MMA was as impressive as that in my opinion.
Lyoto Machida.....being a bad ass......
And that's it for me this week. Next week I'll be ranking the guys I think will be the top 10 breakout stars of 2010! Should be fun.......
In the meantime, make sure you follow me on Twitter!
All of 411's zones are also on Twitter, so make sure you check it out.....
FUCK Lyoto Machida. I swear to God I'm so sick of everyone riding his nuts. Mousasi is where it's at. That dude will be the next Anderson Silva. He's friggin ridiculous.
Posted By: JP (Guest) on January 01, 2010 at 12:30 AM
"You know, I'm sick and tired of only getting to see the "#1 heavyweight fighter in the world" fight once or twice a year. In a perfect world, we would have seen Fedor sign with the UFC in 2009 and then fight every 3-4 months to solidify his #1 ranking. However, once again.....we didn't get that. Instead we got to see Fedor pick apart two opponents who were nowhere near the kind of competition Emelianenko should be facing. "
Remind me how MANY TIMES the UFC HW CHAMP BROCK LESNAR defended his title in 2009 ?
Answer : ONCE
Reminds me how many times Frank Mir fought in 2009 ?
TWICE
So your whole "i'm tired of Fedor fighting twice a year only and would fight 3-4 times a year in the octagon" is PURE BS
Posted By: Epic Fail For Dustin James (Guest) on January 01, 2010 at 12:46 AM
aoki stands little to no chance against fucking sean sherk? seriously. i stopped reading there. Fuck UFC. Aoki to Strikeforce.
Posted By: Guest#9623 (Guest) on January 01, 2010 at 01:45 AM
FUCK Lyoto Machida. I swear to God I'm so sick of everyone riding his nuts. Mousasi is where it's at. That dude will be the next Anderson Silva. He's friggin ridiculous.
Posted By: JP (Guest) on January 01, 2010 at 12:30 AM
I agree bro. Lyoto said many times nobody cant figure out or defend my style something along those line's. Well Shogun did and he should of won. Lyoto and Ed Soares knows it!
Posted By: Scottyieoittie (Guest) on January 01, 2010 at 03:17 AM
". You stand little to no chance against the likes of BJ Penn, Gray Maynard, Sean Sherk, etc."
I don't really like Aoki, but do you really think he'd get beat by one dimensional wrestlers like Sean Sherk? Much as I want someone to knock off Aoki, he finds a way to get a tough sub. He would do the same to Sherk.
Besides, Kawajiri is going to beat that ass when they finally get around to fighting. The only reason it didn't take place at Dynamite! 2009 is because of the whole DREAM vs Sengoku gimmick and the fact that it's one of DREAM's last big fights left.
Posted By: Guest#0977 (Guest) on January 01, 2010 at 03:20 AM
Shogun tore Machida up and exposed the shit out of him. It blows my mind that anybody who has followed MMA for any period of time would pick him as fighter of the year.
Posted By: dale (Guest) on January 01, 2010 at 03:44 AM
How many times did Anderson Silva and GSP fight this year? Yup same as Fedor. Oh they got hurt? Well Fedor had a fight lined up also but hey his fight was canned cause of Josh B.
If anything Anderson should be #10 , with Fedor at #9 and GSP at #8.
Posted By: Guest#0185 (Guest) on January 01, 2010 at 05:51 AM
How many times did Anderson Silva and GSP fight this year? Yup same as Fedor. Oh they got hurt? Well Fedor had a fight lined up also but hey his fight was canned cause of Josh B.
If anything Anderson should be #10 , with Fedor at #9 and GSP at #8.
Posted By: Guest#0185 (Guest) on January 01, 2010 at 05:51 AM
you guys can say things like this but the bottom line is FEDOR does NOT
1)fight top competition in his weight class..
2)complete dominate his last 2 opponents who aren't top 5 heavyweights.. he got BATTERED by Arlovski and Rogers before he swungs his hailmary right hand...
- GSP and Anderson Silva literally look like they're in another class compared to who they fight, and they actually fight top competitors in their weight class's.
- FeDOR SURVIVES and wins his fights. does not dominate the fight
-FEDOR could of been ranked better if he fought better ppl, but chose not to by not signing with the UFC
- M-1 is retarded
Posted By: wylun (Guest) on January 02, 2010 at 04:38 AM
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