November Pound-for-Pound Rankings: Classic David Bowie

The November installment of the Pound-for-Pound rankings deliver a whole lot of ch-ch-changes...

Injury and illness has bumped Brock Lesnar from the list for the time being, much to the adulation of his anti-fan club, while a number of entertaining events since the last time we rolled out these rankings have shuffled the remaining fighters.

Jose Aldo makes his debut after his still-a-little-surprising-how-dominant-it-was performance against Mike Thomas Brown at WEC 44.

I know that when Brian Bowles beat Miguel Torres I said one win isn't enough to vault you over the champ in my books. For Bowles, it wasn't. For Aldo, after the performance he put on, it most certainly is, double standard or not.

November Pound-for-Pound Rankings

1. Anderson Silva - UFC Middleweight Champion (Last Month: #1)

Outside of the ring, questions surround the middleweight champ: will he fight Belfort? Is his elbow healing properly? I thought he didn't need surgery? Will he move to 205 permanently at some point?

Inside the ring, however, no questions remain. Anderson Silva is one of the most dangerous strikers in the game and the best Pound-for-Pound fighter in the sport.

2. Georges St-Pierre - UFC Welterweight Champion (Last Month: #2)

We now know that Dan Hardy will be the next fighter to be thrown around the cage by the Canadian superstar, we just don't know when.

Regardless, St-Pierre has spent his last 70 minutes inside the cage having his way with Jon Fitch, BJ Penn and Thiago Alves, all of whom are more complete fighters than "The Outlaw."

More interesting the upcoming dismantling of Dan Hardy is the fact that St-Pierre has been adding muscle to his already muscled physique. Let the Anderson Silva Super Fight speculation commence...

3. Fedor Emelianenko - WAMMA Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: #3)

Another fight, another win and another impressive knockout of a much bigger opponent. This is the way it goes with Fedor.

Like him or not, there is something to be said about going nine years without a loss and arguably being undefeated through 33 professional bouts.

People can question his level of competition all they want; the bottom line is that Fedor has beaten everyone that has been placed before him and that is something that cannot be said of Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre or just about any other championship caliber fighter in the sport today.

At some point, everyone loses... except Fedor.

4. Lyoto Machida - UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: #4)

Controversy or not, Lyoto Machida is still undefeated, still the UFC Light Heavyweight champion and still remains one of the most talented fighters on the planet.

Yes, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua fought a great fight and challenged Machida like no one had challenged him before, but that isn't a detriment to Machida; it's a compliment to Rua and his return to the upper echelon of the light heavyweight division.

While the rematch won't satisfy everyone regardless of who comes away victorious, until someone actually puts a "one" in Lyoto Machida's loss column, he'll remain in the Top 5.

5. B.J. Penn - UFC Lightweight Champion (Last Month: #5)

Next up is Diego Sanchez, a stern challenger and a guy who will certainly push the pace more than anyone Penn has fought as of late.

It seems that every time Penn is set to step into the cage, people line up to discuss what attributes his opponent possesses that will spell doom for the lightweight champ.

In the end, Penn emerges victorious and I don't see this upcoming bout being any different.

6. Jose Aldo - WEC Featherweight Champion (Last Month: Unranked)

Normally, I don't jump a new champion into the rankings immediately after the claim the belt. Part of that is because I subscribe to the "to be a true champion you have to defend the belt" theory, but the other part is that on occasion, one great punch can put a belt around your waist.

That isn't the case with Aldo and that's why he skyrockets into the #6 spot. He flat out dominated Mike Brown last week, stuffing takedowns, sticking jabs and pounding out a title-earning win.

What is most scary about Aldo is that as dominant as he's been thus far in his WEC career, we've yet to see him utilize his Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt inside the cage...

7. Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: #8)

Normally, beating Sokoudjou wouldn't get you a bump in the rankings, but with all the shuffling that has taken place since the September rankings came out, Mousasi climbs a notch.

While some will say it's too early for the young phenom to be a P4P contender and that Soko won the first round, I would counter that there is no time restriction on making a P4P list and the mark of a truly great fighter is someone who can be losing a fight right up until the point that they win it.

