The 411 Mixed Martial Arts Top 10 09.21.06: Part Two

Posted by Caleb Newby on 09.21.2006

Check out part two in the inaugural edition of the official 411 Top 10 MMA fighters in the world! Today we wrap things up with Middleweight, Light-Heavyweight, and Heavyweight!

Welcome back to the 411 MMA Top 10. I am still your host, Caleb Newby. To wrap up here we'll have the Middleweights, Light-Heavyweights, and Heavyweights.

Again, let me explain how this works before we get to the rankings. A panel of six experts ranks their top 10 fighters per weight class, heavyweight through lightweight. A first place vote gets the fighter ten points, second place nine and so on to where a tenth place vote equals one point. From there it's just simple adding the totals and ranking the fighters by points.

Also with each fighter you will find their record over their past 10 bouts, their record against fellow top 10 fighters in their weight class within those past 10 fights, their next opponent (if known) as well as a write up on the fighter by one of our panel. Speaking of the panel, they are all associated with 411's past or present and avid MMA followers. And with one exception, they've all won a prestigious 411 Fan Forums Pick'em Title (and to be fair our exception has only recenty started taking part). Here they are followed by the weight division they are writing on:

Caleb Newby: Host and organizer
Ryan Mancuso: Lightweights
Pete Forster: Welterweights
Brad Jennette: Middleweights
Jon Hartley: Light-Heavyweights
Michael Huckaby: Heavyweights

Like before, if you have a comment for one of the guys, send it my way and I'll pass it on. We'll start small and pack on the pounds working to the heavyweights...

MIDDLEWEIGHT

by Brad Jennette


1. Rich "Ace" Franklin (6 first place votes)

Last 10 fights: 9-1-0
Record vs. 411 MW top 10: 2-0-0
Next opponent: vs. #5 Anderson Silva, October 14th, 2006

Arguably the hardest working and smartest fighter in the world today. Franklin's conditioning and fight game plans are always impeccable and his record speaks for itself because of it. Formerly a blue chip prospect in the 205 lb division, Franklin has since moved down to 185 and quickly established himself as the best fighter in the world at that weight class. Franklin trains with several of the elite camps in the United States, mixing his time among his own camp, Team Extreme, as well as Miletich Fighting Systems and Elite Performance. Franklin is the new age of fighter, one with near perfect balance in all aspects of fighting. He can knock you out in the standup, he can out work you in the clinch, he can outwrestle you, and he can sub you once it hits the mat.

His future? A showdown with #5 on our middleweight list Anderson Silva looms in mid October. This is Franklin's biggest career test to date with Silva coming off a devastating knockout win over the previously unbeaten (in the UFC) Chris Leben. This fight is especially dangerous for Franklin because Silva's standup is some of the best in the world and Franklin has proven in the past to have a less the stellar chin. Franklin has been knocked out by the much bigger Ryoto Machida and knocked down by Evan Tanner and David Loiseau, although in the case of those last two, Franklin did recover and eventually win those two fights in dominating fashion. Franklin, a few weeks shy of turning 32, is just entering the absolute apex of his prime years and I feel he will have a top-notch game plan against Anderson Silva as always and will successfully defend his title. From there? More title defenses against the likes of Nathan Marquardt, Mike Swick, and the winner of the Ultimate Fighter 4 program. Franklin is one of the truly great ambassadors of the sport of mixed martial arts as well as one of the most elite fighters in the sport at any weight class and there is no reason whatsoever to think he couldn't have a very lengthy run at the top of the UFC middleweight division.


2. Matt "The Law" Lindland

Last 10 fights: 8-2-0
Record vs. 411 MW top 10: 1-0-0
Next opponent: TBA

Matt Lindland is one of the most disrespected fighters in the world today. Lindland carries the reputation for being a "boring" fighter, in spite of the fact that of his 19 career victories, 13 of them have come by submission or TKO/KO. Lindland is a world-class wrestler who represented the United States in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 69-76 kg weight category, winning the silver medal. Even with a sterling record Matt Lindland has never held the title that he covets the most, the UFC middleweight championship. Lindland lost in his one and only title shot to Murilo Bustamante by submission. Lindland was seemingly on a collision course with current UFC middleweight champion and #1 MW in the world, Rich Franklin until the UFC released Lindland from his contract under dubious circumstances. Many people feel like Lindland's fighting style and personality would represent a high profile position like UFC middleweight champion poorly. However, there is an even larger group of people who feel like the UFC purposely found a shady way to get rid of Lindland to eliminate the possibility of Lindland ever becoming a UFC champion.

His future? Since he's been released from his UFC contract in August of 05, Lindland has been a bit of a nomad, fighting for five different MMA organizations at two different weight classes and racking up 4 solid wins and one questionable decision loss to Quinton Rampage Jackson. Lindland most recent venture was a coaching gig and superfight for the International Fight League. Lindland's Portland based squad advanced to the next round and Lindland himself defeated fellow top 10 middleweight Jeremy Horn by TKO early in the 2nd round.

Only time will tell what Lindland will do with his next fight. His goal has seemingly been to fight the best of the best 185 and 205 pounders not in the UFC or Pride, unfortunately there are not that many high level fighters in those weight divisions just sitting around unsigned. Lindland could and should continue to rack up impressive wins over good competition for organizations like the IFL and WFA until either the UFC (highly unlikely as long as Franklin is champion, which is a shame) or Pride brings him back to the big show. Lindland is an excellent fighter who unfortunately is the victium of circumstance at this point in his career.


