August 2009 Independent World MMA Rankings

August 21, 2009: The August 2009 Independent World MMA Rankings have been released. These rankings are independent of any single MMA media outlet or sanctioning body, and are published on multiple web sites.

Some of the best and most knowledgeable MMA writers from across the MMA media landscape have come together to form one independent voting panel.

These voting panel members are, in alphabetical order: Zach Arnold (Fight Opinion); Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings); Jared Barnes (Houston Chronicle); Jordan Breen (Sherdog); Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter, MMA Memories, and MMA Journalist Blog); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Todd Martin (CBS Sportsline); Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA); Leland Roling (Bloody Elbow); Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse); Jonathan Snowden (Author of "Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting"); Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion), Ivan Trembow (Freelance); and Dave Walsh (Total MMA).

Joachim Hansen is not currently eligible to be ranked due to the fact that he has been inactive for 12 months; and Josh Barnett is not currently eligible to be ranked due to his recent positive drug test.

August 2009 Independent World MMA Rankings Ballots collected on August 18, 2009

Heavyweight Rankings (206 to 265 lbs.)

1. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 No Contest)

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)

3. Frank Mir (12-4)

4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 No Contest)

5. Randy Couture (16-9)

6. Alistair Overeem (29-11, 1 No Contest)

7. Shane Carwin (11-0)

8. Brett Rogers (10-0)

9. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)

10. Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1)

Light Heavyweight Rankings (186 to 205 lbs.)

1. Lyoto Machida (15-0)

2. Quinton Jackson (30-7)

3. Rashad Evans (13-1-1)

4. Anderson Silva (25-4)

5. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-3)

6. Forrest Griffin (16-6)

7. Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1)

8. Rich Franklin (25-4, 1 No Contest)

9. Keith Jardine (14-5-1)

10. Dan Henderson (25-7)

Middleweight Rankings (171 to 185 lbs.)

1. Anderson Silva (25-4)

2. Yushin Okami (23-4)

3. Dan Henderson (25-7)

4. Nathan Marquardt (28-8-2)

5. Demian Maia (10-0)

6. Jorge Santiago (21-7)

7. Robbie Lawler (16-5, 1 No Contest)

8. Vitor Belfort (18-8)

9. Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)

10. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 2 No Contests)

Welterweight Rankings (156 to 170 lbs.)

1. Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. Jon Fitch (19-3, 1 No Contest)

3. Thiago Alves (16-4)

4. Jake Shields (23-4-1)

5. Matt Hughes (43-7)

6. Josh Koscheck (12-4)

7. Martin Kampmann (15-2)

8. Mike Swick (14-2)

9. Carlos Condit (22-5)

10. Paulo Thiago (11-1)

Lightweight Rankings (146 to 155 lbs.)

1. B.J. Penn (14-5-1)

2. Shinya Aoki (21-4, 1 No Contest)

3. Eddie Alvarez (17-2)

4. Kenny Florian (11-4)

5. Tatsuya Kawajiri (24-5-2)

6. Diego Sanchez (21-2)

7. Gray Maynard (7-0, 1 No Contest)

8. Frankie Edgar (10-1)

9. Josh Thomson (16-2)

10. Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1)

Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)

1. Mike Brown (22-4)

2. Urijah Faber (22-3)

3. Wagnney Fabiano (12-1)

4. Jose Aldo (15-1)

5. Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2)

6. Leonard Garcia (13-4)

7. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue (16-3)

8. Raphael Assuncao (13-1)

9. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2)

10. Josh Grispi (13-1)

Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)

1. Brian Bowles (8-0)

2. Miguel Torres (37-2)

3. Takeya Mizugaki (12-3-2)

4. Masakatsu Ueda (9-0-2)

5. Dominick Cruz (14-1)

6. Akitoshi Tamura (14-7-2)

7. Joseph Benavidez (10-1)

8. Will Ribeiro (10-2)

9. Rani Yahya (14-4)

10. Damacio Page (11-4)

The Independent World MMA Rankings are tabulated on a monthly basis in each of the top seven weight classes of MMA, from heavyweight to bantamweight, with fighters receiving ten points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, and so on.

The rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the voting panel, with nobody's vote counting more than anybody else's vote, and no computerized voting.

The voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters' actual accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition that they've actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective perception of which fighters would theoretically win fantasy match-ups.

Inactivity: Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not eligible to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time they fight.

Disciplinary Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving disciplinary suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug test or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.

Changing Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that he is leaving one weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the fighter is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class until he has his first fight in the new weight class.

Catch Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are in between the limits of the various weight classes, they are considered to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits for each weight class are listed at the top of the rankings for each weight class.

Special thanks to Eric Kamander, Zach Arnold, and Joshua Stein for their invaluable help with this project, and special thanks to Garrett Bailey for designing our logo.

