411 MMA Rankings 02.07.12: Welterweight Division
Posted by Jonathan Solomon on 02.07.2012
Carlos Condit topped Nick Diaz at UFC 143 and Johny Hendricks knocked out Jon Fitch at UFC 141, but where do they rank? See how the top of the 411 MMA Welterweight Rankings shakes out this month! Plus see where Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger rank before they fight next week!
Welcome to the 411 MMA Rankings where in this February edition we take a look at the ever-changing WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION! Georges St. Pierre is injured and will not return until the end of the year. Jon Fitch was knocked out by Johny Hendricks. Jake Shields was knocked out by Jake Ellenberger and Nick Diaz lost a close decision to Carlos Condit. When will the craziness stop?!
Diego Sanchez and Josh Koscheck are old names who continue chipping away, attempting to return to title contention. Koscheck bounced back following his knockout of Matt Hughes in 2011 to defeat Mike Pierce over the weekend. Meanwhile, Diego Sanchez steps inside the octagon for the first time this year in one week opposite Jake Ellenberger. Speaking of Ellenberger, if he can build on his upset of Shields, those would be a pair of impressive wins to say the least.
Speaking of Shields, the beginning of his attempt at redemption begins later this month in the Far East as he will fight welterweight newbie Yoshihiro Akiyama in Japan at UFC 144. It would be a whirlwind if he follows the knockout loss with a second upset defeat in the span of 5 months.
Before you continue, do not forget about the upcoming return of BELLATOR. March 9 is the first night of season six and the welterweight division will be featured three weeks later on March 30. In the new tournament, Brian Foster, Dave Rickets, Ben Saunders, Raul Amaya, Carlos Alexandre Pereira, Bryan Baker, Karl Amoussou and Chris Lozano will do battle for the right to challenge for the welterweight championship. Speaking of the gold, champion Ben Askren will make his second title defense later this season against season five tournament winner Douglas Lima.
Great action is on tap all round so strap in and check out the 411 MMA Rankings!
Feedback to Last Week's Heavyweight Rankings
From Weaksauce:
Who has Cole Konrad fought and what has he done in those fights to be ranked ahead of Fedor, Browne or Nelson? Buentello and Grove are worse than most of Fedor's can's and Browne and Nelson have infinite better competition. Bellator = Minor Leagues, please don't overestimate the competition More minor league talk. What makes one fight less professional than another? Obviously, Bellator's heavyweight roster lacks depth, no one can argue otherwise. Fedor's support in the rankings has dwindled thanks to his losing streak from 2010 to last year. He's bounced back against Jeff Monson and Satoshi Ishii but wouldn't you compare them to the quality of guys Cole Konrad has beat? I could understand considering Travis Browne above him because he has definitely fought tougher competition in Cheick Kongo (a draw) and Stefan Struve (KO).
From MJH:
One of those weeks where nothing really to comment except good job. And the Big Nog picture made me sad. Yes it does. I bet you never thought you would see the day Big Nog would be in such a situation.
From wylun:
eh.. you have some fighters who i believe are ranked too high and others are ranked too low b/c they might have 1-2 more loses yet they are fighting at a better level.. werdumn and Cormier are should be like 8-10.. nelson should be atleast top 10.. and i dont see why Bigfoot is top 10.. wat did he do so impressively recently? beat fedor? everyone beats freakin fedor. Everyone beats Fedor, thanks for the laugh. Not sure why you think the Strikeforce (or former Strikeforce) guys need to be lower. Werdum had a great run with wins over Big Foot and Fedor, plus he lost to Overeem (a top 5 guy). Cormier is undefeated and knocked out a top 10 fighter in Big Foot. (Before the Werdum fight) Perhaps Nelson could have been higher than 13 because his losses were against top competition. He's seemingly a guy who can beat a certain level of fighter but cannot get over the hump against guys a step above.
Plus, if you have Werdum, Cormier and Silva lower, who is in spots 6 & 7? Carwin? Big Nog? Both are 1-2 in their last three fights.
From MPMoore:
It's funny.
I look at the rankings and I'm thinking "he's too high" but I look below him and think "he doesn't deserve to be higher".
I don't wanna say the talent pool is weak but...
Well...
It could use a couple breakout performances from the fading ones like Kongo (he's old) and Nelson (he's too mediocre).
This is probably the hardest to rank, on par with MW. I agree, some guys may be higher than usual because there are not many guys emerging from the pack. Cormier is at #6 with one real big win, albeit he is undefeated. He will have his opportunity to emerge from the pack soon against Josh Barnett. Then you look even further and the loser of that fight may drop, so while one guy steps up, another falls. The heavyweight division is certainly top heavy right now.