3. Dan "Hollywood" Henderson

Last 10 fights: 8-2-0
Record v. 411 MW top 10: 1-1-0
Next opponent: TBA

One of the founding fathers of the famous "Team Quest" (along with #2 on our list Matt Lindland), and much like current #1 ranked Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson is a former 205 pound contender turned 185 pound champion. Like most Team Quest fighters, Henderson's biggest strength is his wrestling as he began the sport at the age of 5 and qualified for Team USA wrestling in 1992 and 1996. Unfortunately for Dan, most of his recent fights have been won, or lost, on his wild haymaker right hand. Up until his last two fight series against #9 ranked Kazuo Misaki, Henderson had looked very strong in Pride's 183 lb division racking up knockout wins over Ryo Chonan and Akihiro Gono in route to winning Pride's 183 lb Welterweight Grand Prix title. Henderson was later awarded the Pride Welterweight title and a 1st round bye in the next Welterweight Grand Prix. However, Henderson could not capitalize on the first round bye and was defeated in his last fight by #9 ranked Misaki.

His future? Despite the loss to Misaki, Henderson is still considered the Pride Welterweight champion because for some crazy reason, titles cannot change hands in Grand Prix fights. This rule always irks me to no end because inevitably the fighter who defeats the champion in the tournament doesn't go on to win the tournament and it ends up being an awkward three way battle at the top of the food chain in that respective weight class (see: Arona defeating Silva, then losing to Shogun). Henderson's future is certainly clouded right now. He will certainly have to defend his title against whoever wins the current WWGP, but that is a good bit of time away and I'm sure Henderson would like a solid tune up fight between now and then to get the taste of losing out of his mouth. In a lot of people's eyes, however, the two Misaki fights have exposed Henderson as a fading fighter who relies on one big shot to try and finish fights. Personally, I think Henderson DOES have plenty left in the tank and he will come back stronger then ever later in 2006.


4. Paulo Filho

Last 10 fights: 10-0-0
Record v. 411 MW top 10:
Next opponent: TBA

Simply put, Filho is a grappling machine. Fighting out of the legendary Brazilian Top Team, Filho, 28, has won three Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world titles, five Brazilian national Jiu Jitsu Championships, and possesses black belts in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo. However, Filho has recently drawn the ire of many fans seemingly based on one poor performance. Filho was seen as the 185 lb Ricardo Arona only with the skills and desire to finish fights after back-to-back armbar wins over Amar Suloev and Ryuta Sakurai. Filho then passed his biggest test to date, dominating Ninja Rua with superior grappling. Then came an extremely lackluster decision win over very lightly regarded Gregory Bouchelaghem where Filho got stood up for a lack of action FROM THE MOUNT POSITION. That was the last straw for many fans that despise "lay and pray" tactics. Filho most recent fight was a dominating armbar victory over the extremely tough to submit Ryo Chonan. If Filho has finally shaken his "content to ride out a decision" attitude, he has all the tools to become champion in his weight class.

His future? Due to his wins over Bouchelaghem and Chonan, Filho is in the semifinals of the Pride Welterweight Grand Prix and his next opponent will be against either #6 ranked Denis Kang, #9 ranked Kazuo Misaki, or #11 ranked Akihiro Gono. Filho has to be considered the favorite to win the tournament at this point with his superior grappling skills. Personally, I'm not your average MMA fan who gets bored to tears if a fight stays on the mat longer then 2 minutes. Filho does sometimes have a bit of an activity problem, but I can appreciate his grappling skills. Filho is also just entering his prime at age 28 and there is no reason to think with current Pride champion Dan Henderson on the bad side of 35, that Filho couldn't win the WWGP and eventually be the man to take Henderson's title away from him. This is a fighter that I will be keeping a very close eye on in the upcoming months.


5. Anderson "The Spider" Silva

Last 10 fights: 7-3-0
Record vs. 411 MW top 10: 1-0-0
Next opponent: vs. #1 Rich Franklin, October 14th

One of the most dangerous strikers in the 185-pound division, Anderson Silva originally honed his skills with the world-renowned Chute Box academy in Brazil, but a falling out in 2003 led to Silva leaving Chute Box to form his own training team. Like many of the fighters on our lists, Silva has fought at a few different weight classes, including a 175-pound catch weight tournament in Hawaii. Silva is a Shooto and Pride veteran having amassed a 2-0-0 record in Shooto and a 3-2-0 record in Pride. After leaving Pride following one of most famous submission losses of all time, Silva quickly signed with the UK-based Cage Rage and racked up three consecutive knockout victories. It was only a matter of time before Pride or the UFC called him back to the big show and in April of 06, it was the UFC that came calling. In June of 2006, Silva absolutely destroyed the then "un-KO-able" Chris Leben in just 49 seconds with a devastating knee from the clinch. This was one of the most impressive striking displays I have ever witnessed as Silva literally connected with every single punch, kick, and knee he threw in the 49-second bout.

His future? UFC brass were so impressed that they quickly signed Anderson Silva v. Rich Franklin for the UFC Middleweight championship on October 14 th. This is an interesting fight because while Franklin has had a good bit of dominance thus far in the 185-pound division, his chin has failed him on multiple occasions. Franklin has been knocked down in two of his last three title fights and neither fighter that dropped the champ has the striking ability of Anderson Silva. The problem for Silva is that Franklin is an incredibly smart fighter and most certainly will NOT come straightforward into Silva's sniper like hands the way Chris Leben did. I think we will see the champ quickly work for a takedown and try to use his considerable size advantage to wear Silva out on the ground with wrestling and control. Silva certainly has a punchers chance with Franklin's chin, but I just feel like Franklin's run at the top of the middleweight division just isn't going to come to an end at this point and time. I do expect a wildly entertaining fight and I also expect Silva to give Franklin the toughest test of his career.


