WEC 37 (December, 2008)

135 lbs. Title – Miguel Torres [1] vs. Manny Tapia [16]

MMA Record: Torres (34-1); Tapia (10-0-1)

Result: Torres winner by 2nd round TKO.

Miguel beat Tapia at his own game, striking. He had a 9-inch reach advantage and used it to jab and circle for most of the fight. He would mix in a few kicks, a spinning back fist and even a rolling ax-kick. Torres looked untouchable. For my money, he’s one of the top 5 exciting fighters in MMA. He’s a must-see. Tapia’s stock doesn’t go anywhere. Losing to one of the sport’s masters is acceptable. Torres stays at 1. Tapia stays at 16.

135 lbs. – Brian Bowles [4] vs. Will Ribeiro [7]

MMA Record: Bowles (6-0); Ribeiro (10-1)

Result: Bowles winner by 3rd round submission (guillotine choke).

Brian Bowles is extremely unassuming. He looks like an average guy and he isn’t overwhelming in his fighting style. He comes in, touches gloves, and quietly dismantles his opponents. Will Ribeiro is an Olympic Boxer and Bowles out-boxed him (albeit boxing in MMA is nowhere near the same as standard boxing). Bowles has no known weaknesses and he’s strong in all areas. Miguel Torres has his toughest fight ahead of him with this guy. Bowles rises to 3. Ribeiro drops to 8.

145 lbs. – Akitoshi Tamura [8] vs. Wagnney Fabiano [12]

MMA Record: Tamura (12-6-2); Fabiano (10-1)

Result: Fabiano winner by 3rd round submission (arm-triangle).

I actually loved this fight. It was spent almost entirely on the ground and could have been mistaken for a jiu-jitsu match. I’m glad the referee recognized that these were two of the best grapplers in the world and let them go strength for strength. Fabiano is making a very strong case for being the best grappler in the sport. I was amazed by how savvy he was with his jiu-jitsu. He may have to develop his striking and become more exciting to the common fan but jiu-jitsu has been doing him well. Fabiano rises to 6. Tamura drops to 14.

135 lbs. – Joseph Benavidez vs. Danny Martinez

MMA Record: Benavidez (8-0); Martinez (12-2)

Result: Benavidez winner by unanimous decision.

Benavidez came in with a lot of hype but he couldn’t put away Martinez. Joseph would throw highly explosive flurries but then resets himself after each one. The flurries remind me of Wanderlei Silva but instead of continuing with the assault by clinching and throwing knees, Benavidez jumps back out of striking range. There’s no questioning his athleticism and quickness however. Benavidez debuts at 23.

145 lbs. – Hiroyuki Takaya [13] vs. Cub Swanson [27]

MMA Record: Takaya (9-5-1); Swanson (12-2)

Result: Swanson winner by unanimous decision. Swanson rises to 19. Takaya drops to 23. 

155 lbs. – Bart Palaszewski [63] vs. Alex Karalexis

MMA Record: Palaszewski (29-11); Karalexis (9-3)

Result: Palaszewski winner by 2nd round TKO. Bart rises to 61.

170 lbs. – Johny Hendricks vs. Justin Haskins

MMA Record: Hendricks (3-0); Haskins (4-1)

Result: Hendricks winner by 2nd round TKO.

Hendricks has a lot of hype but he needs to beat an established opponent or win a few more in a row to be ranked.

HVY Rankings (December, 2008)

 