From Josh:
I don't know if I can agree with Cain at #2. Dude has only spent one minute in the cage in the last year and a half or so, and that was in a losing effort. That's a fair statement. If you wish to put Overeem above him, you can look at wins over Werdum and Brock Lesnar as reasons to do so. Remember, over the past two years, Cain is 2-1 with wins over Big Nog and Lesnar. Overeem is 4-0 over the same period.
From Bernard Solomon:
Jonathan! Aunt Betty has been asking about you She wants to complain about Fedor too?
From Sisti:
Nick Diaz could beat any of these guys
Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves Apparently, Carlos Condit > any of these guys, then.
From Baron Skinny:
I love that Fedor v The Korean Zombie video (although you wouldn't catch me friendly sparring with Fedor). You mean you wouldn't let The Last Emperor toss you around and tap you out? Áîëüøå íåò (good luck translating that into speech, so send a text) is Russian for no more, just in case you ever do find yourself grappling with Fedor.
From Jared B.:
Swap Cain and Overeem and these are actually pretty great rankings.
From G-Walla:
I'd like to think Mir is capable with competing, but he was getting picked apart by Nog, and he hasn't fared well against big brutes like Lesnar and Carwin.
Still, I wouldn't mind seeing him fight Velasquez to see if he's improved, or only picking up wins against people who are used to be great. I still find a hard time thinking Mir could beat Velasquez. If he allows himself to take a lot of strikes (as he did with Big Nog), Cain's power can end the fight. Plus, you don't want to go to the ground with him on top because he should be good enough to do damage from the top position (while avoiding submissions). Yet, it does seem like the logical fight to make if Cain is ready to return within the next few months.
Thank you for all the comments, questions, hate, jazz and everything in between. It is always appreciated.
Rankings From One Year Ago 02.22.11
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. Thiago Alves
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Carlos Condit
7. Martin Kampmann
8. B.J. Penn
9. Nick Diaz
9. Paul Daley
11. Diego Sanchez
12. Ben Askren
13. Dong Hyun Kim
14. Matt Hughes
15. Dan Hardy
15. Paulo Thiago
411's MMA Ranking Rules
- If a fighter hasn't fought in a year, he can not be ranked. It's not fair to people who are fighting to not be ranked because a fighter is taking a year off. However, if a fighter has a fight officially scheduled he is still eligible for being ranked.
- If a fighter appears on just one single ballot, and in the top ten, five points shall be deducted to balance out between other fighters who may have been ranked lower, but appeared on more total ballots.
- Want to complain about a fighter's ranking in the comments section? Please include an objective reason why you don't like the ranking, and include your own set of rankings if you would!
- 411's MMA Rankings are voted on by the much heralded staff of 411mania. Emphasis -----> much heralded!
- vs. Jake Shields - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 129: St. Pierre vs. Shields - April 30, 2011
- vs. Josh Koscheck - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 124: St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 - December 11, 2010
- vs. Dan Hardy - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 111: St. Pierre vs. Hardy - March 27, 2010
- vs. Thiago Alves - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 100 - July 11, 2009
- vs. BJ Penn - Win via TKO (corner stoppage) - UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II - January 31, 2009
Next scheduled appearance:
- Injured
2) Carlos Condit (28-5)
Height: 6'1
Birthday: April 26, 1984
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Nick Diaz - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit - February 4, 2012
- vs. Dong Hyun Kim - Win via KO (flying knee) - UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber - July 2, 2011
- vs. Dan Hardy - Win via KO (punches) - UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama - October 16, 2010
- vs. Rory MacDonald - Win via TKO (punches) - UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin - June 12, 2010
- vs. Jake Ellenberger - Win via decision (split) - UFC Fight Night 19 - September 16, 2009
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
Comment: Condit worked his game plan to the letter against Nick Diaz at UFC 143 last weekend. By the end of the fight, Nick Diaz's face was cut up and it looked like Condit could have fought another five rounds (Diaz probably would, too). With the unanimous decision win, Condit is now the interim champion. Although UFC President Dana White suggested a rematch could be in their future, it appears it does not interest the Condit camp. Whether he waits for GSP to return at the end of the year or takes a fight before then remains to be seen.