6. Denis Kang

Last 10 fights: 10-0-0
Record vs. 411 MW top 10: 0-0-0
Next opponent: vs. TBA, (either #4 Filho, #9 Misaki, or #11 Gono)

Denis Kang, 29, is a Korean-Canadian fighter who fights out of Florida. Kang is the definition of a "journeyman turned star". Since his debut in 1998, Kang has fought for 16 different fight promotions before finally finding a permanent home as one of the elite fighters in Pride's Bushido division. Kang is on an incredible 19-fight streak without a loss (18-0-1 in that time). Kang is another "new breed" of fighter that is well versed all aspects of the fight game. Kang entered the Pride welterweight grand prix as a bit of a dark horse pick to win because Dan Henderson, Murilo Bustamante, Phil Baroni, and Paulo Filho were all entered into the tournament. However after his extremely impressive 15-second knockout over Ninja Rua and an equally dominant rear naked choke victory over Amar Suloev, Kang is now in the semifinals and is considered one of the favorites to advances and possibly win the entire tournament.

His future? Kang has the semifinals, and possibly the finals of the welterweight grand prix on November 5th. A possible showdown with grappling wizard Filho looms or two potential battles with the ridiculously tough Japanese teammates Gono or Misaki could also be on the horizon. Kang definitely has the skills to win this entire tournament, but he could also just as easily lose his semifinals match up. Kang is by all accounts a class act and a great ambassador for the entire country of Korea, a country he proudly represents. It makes it hard to not root for a fighter like this and I know Kang will have my utmost respect win, lose, or draw in the welterweight grand prix.


T7. Jeremy "Gumby" Horn

Last 10 fights: 8-2-0
Record vs. 411 MW top 10: 0-1-0
Next opponent: vs. TBA

Horn, 31, is an interesting fighter. He has amassed nearly 100 professional MMA fights, but unlike most fighters who strive to prove themselves to be the best in their class, Horn has seemingly spent his entire career fighting every possible B, C, D, and even F level fighter can find to make a few quick bucks and pay his rent. Don't get me wrong; Jeremy Horn is a very talented fighter who could belt test at any Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym in the country right now and walk out of there with a black belt. Horn is an excellent grappler and an underrated striker with some quality wins such as Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin on his record. Horn has always fought between the 205 and 185 pound weight divisions dominating opponents at both weight classes. After slumming it up in the smaller shows for a good three years, Horn finally signed a new three-fight contract with the UFC in August of 05. His first fight was a rematch against Chuck Liddell for the UFC light heavyweight title. Horn was completely dominated in the fight, but to his credit he is the only fighter to last longer then 2 rounds against Liddell in the last 3 years. Horn also was not knocked out like many of Liddell's other victims. Horn had to stop fighting due to not being able to see out of one of his eyes thanks to a Liddell punch. Horn then dropped down to the 185 division and defeated Trevor Prangley and Chael Sonnen to fulfill his contract with the UFC.

His future? When it came time to renew his contract, Horn and the UFC both decided it would be in the best interest of the company if the two went their separate ways because Horn had informed the UFC that he would NOT fight current 185 pound champion Rich Franklin due to the fact Franklin and Horn are good friends and training partners. Horn recently signed with the IFL for a super fight against current #2 ranked Matt Lindland. Unfortunately for Horn, Lindland did what Liddell could not, and that is stop Jeremy with strikes early in the 2nd round. Horn has announced that he plans on taking a vacation from the sport of MMA possibly to reflect on what he plans on doing with his career next. Given his history and his past, I cannot see Horn staying away from the fight game for too long. I fully expect to see Jeremy Horn head back to his comfort zone, the minor leagues of MMA, and rack up several more dominating victories over fighters not even close to his caliber.


T7. Nate Marquardt

Last 10 fights: 7-2-1
Record vs. 411 MW top 10: 1-0-0
Next opponent: vs. Thales Leites October 10th

7 times King of Pancrase and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Nate "The Great" Marquardt is our #8 ranked fighter. This 27 year old has an extensive fighting record in the Japan based "Pancrase" promotion winning their middleweight title seven times over. Marquardt made his UFC debut in August 05 headlining the inaugural Ultimate Fight Night Live card on Spike TV against Ivan Salaverry. Marquardt won a unanimous decision, but the fight is remembered for all the wrong reasons. First of all the fight was, to the casual fan (the UFC's target audience), extremely boring as the fight hit the mat several times and very little action took place on the mat. Hardcore fight fans saw it as a technical battle between two very good ground fighters, but TUFers saw it as boring crap. After the fight, Salaverry was released from his UFC contract for no apparent reason and Marquardt testing positive for steroids and was banned from competition until January 06. Marquardt was reinstated and fought against tough Canadian veteran Joe Doerksen at UFC 58. Marquardt was another unanimous decision in a much more entertaining fight. Marquardt is very likely on the short list of fighters that could challenge for the UFC middleweight title in 2007.

His future? News recently broke that Marquardt would be fighting Brazilian super prospect Thales Leites on the under card of Ultimate Fight Night 7 on October 10th, 2006. This is a huge match up in the UFC middleweight division as the winner will likely get a title shot at Franklin's belt sometime in 2007 after Franklin, or Anderson Silva, defends the title against the winner of Swick/Loiseau and the winner of the TUF4 competition. While I do agree that Leites is a great prospect and a wonderfully signing for the UFC, I question throwing him straight into the fire against such an experienced and tough fighter like Marquardt. Leites could have easily been built up as a monster threat to Franklin, but instead we have two possible contenders fighting each other early in the process. Alas, that's just one man's opinion. Personally, I feel like this is a very big step up in competition for Leites and Marquardt's experience will be the deciding factor. Look for Marquardt to win and possibly get a title shot within the calendar year.