1	Fedor Emelianenko	28~1	Stary Oskol, Russia
2	Frank Mir	12~3	Las Vegas, NV	UFC Interim Champion
3	Brock Lesnar	3~1	Minneapolis, MN	UFC Champion
4	Josh Barnett	23~5	Seattle, WA
5	Andrei Arlovski	14~5	Minsk, Belarus
6	Cheick Kongo	12~4~1	Paris, France
7	Rodrigo Nogueira	31~5~1	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8	Randy Couture	16~9	Las Vegas, NV
9	Tim Sylvia	24~5	Davenport, IA
10	Gabriel Gonzaga	10~3	Ludlow, MA
11	Alistair Overeem	28~11	Utrecht, Netherlands	Strikeforce Champion
12	Aleksander Emelianenko	14~3	St. Petersburg, Russia
13	Sergei Kharitonov	16~3	Moscow, Russia
14	Mirko Filipovic	23~6~2	Zagreb, Croatia
15	Antonio Silva	11~1	Brasilia, Brazil
16	Fabricio Werdum	11~4~1	Porto Alegre, Brazil	ADCC Champion
17	Heath Herring	28~14	Las Vegas, NV
18	Jeff Monson	27~8	Olympia, WA
19	Cain Velasquez	4~0	San Jose, CA
20	Pedro Rizzo	16~8	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
21	Ben Rothwell	30~6	Davenport, IA
22	Roy Nelson	13~3	Las Vegas, NV
23	Paul Buentello	24~10	Amarillo, TX
24	Junior dos Santos	7~1	Bahia, Brazil
25	Dave Herman	12~0	Bloomington, IN
26	Justin McCully	9~4~2	Maui, HI
27	Antoni Hardonk	8~4	Weesp, Netherlands
28	Ricco Rodriguez	34~10	Phoenix, AZ
29	Jake O’Brien	10~2	Indianapolis, IN
30	Marcio Cruz	4~2	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
31	Mark Hunt	5~4	New Zealand
32	Yoshihiro Nakao	7~1	Japan
33	Michael Russow	11~1	Chicago, IL
34	Shane Carwin	10~0	Denver, CO
35	Brett Rogers	7~0	Minneapolis, MN
36	Travis Wiuff	53~12	Rochester, MN
37	Eddie Sanchez	8~3	Temecula, CA
38	Patrick Barry	4~0	New Orleans, LA
39	Roger Gracie	2~0	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
40	Hidehiko Yoshida	8~6~1	Obu, Japan
41	Semmy Schilt	25~14~1	Zuidlaren, Netherlands	K-1 Champion
42	Ron Waterman	15~6~2	Greeley, CO
43	Kazuyuki Fujita	15~7	Funabashi, Japan
44	Kevin Randleman	17~12	Columbus, OH
45	Mario Rinaldi	7~3	Port St. Lucie, FL
46	Todd Duffee	4~0	Coconut Creek, FL
47	Sang Soo Lee	10~5	South Korea
48	Assuerio Silva	14~7	Parana, Brazil

205 Rankings (December, 2008)

 

1	Rashad Evans	13~0~1	Albuquerque, NM	UFC Champion
2	Forrest Griffin	16~5	Athens, GA
3	Quinton Jackson	30~7	Irvine, CA
4	Lyoto Machida	13~0	Belem, Brazil
5	Chuck Liddell	21~6	San Luis Obispo, CA
6	Mauricio Rua	16~3	Curitiba, Brazil
7	Keith Jardine	14~4~1	Albuquerque, NM
8	Thiago Silva	13~0	Sao Paulo, Brazil
9	Luis Cane	9~1	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
10	Dan Henderson	23~7	Temecula, CA
11	Wanderlei Silva	32~9~1	Las Vegas, NV
12	Rogerio Nogueira	14~3	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
13	Sokoudjou	5~3	Temecula, CA
14	Anderson Silva	22~4	Curitiba, Brazil
15	Renato Sobral	31~7	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Strikeforce Champion
16	Tito Ortiz	15~6~1	Huntington Beach, CA
17	Stephan Bonnar	11~4	Chicago, IL
18	Goran Reljic	8~0	Zadar, Croatia
19	Rich Franklin	24~3	Cincinnatti, OH
20	James Irvin	14~5	Sacramento, CA
21	Vladimir Matyushenko	21~3	Retchisa, Belarus
22	Matt Hamill	5~2	Utica, NY
23	Brandon Vera	9~3	San Diego, CA
24	Eric Schafer	10~3~2	Milwaukee, WI
25	Jason Lambert	23~9	Long Beach, CA
26	Mike Whitehead	20~6	Salt Lake City, UT
27	Tim Boetsch	8~2	Sunbury, PA
28	Steve Cantwell	7~1	Las Vegas, NV
29	Houston Alexander	8~4	Omaha, NE
30	Kazuhiro Nakamura	12~8	Tokyo, Japan
31	Rafael Cavalcante	7~1	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
32	Brian Stann	6~1	Scranton, PA
33	Doug Marshall	9~3	Visalia, CA
34	Glover TeixeIra	6~2	Arroyo Grande, CA
35	Jon Jones	6~0	Endicott, NY
36	Muhammad Lawal	2~0
37	Jason Brilz	16~1~1	Omaha, NE
38	Emanuel Newton	11~3~1		Maximum FC Champion
39	Ryan Bader	8~0	Tempe, AZ
40	Bobby Southworth	9~6
41	Reese Andy	7~3	Renton, WA
42	Andre Gusmao	5~1	Goiania, Brazil
43	David Heath	7~4	Tulsa, OK
44	Jamal Patterson	4~2	Hoboken, NJ

185 Rankings (December, 2008)

 

