Fighters.com's September Welterweight Rankings
By: Chad Edward Posted On: September 13, 2008 at 1:34pm
Fighters.com’s September Welterweight Rankings was denied a potential breakout match-up in Atlanta 6 September when “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) bailed on his fight versus ninth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) with a back injury…or something.
Yoshida has stoppages of Katsuya Inoue (16-6-3) and Akira Kikuchi (16-4); but, few this side of the Pacific (besides you and I) know how impressive that is.
A good showing versus physically and technically tough Parisyan would’ve put him on North American radar too.
Fighters.com has developing information that another anticipated fight, between sixth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) and seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7), is unlikely to ever happen. More on that as it develops.
Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) will fight Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) in Las Vegas 31 January.
In Chicago 25 October, top contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) and eighth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) will fight to get first dibs on the winner.
Third-ranked EliteXC titlist Jake Shields (21-4-1) will have a confident “Semtex” Paul Daley (18-6-2) on his hands in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami, 4 October.
AKA teammates fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-2) and fifth-ranked Jon Fitch (17-3) await match-ups that’ll put them back into title contention.
Tenth-ranked “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1) awaits an opportunity to avenge himself of the beating handed to him by Shields in his last fight.
September Welterweight Rankings
1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2)
Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Fitch, Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.
2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3)
Alves has dealt three big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi Hironaka. St. Pierre hears “Pitbull” scraping at the door, but he’ll have to prove he can make 170-pounds and make Sanchez a would’ve-been.
3. Jake Shields (21-4-1)
Shields added Thompson, a legit top-tenner, to a two-year run of stoppages that in includes Mike Pyle among lesser known challengers. But, Thompson was as good as Shields can get outside of the UFC.
4. Josh Koscheck (11-2)
After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.
5. Jon Fitch (17-3)
Fitch tied a record for most consecutive wins in the Octagon, including a stoppage of Alves and a decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka, before losing a UD to St. Pierre.
6. “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)
After knocking out the 170-pound division’s champion, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their ’08 rematch. However, Serra looked no worse than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes and hopes for his own fight with Hughes.
7. Matt Hughes (42-7)
Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. It’s apparent a return to MFS is required.
8. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)
All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek. An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?
9. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)
“Zenko” debuted in the UFC with 56 second stoppage of Jon Koppenhaver and is without an “L” in two years, all wins also by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than countryman Kuniyoshi Hironaka.
10. “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1)
“The Goat” had bucked twelve straight challengers, eleven by stoppage, a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, until becoming the dot at the end of Shields’s exclamation point.
Tweet
Cesar Gracie Takes Judges to Task for UFC 143 Decision
Fabricio Werdum Interested in June Fight Against Frank Mir
Josh Koscheck Leaves American Kickboxing Academy
Comments
GSP vs Penn?? Exciting, but unfair to other welterweight fighters. When is Koscheck going to get his chance at a title fight. He sits with only 2 losses in the octagon, his last loss coming by split decision to none other than GSP over a year ago. How about a rematch with title implications? Koscheck’s ground game is second to nobody. Fitch went on record saying Kos did not train properly going into the fight against GSP, underestimating Rush’s ground game. With the right training, Koscheck is a forced to be reckoned with at 170. If he wins his next fight (vs. Fitch or Alves??) he MUST be considered for a title shot. Period. Give him the title fight like fellow TUF 1 fighter Forrest Griffin.
GSP’s domination of Koscheck was unanimous, not a split decision. If he had a made it a bit more competitive, I think it’d be easier to sell a GSP v Koscheck rematch. Unfortunatley, he didn’t and probably isn’t next in line at 170.
How does Fitch drop to #5 after taking a GSP 5 rounds. He has Beat your #2 Alves. Shields your #3 has not fought anyone. And needs to get in the UFC.
Fitch beat Alves two-and-a-half years ago. Since then, Alves stopped Tony DeSouza, Kuniyoshi Hironaka, Chris Lytle, and Karo Parisyan. Fitch couldn’t stop Hironaka and only won decisions over Diego Sanchez and Chris Wilson. If Fitch had more stoppages, he’d be ranked higher.
Shields has stopped all of his opponents in the last two years, all but one in the first round, including Nick Thompson and Mike Pyle.