June Pound for Pound Rankings

There have been some great fights involving members of the May Pound for Pound rankings since we last put together our list of the best overall fighters on the planet.

No one new has joined the party, people have just switched seats, though the same might not hold true after the above pictured rematch.

While many people have him a step behind two gentlemen from Affliction, we're objective enough to give Frank Mir a much deserved spot in the Top 10. Come July 11th, Brock Lesnar might have something to say about that, but for now, Mir stays.


June Pound for Pound Rankings

10. Frank Mir
He might be the Rodney Dangerfield of MMA right now because Mir traditionally gets no respect. All he did last year was stop Brock Lesnar inside of two minutes and knockout "Minotauro" Nogueira for the first time in his life. Don't forget, Mir was a dominant looking champion before his accident and has looked even better as of late.

9. Urijah Faber
Going five rounds with the champ while having a broken hand is a pretty impressive display, not that anyone should be overly surprised by Faber's tenacity. The guy is legit and we've known that for some time. We wish "The California Kid" a speedy recovery.

8. Rashad Evans
Getting knocked out by Lyoto Machida doesn't bump you from the rankings, especially not when it's your first career loss. Evans still has a dynamic all-around skill set and will be heard from again in the LHW division soon. Like everyone else, he's just no match for "The Dragon," but right now, who is?

7. Mike Thomas Brown
I stated my thoughts on Mike Brown last week after his win over Urijah Faber and continued making the argument for a couple days on Yardbarker too. Bottom line, the guy is the best featherweight on the planet and has three solid wins inside of eight months.

6. B.J. Penn
"The Prodigy" slips simply because another man proved to be even more gifted, though he proved it to Penn some years ago. This is perhaps the most polarizing figure on this list, because a dominant win over Kenny Florian could vault him back up the rankings, but a sluggish performance or a loss could have him banished and no one - probably including Baby Jay himself - can tell you which one we'll see in Philly.

5. Miguel Torres
Torres is one of those fighters everyone should watch with regularity. He gives everything he has every time he steps into the cage and doesn't have any glaring deficiencies in his game. Brian Bowles will prove to be a stern test at WEC 42 in Vegas, but make no mistake - Torres will be ready.

4. Lyoto Machida
What can I say that hasn't already been said about "The Dragon?" He's undefeated and barely been touched inside the Octagon. He confuses the hell out of everyone he fights and has shown a new-found propensity for knocking people out. Are we in the Machida Era? Only time will tell.

3. Fedor Emelianenko
I know he's never really been beaten. I know everyone else thinks he is the best fighter on the planet. I know he'll probably beat Josh Barnett and leave himself without a challenger once again. Until that actually happens though, he's staying here at #3. Come fight the big boys, Fedor and then we can talk.

2. Anderson Silva
Call it a hunch, but I'm willing to wager that "The Old Anderson Silva" shows up to face Forrest Griffin and runs through him like a hot knife through butter. Something tells me "The Spider" has just been bored lately, but a fight like this will get him fired up to fight again.

1. Georges St-Pierre
July 11th could potentially knock St-Pierre from his perch atop these rankings, as Thiago Alves is a very formidable opponent. That being said, so too were Jon Fitch and BJ Penn. There are no holes in GSP's game and he's got the backing of a terrific training team. A win over "The Pitbull" leaves him without an immediate contender at 170.

Who'd we leave out? Who should move down? Who should move up?

Let us know your thoughts ...