1	Anderson Silva	23~4	Curitiba, Brazil	UFC Champion
2	Dan Henderson	23~7	Tecmecula, CA
3	Rich Franklin	24~3	Cincinnatti, OH
4	Robbie Lawler	18~4	Granite City, IL
5	Thales Leites	14~1	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6	Nathan Marquardt	27~8~2	Denver, CO
7	Gegard Mousasi	24~2~1	Armenia	DREAM GP Champion
8	Kazuo Misaki	21~8~2	Chiba, Japan
9	Yoshihiro Akiyama	12~1	Osaka, Japan
10	Yushin Okami	22~4	Kanagawa, Japan
11	Frank Trigg	18~6	Rochester, NY
12	Demian Maia	9~0	Sao Paulo, Brazil	ADCC Champion
13	Ronaldo Souza	10~2	Manaus, Brazil
14	Michael Bisping	17~1	Manchester, England
15	Jason Miller	21~6	Las Vegas, NV
16	Jorge Santiago	20~7	Coconut Creek, FL	Sengoku GP Champion
17	Patrick Cote	13~5	Quebec City, Canada
18	Chael Sonnen	21~9~1	West Linn, OR
19	Paulo Filho	16~1	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
20	Matt Lindland	21~5	Eagle Creek, OR
21	Joey Villasenor	26~6	Albuqurque, NM
22	Wilson Gouveia	12~5	Coconut Creek, FL
23	Denis Kang	31~10~1	Vancouver, Canada
24	Cung Le	6~0	San Jose, CA	Strikeforce Champion
25	Murilo Rua	16~9~1	Curitiba, Brazil
26	Vitor Belfort	17~8	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
27	Dean Lister	11~5	San Diego, CA
28	Benji Radach	18~4	Castlerock, WA
29	Scott Smith	14~5	Elk Grove, CA
30	Jason MacDonald	21~11	Edmonton, Canada
31	Frank Shamrock	24~9~1	Santa Monica, CA
32	Ricardo Almeida	9~3	Hamilton, NJ
33	Trevor Prangley	18~5	Cape Town, South Africa
34	Amar Suloev	24~7	Kalinin City, Armenia
35	Jeremy Horn	80~18~5	Salt Lake City, UT
36	Chris Leben	18~5	Oahu, HI
37	Melvin Manhoef	22~5~1	Amsterdam, Netherlands
38	Kendall Grove	9~5	Maui, HI
39	Travis Lutter	9~5	Fort Worth, TX
40	Rousimar Palhares	8~2	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
41	Alan Belcher	13~5	Biloxi, MS
42	Mike Massenzio	11~2	Paterson, NJ
43	Ed Herman	14~7	Portland, OR
44	Marvin Eastman	15~9~1	Las Vegas, NV
45	Jorge Rivera	15~7	Milford, MA
46	Jason Day	17~6	Lethbridge, Canada
47	David Loiseau	18~8	Montreal, Canada
48	Dan Miller	10~1	Whippany, NJ
49	Terry Martin	18~6	Chicago, IL
50	Joe Doerksen	41~12	Winnipeg, Canada
51	Sanae Kikuta	27~6~3	Tokyo, Japan
52	Falaniko Vitale	26~9	Honolulu, HI
53	Nate Quarry	10~3	Gresham, OR
54	Ryo Kawamura	9~3	Japan	Pancrase Champion
55	Kazuhiro Nakamura	13~9	Tokyo, Japan
56	Drew McFedries	7~5	Bettendorf, IA
57	Cory DeVela	9~2	Bonney Lake, WA
58	Yuki Sasaki	22~15~1	Japan
59	Joe Riggs	28~11	Pheonix, AZ
60	Ryan Jensen	13~5	Omaha, NE
61	Yuki Kondo	49~23~6	Niigata, Japan
62	Kazushi Sakuraba	24~11~1	Katagami, Japan
63	Keiichiro Yamamiya	34~23~9	Kanagawa, Japan
64	Zelg Galesic	9~4	Pula, Croatia
65	Taiei Kin	3~3	Amagasaki, Japan
66	Andrews Nakahara	1~1	Brazil
67	Matt Horwich	22~11~1	Gresham, OR
68	Dong Sik Yoon	4~6	Seoul, South Korea
69	Kiyoshi Tamura	32~13~2	Okayama, Japan
70	Ryan McGivern	13~6	Bettendorf, IA
71	Ivan Salaverry	12~6	Seattle, WA
72	Tim Kennedy	9~2	San Luis Obispo, CA
73	Amir Sadolloh	1~0	Richmond, VA
74	Tim Credeur	11~2	Breaux Bridge, LA
75	Fabio Nascimento	8~4	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
76	Kala Hose	7~2	Waianae, Hawaii	Icon Sport Champion
77	Alessio Sakara	13~7	Miami, FL
78	Jake Rosholt	5~0	Las Vegas, NV
79	Rob Kimmons	21~4	Liberty, MO
80	Nissen Osterneck	5~1	Myrtle Beach, SC
81	Bryan Baker	8~1	Victorville, CA
82	Kalib Starnes	9~3~1	Surrey, Canada

170 Rankings (December, 2008)

 

