Have to have fought in last 2 years to be ranked. Fighters still active who haven't fought are in kind of a mini-ranking at the bottom (Usman)
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1
- Islam Makhachev
- 25-1-0
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1991 - Russia - UFC Champion
Mixes the Khabib wrestling with good pressure striking, ability to drop people on the feet before getting into the wrestling adds another dimension to his game. Had to dig deep to pull the win out the first time against Volk so showed he can do that too.
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2
- Arman Tsarukyan
- "Ahalkalakets"
- 22-3-0
-
1996 - Armenia - UFC
Very hard working and seems to be consistently improving at a rapid rate of development. Seems to have all the intangibles you want in a fighter, chin is there, desire to fight out of deep subs, great cardio and workrate. Add that in to really good grappling and wrestling and vastly improved striking and you've got yourself a problem.
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3
- Charles Oliveira
- "do Bronx"
- 34-10-0, 1 NC
-
1989 - Brazil - UFC
Former UFC champ still has it for me. Striking very improved offensively, sits down on punches well and connects hard. Defence not quite to the same standard and can be tagged. One of the most ruthless sub artists ever on the ground, dangerous guard but that does seem to be able to be negated to an extent by people who are really solid on top although even then he tends to have his highly threatening moments.
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4
- Eduard Vartanyan
- "Lionheart"
- 25-4-0
-
1991 - Russia - Nashe Delo
Great stand up fighter with insane cardio who's ridiculously hard to keep down. The best in the world at get-ups and seperations, which allows him to be probably the best anti Dagi wrestling style fighter in the world. Guys can't stand with him, try to wrestle with him, get worn out trying and getting knocked out. If you're a good striker, then he can wrestle offensively himself so he'll just go that route.
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5
- Max Holloway
- "Blessed"
- 26-7-0
-
1991 - USA - UFC
Looked superb in step up to 155. Looks unstoppable in general against anyone not called Alex Volkanovski. Just insane levels of output and with accurate striking it's so hard to keep up with. Obviously the master of the point to the ground 10 second war. Not sure if he's going to fight much at 155 going forward but he seems to have a future at the top end of the division if he wants it.
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6
- Justin Gaethje
- "The Highlight"
- 25-5-0
-
1988 - USA - UFC
Former interim UFC champ, lost BMF title to Max in an absolute war. Found the pace and volume of Max difficult to deal with, tends to fair better in fights where he gets to set the pace. Obviously great chin, great leg kicks and striking in general. Loads of pressure and still going to be a hard fight for most people. Bad KO against Max, don't know if his style will start to catch up with him soon.
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7
- Dustin Poirier
- "The Diamond"
- 30-8-0, 1 NC
-
1989 - USA - UFC
Showed he's still got it by stopping the charge of BSD towards the top of the division. Maybe not quite what he used to be but not far off, the boxing remains great, the power is still there and the ability to dig deep and win a war is still there.
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8
- Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov
- "Lion"
- 20-2-0
-
1989 - Russia - ACA Champion
Went through a period of looking a bit rougher than normal, particularly in the Kokov fight. Maybe hopped back on something for the Kokov fight because he looked back to his prime uber-damaging version in that one. Really not a guy you want to have on top of you because he will beat the **** out of you.
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9
- Beneil Dariush
- "Benny"
- 22-6-1
-
1989 - Iran - UFC
Couple of tough losses by finish recently but against elite guys at the weight. Impressive complete shutting down of Gamrot before that. BJJ is some of the best in the division and striking is effective and powerful even if it looks awkward.
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10
- Alexander Shabliy
- "Peresvet"
- 24-3-0
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1993 - Russia - Bellator
Really good all round fighter having issues with PFL not wanting to offer him a million for a fight that was previously agreed. Very well rounded, sharp and accurate on the feet, good kicks to the body, with good offensive wrestling, top control and get ups.
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11
- Michael Chandler
- "Iron" | 23-8-0
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1986 - USA - UFC
Decided to wait an eternity to fight Conor, is getting up there in years and we'll have to see how he looks. Still likely to be physically imposing, explosive and hard hitting with a penchant for getting chinned sometimes.
