Fighters.com Heavyweight Rankings
Posted by Chad Edward on April 3rd, 2008Sure to appall, enrage, offend, and shake-up the MMA world, Fighters.com has released it’s April heavyweight rankings.
1. “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1)
It ain’t pretty! Nogueira has turned “blocking punches with your face” into a winning strategy versus top teners Sylvia, Herring, Barnett, and Werdum in the last two years, earning him Fighters.com’s first ranking at heavyweight.
2. “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-8)
The best strategist in a weight class of brutes returned to solve the 6′8″ riddle of Sylvia over five grueling rounds to reclaim UFC’s title, then forced Cro Cop-slayer Gonzaga to wish MMA had timeouts in a bloody three-round TKO.
3. “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-4)
The oft maligned “Maine-iac” has meshed his stature with world-class striking, championship cardio, and a Jeff Monson-tested ground game. His losses are to legends Nogueira and Couture, but he’s failed to lay out ripe KO candidates Arlovski and Monson.
4. “The Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (21-5)
“The Babyface Assassin” returned to tap Hidehiko Yoshida and is the last man to beat Noguiera. Even with an involuntary 14-month layoff, he holds submissions over tenth-ranked Aleksander Emelianenko and hard-headed Mark Hunt in the last two years.
5. “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (27-1)
Rankings reflect what has happened in fights with a predilection towards the most recent and Emelianenko hasn’t fought another top ten heavyweight in 32 months. He’ll take fifth and like it, or take first in a real fight. It’s his decision.
6. “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (12-5)
“Pitbull” has fought like a poodle since getting neutered by Sylvia in an ‘06 KO loss, but was able to steal a decision from Werdum in the most disappointing fight of ’07. Perhaps free agency will reignite the once explosive fighter’s fire.
7. “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (10-3-1)
“Vai Cavalo” spanked Gonzaga like a bad monkey in January, his fourth consecutive top ten matchup, going 2-2 with two stoppage wins. He’s likely Nogueira’s first UFC title challenge in a rematch that ended in a close decision for Nogueira in PRIDE.
8. “Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring (28-13)
Herring’s bungle versus Nogueira was beefed-up with a strong decision over Cheick Kongo in March. Three losses to Nogueira stop-gaps a potential UFC title challenge, but the “Texas Crazy Horse” will valiantly defend the gate to the UFC’s gold.
9. “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3)
After mauling Mirko Filipovic in Manchester, “Napao” risks becoming a footnote in MMA history with consecutive stoppage losses to Couture and Werdum. The big man has the tools to remain top ten for years to come, but does he have the heart?
10. Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3)
Fedor’s li’l bro’ isn’t lost in the shadow of “The Last Emporer”. In the last two years, the man with the coldest stare down in MMA has outclassed his brother in competition, losing only to top ten heavies while TKOing fellow Russian Sergei Kharitonov.
pancrase said:
I would have to disagree with your rankings.
Fedor beat Minotauro 2-3 times already.
Chad Edward said:
Yeah, I think I have Fedor v Minotauro on VHS. Let me dust off my tapes and review my rankings.