1	Georges St-Pierre	17~2	Montreal, Canada	UFC Champion
2	Thiago Alves	16~3	Coconut Creek, FL
3	Jon Fitch	17~3	San Jose, CA
4	Josh Koscheck	12~3	Fresno, CA
5	Diego Sanchez	19~2	San Diego, CA
6	Jake Shields	22~4~1	San Jose, CA
7	Matt Hughes	42~7	Hillsboro, IL
8	Karo Parisyan	18~5	North Hollywood, CA
9	Matt Serra	9~5	Long Island, NY
10	Mike Swick	13~2	San Jose, CA
11	Carlos Condit	23~4	Alburqurque, NM	WEC Champion
12	Dustin Hazelett	12~4	Cincinnati, OH
13	Chris Lytle	26~16~5	Indianapolis, IN
14	Marcus Davis	15~4	Bangor, ME
15	Anthony Johnson	6~2	Los Angeles, CA
16	Nick Thompson	36~10~1	Minneapolis, MN	MFC Champion
17	Brad Blackburn	13~9~1	Olympia, WA
18	Ryo Chonan	15~8	Yamagata, Japan
19	Jay Hieron	16~4	Long Island, NY
20	Yoshiyuki Yoshida	10~3	Tokyo, Japan
21	Dan Hardy	20~6	Nottingham, England
22	Pete Sell	8~4	Westbury, NY
23	Akihiro Gono	28~13~7	Saitama, Japan
24	Hector Lombard	17~2~1	Sydney, Australia
25	Brock Larson	23~2	Costa Mesa, CA
26	Chris Wilson	14~4	Portland, OR
27	Luigi Fioravanti	14~4	Orlando, FL
28	Kevin Burns	7~2	Des Moines, IA
29	Josh Burkman	18~8	Salt Lake City, UT
30	Roan Carneiro	12~8	Atlanta, GA
31	Mike Pierce	6~1
32	Delson Heleno	13~5	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
33	Paul Daley	19~7~2	Nottingham, England
34	Jonathan Goulet	22~10	Victoriaville, Canada
35	David Baron	16~3	Paris, France
36	Hayato Sakurai	33~8~2	Tokyo, Japan
37	Antonio McKee	21~3~2	Lakewood, CA
38	Tamdan McCrory	9~2	Cortland, NY
39	Akira Kikuchi	16~4	Tokyo, Japan
40	Mark Miller	8~4	Chicago, IL
41	Kuniyoshi Hironaka	12~5	Tokyo, Japan
42	Brian Foster	8~3
43	Nathan Coy	5~1		Sportfight Champion
44	Tony DeSouza	10~4	Lima, Peru
45	Paul Kelly	7~1	Liverpool, England
46	Paul Taylor	9~4~1	Walsall, England
47	Daniel Acacio	16~6	Brazil
48	John Alessio	24~12	Vancouver, Canada
49	Forrest Petz	14~6	Cleveland, OH
50	Ben Saunders	7~0~2	Orlando, FL
51	Alex Serdyukov	8~4	Moscow, Russia
52	Luis Santos	30~4	Belem, Brazil
53	Rory Markham	16~4	Bettendorf, IA
54	Pat Healy	19~13	St. Louis, MS	Maximum FC Champion
55	TJ Grant	13~2	Dartmouth, Canada
56	George Sotiropoulos	9~2	Long Island, NY
57	Hiromitsu Miura	9~5	Tokyo, Japan
58	Richard Villes	4~3
59	Dong Hyun Kim	11~0~1	Busan, South Korea
60	Carlo Prater	23~6~1	Houston, TX
61	Ryan Ford	8~1	Edmonton, Canada
62	Matt Brown	8~7	Cincinnati, OH
63	Drew Fickett	36~8	Tuscan, AZ
64	Renato Verissimo	7~5	Hilo, HI
65	Dennis Hallman	40~12~2	Yelm, WA
66	Jeremy Jackson	9~5	Port Hueneme, CA
67	Luke Cummo	6~6	Long Island, NY
68	Tom Speer	10~3	Elgin, MN
69	Steve Bruno	12~4	Coconut Creek, FL

155 Rankings (December, 2008)

 