The Skinny on John Doyle

The folks at M-1 Global circulated a press release the other day stating that Nick Thompson was injured and would be unable to fight French fighter Karl Amoussou at their August 28th M-1: "Breakthrough" show, and that Thompson would be replaced by veteran Northeast competitor John Doyle. Who is John Doyle? A quick glance at his record and one sees an awful lot of losses - six recent ones in row, in fact. But there's more to the Pennsylvania-based wrestler than that.

When Doyle debuted back in September, 2006, he was raw as hell. Yet no one could stop his takedowns or impede his dogged ground and pound, and when it came down to it, no one could match his heart. He ended up winning a Combat in the Cage championship belt at light-heavyweight. Unfortunately, talent alone doesn't cut it when you start facing the likes of Ricardo Romero, Rafael "Feijao" Custodio and Costa Phillippou - guys who are top-level fighters. Add to that equation that fact that Doyle has sometimes been inconsistent with his training, and has taken too many fights on short notice, and it's easy to explain the downward slide. But the dude is tough, and if he goes down, will invariably go down swinging no matter what. Keep that in mind on August 28th.

More People Watch Stuff On Free TV Than On Premium Channels, According To UFC Press Release

More people watch stuff on free TV than on premium channels, according to a statement released by the UFC. Citing the ratings disparity between last Saturday's SpikeTV re-broadcast of UFC 100 and Showtime's live broadcast of Strikeforce's "Carano vs. Cyborg", which drew 2 million viewers to 526,000 viewers respectively, the statement attempts to imagine some sort of fantasy involving a recycled UFC product being worth more than Strikeforce's fresh, new product. It's a fantasy that ignores the fact that more people have access to SpikeTV (which is usually part of a basic cable TV package) than Showtime (which cable TV providers charge extra for), and hints at both a deep-rooted fear of competition and a low opinion of the media's analytical reasoning skills. Said a spokesman for the UFC, "The UFC is the best. People will watch whatever we put on SpikeTV over anything on Showtime." When asked about what will happen when CBS starts broadcasting Strikeforce events, the spokesman then broke down and wept.

Mitsuhiro Ishida Accuses Gilbert Melendez Of "Letting His Soul Glo"

Japanese fighter Mitsuhiro Ishida, who was stopped via third-round TKO at Saturday night's Strikeforce event, has accused opponent Gilbert Melendez of using illegal hair products - namely, the banned substance known as "Soul Glo", which is used to maintain the Jheri curl hairstyle. According to the product manufacturer, Soul Glo leaves the user "feeling ole so silky smooth" and enables the soul to "shine through", two traits that would have given Melendez an advantage in his bout with Ishida. Said a spokesperson from the California State Athletic Commission, "These are very serious accusations. Once Mr. Ishida files a formal written complaint, we will investigate the matter thoroughly." Neither Melendez nor the staff at his hair salon, the Cesar Gracie Academy of Luscious Locks, were available for comment.

Congrats To Fred Ettish

UFC 2 veteran Fred Ettish scored a win in his comeback fight in Minnesota on Saturday night. The 53-year old karate and Miletich Fighting Systems instructor won via tapout due to strikes, and has now avenged the only loss on his record. Congrats Fred!

Observations From My Couch: Strikeforce's "Gina Got Her Ass Kicked"

• Fabricio Werdum's jiu-jitsu looked solid. It's possible that his skill-level will enable him to survive maybe 30 seconds with Fedor before he's killed.
• Kudos to Gilbert Melendez for keeping the Jheri curl alive and in the public eye.
• What Gegard Mousasi did to Renato "Babalu" Sobral cannot be considered fighting. That was some grassy knoll-sniper stuff right there. Babalu never even had a chance.
• Cyborg crushed Gina Carano to become the 145-pound champ. After watching that bout, WEC featherweight champ Mike Brown reportedly called his management to discuss a move out of the weight class. It took them an hour to make the terrified Brown understand that he'd never have to fight Cyborg, as she fights in the women's division.

UFC To Stymie Strikeforce By Recycling All Their Own Discarded Trash

In the latest round of the imagined (or is it?) UFC/Strikeforce conflict, Dana White and company have decided to stymie Scott Coker's recruitment efforts by recycling all of their own old, discarded trash. First up on the recycle list are "New York Badass" Phil Baroni and Dennis Hallman - two fighters who, before Strikeforce signed Fedor and became a major player in the MMA promotion business, couldn't even get UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to take their phone calls. Now Baroni and Hallman are the recipients of a pair of juicy UFC contracts. Expect more Octagon detritus and debris to be scooped up by Zuffa in months to come.