T9. Kazuo Misaki

Last 10 fights: 7-3-0
Record vs. 411 MW top 10: 1-2-0
Next opponent: TBA, #4 Filho, #6 Kang, or #11 Gono

Kazuo Misaki finally stepped out of his flamboyant teammate Akihiro Gono's shadow with a couple of very impressive victories in his last two fights. The 30-year-old Team Grabaka fighter is a Pancrase veteran and has met up with #8 on our list Nate Marquardt on multiple occasions. Misaki made his Pride debut in 04 defeating Jorge Patino by decision. After a few more fights in Pancrase, including a win over TUF3 finalist Ed Herman and a loss to #8 ranked Marquardt, Misaki again fought for Pride and this time lost to Daniel Acacio. So when a match up between Misaki and current Pride middleweight champion Dan Henderson was set up in April of 06, this fan fully expected another highlight reel worthy knockout from one of Henderson's trademarked haymaker right hands. What happened instead was Misaki giving Henderson by far and away his toughest fight at 183 pounds to date and losing a razor thin decision to the champ. Then in the first round of the WWGP, Pride matched up Misaki with American knockout specialist Phil Baroni. Again, this fan picked Misaki to lose by knockout and was proven wrong again when Misaki dominated Baroni en route to a unanimous decision. Then came the rematch with Henderson in the second round of the WWGP. There was no way Misaki could win this one right? Wrong. In a fight very similar to their first encounter, Misaki dodged all the bombs Henderson threw and won a very deserving unanimous decision to throw our middleweight rankings all into flux.

His future? Misaki is now in the semifinals of the welterweight grand prix and will be matched up against #4 ranked Paulo Filho, #6 ranked Denis Kang, or #11 ranked Team Grabaka teammate Akihiro Gono. None of these matches look particularly favorable to Misaki and therefore he has to be considered the long shot to take home the grand prix title. However, I've picked against Misaki twice in a row now and both times he has empathically proven many others and me wrong. Still, I don't feel like Misaki will be able to overcome Filho's grappling, Kang's well roundedness, or Gono's experience and the teammate factor. Only time will tell if Misaki is going to make this fan look like an idiot for the third and fourth fight running.


T9. Evan Tanner

Last 10 fights: 7-3-0
Record vs. 411 MW top 10: 0-2-0
Next opponent: vs. TBA

Evan Tanner, 35, has one of the coolest stories in all of MMA. Armed with only a high school wrestling background, Tanner famously self-taught himself jiu-jitsu with the help of some Royce and Rorion Gracie techniques videotapes. His self-teachings were so good that Tanner was able to make it all the way into UFC on them alone. Tanner was successfully in the early UFC as a light heavyweight but quickly realized with the sport evolving as quickly as it was; he needed to find a permanent team to help develop his skills even further. Tanner joined Team Quest and his fight career continued to develop even further. After dropping a tough TKO loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 42 (both fighters were fighting at 205 at the time) Tanner decided he had enough fighting against naturally bigger men and he dropped down to 185. Tanner quickly dispatched both Robbie Lawler and David Terrell to win his first ever UFC middleweight championship. Unfortunately, Tanner's past came back to haunt him again and Franklin also dropped to 185 and brutalized Tanner for 4 rounds before the doctors called an end to the fight. Tanner then lost a #1 contenders match to David Loiseau after suffering more brutal cuts to his face. Tanner's last fight was a submission victory over Justin Levens where Tanner busted out a miniature flying triangle choke.

His future? Tanner's future is up in the air. I seriously doubt the UFC will ever match Tanner up against Rich Franklin again after Franklin dominated him badly on two different occasions, and I can't see Tanner ever deciding to go back up to 205 pounds as he is just too small for that weight. Tanner has not fought, nor has he been rumored to fight since his easy win over Levens back in April. Hopefully the UFC will decide to keep Evan Tanner around, possibly in a gatekeeper role for the middleweight division, because it would be a real shame for a guy as talented and as self made as Tanner is to be without a job and not entertaining us on TV and PPV broadcasts.

LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT

by Jon Hartley


1. "The Iceman" Chuck Liddell (5 first place votes)

Last 10 fights: 8-2-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 3-1-0
Next opponent: vs. #6 Tito Ortiz, December 30th

Now the most well-known mixed martial artist in America, Chuck Liddell has effectively cleaned out the once-formidable UFC light heavyweight division and in the process, became the face of American MMA. A longtime kickboxer and standup specialist, Liddell's deadly skill set combines elite takedown defense with formidable punching power. After waiting for quite some time for his deserved title shot and then faltering with losses to Randy Couture and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Liddell has turned the corner and is now 411's top fighter in the division.

Liddell has three possible fights that make a lot of sense and would only serve to add to his legacy as a great fighter. The most likely is the rematch with Tito Ortiz that is rumored to happen this winter. Although
Liddell dominated the first installment, Ortiz is the most talented and marketable LHW left in the UFC division, and another dominating win would simply prove yet again the greatness of Liddell. A matchup with Wanderlei
Silva was previously announced, but the fight (which surely would have been one for the ages) is doubtful to happen in 2006, if at all. Meanwhile, Liddell would love to avenge his loss to Jackson, but the UFC will have to
sign him away from the WFA first. It's basically a matter of when, not if, that fight will happen.


2. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva (1 first place vote)

Last 10 fights: 7-3-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 3-2-0
Next opponent: TBA

Once the most feared fighter in the world, Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva is still an unbelievable force to be reckoned with, even if his reputation has been tarnished somewhat by recent forays into the heavyweight
division. The Brazilian made millions of fans with his aggressive, charging style and his brutal wins in Pride's light heavyweight division. Silva is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, but he greatly prefers standing up, and
that's where his talents are best shown. Silva's hands are explosive and he throws the best knees from the clinch position in all of MMA.