1	B.J. Penn	13~4~1	Hilo, HI	UFC Champion
2	Eddie Alvarez	15~1	Philadelphia, PA
3	Joachim Hansen	19~7~1	Oslo, Norway	DREAM GP Champion
4	Kenny Florian	11~3	Boston, MA
5	Shinya Aoki	18~3	Japan
6	Sean Sherk	33~3~1	Oak Grove, MN
7	Gesias Calvancanti	14~2~1	Coconut Creek, FL
8	Josh Thomson	16~2	San Jose, CA	Strikeforce Champion
9	Gray Maynard	6~0	Las Vegas, NV
10	Tatsuya Kawajiri	22~5~2	Inashiki, Japan
11	Caol Uno	25~11~4	Kanagawa, Japan
12	Frank Edgar	9~1	Tom Rivers, NJ
13	Mitsuhiro Ishida	17~4~1	Tsukuba, Japan
14	Vitor Ribeiro	19~2	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
15	Gilbert Melendez	14~2	San Francisco, CA
16	Sergey Golyaev	11~6	Russia
17	Takanori Gomi	29~4	Tokyo, Japan
18	KJ Noons	7~2	San Diego, CA
19	Hermes Franca	19~7	Jupiter, FL
20	Tyson Griffin	12~2	Las Vegas, NV
21	Joe Stevenson	29~9	Victoriaville, CA
22	Nick Diaz	18~7	Stockton, CA
23	Roger Huerta	20~2~1	Minneapolis, MN
24	Spencer Fisher	22~4	Bettendorf, IA
25	Clay Guida	24~9	Johnsburg, IL
26	Nate Diaz	10~2	Stockton, CA
27	Josh Neer	24~7~1	Bettendorf, IA
28	Din Thomas	20~8	Port St. Lucie, CA
29	Takashi Nakakura	10~2~1	Japan	Shooto Champion
30	Satoru Kitaoka	23~8~9	Nari, Japan	Sengoku GP Champion
31	Yusuke Endo	12~2~1	Japan
32	Rich Clementi	32~13~1	Sidell, LA
33	Jorge Masvidal	15~3	Miami, FL
34	Jim Miller	13~1	Whippany, NJ
35	Eiji Mitsuoka	14~6~2	Japan
36	Marcus Aurelio	16~7	Coconut Creek, FL
37	Joe Lauzon	17~4	Bridgewater, MA
38	Yves Edwards	34~15~1	Woodlands, TX
39	Terry Etim	11~2	Liverpool, England
40	Matt Wiman	10~4	Dallas, TX
41	Kurt Pellegrino	12~4	Jupiter, FL
42	Sam Stout	13~5~1	London, Canada
43	Hayato Sakurai	33~8~2	Tokyo, Japan
44	Andre Amade	6~3~1	Brazil
45	Rodrigo Damm	8~2	Brazil
46	Thiago Tavares	13~3	Florianopolis, Brazil
47	Koutetsu Boku	13~5~1	Japan
48	Gleison Tibau	15~6	Coconut Creek, FL
49	Jamie Varner	15~2	Mesa, AZ	WEC Champion
50	Mac Danzig	18~5~1	Los Angeles, CA
51	Donald Cerrone	9~0	Albuquerque, NM
52	Kazunori Yokota	8~2~3	Japan
53	Ganjo Tentsuku	9~3~2	Japan
54	Mizuto Hirota	10~3	Japan
55	Luiz Firmino	12~4	Brazil
56	Rob Emerson	8~6	Irvine, CA
57	Chris Horodecki	10~1	London, Canada
58	Ronnys Torres	14~1	Brazil
59	Jeremy Stephens	14~3	Des Moines, IA
60	Ryan Schultz	20~11~1	Gresham, OR
61	Bart Palaszewski	30~11	Crystal Lakes, IL
62	Luiz Azeredo	12~8	Brazil
63	Deividas Taurosevicius	9~3	Lithuania
64	Manny Gamburyan	8~3	Hollywood, CA
65	Cole Miller	13~3	Coconut Creek, FL
66	Mark Bocek	6~2	Woodbridge, Canada
67	Efrain Escudero	11~0	Tempe, AZ
68	Rob McCullough	16~5	Huntington Beach, CA
69	Melvin Guillard	21~7~2	New Orleans, LA
70	Matt Grice	9~1	Harrah, OK
71	Jason Black	23~4~1	Bettendorf, IA
72	Rich Crunkilton	16~2	New Smyrna Beach, FL
73	John Gunderson	16~6	Medford, OR
74	Marcus Hicks	8~1	Dallas, TX
75	Yoshihiro Koyama	11~2~1	Japan
76	Alberto Crane	10~3	Glendale, CA
77	Seung Hwan Bang	5~2	South Korea	DEEP Champion
78	David Bielkheden	13~6	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
79	Kyle Bradley	13~6
80	Conor Heun	8~2
81	Phillipe Nover	5~1~1	Brooklyn, NY
82	Junie Browning	3~0	Las Vegas, NV
83	Muhsin Corbbrey	8~3~0
84	Sergio Gomez	8~2	Racine, WI
85	Per Eklund	14~3~1	Stockholm, Sweden
86	Nick Janowitz	3~0
87	Simon Marini	6~1	Hamilton, Canada
88	Jess Liaudin	12~11	London, England
89	Charles Bennett	21~14~2	Ocala, FL
90	Edson Berto	14~6~1	Orlando, FL