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12
- Mateusz Gamrot
- "Gamer" | 24-2-0, 1 NC
-
1990 - Poland - UFC
Had a little more trouble than I thought he would against RDA but found a way to win as usual. Pushes a pace that's more or less unmatched in the division and if he can't get someone down early he can just keep shooting until he does. Boxing on the feet is fine too, although I'm not sure he trusts in it much against the real top strikers in the division.
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13
- Salahdine Parnasse
- 19-2-0
-
1997 - France - Free Agent
Former KSW double champ, not where he'll choose to fight in another promotion but he's a threat wherever. Fights more sensibly now so seems unlikely to get caught easily. Very smooth on the feet, mixes wrestling in really well and has a great back take and top game. Was competitive in the clinch with a beast like Bartosinski up at welterweight, so that doesn't bode well for smaller guys.
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14
- Christian Lee
- "The Warrior" | 17-4-0
-
1988 - USA - ONE Championship Champion
Hopefully when he returns Christian sticks at this weight rather than keep trying to fight at Welterweight. Dude is ridiculously tough, does get chinned now and again but excellent at avoiding being finished when hurt and working his way back into fights and ultimately taking over. Decent pop on feet and really good BJJ when he can get on top.
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15
- Rafael Fiziev
- "Ataman" | 12-3-0
-
1993 - Azerbaijan - UFC
Coming off a bad injury now so we'll have to see how he returns. Outstanding striker and very dangerous early and can either get a KO or can get ahead on points. Can slow a bit late in fights and let people back into things.
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16
- Usman Nurmagomedov
- 17-0-0, 1 NC
-
1998 - Russia - Bellator Champion
A little untested but clearly ridiculously skilled. Can grapple like you'd expect but more likely to play a safe outside kickboxing game with good timing on his strikes, good range management. Difficult to get inside of range off and if someone tries to rush a level change then he's waiting for that and he's good at snatching up the neck. Patient and able to dictate the pace of the fight.
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17
- Benoit Saint-Denis
- "God of War" | 13-2-0, 1 NC
-
1995 - France - UFC
Brutal offence both in striking and grappling, Sets a really fast pace and basically tries to outlast the other dude. Didn't work against Poirier so might have to re-assess it against really high level guys but he's creamed some other good fighters so far with it.
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18
- AJ McKee Jr.
- "Mercenary" | 22-1-0
-
1995 - USA - Bellator
Unbeaten at 155 but had a little more trouble with the wrestling of Outlaw than I was hoping. Dangerous from the bottom so not always an issue if he gets taken down. Striking is good enough to hang with most people although the subs are the outstanding part of his game.
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19
- Dan Hooker
- "The Hangman" | 23-12-0
-
1990 - New Zealand - UFC
Just bleed aficionado who will go to war with anyone. Gets cracked but always fights through it and comes at guys aggressively. Sub offence and defence both good, pretty hard to take down and can wrestle offensively too.
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20
- Tofiq Musayev
- 22-5-0
-
1989 - Azerbaijan - Bellator/RIZIN
Killer who's really hard hitting and really accurate. Rips to the body and the head, can wrestle well offensivley if he wants to. Losses are generally close fights to really good guys or just ******* up against a guy who's really good in one area. Deadly finisher most of the time.
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21
- Renato Moicano
- "Money Moicano" | 19-5-1
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1989 - Brazil - UFC
One of the better grapplers in the division. Not an amazing wrestler but manages to find ways to get guys to the mat. Really good back taker and aggressively attacks subs but usually maintains positional control when doing so. Offensive striking kind of serviceable but wants to grapple, can be caught on the feet but very tough, got to take him out properly to get him to stop.
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22
- Jalin Turner
- "The Tarantula" | 14-8-0
-
1995 - USA - UFC
Huge for the weight class, uses length well and gets concussive power on the end of long punches. Generally good killer instinct when gets someone hurt. Height can make him quite tough to take down but a little prone to getting stuck on the bottom against really good top grapplers.
