August Pound-for-Pound Rankings: Is Anderson Silva still on top?

The rankings of pound for pound MMA fighters in the world is debatable and subjective. It also brings emotion and controversy out of most MMA fighters, trainers, coaches and teams or fight clubs and fans. And the supposed best pound for pound fighter is usually showcased (often in overkill) prior to an upcoming fight. This “fighter advertising” builds a greater fan base and desire to watch the fight, particularly if it is a PPV to spend the money.

When Pride was the only threatening competition for UFC, it had the debatable
best heavyweight fighters. Once UFC purchased Pride, it acquired many of their top heavy weights like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria (The Minotaur), Mirko “CRO-COP”, Fabricio Werdum and Andre Arlovski. UFC also acquired some of Pride’s other famed fighters like Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Shogun Rua and Anderson Silva. Can Shogun Rua and Anderson Silva still have what is takes to make the Pound -for- Pound ranks?

Pound for pound best fighter is not easily summed up as a fighter with the best skills, record, or virtually undisputed in their weight class. But it is a nice start for determining. As MMA grows, the fighters have a more diverse arsenal. There are better fighters now more than ever with skills and talent. Some are born with the talent, like BJ Penn. Others must train harder to sharpen their skills with determination and heart.

Here we go! The August top ten Pound-for-Pound rankings:

1. Georges St. Pierre (20-2) .

I truly believe, GSP is undoubtedly the best pound for pound fighter in the world. He is not a wrestler by trade, but he out-wrestled and finished Matt Hughes who is now a UFC Hall of Famer. Last year in UFC 94, he TKO’d BJ Penn. Georges’ record of 20-2 has a balanced mix of TKO’s and submissions, demonstrating that he is a well rounded fighter. Outside of the cage, his demeanor and character speak for themselves. He is a true champion and a near perfect role model for any fighter, fan or spectator.

2. Anderson Silva (27-4) .

Despite UFC 117‘s disappointing win, he still was the victor. During the 5th round he submitted by triangle choke into arm bar Chael Sonnen. Sonnen dominated all of the rounds by strong wrestling and copious amounts of light striking, mostly in mount. His strikes were not hard enough but irritating like bee stings. This is not the first time Silva had trouble with a wrestler, Silva had a few tough moments dealing with Dan Henderson’s wrestling at UFC 82, but his superior striking and Jiu-Jitsu prevailed. There is much chatter on Twitter and Facebook for re-match with Sonnen, but due to a training injury, it looks like Silva is out until next year. The future looks interesting for Anderson Silva and the question remains… will and when will he lose a fight? If past performance is an indicator, it will be to a wrestler not a striker.

3. Jose Aldo (17-1) .

Jose Aldo’s winning over Urijah Faber and Mike Brown are keeping him high on the list. In late 2009, at WEC 44, he TKO’d Mike Brown and then in April of this year, at WEC 48, won unanimously over Urijah Faber. Urijah, “The California Kid” was WEC’s featherweight champion and the favorite to win. Jose retains the featherweight belt and defends his title in September against Manny Gamburyan. His impressive fighting skills over Urijah Faber and Mike Brown will keep him in the top of the food chain in featherweight fighting.

4. Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) .

Fedor’s record itself is impressive. His recent loss in StrikeForce to Fabricio Werdum shocked the world. Everyone believed Fedor could not lose. He will never lose, he is immortal. Most believed he would not lose, not lose to Werdum. One strike, one choke and the fight is over. This is why fans are becoming addicted to MMA, because of the unpredictability. Fedor will be back, he currently has 1 fight left on his SF contract but wants to extend it. Perhaps a re-match with Werdum or wait for the outcome of Werdum vs Overeem title fight? Regardless of the future, Fedor Emelianenko will remain top ten pound for pound fighters. Along with GSP, Fedor is a true champion of the sport inside or outside of the ring or cage.

5. Junior Dos Santos (12-1)

UFC 117 proved once again what a strong heavyweight Junior is. After his win against Roy “Big Country” Nelson, his stock only seems to continue to rise. For a young fighter, his winnings list is impressive. He has victors over Gonzaga, Yvel, Cro-Cop, and yes Werdum. Werdum, the one who beat Fedor. Junior made it to the list for beating the man who beat the Last Emperor (Fedor). Junior’s future is bright and it appears fans would love to see him fight Brock for the heavyweight belt.

6. BJ Penn (15-6-1) .

BJ Penn, “the Prodigy” has been a dominating fighter in the lightweight division for years. His recent unexpected loss to Frankie Edgar in April has sparked some controversy and a re-match is scheduled for the next UFC 118 later this month. BJ hopes to regain the lightweight belt and show the fans and non fans that he has what it takes to be the champion again.

7. Frankie Edgar (12-1) .

Edgar’s win over BJ Penn in UFC 112 was one of MMA’s top fighting upsets. BJ Penn seemed impenetrable, untouchable…and Frankie’s cardio, non-stop energy, aggressiveness and precise striking led him to an unanimous win over Penn. Their re-match is scheduled for UFC 118 later this month. He is a wrestler by trade and has been training with Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida, so his BJJ skills will be tight. An interesting line up would be Eddie Alvarez fighting Frankie. The two are so similar and have incredible stamina and impressive footwork. Someday if Eddie joins the UFC this will happen and create an exciting fight of Jersey vs. Philly.

8. Mauricio Rua (19-4) .

Shogun was impressive in Pride as the 2005 Grand Prix Champion. When he first transitioned to the cage with UFC didn’t look like the same fighter. In October ’09 he fought Lyoto Machida for the first time, and the judges declared Machida the victor. Many fighters, fans and people including Mr. White believed Shogun won, a re-match was inevitable. May 8th 2010 UFC 113 Shogun proved to the world he is the same fighter as in Pride and quickly dominated Machida with a first round knockout, ending the debate. The light heavyweight fighter list is stacked, and Shogun is recovering from knee cartilage surgery resulting from that fight.

9. Lyoto Machida (16-1) .

Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida has many victories over top notch fighters, including Shogun (the first time), Rashad Evans, Rich Franklin,Thiago Silva, Tito Ortiz and many others. The 205 category is deep with talent and he was unstoppable until Shogun’s fight in UFC 113 back in May. It will be interesting to see what happens with Shogun vs. Evans fight to determine Machida’s future. So I would not count “The Dragon” out, he was too dominate last year to be written off the books. With a unique fighting style incorporating karate, Machida is tentatively scheduled to fight Rampage Jackson this November.

#10 Jake Shields (25-4-1) .

The Cesar Gracie blackbelt has won his last 14 fights and has not lost since 2004. He has fought top fighters in this ladder, including Dan Henderson and Robbie Lawler. Shields, the StrikeForce Middleweight champ just signed with the UFC earlier this summer. He is prepared to fight his first UFC battle in October (UFC 121) against Martin Kampmann. Jake, usually a middleweight will be fighting as a welterweight in the UFC, at least his first few fights as a welterweight. We don’t want to take our eyes off of Jake, he has fought welterweight before and won.