145 Rankings (December, 2008)

 

1	Mike Brown	20~4	Coconut Creek, FL	WEC Champion
2	Urijah Faber	21~2	Sacramento, CA
3	Leonard Garcia	12~3	Lubbock, TX
4	Dokonjonsuke Mishima	18~6~2	Osaka, Japan	DEEP Champion
5	Kid Yamamoto	17~1	Tokyo, Japan
6	Wagnney Fabiano	11~1	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7	Masakazu Imanari	15~6~1	Kanagawa, Japan	Cage Rage Champion
8	Takeshi Inoue	15~3	Japan	Shooto Champion
9	Yuji Hoshino	16~7~7	Tokyo, Japan	GCM Champion
10	Jens Pulver	22~10~1	Bettendorf, IA
11	Jeff Curran	30~10~1	Island Lake, IL
12	Rafael Assuncao	11~1	Smyrna, GA
13	Hatsu Hioki	17~3~2	Nagoya, Japan	TKO Champion
14	Hideki Kadowaki	13~8~2	Chiba, Japan
15	Akitoshi Tamura	12~7~2	Osaka, Japan
16	Bao Quach	15~8~1	Irvine, CA
17	Akiyo Nishiura	9~3~1	Japan
18	Jose Aldo	12~1	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
19	Josh Grispi	9~1	Boston, MA
20	Cub Swanson	13~2	Palm Springs, CA
21	Marlon Sandro	12~0	Brazil	Pancrase Champion
22	Antonio Carvalho	10~4	Toronto, Canada
23	Hiroyuki Takaya	9~6~1	Chiba, Japan
24	Mark Hominick	16~8	London, Canada
25	Savant Young	9~8	Los Angeles, CA
26	Pequeno Nogueira	13~5~2	Brazil
27	Rani Yahya	12~4	San Diego, CA	ADCC Champion
28	Hiroshi Nakamura	5~3~3	Japan
29	Rumina Sato	24~13~2	Tokyo, Japan
30	Shintaro Ishiwatari	6~1~2	Japan
31	Wilson Reis	6~0	Philadelphia, PA
32	Tenkei Fujimiya	7~4~2	Japan
33	Micah Miller	9~2	Athens, GA

135 Rankings (December, 2008)

 

1	Miguel Torres	35~1	East Chicago, IN	WEC Champion
2	Masakatsu Ueda	8~0~2	Japan	Shooto Champion
3	Brian Bowles	7~0	Athens, GA
4	Koetsu Okazaki	5~1~1	Japan
5	Atsushi Yamamoto	12~5~1	Japan
6	Takeya Mizugaki	11~2~2	Japan	GCM Champion
7	Marcos Galvao	6~2~1	Brazil
8	Will Ribeiro	10~2	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
9	Chase Beebe	11~3	Chicago, IL
10	Rani Yahya	12~4	San Diego, CA	ADCC Champion
11	Yoshiro Maeda	23~6~2	Osaka, Japan	Pancrase Champion
12	Eddie Wineland	12~5~1	Portage, IN
13	Daniel Lima	8~3~2	Queensland, Austraila
14	Matt Fiordirosa	11~1	Illinois
15	Damacio Page	10~4	Albuquerque, NM
16	Manny Tapia	10~1~1	Chino, CA
17	Scott Jorgensen	5~2	Boise, ID
18	Chris Manuel	6~0~2	Coconut Creek, FL
19	Kenji Osawa	13~8~2	Tokyo, Japan
20	Dominic Cruz	11~1	Tucson, AZ
21	Masahiro Oishi	19~9~7	Tokyo, Japan
22	Abel Cullum	12~2	Tucumcari, NM
23	Joseph Benavidez	9~0	Sacramento, CA
24	Jarrod Card	7~3~1
25	Charlie Valencia	9~5	Los Angeles, CA
26	Jeff Bedard	9~2	Duluth, GA

Strikeforce (November, 2008)

205 lbs. Title – Renato Sobral [15] vs. Bobby Southworth

Result: Sobral winner by TKO (cut). Sobral stays at 15. Southworth debuts at 40.

185 lbs. – Scott Smith [39] vs. Terry Martin [43]

Result: Smith winner by 1st round KO. Smith rises to 34. Martin drops to 50.

170 lbs. – Joe Riggs [NR] vs. Luke Stewart

Result: Riggs winner by 2nd round TKO.

170 lbs. – Yves Edwards [NR] vs. Duane Ludwig

Result: Ludwig winner by Unanimous decision.