Besides, find me another fighter with 14 straight wins over a number of Top 20 contenders across two divisions.

8. Miguel Torres - Former WEC Bantamweight Champion (Last Month: #7)

Honestly, I would hate to be Miguel Torres' next opponent.

Chances are that the former champ is going to be on a mission whenever he steps into the cage next, after losing his title and having his 17-fight winning streak snapped.

Perhaps Brian Bowles deserves this place over Torres; the argument could certainly be made and a number would easily agree.

For me, one loss in five years isn't enough to drop you out of the rankings.

9. Mike Brown - Former WEC Featherweight Champion (Last Month: #6)

The American Top Team fighter was dominated in his fight against Jose Aldo, and drops three spots in the rankings as a result.

It will be interesting to see where Brown goes from here; whether he moves back to 155 as he's talked of before, who he fights next if he remains at 145 and how far down the ladder he slips after losing his belt are all questions that need to be answered.

The WEC has been pretty good about getting their former champions back into the mix quickly, so if Brown remains at '45, expect no more than two fights before he's back vying for the belt.

10. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua - #1 Contender UFC Light Heavyweight Title (Last Month: Unranked)

Regardless of your thoughts on the decision from UFC 104, there is no denying that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua looked better than he has before in the UFC and that he is finally healthy and ready to once again challenge for the title of "Best Light Heavyweight in the World."

Despite an excellent performance against Lyoto Machida last time, Rua faces the daunting task of having to perform even better the second time around, as Machida will undoubtedly adapt to the gameplan Rua utilized in their first meeting.

While it's a tall order, few gave Rua much of a chance heading into the first fight, so don't be surprised if he comes out with another impressive performance when they meet again.

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September Pound-for-Pound Rankings: The Song Remains the Same

Some people weren't too happy with my decision to include the UFC Heavyweight Champ in last month's installment of the Pound-for-Pound rankings, clinging to the usual arguments made against Brock Lesnar.

This month, I counter with this: Lesnar had the same size advantage in his first fight against Frank Mir that he had the second time they met, yet the outcomes were different. Why? Brock Lesnar is evolving; he's learning to combine his massive size with his freakish athleticism and hands the size of lunch boxes.

As he continues to pick off top contenders, Brock Lesnar will continue to climb these rankings, no matter how much his detractors dislike the idea.

Keyboard Kimura Pound-for-Pound Rankings (as of September 24, 2009)

1. Anderson Silva - UFC Middleweight Champion (Last Month: 1)
He dominates two divisions and has put together a 10-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC. What more could you possible ask for?

Vitor Belfort appears to be the next man to try and take Silva's middleweight title, and while "The Phenom" has exhibited quick hands and a renewed dedication to the sport, a lot of fighters people thought would present a challenge to "The Spider" have been laid to waste in recent years.

Belfort will be no different.

2. Georges St-Pierre - UFC Welterweight Champion (Last Month: 2)
He's getting awful close to Anderson Silva territory, having cleaned out the welterweight division and done so in impressive fashion as of late.

Yes, there is the Matt Serra incident, but since that time, St-Pierre has been untouchable. Whether he's hesitant to get clipped again a la Serra or not, "Rush" has steamrolled (in order) Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes, Serra, Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn and Thiago Alves in a little over two years.

The only question that remains is "Who's Next?"

3. Fedor Emelianenko - #1 HW Contender, Strikeforce (Last Month: 3)
Evan Shoman said it well when I interviewed him last month:

Come on... Fedor. No one is even close. People who know the sport, know this. Here’s why:

1. He’s never lost.
2. He’s never lost to someone he shouldn’t have.
3. Has been in wars and on the brink of defeat only to pull out the win.

Other P4P arguments are GSP or Silva. Numbers 1 and 2 don’t apply to GSP. Numbers 1, 2, and 3 don’t apply to Anderson.

That being said, he also hasn't challenged himself against the best in the world the same way St-Pierre and Silva have, so he remains at #3.