Sadly, Silva's standing with MMA fans and pundits has likely been tarnished by Pride's somewhat silly matchmaking philosophies (similar to the ones that hurt Sakuraba's career), as Silva has now suffered two recent losses to much bigger opponents. What's most important is Silva's performance in his own
weight class, which is impeccable...his only recent loss being a now-avenged two round decision loss to Ricardo Arona. It's not known what's next for Silva- with the much-anticipated fight with Chuck Liddell slipping through the grasp of MMA fans everywhere- but hopefully, a return to his own division and some title defenses (Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, maybe?) await him as 2006 comes to a close.


3. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Last 10 fights: 9-1-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 3-1-0
Next opponent: vs. Kevin Randleman, October 21st

It's been quite some time since a fighter has ascended the rankings as quickly as Shogun has. Of course, beating the likes of Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Ricardo Arona in the span of four months can do that for you. Shogun is a terrifically well-rounded fighter that brings a great skill set to the table, along with the patented Chute Boxe style of aggression and explosiveness. Rua was primed for a huge 2006 after being most experts' choice for Fighter of the Year in 2005, but was sidelined after a freak injury sustained while fighting Mark Coleman. Now, Rua is healed up and ready to get back on track.

Shogun's next fight is against Coleman's teammate and former top ten light heavyweight, Kevin Randleman. Randleman, which being an underachiever of sorts, is a tough matchup for any fighter with his raw ability and wrestling pedigree. The fight will be a good test for Rua, especially as it is his first after coming off his injury. The future could hold a rematch with Coleman, which works for Pride as Shogun's teammate is currently the
champion of the division, and it's unlikely the two would face each other for the belt.


4. Ricardo Arona

Last 10 fights: 7-3-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 1-3-0
Next opponent: TBA

It's hard to think of too many MMA fighters with more Brazilian jiu-jitsu credentials than Arona. Arona has proven himself time and time again in grappling tournaments small and large, especially the world famous Abu Dhabi championships. So far, Arona has had mostly good results with taking his ground ability to the MMA game, although a few setbacks have left him short of holding a top spot. Arona has a deceptively poor record vs. Top 10 fighters, as he lost to none other than Wanderlei Silva by split decision, and was holding more than his own against Quinton Jackson before "Rampage" pulled off an unbelievable powerbomb-like slam that resulted in a knockout. Regardless of these losses, being the one man in Silva's weight class to beat him since 2000 speaks volumes of Arona's potential and ability.

Recently, Arona pulled off a convincing victory over a less than game Alistair Overeem, and it isn't known when Arona will fight again. It's likely he will see action in the near future, however, as he should be
healthy following the fight and he is one of Pride's biggest stars. An immediate showdown with Wanderlei Silva is possible but not probable, as Silva is rumored to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira for his next title
defense. Regardless, a rubber match with Silva will definitely take place.


5. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

Last 10 fights: 7-3-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 2-3-0
Next opponent: TBA

When it comes to raw talent, power, and natural ability, the man known as "Rampage" seems to have more than his fair share. He began fighting in smaller U.S. shows, mainly Gladiator Challenge and King of the Cage, in late 1999 and through 2001, before making his first appearance in Pride against none other than Kazushi Sakuraba. Sakuraba submitted Rampage in the first round, but it was clear that the young fighter had a ton of potential, and he has seen that potential become reality in recent years. Just four years
after his pro debut, Rampage defeated former UFC Middleweight Champion Murilo Bustamante and current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell in the 2003 Pride Grand Prix, before suffering the first of two losses against Wanderlei Silva. Since then, Rampage has done enough to remain in the Top 10, but hasn't been able to stake his claim as the top fighter in his weight class. A devastating loss to Shogun Rua took him out of the title picture in Pride, and since then Rampage has continued his career
where it began, in the United States.

Rampage's last fight was a razor-thin decision win over Matt Lindland, in a rare fight where both fighters' stock increased somehow. Lindland fights at a smaller weight class than Jackson, but the fact that Rampage was able to escape a few deep submissions showed he has great heart, and Rampage was able to wrestle with Lindland despite having far less wrestling credentials. Rampage is still signed to the WFA, and it's not known what his next fight will be. Possibilities would seem to include a rematch with Lindland at some point or a fight with undefeated Ryoto Machida...but the big fight for Rampage is a second match with Chuck Liddell, which is a bout that should hopefully happen at some point in the not-too-distant future. Until then,
it's hard to say how much more Jackson's stock can rise while fighting in the WFA as their lone Top 10 light heavyweight.


6. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz

Last 10 fights: 8-2-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 1-1-0
Next opponent: vs. Ken Shamrock, October 10th

Tito Ortiz could make a claim to be the first real superstar of the new era of MMA. During the UFC's comeback, Ortiz became the poster boy of the organization and took the torch from Frank Shamrock in doing so. Ortiz was an unpolished wrestler to begin his career, but has tailored his wrestling to MMA and in doing so, has added great submission defense and solid fundamental boxing skills. Ortiz was at the top of the heap for years, before suffering losses to Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell. Since then, Ortiz' performances have been a mixed bag. He has won, but sometimes unconvincingly and sometimes against less-than-stellar competition. Still, the success he has had in his career and his unquestionable cardio, experience, and ability leave him in the top ten.

A third fight with Ken Shamrock is right around the corner, and will serve to do very little for Tito's standing in the division. Only a loss would really affect his position, and that is extremely unlikely. The real test
for Tito is a second fight with Chuck Liddell, which looms in the near future. Fights with Renato Sobral, Jason Lambert, or a rematch with Forrest Griffin would also show how much Tito really has left in the tank, but those
will likely come after the next meeting with Liddell.