3) Jake Ellenberger (26-5)
Height: 5'11
Birthday: March 28, 1985
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Jake Shields - Win via TKO (strikes) - UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger - September 17, 2011
- vs. Sean Pierson - Win via KO (punch) - UFC 129: St. Pierre vs. Shields - April 30, 2011
- vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha - Win via decision (split) - UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort - February 5, 2011
- vs. John Howard - Win via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) - UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko - August 1, 2010
- vs. Mike Pyle - Win via TKO (punches) - UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva - January 2, 2010
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Diego Sanchez - UFC on Fuel - February 15, 2012
Comment: Wow. Who would have guessed that Ellenberger would jump up to #3 this year? He knocked out Jake Shields in September and with losses from Jon Fitch and Nick Diaz, the man finds his way to his highest ranking to date. Although the title picture looks to be on ice for the foreseeable future, he can cement his place in the division when he fights Diego Sanchez next week. Both men are similar fighters, strong wrestlers with heavy hands and good motors with neither usually having a boring fight.
4) Nick Diaz (26-8)
Height: 6'0
Birthday: August 2, 1983
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Carlos Condit - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit - February 4, 2012
- vs. B.J. Penn - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz - October 29, 2011
- vs. Paul Daley - Win via TKO (punches) - Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley - April 9, 2011
- vs. Evangelista Santos - Win via submission (armbar) - Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg - January 29, 2011
- vs. K.J. Noons - Win via decision (unanimous) - Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons 2 - October 9, 2010
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
Comment: Disappointment. That is what Diaz felt after the decision rang out in Las Vegas. He felt he won because he pushed the pace of the fight, landed enough strikes and landed a takedown and submission attempt before the end of the fifth round. Unfortunately for him, Condit was able to use that movement to land a ton of strikes constantly from the third round onward. After the fight, Diaz said, "I'm sick of this shit" and talked about retirement.
Although no one truly knows what goes on in his head, odds are it was just the heat of the moment (see Penn, B.J.). Besides, Diaz is not out of the title picture at all with such a close loss. He can fight up to two more times in 2012 and with wins, earn a title fight in 2013 against either Condit or GSP.
5) Josh Koscheck (17-5)
Height: 5'10
Birthday: November 30, 1977
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Mike Pierce - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit - February 4, 2012
- vs. Matt Hughes - Win via KO (strikes) - UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage - September 24, 2011
- vs. Georges St. Pierre - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 124: St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 - December 11, 2010
- vs. Paul Daley - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 - May 8, 2010
- vs. Anthony Johnson - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 106 - November 21, 2009
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
Comment: Koscheck earned another win, this time over Mike Pierce. It was not a pretty win but Pierce is a tough fighter, something Koscheck found out during the course of the match-up. In related Kos news, he has left the American Kickboxing Academy and is now training in Fresno, California. He remains close friends with Jon Fitch so do not think they will fight now that they are not training together.
6) Johny Hendricks (12-1)
Height: 5'9
Birthday: September 12, 1983
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Jon Fitch - Win via KO (punches) - UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem - December 30, 2011
- vs. Mike Pierce - Win via decision (split) - UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz - August 6, 2011
- vs. TJ Waldburger - Win via TKO (strikes) - UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis - March 26, 2011
- vs. Rick Story - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC TUF 12 Finale - December 4, 2010
- vs. Charlie Brenneman - Win via TKO (strikes) - UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen - August 7, 2010
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
Comment: HENDRICKS! The man who finally ended Jon Fitch's "reign of terror" over the non-GSP welterweights in the UFC. Eerily similar to Ellenberger's knockout of Jake Shields, Hendricks ended the night looking like a million bucks. A tremendous wrestler with one punch knockout power, he is not a man to underestimate.
7) Jon Fitch (22-4-1)
Height: 6'0
Birthday: February 24, 1978
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Johny Hendricks - Loss via KO (punches) - UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem - December 30, 2011
- vs. B.J. Penn - DRAW - UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch - February 27, 2011
- vs. Thiago Alves - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen - August 7, 2010
- vs. Ben Saunders - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 111: St. Pierre vs. Hardy - March 27, 2010
- vs. Mike Pierce - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez - December 12, 2009
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
Comment: For the first time in a long time, Fitch is not the #2 ranked welterweight in the world. His loss at UFC 141 was his first since the summer of 2008 when Georges St. Pierre won a unanimous decision. Prior to that, Fitch's previous loss came in the fall of 2002 against Wilson Gouveia (ironically, by knockout). In another ironic twist of fate, AKA teammates Fitch and Cain Velasquez both missed most of 2011 with shoulder injuries that required surgery. When each man returned to the octagon, they were abruptly knocked out in the first round. MMA is a funny beast, sometimes.