4. Lyoto Machida - UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 4)
The next time we see the UFC on pay-per-view, Machida will be making his first title defense against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

They say you're not a true champion until you defend the belt, so the pressure is on "The Dragon" to continue his undefeated career and silence any last remaining critics.

If we see the "Shogun" Rua who once dominated Pride, this will be an outstanding fight. If we see anyone else, we'll see another brilliant display of Machida's tactical excellence and surgical striking ability.

Both sound good to me.

5. B.J. Penn - UFC Lightweight Champion (Last Month: 5)
What makes Diego Sanchez any different from Kenny Florian, Joe Stevenson or Sean Sherk?

All three came into their fight with "The Prodigy" in the best shape of their life, ready to dethrone the champ and show that he could be beaten at 155.

All three left defeated, forced to regroup and recover from being dominated by the best lightweight in the history of the sport.

Yeah, I said it...

6. Mike Brown - WEC Featherweight Champion (Last Month: 7)
The American Top Team product climbs a spot after a month of reflecting on his run of success in the WEC and a comment on last month's rankings:

"There are bigger, stronger, and more athletic featherweights than Mike Brown, but Brown is still the best." Sounds about right to me...

The blue-collar Brown has dominated everyone he's faced in the WEC. Next on the schedule, he faces the faster, more athletic Jose Aldo in November.

7. Miguel Torres - Former WEC Bantamweight Champion (Last Month: 6)
One loss doesn't bump you from the charts, especially when you're 17-1 over your last 18 fights.

What needs to happen, however, is Torres returning to the ring and dominating the next man he faces, setting up a rematch with Brian Bowles.

How you respond to adversity says a lot about who you are; time to see what kind of fighter Miguel Torres truly is.

8. Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 8)
This man needs to get away from M-1 Global and their stupid grappling exhibitions! Nothing like injuring yourself in a meaningless demonstration with Fedor...

Injury or not, North America got their first taste of Mousasi when he starched "Babalu" Sobral in his Strikeforce debut.

The sky is the limit for this impressive 24-year-old. Within two years, you'll see him at the top of these charts.

9. Rashad Evans - Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 9)
With all the Rampage rumors and retirement drama going on, it looks as if the TUF 10 coach will take on Thiago Silva at UFC 108.

Evans has expressed interest in the fight and can gain an ounce of revenge for his friend Keith Jardine. For that to happen, the Greg Jackson protegee needs to get back to blending his fast hands with the standout wrestling skills that helped him win TUF 2.

Otherwise, he'll be staring at the stars again and gone from these rankings.

10. Brock Lesnar - UFC Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 10)
Some feel that if Brock Lesnar was a welterweight, he wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the heap. I disagree.

His athleticism is matched only by the current welterweight champion and no one in the UFC can match the wrestling ability the former Division I champion possesses, GSP included.

Even at a lighter weight, Lesnar would still be agile, athletic and incredibly strong; a definite handful for anyone who stood across from him.

Just because he's 280 on fight night, all those things go out the window? Not for me.

Also considered: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Urijah Faber, Brian Bowles and Vitor Belfort.

This is my ten. What does your Pound-for-Pound list look like? Let me know in the comments section.

Or you can simply tell me who I missed, who should be higher or lower or anything else you need to get off your chest.

I'm hear to listen.


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Anderson Silva Ascends to the Top in August

I was wrong. Very, very wrong as it turns out, and so were a lot of people.

Anderson Silva was, is and forever shall be the top Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world until he tells us all that enough is enough and he's done stepping inside the cage.

As much as Georges St-Pierre's consistent impressive performances over the top welterweights the UFC has to offer, it's been some time since we've seen a performance akin to Silva's UFC 101 display from the pride of St-Isidore, Quebec.

Silva's destruction of Forrest Griffin aside, there are other movers and shakers on this month's installment of the Keyboard Kimura Pound-for-Pound rankings.

Keyboard Kimura Pound-for-Pound Rankings (as of August 19, 2009)

1. Anderson Silva - UFC Middleweight Champion (Last Month: 3)
Even without his beatdown of Forrest Griffin, you could have made a case for Silva as the top dog in the sport. With it, there is simply no question.