7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Last 10 fights: 9-1-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 0-1-0
Next opponent: TBA, possible title shot vs. #2 Wanderlei Silva

If Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was in any other family, he would certainly not be the second toughest person present. However, being the brother of Pride heavyweight standout and former champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira can lead to many unfair comparisons. Regardless, "Lil' Nog" has proven time and time again that he is a worthy competitor in his own right, and has recently started to receive much more respect and recognition. Like his sibling, Lil' Nog has world-class grappling skills and solid standup, which makes him
a tough fight for anyone in the division. In recent history, he has two wins over Alistair Overeem and a very impressive submission victory of Dan Henderson. He did lose to Shogun, but he managed to take him to decision, which most can't seem to do.

If anything can be said about Nogueira, it's that he hasn't faced enough top flight competition. He has faced some big names (Henderson, Sakuraba) but they were lighter fighters. Also, he has failed to finish his fights as often as would would like to see from a top fighter. Regardless, he is right in line for a title shot with Wanderlei Silva, and that fight will likely tell us everything we need to know about Lil' Nog and where he stands
in the division.


8. Renato "Babalu" Sobral

Last 10 fights: 9-1-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 1-2-0
Next opponent: TBA

Babalu recently went from being one of the lesser known top fighters in the business to one of the better known UFC fighters, thanks to a second fight with Chuck Liddell. Unfortunately, many MMA newcomers probably assume that Babalu isn't a top fighter following the quick loss...they couldn't be more wrong. Much has been made of the fact that Babalu's only two losses in the last four years have been to Chuck Liddell, and deservedly so. Babalu is an elite fighter with great wrestling and ground skills that has simply been
unable to get past the UFC's top light heavyweight. One thing that nobody can say is that Babalu hasn't fought the best. He's faced Dan Henderson, Fedor Emelianenko, Maurice Smith, Kevin Randleman, Shogun Rua and Jeremy Horn, to name a few. Shogun and Horn (along with Trevor Prangley) he defeated in the same night! Babalu is quite possibly the second best fighter in the UFC's division and it's only a matter of time before he gets to the level of title contention again.

Being fresh from his loss to Liddell, nothing solid is yet planned for Babalu. He did participate in a short verbal sparring match with Tito Ortiz, after Ortiz apparently bad-mouthed him following the loss. A fight between Babalu and Tito would be great and would give Babalu a chance to really prove himself to U.S. fans who only know him as "the guy who can't beat Chuck". However, Tito has a couple of fights waiting for him already,
and it's more likely that Babalu will be built back up by the UFC with fights against non-top ten fighters.


9. Forrest Griffin

Last 10 fights: 8-2-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 0-1-0
Next opponent: TBA

Forrest Griffin is relatively new to the top ten, but not new to the fight game. Despite the "TUF fighter" label and easygoing, humble personality, Griffin's actually a seasoned veteran who has fought professionally for five
years. The fact that his first pro fight was against UFC legend Dan Severn speaks volumes of Griffin's mentality. Griffin may not be the master of any trades, but he is certainly a jack of all trades as he is able to stand up with opponents, he is capable on the ground, and has shown good takedown defense in recent fights. If anything, his recent rematch with Stephan Bonnar showed that he game plans better than he used to and has become a more disciplined fighter. Griffin's only three losses are to Severn, Jeremy Horn and Tito Ortiz, and the Ortiz loss did almost as much for his career as a win might have.

Now that Griffin has the obligatory second match with Bonnar in his rear view, he can continue facing top competitors to see where he stands in the UFC division. With the division in a bit of a "rebuilding" phase, Griffin is actually in the mix for a title shot. Besides Tito Ortiz, who will get his shot soon, and Babalu, who just had his, it's pretty much Griffin and Lambert at the top of the pack. It will be interesting to see what the UFC does with Griffin at this point, and what type of competition he will be facing. If he continues to win, how long will it take for him to get a title shot? The next year or so will be an interesting time for Forrest.


10. Jason Lambert

Last 10 fights: 9-1-0
Record vs. 411 LHW top 10: 0-0-0
Next opponent: vs. Rashad Evans, September 23rd

The newest light heavyweight to make "the leap" is Jason Lambert of the UFC. Although Lambert has not fought anyone in our top ten rankings yet, he has been very impressive in his young UFC career and represents one of the few great up-and-coming talents the division has to offer. Lambert has shown excellent wrestling skills in his career, and has been a finisher, with only four of his twenty-two wins coming via decision. The UFC light heavyweight division is full of good wrestlers, and it remains to be seen whether he has the skills to carve his own niche in the long-term. So far, he has beaten just about everyone who has been put in front of him, and next year will be the biggest year of his career.

Lambert's next fight is a little underwhelming, but could actually tell us a lot about his ability level nonetheless. Although a Lambert-Rashad Evans fight could certainly become a rather boring exhibition, it will be interesting to see if Lambert is able to out-wrestle Evans. Evans has a lot of holes in his game, but his wrestling isn't one of them. If Lambert is able to control Evans on the ground, it may give some indication of whether he will be able to beat someone like Tito Ortiz at his own game. Depending on the outcome of Tito-Chuck 2 and whether or not the UFC is able to get Silva in the octagon, Lambert could be in line for a title shot in 2007 with a couple of wins.

HEAVYWEIGHT

by Michael Huckaby


1. Fedor Emelianenko (6 first place votes)

Last 10 fights: 9-0-1
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 3-0-1
Next opponent: vs. Mark Coleman, October 21st

Nothing else can be said about perhaps the greatest fighter in the entire world. At only 29 years of age, Fedor Emelianenko is basically undefeated with only an avenged cheap cut loss against his record. Emelianenko is only entering his mixed martial arts prime but has already defeated every current and past Pride MMA great that has entered his path. A multiple time World Combat Sambo champion, Fedor has shown solid striking, ridiculous ground and pound power, top submission skills, and the ability to overcome hard KO punches, submission attempts, and hard slams. He can dish out anything with the best of the best and can take it.