8) Diego Sanchez (23-4)
Height: 5'11
Birthday: December 31, 1981
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Martin Kampmann - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann - March 3, 2011
- vs. Paulo Thiago - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez - October 23, 2010
- vs. John Hathaway - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans - May 29, 2010
- vs. BJ Penn - Loss via TKO (cuts) - UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez - December 12, 2009
- vs. Clay Guida - Win via decision (split) - UFC Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale - June 20, 2009
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Jake Ellenberger - UFC on Fuel - February 15, 2012
9) Jake Shields (26-6-1)
Height: 5'11
Birthday: January 9, 1979
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Jake Ellenberger - Loss via TKO (strikes) - UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger - September 17, 2011
- vs. Georges St. Pierre - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 129: St. Pierre vs. Shields - April 30, 2011
- vs. Martin Kampmann - Win via decision (split) - UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez - October 23, 2010
- vs. Dan Henderson - Win via decision (unanimous) - Strikeforce: Nashville - April 17, 2010
- vs. Jason Miller - Win via decision (unanimous) - Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers - November 7, 2009
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama - UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson - February 25, 2012
10) Martin Kampmann (18-5)
Height: 6'0
Birthday: April 17, 1982
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Rick Story - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson - November 19, 2011
- vs. Diego Sanchez - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann - March 3, 2011
- vs. Jake Shields - Loss via decision (split) - UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez - October 23, 2010
- vs. Paulo Thiago - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin - June 12, 2010
- vs. Jacob Volkmann - Win via submission (guillotine choke) - UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva - January 2, 2010
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Thiago Alves - UFC on FX 2 - March 3, 2012
11) Rory MacDonald (12-1)
Height: 6'0
Birthday: July 22, 1989
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Mike Pyle - Win via TKO (strikes) - UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz - August 6, 2011
- vs. Nate Diaz - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 129: St. Pierre vs. Shields - April 30, 2011
- vs. Carlos Condit - Loss via TKO (strikes) - UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin - June 12, 2010
- vs. Mike Guymon - Win via submission (armbar) - UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz - January 11, 2010
- vs. Nick Hinchliffe - Win via KO (strikes) - KOTC Canada: Disturbed - September 25, 2009
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Che Mills - UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans - April 21, 2012
12) Thiago Alves (19-8)
Height: 5'9
Birthday: October 3, 1983
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Papy Abedi - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - UFC 138: Leben vs. Munoz - November 5, 2011
- vs. Rick Story - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill - May 28, 2011
- vs. John Howard - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC 124: St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 - December 11, 2010
- vs. Jon Fitch - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen - August 7, 2010
- vs. Georges St. Pierre - Loss via decision (unanimous) - UFC 100 - July 11, 2009
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Martin Kampmann - UFC on FX 2 - March 3, 2012
13) Ben Askren (9-0)
Height: 5'10
Birthday: July 18, 1984
Currently Fighting With: Bellator
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Jay Hieron - Win via decision (split) - Bellator 56 - October 29, 2011
- vs. Nick Thompson - Win via decision (unanimous) - Bellator 40 - April 9, 2011
- vs. Lyman Good - Win via decision (unanimous) - Bellator 33 - October 21, 2010
- vs. Dan Hornbuckle - Win via decision (unanimous) - Bellator 22 - June 17, 2010
- vs. Ryan Thomas - Win via decision (unanimous) - Bellator 19 - May 20, 2010
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Douglas Lima - Bellator - 2012
14) Charlie Brenneman (15-3)
Height: 5'10
Birthday: February 9, 1981
Currently Fighting With: UFC
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Daniel Roberts - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller - January 20, 2012
- vs. Anthony Johnson - Loss via TKO (head kick) - UFC on Versus: Cruz vs. Johnson - October 1, 2011
- vs. Rick Story - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC on Versus: Kongo vs. Barry - June 26, 2011
- vs. Amilcar Alves - Win via decision (unanimous) - UFC Fight For The Troops 2 - January 22, 2011
- vs. Johny Hendricks - Loss via TKO (strikes) - UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen - August 7, 2010
Next scheduled appearance:
- Unknown
15) Douglas Lima (21-4)
Height: 6'1
Birthday: January 5, 1988
Currently Fighting With: Bellator
Last 5 fights:
- vs. Ben Saunders - Win via KO (strikes) - Bellator 57 - November 12, 2011
- vs. Chris Lozano - Win via KO (punch) - Bellator 53 - October 8, 2011
- vs. Steve Carl - Win via decision (unanimous) - Bellator 49 - September 10, 2011
- vs. Terry Martin - Win via TKO (strikes) - Maximum Fighting Championships 29 - April 8, 2011
- vs. Jesse Juarez - Win via submission (triangle armbar) - Maximum Fighting Championships 27 - November 12, 2010
Next scheduled appearance:
- vs. Ben Askren - Bellator - 2012
Final Notes: Additional votes were cast for Tyron Woodley, Rick Story, Siyar Bahadurzada and Brian Ebersole.