The reigning Middleweight kingpin demolished a former Light Heavyweight champion inside the first round and now starts recycling opponents at 185, with Dan Henderson expected to join Rich Franklin at 0-2 versus "The Spider" when the chips are down.

2. Georges St-Pierre - UFC Welterweight Champion (Last Month: 1)
Surgery wasn't required to repair the groin injury "Rush" sustained during his precise surgical dissection of Thiago Alves at UFC 100, but a step up in competition seems to be.

There is no one left at 170 for St. Pierre to prove himself against and it might be time to take a page from Anderson Silva's playbook, tact on a few pounds and test himself against the best of the Middleweight division beginning in 2010.

3. Fedor Emelianenko - WAMMA Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 2)
Calling him the WAMMA Heavyweight champion feels kind of dirty to me, as I don't put any stock in their rankings and titles. I just didn't want to call him "The Best Fighter on the Planet without a Legitimate Title."

While Anderson Silva is 94% responsible for Fedor falling back to #3, Scott Coker takes 3% of the blame for apparently wanting to have Fedor fight someone other than Alistair Overeem for his Strikeforce debut. The other 3%?

That falls on Fedor, for deciding that co-promotion for M-1 Global was more important than testing himself on the biggest stage, against the best there is at heavyweight.

4. Lyoto Machida - UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 4)
Though I still don't think we should be ushering in "The Machida Era" before he's made one successful title defense, it's hard to argue with the resume thus far.

15-0, never lost a round in the UFC and looking more and more ferocious with each passing fight. The guy who used to grind out decisions has laid out Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans in back-to-back performances.

Shogun Rua gets the first crack, but the real test comes against the winner of the TUF 10 coaches battle later next year.

5. BJ Penn - UFC Lightweight Champion (Last Month: 6)
As promised, Penn climbs a notch in the rankings after showing once again why he is the unquestioned top lightweight in the sport today.

What is even more impressive is his apparent desire to remain as close to fighting shape as possible and keep churning out bouts in quick succession, beginning with a title defense against Diego Sanchez.

Where has this BJ Penn been all along?

6. Miguel Torres - Former WEC Bantamweight Champion (Last Month: 5)
The latest example of the old fight axiom that "anything can happen," Torres drops a notch after losing his title to Brian Bowles at WEC 42 a couple weeks back.

Some would drop Torres completely, or at least include Bowles in the rankings, but not me. Torres has now lost exactly once in the last six years and is 17-1 over his last 18 fights. It's going to take a whole lot more than one loss for him to fall out of favor with me.

As for Bowles, he's looked great and earns big respect for his win over Torres. Do it again and we can talk.

7. Mike Brown - WEC Featherweight Champion (Last Month: 7)
The American Top Team product faces a stern test in Jose Aldo at WEC 44 in November, but does anyone really think the 15-1 Brazilian striker is more dangerous than Urijah Faber?

Brown has shown an ability to avoid serious trouble and impose his will on just about everyone he's faced since joining the WEC and it shouldn't be any different against Aldo and should get the talk of Brown vs. Faber III all fired up again.

8. Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 10)
If haven't seen his performance against Renato "Babalu" Sobral from last week's Strikeforce event, go find it and marvel in the composure and dominance that is "The Dreamcatcher" Gegard Mousasi.

What makes him all the more impressive is his age; at just 24, Mousasi has been DREAM Middleweight champion, is the current Strikeforce LHW Champ and should win the DREAM Open Weight / Super Hulk tournament later this year.

The sky is the limit for this kid.

9. Rashad Evans - Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 8)
The dominance of Gegard Mousasi moves the TUF 10 coach down a peg from the last time these rankings were assembled.

While other's have Rampage ranked higher than his future opponent, Evans' stronger showing over Forrest Griffin and knockout win over Chuck Liddell trump the efforts put forth by Jackson in his win over Keith Jardine or knockout of Wanderlei.

