Fighters.com June Light Heavyweight Rankings

Fighters.com was live in Las Vegas 24 May to witness the fights that shook-up June’s Welterweight Rankings.  What a night!

Of course, “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6) remains Fighters.com’s Light Heavyweight Champion and will defend his UFC title versus eighth-ranked Forrest Griffin (15-4) 5 July in Las Vegas.

But, Jackson’s nemesis from the past, “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1), closed in on a rematch with the champion he’s conquered twice before.

Silva demolished “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) in 36 seconds, jumping five spots to the fifth ranking and sending Jardine down two rungs to number six.

If he takes out Griffin, Jackson may first have to unravel the riddle that is his new top contender, “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0), before a rematch with Silva.

Machida retired previously ninth-ranked “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) from the top ten and the UFC in a unanimous decision “W”.  Can we all say “elusive”?

Machida’s win welcomed a fellow undefeated Brazilian, another Silva in fact, to replace “The Axe Murderer” at number ten.

American Top Team’s Thiago Silva (13-0) survived a scary kick to the noggin to make “Samuray” Antonio Mendes (14-3) scream “uncle” beneath a brutal first-round G’n'P barrage.

“African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) held steady at number seven by re-establishing himself as a one-punch knockout threat in a TKO of “Kaz” Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8).

With the win and the single word “Shogun”, Sokoudjou took the opportunity to challenge eighth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3), a challenge that’s traveled across the Pacific with the two former PRIDE stars.

With a lack of live action in the 205-pound class, ‘Page’s most competitive challenge since entering the Octagon, “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-6), drops to the third rank and has no announced or rumoured fights on his dance card in either of his two weight classes.

“Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) takes two steps closer to his own rematch with the champ at number four and will be announced this week as the main event when the UFC goes to Atlanta in September.

No opponent has been named, but Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) has been rumoured to be considering the fight.  Fighters.com thinks that match-up makes no sense, by the by.

June Light Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6)

Jackson is 4-0 since bringing his “Rampage” to the cage. He’s out-wrestled Olympians Lindland and Hendo and became the only man to put Liddell on ice twice.  He’s earned Fighters.com’s title, but losses to Rua and Silva whisper questions from the past.

2. “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0)

Versus Sokou, the undefeated “Dragon” proved he could fly high and finish; but, his UD over Tito Ortiz was back to boring.  His measured style is as tough for opposition to decipher as it sometimes is for fans to watch.  His “W” column reads like a who’s who of MMA, but Machida needs stoppages to excite.

3. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-6)

To think 205 is Hendo’s other weight class is astounding.  A UD of  Vitor Belfort paved a path for him to hold the PRIDE belt after a KO of long-time champ Silva. Henderson came up just short of unifying titles in a slog with ‘Page.  Until next time?

4. “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5)

Liddell has faced the toughest schedule the last two years, but fell consecutively to Jackson and Jardine.  He looked tough in his return to winning in the long-awaited face-off with Silva.

5. “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1)

It’s been a bloody mess for “The Axe Murderer” the last two years, but a 36-second slaughter of Jardine in May means the division still has to deal with one of it’s most popular and scariest names.

6. “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1)

A 36-second knockout loss to Silva, the third time he’s been kayoed in under a minute, left the “Dean” exposed amidst a division of big punchers.  But, wins over Liddell and Griffin keep him in the 205 mix.

7. “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2)

Sokou had been punching fighters out of their top ten ranking until he ran into Machida, but there’s no shame in tapping to “The Dragon”.   Another big punch knocking out Kaz Nakamura in May stamped Sokou firmly in the top ten.

8. Forrest Griffin (15-4)

The TUF 1 champ dug himself out of the “one hit wonder” abyss with an impressive stoppage of touted Rua and earned a UFC gold run versus Jackson.  But like Jardine, Griffin has proven beatable on any given night.

9. “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3)

Whether injury, energy, or focus was the issue, Rua debuted in the UFC with a loss to then-struggling Griffin after earning the kudos of many with PRIDE wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Kaz Nakamura.

10. Thiago Silva (13-0)

Undefeated in four Octagon appearances, Silva was the first to expose Houston Alexander‘s ground game and recently made Antonio Mendes scream “uncle” beneath a brutal first-round G’n'P barrage.  He’s only seen the second round once in the last two years.