Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
They Got Next
There are new No. 1 contenders in the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight and featherweight divisions.
At UFC on Fox 14 in Stockholm, Anthony Johnson staked his claim as the next challenger to pound-for-pound ruler Jon Jones’ throne with a crushing, first-round stoppage of Alexander Gustafsson. “Rumble” has bested Gustafsson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis since rejoining the UFC nine months ago, propelling him to the No. 2 position in these rankings. With the loss, Gustafsson drops one spot to No. 3.
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Meanwhile, at featherweight, brash Irish striker Conor McGregor continued to back up his many words on Jan. 18 with a fifth consecutive win inside the Octagon. While McGregor’s second-round drubbing of Dennis Siver does not move him from the No. 6 ranking at 145 pounds, it has earned him a shot at the division’s undisputed king, Jose Aldo.
Bellator MMA featherweight ace Patricio Freire overcame low blows, eye pokes and a nasty cut to defend his belt and submit Daniel Straus in their Jan. 16 rematch. “Pitbull” moves up one spot to No. 9 with the victory, while Straus falls from the ranks of the contenders, making room for Hacran Dias.
In other recent action, Gegard Mousasi held his place as No. 9 middleweight with a first-round stoppage of Dan Henderson, while Jake Shields remained at No. 9 in the welterweight rankings by submitting Brian Foster in a World Series of Fighting No. 1 contender’s bout. At lightweight, a controversial win over Benson Henderson moves Donald Cerrone up to No. 4, while former Strikeforce ace Gilbert Melendez drops three spots to No. 5 after losing two of his first three UFC appearances.
Continue Reading » Heavyweight
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