UFC 91 (November, 2008)

UFC 91 – November 15 

Heavyweight Title – Randy Couture [3] vs. Brock Lesnar [15]

 

MMA Records: Couture (16-8]; Lesnar (2-1)

 

Preview: At long last…the return of “Captain America”, Randy Couture. This fight has been covered from all angles. Couture is getting absurdly old (45!) and Lesnar is coming in to blow out his remaining candles. Couture is the old wizard who knows every move and countermove in the game. Lesnar is the young cat with otherwordly power and strength. Instinct tells me that Couture must take this into the deep waters of the 4th and 5th rounds. Lesnar seemingly will outmuscle him and perhaps even put Randy on his back where he can administer his wicked groud and pound game. If Randy survives the initial attack, he will look for Lesnar to wear down. From there, Randy can work his unparralelled clinch-game, perhaps put Brock on his back and maybe get the TKO. Honestly though, my gut tells me that Brock is going to run through Randy like a hot knife through warm butter. Age has to catch up to him at some point, doesn’t it? I think it will but then again I was certain Vitor Belfort would beat Randy…I was certain Chuck Liddell would beat Randy…that Tim Sylvia would beat Randy…and that Gabriel Gonzaga would beat Randy. Every time, Randy amazed me. After watching all his those incredible feat, I should know better but I have to be honest and I honestly think Brock is going to come out, put Randy down and pound him out in the 1st or 2nd round.

 

Result: Randy’s age and experience only bought him 1 round against his goliath of an opponent. Lesnar was just too big and athletic for him to deal with. In round 2, he landed a sledgehammer below Couture’s ear and then pounded him out for the stoppage. There has been a lot of discussion about the weight disparity in this match. Lesnar outweighed Randy by 55 lbs. To put that in perspective, it would be the same difference if Kenny Florian fought Rampage Jackson. Some are calling for a Super-Heavyweight division but I highly doubt that will happen. There is a new era in the Heavyweight division and his name is Brock Lesnar….that is until Rodrigo Nogueira beats Frank Mir and then submits Lesnar in the 4th round of their looming superfight. Lesnar rises to 3. Couture drops to 6.

155 lbs. – Kenny Florian [7] vs. Joe Stevenson [9]

MMA Records: Florian (10-3); Stevenson (29-8]

Preview: This is the #1 contender fight in the Lightweight division. Kenny Florian is the submission fighter with good muay thai skills and Joe Stevenson is the wrestler with a nasty guillotine choke. Both guys have good jabs and use them well. Both are smart and savvy.  Both have top shelf gas tanks. Stevenson will look for the takedown, Florian will look for the clinch. Stevenson could end the fight by ground and pound, Florian by sharp knees and elbows.  I just think that “KenFlo” is the more versatile fighter with more ways to win. I predict him winning by rocking Stevenson with some strikes from the clinch and then submitting him on the ground.

Result: Florian was at his very best in landing a 1st round rear-naked choke on Joe Stevenson. Prior to that, “KenFlo” was jabbing circles around Stevenson. Kenny will now get a chance to defeat the legendary B.J. Penn in a lightweight title fight. Kenny is at the peak of his career, so now is his best shot to cement his legacy. This is a major setback for Joe “Daddy.” He got dominated like he’s never been dominated before. In a super-stacked division, his last best shot may have gone by the wayside. Kenny rises to 4. Stevenson drops to 21.

HVY – Gabriel Gonzaga [7] vs. Josh Hendricks

MMA Records: Gonzaga (9-3); Hendricks (15-4)

Preview: I don’t know enough about Josh Hendricks to analyze him right now. I can say a few things about Gabriel Gonzaga. He has world-class jiu-jitsu skills and possesses KO power in every limb. There are some question’s about his toughness and his cardio. I don’t see a champion’s hunger in his eyes. He also doesn’t seem to have the cage-presence of top tier guys like Randy Couture and Rodrigo Nogueira. That might come with more experience but I haven’t seen it yet. Gonzaga will surely be a stiff test for Hendricks. We will see if Josh can survive Gonzaga’s power and submissions.

Result: Gonzaga takes one step closer to the title with another huge KO. This one came just over 1 minute into the fight. Gabriel is a powerhouse but his stamina remains suspect. Gonzaga drops to 8 (Because of Lesnar’s rise).

185 lbs. – Demian Maia [15] vs. Nate Quarry [54]

MMA Records: Maia (8-0); Quarry (10-2)

Preview: Maia needs to get this fight to the ground quick. He has arguably the best submission game in the world. Quarry cannot win this fight on the mat. His takedown defense is the most important factor. I’m also eager to see how improved Maia’s striking is. He’s relatively new to MMA, so he should be developing stronger and stronger striking skills. Who knows, maybe he’ll suprise us with a head kick or two. But i’m going with Maia by submission in the 2nd round.

Result: Demian Maia is white-hot right now. The submission-machine picked up another rear-naked choke in the 1st round. Quarry couldn’t keep Maia on the feet and he paid for it. Quarry is getting up there in age and it looks as if he’ll never get to strap on the title belt. Maia rises to 12. Quarry stays at 54.

