JOE’s updated Pound for Pound Top 10 MMA fighters shows a few new changes from the last list we had in 2011. Three new names have managed to make the list but Silva retains the top spot.
By Fergus Ryan
1. Anderson “The Spider” Silva
Previous rank: 1
UFC Middleweight Champion
Record: 31-4
Victory over Yushin Okami at UFC 134 had 2 positive outcomes for Silva. It wiped the slate clean after his disqualification loss to Okami in 2006 and stoked the fire under Okami’s training partner Chael Sonnen. Silva-Sonnen II is the only test left for the undisputed P4P champion.
2. Jon “Bones” Jones
Previous rank: 3
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Record: 15-1
Jones looks the only challenger to Silva’s crown as P4P best. Though Rampage Jackson took him 4 rounds for the first time in his young career, Jones never looked troubled for a second. Bones went 4-0 in 2011 against Bader, Shogun, Rampage and Machida. Most fighters would be happy to go 4-0 against that calibre opposition in a career.
3. Jose “Scarface” Aldo
Previous rank: 5
UFC Featherweight Champion
Record: 21-1
By blitzing Chad Mendes at UFC 142, Aldo broke a 2 fight decision streak that saw people questioning his motivation. With the featherweight division looking thin on title contenders, a super-fight with Frankie Edgar could be a possibility for 2012.
4. Georges “Rush” St. Pierre
Previous rank: 2
UFC Welterweight Champion
Record: 22-2
While his lack of finishes goes against him GSP is still a phenomenal talent. Injuries plagued the 2nd half of 2011 meaning his April win against Shields was his only bout of the year. Diaz and Condit await when Rush is healthy again.
5. Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz
Previous rank: 7
UFC Bantamweight Champion
Record: 20-1
Like GSP ‘The Dominator’ struggles to get a fight finished ahead of schedule. His 4 title defences since claiming the bantamweight title in the WEC era have gone the full 5 rounds. However, Cruz’s pace and unorthodox style of fighting means his bouts are action packed all the way. Cruz will face-off against Urijah Faber in the next TUF season and subsequent title fight.
6. Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar
Previously unranked
UFC Lightweight Champion
Record: 14-1
Dana White was adamant that Edgars’s KO win at UFC 136 placed him at #2 behind Silva in P4P lists. Without a credible list of scalps and still a lot of work before the division is cleaned out Edgar way take some time to reach #2 in this list. A super-fight with Aldo would certainly help though.
7. Nick Diaz
Previous rank: 4
Record 26-7
Dana White has long admired Nick Diaz but cited his inability to play the game as the reason he hadn’t made it back to the UFC sooner. We all still want to see him fight GSP especially after his 3 round domination of BJ Penn. Carlos Condit will offer a stiff test while GSP heals up.
8. Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez
Previous rank: 8
Strikeforce Lightweight Champion
Record 20-2
Melendez and possibly Eddie Alvarez are the best lightweights outside of the UFC. While claiming to like being in Strikeforce, Melendez should “do a Diaz”, relinquish his Strikeforce belt and get into the UFC’s most competitive division.
9. Chael Sonnen
Previously unranked
Record: 27-11
Sonnen has been around a long time but has only really captured fight fans imaginations during his trash talking second stint in the UFC. He looked awesome beating Brian Stann and declaring “Anderson Silva you absolutely suck!” in the post fight interview. Next up is a contender eliminator against Mark.
10. Junior dos Santos
Previously unranked
UFC Heavyweight Champion
Record: 14-1
We’ve all known JDS has the best hands in the heavyweight division but we wondered if that was enough. A brown belt in BJJ you would never know for the little time he spent on the ground. This is as much testament to takedown defence as it it’s the fear his fists create in opponents. Alistair Overeem is up next for what could possibly be the greatest heavyweight MMA fight in the sports brief history.
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