Yes, I know Evans lost more recently, but losing to Lyoto Machida doesn't make you any less of a fighter in my book.

10. Brock Lesnar - UFC Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: NR)
The genetic freak of nature makes his debut more than a month after leaving Frank Mir a bloody mess and pissing off the purists with his performance and antics at UFC 100.

Do I think he's the most skilled fighter in the world? Not even close, but until someone takes that big shiny belt away from him and sits atop the heavyweight division of the best organization in the world, get used to seeing Brock Lesnar in these rankings.

This is my ten. What does your Pound-for-Pound list look like? Let me know in the comments section.

Or you can simply tell me who I missed, who should be higher or lower or anything else you need to get off your chest.

I'm hear to listen.

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St-Pierre Still Reigns Supreme

UFC 100 is done and has been analyzed to death, so instead of continuing to beat the dead horse by talking about MMA's ascent into the mainstream or Bob Ryan's ridiculous belief that soccer will be a bigger North American sport than Mixed Martial Arts, we're ready to tackle more important debates.

Like who is the best fighter on the planet?

It's the middle of the month, so that must mean it's time for another installment of the Pound-for-Pound Rankings... please enjoy responsibly and let the debating begin!

July Pound for Pound Rankings

10. Gegard Mousasi

There may not be a fighter on the planet who better illustrates the concept of pound for pound than Mousasi, as the Armenian-born, Dutch-raised fighter's stock rose last year by winning the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix. Since then, he's defeated Mark Hunt in the Super Hulk Tournament and is set to take on light heavyweight Renato "Babalu" Sobral at Affliction: Trilogy on August 1.

9. Urijah Faber

It's going to take more than a broken hand for me to bounce "The California Kid" from this list. Despite his seeming inability to get by Mike Thomas Brown, Faber is unquestionably one of the most skilled fighters in the game today, regardless of weight class. Hopefully, his hand heals better than Jamie Varner's ...

8. Rashad Evans

Similar to Faber, there is no real shame in losing to a guy who is higher up on this list than you are. Evans' loss at the hands of Lyoto Machida doesn't diminish his skill set in my books. In light of recent poor performance from fighters out of Wolfslair Academy, we could see Evans' full array on display when he squares off with Rampage later this year.

7. Mike Thomas Brown

Two defenses into his reign as WEC featherweight champ, Brown will look to make it three-in-a-row in November when he puts the belt on the line against dynamic striker Jose Aldo. Sure, the kid is dangerous and has been delivering impressive highlights, but so too was Urijah Faber before Brown planted him the first time around.

6. BJ Penn

When Penn shows up in shape and demolishes Kenny Florian in Philly next month, I promise to bump him up the charts. Until then, he stays outside the Top 5 as punishment for not devoting himself to achieving the greatness he is capable of and that he thinks he deserves.

5. Miguel Torres

He hasn't lost in over five years. For the last year and change, he's been taking on some of the best the world has to offer at 135 pounds and beaten them all, including his Fight of the Night candidate with Takeya Mizugaki. Torres puts his belt back on the line against Brian Bowles on August 9 at WEC 42.

4. Lyoto Machida

The big fish in the deepest pond, Machida now has the unenviable task of trying to hold onto a belt that has been on the move fairly frequently as of late. If Shogun Rua is back to being the same fighter many considered the best light heavyweight in the world, Machida could be the next man to have a brief encounter with the belt.

3. Anderson Silva

"The Spider" can climb higher with a dominating performance over Forrest Griffin. Another one of the performances that we've seen of late from Silva and he can enjoy the view from the three hole. Bring back the Anderson Silva from the Marquardt / Franklin / Henderson / Irvin run, not this guy who suddenly doesn't want to engage and looks bored.

2. Fedor Emelianenko

Maybe it's because I poured through his record in preparing yesterday's piece. Maybe it's because Anderson Silva has been facing lesser competition as of late. Maybe it's a combination of the two. Whatever the case, I've finally bumped Fedor up a notch in the rankings, thought many will surely be sour that he's only second best.