Where will Fedor's reign stop? Don't look at previous victim Mark Coleman to be the man to do it. Coleman is basically a stepping stone for the returning Fedor (out since last December following a lingering hand injury) before he more than likely faces the OWGP champion on New Years Eve for his Pride Heavyweight Title. There is nothing for Fedor to gain next month as he's facing an aging former UFC champion with nothing to lose. Mark Coleman looks to shake up the MMA world with a victory and even if this happens it would be quickly explained away by Fedor's return from injury (see: Rich Franklin vs Anderson Silva). Will Fedor continue his unbelievable run or will Mark Coleman put a corkscrew in the world's heavyweight ranks? Obviously it's the first but let us humor the idea of the second with said question.


2. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

Last 10 fights: 8-2-0
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 4-3-0
Next opponent: TBA

Fresh off of an unbelievably impressive Open Weight Grand Prix championship, Cro Cop starts the first 411 MMA rankings in a snug second place. Filipovic's major fights are always controversial, be they the wins or the losses. On one hand losses can quickly be explained by fans: Big Nog (controlled the first round), Randleman (fluke), Fedor (he's a robot), and Hunt (sick/injured/Hunt's head is made of an unknown material). On the other hand his critics would point out three of his four wins against the 411 heavyweights are all against Josh Barnett and Cro Cop still hasn't proven he could defeat Big Nog, let alone have a chance in a second match with Fedor.

What's next? Most would hope for a New Years Eve rematch with Pride champion Fedor, but there has been talk of him perhaps hitting the ring in October on US soil. I wouldn't hold my breath. We had to wait a good long time before the first Fedor/Mirko and I don't see any reason why we won't now. Fedor will be fresh off of his Mark Coleman match and I'm not sure Pride would set up a world title rematch so quickly, especially considering Fedor's hand and how it will do in his return. My best guess outside of said title shot is a rematch with Mark Hunt down the line or fighting people not in his league.


T3. "The Babyfaced Assasin" Josh Barnett

Last 10 fights: 7-3-0
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 3-3
Next opponent: vs. Pawel Nastula, October 21st

With only three losses in the last five years (all to #2 Mirko) and missing time due to injury, Barnett came back to Pride with a bang in 2006 making it all the way to the championship final of the 16-man tournament. There a winded, bruised, and gassed Barnett didn't have a chance against a fresh machine in Cro Cop. Five of his last six fights (all in the last year) have been against fellow 411 top 10 ranked heavyweights. In my personal rankings I had Nog still slightly over Barnett.... at first viewing "live" I had Barnett in a fairly close decision but upon watching it two more times I felt Nog dominated most of the match and lost due to the Barnett kneebar in the last 10 seconds.

What's next? Let's break this tie at #3. You know Nog wants the rematch and you know Barnett wants to finish him badly (though Nogueira would probably never tap). Make it happen. There has been a lot of talk about Barnett fighting on the Real Deal USA show. I don't know his situation with the steroid suspensions still pending in the US or if he'd pass a screen now but he wants to fight and the fans in America want to see it. I could envision a rematch with Nog either on New Years Eve or on a February card. The fact remains, fans want to see the rematch and neither man has anywhere to go until they prove they're worthy of being named alongside the Big Two.


T3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Last 10 fights: 7-2-1
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 3-3-1
Next opponent: TBA

Still considered by myself and most as the best submission grappler in the world, Nog is going to have to share that platform in some peoples opinion with Josh Barnett after his last fight. You have to feel for Nog, Pride's first heavyweight champion, as he seems to lose and then work his way back up to the top again only to be outworked in decision losses (2 to Fedor, 1 to Barnett). He knew the Open Weight Grand Prix was his perfect time to roll through the field and get a 4th shot at Fedor on New Years Eve to regain his belt.

But he didn't. And as above the only logical opponent outside of a Japanese mid-level fighter would be a rematch with Josh Barnett in the next six months. Either way while they battle it out it seems the world title picture once again revolves around only Fedor and Mirko, set to meet for a second time at some point in the future. This leaves Nogueira and Barnett out in the open, better than all below them but currently under the two men set to clash. This is always an awful spot to be in when competing mixed martial arts. In the UFC look at Andrei Arlovski now with nowhere to go.... look at Evan Tanner who can dominate many low level fighters but isn't currently in the class of a Rich Franklin. The only answer is a second fight with the historic 10/5/5 format giving them a little extra time to finish it.


5. Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia

Last 10 fights: 8-2-0
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 2-1
Next opponent: vs. Jeff Monson, November 18th

First and foremost how in the hell did Jeff Monson not break the top 10? Werdum over Monson? Maybe on a stretch but Mark Hunt? ::sigh:: That said, Sylvia will find himself this low for the obvious reasons, only having fought Andrei Arlovski on the current top 10 board. Beating Assuerio Silva (who Brandon Vera took out in 2 minutes) by decision, sick or not, does not help make his case. I like Sylvia, for what he is, a strong striker who I would love to see face the man directly under him on this list both as a fight and as a way of gauging talent. How far can he go dominating in the UFC is the question.

Next up? A matchup with Jeff Monson who after his last victory was rumored to have said he didn't want to fight Tim based on the size difference. Monson denied these rumors and said he'd love to take the fight. I almost wish they were true.... first of all this fight can only be a trainwreck. The top prediction, a Sylvia knockout due to his ridiculous reach advantage. The lesser prediction? A UFC heavyweight champion anarchist with tattoos covering his body. I'll go out on a limb and say that wouldn't be good on the media side of things. Either way the future isn't looking much better with Monson and then Vera or Kongo all leading to his only real competition in the UFC, Arlovski, who Sylvia has outclassed in their last two battles. Even a rematch over an expanding Frank Mir would do little for his career at this point, at least until Mir shows traces of his former self.