185 lbs. – Amir Sadolloh [74] vs. Nick Catone – FIGHT CANCELLED (Injury to Amir)

MMA Records: Sadolloh (1-0); Catone (5-0)

Preview: Like Josh Hendricks, I don’t know enough about Nick Catone to give an honest assessment. Amir Sadolloh has some very valuable intangibles like toughness and intelligence. As far as skills go, he is well-rounded but not dominant in any area. We must wait until he fights an elite grappler or striker to see whether or not his skills are elite. Right now, he is in the developing stages. He reminds me of Forrest Griffin. I’m not sure how Amir’s work ethic in the gym is, but if it’s anywhere near Griffin’s, then he has a good shot at becoming great. Let’s not forget Nick Catone, however. This is a big chance for him to make a huge splash in the division. Win or lose, hopefully the fight will last long enough for us to get a glimpse of what he brings to the table.

170 lbs.- Dustin Hazelett [12] vs. Tamdan McCrory [43]

MMA Records: Hazelett (11-4); McCrory (9-1)

Preview: Dustin Hazelett is quietly becoming one of the best fighters in the world. His submission game is on the verge of greatness. At just 22-years-old, he will be a fixture at this weight class for years to come. Tamden McCrory is also a talented young fighter. He’s a 6 foot 4 inch, 21-year-old with deceptive strength. Too bad for him he’s running into a young Lion. Hazelett is very dangerous right now for anyone. I can’t see him losing this fight anywhere. Hazelett by 1st round submission.

Result; Dustin Hazelett is right there with Demian Maia and Rodrigo Nogueira in terms of submission prowess. He sustained a 1st round barrage of strikes from McCrory and eventually got the fight to the mat. When he did it was only a matter of time befor he employed a textbook rubber guard and got the armbar submission just 2 minutes into the fight. Hazelett has a championship waiting for him in the future. Right now, he continues his ascent. McCrory also appears to have a bright future ahead of him. His height and striking skills will pose a challenge for anyone. Hazelett rises to 11. McCrory rises to 39.

170 lbs. – Matt Brown vs. Ryan Thomas

MMA Records: Brown (7-7); Thomas (9-2)

Result: This is the 2nd straight fight in which I’ve been impressed by Matt Brown. He appears focused and hungry to prove his worth. He picks up a 2nd round armbar to put on his resume. Brown debuts at 61.

155 lbs. – Jeremy Stephens [64] vs. Rafael dos Anjos

MMA Records: Stephens (13-3); dos Anjos (11-2)

Result: Jeremy Stephens has some vicious power! He landed a highlight reel uppercut en route to a devastating 3rd round KO. Up to that point, I was impressed with dos Anjos’s skills. But that was erased by an uppercut from hell. Stephens rises to 59.

Mark Bocek [73] vs. Alvin Robinson

MMA Records: Bocek (5-2); Robinson (9-3)

Result: Bocek winner by 3rd round submission (Rear-naked choke). Bocek rises to 66.

155 lbs. – Jorge Gurgel vs. Aaron Riley

MMA Records: Gurgel (12-4); Riley (26-10-1)

Result: These two guys are just plain warriors. They have massive hearts and an abundance of grit. It was no surpise that it won Fight of the Night. Riley picked up the unanimous decision but noone lost any honor.

Future Fights That Make Sense:

HVY

Brock Lesnar [3] vs. winner of Rodrigo Nogueira [2] vs. Frank Mir [15]

Gabriel Gonzaga [8] vs. winner of Cheick Kongo [9] vs. Mustapha Al-Turk

Josh Hendricks vs. Loser of Justin McCully [30] vs. Eddie Sanchez [33]

205

Randy Couture [NR] vs. loser of Quinton Jackson [2] vs. Wanderlei Silva [7]

185

Demian Maia [12] vs. Michael Bisping [14]

Nate Quarry [54] vs. Jake Rosholt [79]

170

Dustin Hazelett [11] vs. winner of Mike Swick [12] vs. Jonathan Goulet [29]

Tamdan McCrory [39] vs. loser of Kevin Burns [17] vs. Anthony Johnson [18]

Matt Brown [61] vs. winner of Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff

Ryan Thomas vs. loser of Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff

155

Kenny Florian [4] vs. BJ Penn [1]

Joe Stevenson [21] vs. Tyson Griffin [20]

Jeremy Stephens [59] vs. Per Eklund [79]

Mark Bocek [66] vs. David Bielkheden [74]

Aaron Riley vs. winner of Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees

Jorge Gurgel vs. Rafael dos Anjos

Alvin Robinson vs. loser of Corey Hill vs. Dale Hartt