1. Georges St-Pierre

I know, I know: he lost to Matt Serra. What I also know is that since that time, GSP has defeated Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes, Serra, Jon Fitch, BJ Penn and Thiago Alves. There isn't anyone in the game right now who has fought as difficult a schedule as Georges St-Pierre and it's not like the guy is eeking out wins either. He's dominating everyone and continuing to be the king of the mountain in my books.




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Supremely Talented, Surprisingly Unknown

This is Fedor Emelianenko, the guy Dana White guaranteed would be in the UFC in the future and arguably the best fighter in the entire world.

Up until Saturday night, a huge portion of the fight fans out there had no idea who this man was. Then they Google'd him.

"The Last Emperor" hasn't lost a fight in eight years and some, myself included, would argue that he hasn't lost a fight ever. The one tick he has in the loss column came from a controversial stoppage way back in 2000 to UFC veteran Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

Since then, pure dominance ... and shocking anonymity.

Hardcore fans know Fedor Emelianenko.

Guys like me who watch old fights on YouTube and think long and hard about buying the UFC DVDs that are for sale at the video store for $5. But I'm not the average fan.

To the average fan, Fedor Emelianenko is a name they have heard from their crazy, hardcore friends like me or the numerous times Dana White has mentioned him on his video blog. He's outside of the UFC and therefore, he's irrelevant.

I know that isn't the case, as do the large number of people who have probably stopped reading to go and tell me I'm a moron in the comments section before seeing where I'm going with this.

There is no question that Emelianenko is one of the three best fighters on the planet today and easily the best heavyweight. Again, he hasn't lost in eight years.

But while that certainly speaks to his dominance, it also greatly speaks to the inability of Affliction and M-1 Global to make this man a household name.

Take the most dominant athlete in any sport and that is who Fedor is to Mixed Martial Arts, minus the publicity.

Emelianenko's current 26-fight winning streak is the Joe DiMaggio 56-game hit streak of MMA. You read that right: I said it's the 56-Game Hitting Streak of Mixed Martial Arts.

But while even the most casual baseball fan and many that are completely uninterested in sports altogether know of DiMaggio's display, in a time where Mixed Martial Arts is (in your best Dana White voice people), "the fastest growing sport in the world," more people could pick out Kendall Grove from a police lineup than our version of "The Yankee Clipper."

While some of that falls on the fact that a great deal of "MMA fans" are actually "UFC fans," how Tom Atencio and company haven't jammed this man down the public's throats in the last year is beyond me.

If he was in the UFC, he'd be on the cover of every magazine and video game around. He'd be the Bo Jackson from Tecmo Bowl of UFC Undisputed - totally unstoppable.

Yet here we are, three weeks away from Affliction: Trilogy and the only advertising I've seen of the long-awaited fight between Emelianenko and his close friend and only remaining rival Josh Barnett has been on the tops of taxi cabs.

What makes it even better is that the ad campaign asks the question, "Do you know who I am?"

Here's a newsflash for Tom Atencio: the resounding answer outside of the hardcore MMA community is "No" and that doesn't bode well for your business!

You have the Tiger Woods of Mixed Martial Arts at your advertising disposal and the best you can do is this? Were are the interviews and video blogs and public appearances, especially in light of Dana bringing him up on the weekend?

Sure there has been the obligatory, "Fedor isn't going anywhere" comments, but that means little outside of the community that is already acutely aware of the situation.

Those stuck in the UFC vacuum only know that Emelianenko is on Dana White's radar, not that he's fighting in three weeks, has beaten the likes of Cro Cop, Randleman, Coleman and Nogueira and is the yin to Brock Lesnar's disrespectful yang.

In any other sport, whether we're talking football or basketball, hockey or tennis, the best of the best are put on the biggest stages imaginable. Their image is everywhere and their names are known in households from Alaska to Australia.

But not Mixed Martial Arts.

While every person in the world can identify the gentleman standing up in this picture, very few would recognize the guy sitting two rows back in the red shirt.

He's Fedor Emelianenko and he's one of the best the sport has ever seen.

Never heard of him? I hear that a lot.

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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 ...
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