Memorable Moments in Northeast Female MMA History

In honor of Saturday's highly-anticipated Gina Carano/Cris "Cyborg" Santos epic - the biggest fight in female MMA history - MMA Journalist has compiled this handy-dandy collection of the biggest moments in Northeast female MMA. Curiously, the Northeast has at times been a comparative hotbed for fighting femmes, with top talent like Amanda Buckner, Laura D'Auguste, Tara LaRosa and Roxanne Modaferri (before she moved to Japan) calling this part of the world home. Anyway, the list:

• Laura D'Auguste vs. Shannon Logan, Reality Fighting 2, 11/02/02 - The first female MMA fight in the Northeast saw a Tiger Schulmann Karate rep in D'Auguste take on a Team Renzo blue belt in Logan, and it was like watching Chute Boxer Pele Landi Jons against Jorge Patino in Brazil circa 1996 (i.e., D'Auguste beat on Logan mercilessly). The crowd inside the Wildwood Convention Center went absolutely nuts - the first inclination that skilled women were viable competitors and just as exciting as men.
• Laura D'Auguste vs. Del Greer, Reality Fighting 3, 2/8/03 - The audience was much bigger for this one, and when D'Auguste managed to defeat the larger Greer despite a weight disadvantage, the whole place erupted. This was the first time a female bout was the main event, and no one left the Bayonne High School gymnasium disappointed.
• Shelby Walker vs. Angela Wilson, Ring of Fury 3, 5/3/03 - A Boston nightclub played host to Ring of Fury 3, and when the referee said "go!" Wilson charged right into Walker's fist. Walker got off another punch and that was all she wrote. At five seconds, it remains the fastest KO in women's MMA history.
• Laura D'Auguste vs. Roxanne Modafferi, Ring of Combat 8, 3/19/05 - When Jennifer Howe was considered the best female fighter in the world, Modafferi kicked her ass, then kicked her ass again in the rematch. And though a loss on a Smackgirl card in Japan marred her record, "Roxy" was considered the new chick to beat at the time. So in the dank depths of the Asbury Park Convention Hall that's just what D'Auguste did. After ROC 8, D'Auguste went on to win a Smackgirl tournament in Japan - a win which had nearly everyone in the industry pegging her as the top female fighter in the sport.
• Tara LaRosa vs. Roxanne Modafferi, MFC: "Boardwalk Blitz", 3/4/06 - Matchmaker Miguel Iturrate knew full well the appeal of women fighting, so he wasted little time in putting such bouts on his Mixed Fighting Championship cards. At this one, LaRosa - considered to be top contender - took on Modaferri in a grueling three-rounder.
• Amanda Buckner vs. Shayna Baszler, MFC: "USA vs. Russia", 6/3/06 - Another Miguel Iturrate special. When Buckner and Baszler threw down at Boardwalk Hall, they really threw down, and pics of the donnybrook made the cover of the New York Times the next day.
• Tara LaRosa vs. Kelly Kobold, BodogFIGHT: "Alvarez vs. Lee", 7/14/07 - BodogFIGHT wanted to crown a 135-pound female champ, and after pitting some of the best against each other for their weekly TV show, it was clear LaRosa was one half of the equation. Unfortunately, D'Auguste (now a full-fledged jiu-jitsu student) injured her ankle in training, so undefeated Midwesterner Kobold stepped in. LaRosa won via fourth-round armbar, and since then she's been the queen of the 135 pounders. D'Auguste, meanwhile, got married and retired from fighting.
• Tara LaRosa vs. Alexis Davis and Sally Krumdiak, Extreme Challenge's "War at the Shore" and "Mayhem at the Marina", 1/23/09 and 3/28/09 - While Carano was making waves on national TV, LaRosa returned to action to prove yet again that she's the best by taking on all comers and dominating. She remains one of the best and most accomplished unsung heroes in MMA.

Predictions for Strikeforce: "Carano vs. Cyborg"

• Jay Hieron will be declared the winner by disqualification when, after seeing opponent Jesse Taylor stumble, slur his words and vomit three times on the way to the ring, officials determine that Taylor is intoxicated to the point of blacking out.
• Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Gegard Mousasi will wage an absolute war over the Strikeforce light-heavyweight belt. But no matter what the outcome, Babalu's finely-coiffed hair will remain pristine.
• Utilizing world-class jiu-jitsu, Fabricio Werdum is going to get Mike Kyle down and mount him. Kyle will then produce a taser and stun the Brazilian, and when he's disqualified for cheating, he'll claim it was just "a heat of the moment thing".
• Gilbert Melendez and Mitsuhiro Ishida are just going to wrestle. That's it. Just wrestle.
• Gina Carano will defeat Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos after a long, protracted battle. She will, unfortunately, sustain a bite in the bout, and during the next full moon will temporarily transform into a feral Brazilian jungle cat.

UFC's Strikeforce Counter-Programming To Include Brock Lesnar Sex Tape

The UFC's anti-Strikeforce effort is in full-swing with the announcement that SpikeTV will air an alleged Brock Lesnar sex tape at the same time as Strikeforce's "Carano vs. Cyborg" event on Showtime on Saturday night. The Lesnar tape is rumored to include the UFC heavyweight champ's recent antics with a giant inflatable Coors Lite can, his molestation of the Minnesota Vikings' mascot "Viktor E. Viking", and clips of his bachelor party, where strippers reportedly frolicked in over 1,000 pounds of carp. "You want to take my Fedor from me?" crowed Chief UFC Cry Baby Dana White. "Scott Coker, I play for keeps!"