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23
- Bobby Green
- "King" | 32-15-1, 1 NC
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1986 - USA - UFC
Very experienced and awkward to fight. Fast as ****, throws from the waist which combined with the speed makes it hard to read. Chin open but some of the best torso movement in the game which makes him tough to catch clean. Good takedown defence, a very tough opponent for anyone who's not at the very top level. Late 30's so speed could drop off at any time and probably likely to fall off quickly once that goes.
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24
- Grant Dawson
- "KGD" | 20-2-1
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1994 - USA - UFC
Was on a hell of a run which then got completely derailed by one shot from Bobby Green. I have to think he'll get back on the bike quickly and show that was more of a fluke. Really good offensive grappler, excels at taking the back and generally grinding dudes out of there. Might be chinny, might have been a one off, time will tell.
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25
- Rafael dos Anjos
- 32-16-0
-
1984 - Brazil - UFC
Still competitive when competes at this weight despite his advancing years. Wrestling works well at this weight, able to get good top control, hard for guys to take down and still has a solid chin and reasonable volume and pop on his punches.
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26
- Diego Ferreira
- 19-5-0
-
1985 - Brazil - UFC
Fanstastic grappler who only loses against top competition. Also a really good pressure boxer who can walk guys down well and get good volume off because he's not bothered if you take him down, super good at posting and getting up when he decides to stay on the bottom. Solid power when he connects clean too. Cardio looks good despite advanced years. Rolled back the years with an excellent performance against Rebecki.
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27
- Damir Ismagulov
- "Qazaq" | 24-3-0
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1991 - Kazakhstan - Nashe Delo
Not sure if he intends to carry on fighting in MMA in Nashe Delo but he recently fought in kickboxing there so he seems to be with them for now, I figured he'd sign with ACA or something when he left UFC. Either way he's a good fighter, shown a slight weakness to really high level grapplers but not much to anyone else, solid all round.
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28
- Joel Alvarez
- "El Fenomeno" | 20-3-0
-
1993 - Spain - UFC
Very big for the weight class, very good grappler and improving striker who's hugely dangerous with elbows. Beaten some very good fighters and only real recent blemish is getting beaten up by Arman but that would happen to just about anyone in the division.
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29
- Natan Schulte
- "Russo" | 25-5-1
-
1992 - Brazil - PFL?
Not sure if he's actually with PFL anymore after the debacle of the Manfio fight and subsequent removal from the season. Either way Natan has a good shout to be the best lightweight there if he's actually still with them. When he goes into Gaethje mode and pressures and tries to damage and leg kick he's fine, but when he mixes in his excellent judo and works to get to top position he's really good. Excellent chin allows him to come forward at guys.
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30
- Thiago Moisés
- 18-7-0
-
1995 - Brazil - UFC
Just a solid dude. Good everywhere, especially good in the BJJ where his back takes really shine. Consistent and only seems to come unstuck against competition at the top end of the division.
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31
- Matt Frevola
- "The Steamrolla" | 11-4-1
-
1990 - USA - UFC
My man loves trying to get people to get his chant going and it's not going to work outside his family and friends. Fighting wise he's good and hard hitting but a little defensively careless and as such is must see viewing as he can kill someone or die at any moment.
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32
- Drew Dober
- 27-13-0, 1 NC
-
1988 - USA - UFC
Kind of settled into role as a higher level gatekeeper. Initially I wouldn't have thought he'd be able to stay in the UFC this long. Good chin and cracks hard which is a surprisingly rare combo in this sport. Solid defensive BJJ and hard to put away. Definitely a good litmus test.
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33
- Ismael Bonfim
- "Marreta" | 20-4-0
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1995 - Brazil - UFC
Really good volume striker with crisp technical boxing and explosive flying knees, hard to take and hold down and has decent quality BJJ. Very good when gets on the pressure, keeping guys driven back and landing consistently while keeping cardio up throughout fight. Loss to BSD doesn't look bad at all in retrospect.