T6. Aleksander Emelianenko

Last 10 fights: 8-2-0
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 1-2
Next opponent: TBA

This ranking is still a little unproven but I like it and would pay top dollar to see a fight between Aleks and either the man above or the man below. An Aleks loss at the OWGP finals to a returning Kharitonov would have probably knocked Aleks out of the top 10, but with a victory he gets his first top 10 W and an unknown spot in title contention. Very arguably the best pure boxer in MMA, Aleks is in the same field as the other heavyweight title contenders.... not good enough to take the title but far better than the mid-level competition. Once again, losing to Mirko and Barnett is no shame but Kharitonov was that first noteworthy win.

So what's next? Your guess is as good as mine. Probably Aleks knocking out a couple of lower named opponents and then rematching one of the top three? Werdum or Hunt? The latter might make sense and could give us some fireworks. But really Aleks is in the same boat as Arlovski (Sylvia/Monson and Mir/Vera) where Nog/Barnett and Fedor/Cro Cop seem to be on collision courses and he's now beaten the guy ranked ninth on this list.


T6. Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski

Last 10 fights: 6-4-0
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 1-2
Next opponent: TBA

Our second and final tie this month is either well deserved and obvious or an eye roller, it's all how you feel about Arlovski. After his TKO losses to Ricco and Pedro Rizzo, Arlovski went on a five fight winning streak but it was over the course of three years and he only faced one top 20 heavyweight (Sylvia). This doesn't mean Arlovski isn't good enough to warrant the ranking, just that his competition has yet to catch up to him. It could just be that this is the perfect place for him just under Sylvia and when one of the contenders can build himself up enough we could learn more.

Next? Probably someone freshly brought in or someone like Dan Christianson. On a two fight losing streak I don't even think the UFC wants Arlovski in there with likes like the Mir/Vera winner despite Andrei having an advantage. My best bet would be a quick win over someone not noteworthy and then a matchup with the loser of Frank Mir and Brandon Vera to set up another heavyweight title fight. Arlovski is still only 27 years old and has a future ahead of him, but he's going to need to fight more and clean up his standup if he ever wants to hold his UFC title again.


8. Fabricio Werdum

Last 10 fights: 7-2-1
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 0-2
Next opponent: TBA

Another guy that many wouldn't consider to be overranked here but alot of people have concerns about. Werdum is an incredible ground fighter but he has only shown he can submit people with limited ground games and go to decisions with fierce fighters. The win over Alistair was nice but a lot of people are beating Alistair now.... that's what happens when you're on pace to fight 8 times in a year. Werdum is training at Cro Cop Squad Gym and the improvement of his standup was easily seen in that Overeem fight. How far he goes will only depend on his ability to face other top competition and get victories.

Next? I think there are some interesting fights in the future for Werdum. I think riding the Cro Cop hype after the OWGP and his decent showings this year will get him a couple more matches in the foreseeable future against intriguing opponents. They'll either throw him a top 10 Aleksander type opponent or perhaps a strong Japanese fighter in the near future, either way the only way his ranking will stay the same is if he beats someone of note as alot of names are all surrounding that #10 position on the charts (Vera/Monson/etc) and it only takes one big win (see: Cro Cop) to bounce over some people.


9. Sergei Kharitonov

Last 10 fights: 7-3-0
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 1-2
Next opponent: TBA

That OWGP certainly gave us alot of "TBA" for next opponents, didn't it? This ranking is one of the more intriguing to me since he's always been one of my favorite fighters and now after an injury and loss to #6 Aleks he falls behind Werdum, a guy he beat less than a year ago. Before the Alistair match/injury, Kharitonov was touted as perhaps the only man that could beat Fedor in the future, gathering very impressive Pride wins over Pedro Rizzo, a ground and pound CLINIC over Semmy Schilt, and Ninja Rua. Perhaps it was just a string of bad luck, hurting his shoulder against Alistair but managing to hold on and take dozens of knees only to return and lose a boxing match to a boxer. Kharitonov still has a bright future and hopefully Pride will do what's best for him.

Next? Hopefully a simple opponent. Shogun Rua came back against Diabate, which was no small task but hardly a top 5 name in the world. Meanwhile Kharitonov retunrs from injury to face a top 10 world heavyweight in a fight very anticipated by many. You can't blame Pride for offering it or Kharitonov for accepting it, injury or not it was for a chance to be an alternate and perhaps get a future world title shot. But Kharitonov needs a fight off and then he can get back on his way to becoming the fighter alot of people are/were projecting him to be.


10. Mark Hunt

Last 10 fights: 5-2-0
Record vs. 411 HW top 10: 1-1
Next opponent: vs. "Butterbean" Eric Esch, October 21st

I'm taking umbrage. That's right, umbrage! While Hunt has shown alot of skill in MMA from a former kickboxer I still don't think a standup decision win over Cro Cop makes him a top 10 heavyweight, the man has only had a handful of fights. And in the two fights that went to the ground he lost very quickly (though it would be unfair to not point out his escape against TK). If a guy enters the UFC and loses to Frank Mir via 5 minute submission and then wins a decision over Arlovski is he a top 10 fighter? No. You need to be well rounded. All apologies to Mark Hunt for ignoring him in this paragraph but it's not like he's reading it. Hunt has two things, a hard head and stamina previously unheard for a man of that girth. If he works his ground game and can do what he did against TK in the ring with Nog, Yoshida, or even Werdum I'll give him his credit. Until then he's just a solid fighter. Over Jeff Monson? Really? How do you think that fight would go?

Up next for Hunt will probably be another standup fight after his quick loss to Barnett. Be it an already known fighter from Aleks down to James Thompson or a kickboxer that's brought in, you can rest pretty assured his opponent won't be wearing a gi.


I hope you enjoyed our first edition of the 411 MMA Top 10. Agree? Disagree? Think one of our panel members was dropped as a child? Send me an email to let us know!