what? how is rory mcdonald ranked under kampmann, sanchez, shields.they are all not doing as good, and his only loss was to condit. maybe its bcuz you guys think that those three bums fought better opponents idk. and jake ellenbergers 3 how do you figure that "sarcasm" cuz he knocked out shields.yes i can see how that makes him number 3 "still sarcasm"
Posted By: guest (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 12:19 AM
ummmm no no put jake ellenberger where he should be and that's bellow kampmann. and put mcdonald where he belongs and thats above diego sanchez. i mean are you guys just pulling names out of a hat or something. who has ellenberger beaten to be put as number 3
Posted By: guest (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 12:28 AM
GSP hasn't fought or defended the title since April of Last yr! And won't be fighting anytime soon! They are talking NOV of 2012! He should have been stripped of the title fuck this interm shit ! ! Carlos is #1 in my book!
Posted By: Guest#7843 (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 12:34 AM
I'm a little surprised Woodley, the uncrowned strikeforce WW champ, and Ebersole who's riding a ten fight win streak since losing Lombard 3 years ago. didn't make the list. Alves is one of my favorite fighters but I wouldn't have him listed until he gets some wins that matter. I still feel Brenneman was lucky against Story.
Posted By: K. Bett (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 01:00 AM
There are so many unanswered questions at 170.... what a stacked division!
Posted By: Brian (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 06:17 AM
Rory MacDonald is above Sanchez in my list even though he got injured before the year's end. He dominated Nate Diaz and destroyed Pyle, whereas guys like Sanchez and Shields had pretty average years. The kid is the future of the welterweight division and the next UFC welterweight Champion in my opinion
Posted By: Guest#1021 (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 08:01 AM
Rory McDonald is fine where he is for now. he doesn't have the wins to be ranked any higher. His best win is against a guy better suited for lightweight. I think Alves is the sleeper here. If he is fully focused he can fight with anyone on the list.
Posted By: MJH (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 08:55 AM
The division has been all sorts of jumbled up. The obvious 2 and 3 guys of Fitch and Shields just lost bad! You have to still give those 2 guys a ton of credit though for the huge win streaks they just had. I'm going to have to say they still deserve 2 and 3 spots because one loss shouldn't overrule 15 or so consecutive wins. The only reason I say this is because they were so in a different league from 4 - 15
Fitch and Shields wins are a who's who in MMA.
Anyways, I know it's all subjective and I see why they are not 2 and 3 from 411 perspective. Here's how I'd put them though
Posted By: Sisti (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 11:16 AM
What is the order of the 411 rankings? Not talking about the order of the fighters, but the order of the rankings themselves. Just curious. It seems like you just jump all over the place and don't follow any order.
Like how last week you did Heavy and this week Welter. Why not just start at Heavy and work your way down? Heavy, next week Light Heavy, next week Middle, etc.
I realize I don't write for this great website so it doesn't really matter what I say, just what I would do. It seems as though it'd make more sense, so we (the readers) would know what rankings are coming next week. As it is now, we have no clue what rankings are coming next week. Will it be Middle? Light? (If it is written in the article somewhere and I missed it, I apologize.)
Anyway, Welterweight is the hardest division to rank IMO. For the most part, I agree with what is here.
Posted By: Matt (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 06:55 PM
[The obvious 2 and 3 guys of Fitch and Shields just lost bad! You have to still give those 2 guys a ton of credit though for the huge win streaks they just had.
1. GSP (duh)
2. Fitch
3. Shields
Posted By: Sisti (Guest) on February 07, 2012 at 11:16 AM]
I understand what you're saying but I think it's fair to say Fitch and Shields are ranked as high as they are because of their status and because the voters respect for their careers. For Shields you have to look at his body of work as a Welterweight, and his last five fights in particular at 170lbs hasn't been very impressive. He beat Thompson, a solid fighter but nothing special, and Daley a ko artist with no ground game at all. His three fights in UFC leave a lot to be desired, he barely beat Kampmann, he was outclassed by GSP and Ellenberger finished him before he had the chance to do anything. In the case of Fitch, he hasn't been very active lately. after beating Alves he fought Penn to a draw and was ko'ed by Hendricks. Most of the guys on this list have been far more active and winning
Posted By: K. Bett (Guest) on February 09, 2012 at 05:12 PM
I think the same people who comment on these rankings every time need to either apply to be a writer for 411mania or shut the hell up.
Posted By: TimE (Guest) on February 13, 2012 at 02:15 PM
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