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34
- Drakkar Klose
- 15-2-1
-
1988 - USA - UFC
Underrated dude generally but finally seems to be getting some recognition now. Activity is the only thing you can really hold against him, he's been competitive with the top level guys he's been with and comfortably beaten the guys he should be beating. Strong, good wrestler, solid striking, faded against Joaquin but generally okay cardio wise. Good when can get educated presure on and keep his range, not as good when forced to be on the back foot.
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35
- Alexander Sarnavskiy
- "Tiger" | 41-8-0
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1989 - Russia - Fight Nights Global Champion
Vastly experienced and still looks pretty top level. Very good all round fighter who's got solid skills everywhere, although probably slightly better at striking. Seems an age since he was a young prospect in Bellator.
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36
- Brad Riddell
- "Quake" | 10-4-0
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1991 - New Zealand - UFC
Was on a skid getting finished against ranked guys and then retired/took a break, but has been booked since so obviously not a long retirement and feels ready to return. Obviously questions have to be asked after being finished three times consecutively, but he's a good kickboxer with a better than you'd think wrestling and TDD game if he can get his mojo back.
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37
- Daud Shaikhaev
- 16-4-0
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1995ish - Russia - ACA
Really good offensive wrestler with great cardio who seems able to out hustle and out last just about everyone. Able to do it to guys who are good wrestlers themselves. Great top control and very hard to get off once he's on top.
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38
- Mateusz Rębecki
- "Rebeasti" | 19-2-0
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1992 - Poland - UFC
Offensively a tank in the early going, piles forward with offence, dangerous with hands, has good explosive flying knees and good takedowns and even good BJJ from the bottom. Gas tank has looked questionable in the UFC a couple of times, never did in FEN but different testing there. Very tough but quite open to being countered coming forward if the opponent is sharp like Ferreira was. Definite heart and will keep coming even if hurt.
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39
- Guram Kutateladze
- "Georgian Viking" | 12-4-0
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1992 - Georgia - UFC
I think Guram is still better than the Brener result makes him look. He had a good start in a fight he took on short notice and was beating him up before the insanely tough dude survived and caught him, does that happen on a full camp? Impressive before that in close fights with good guys like Gamrot and Damir.
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40
- Ali Bagov
- "Hulk" | 33-11-0, 1 NC
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1990 - Russia - ACA
He's not so hot at welterweight but on his day lightweight roided Bagov can be a thing to behold. He's maybe the fighter that I've seen with the biggest discrepancy between their top and bottom skills on the ground. Great on top, does damage and goes for subs and very hard to get off, terrible on the bottom and holding guard for a bit is usually about the best he can muster.
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41
- Brent Primus
- 13-3-0, 1 NC
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1985 - USA - PFL
Finally being active in his late 30's for some reason. Brent is a very good grappler both on top and on his back, creates scrambles well, holds top position and does a good job attacking the back and getting chokes. Striking is okay but difficult for him to beat wrestlers who are better strikers than him.
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42
- Mansour Barnaoui
- "Tarzan" | 21-6-0
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1992 - France - Bellator
Great grappler with the best half guard sweeps in the games and a good array of submissions. Has a really good style of BJJ for fighting wrestlers just because I don't think his style of half guard sweeps and back takes is something they're really used to so he gets it on them. Has been shut down a bit more by guys who come from more of a BJJ background and understand that position a bit more. Not really much of a striker but comes forward to engage and has some decent clinch elbows.
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43
- Joaquim Silva
- "Netto BJJ" | 13-5-0
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1989 - Brazil - UFC
Hard hitter, sometimes a bit low output but dangerous when he throws. Good cardio for his size, builds as the fight goes on. Good takedown defence usually, solid BJJ when chooses to use it.
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44
- Myktybek Orolbai
- 13-1-1
-
1998 - Kyrgyzstan - UFC
Sets a ridiculous pace, struggled to keep it a little at this weight in the third against Brener. Cracks super hard, doesn't always seem to believe in his striking enough. Very good wrestling, some guys able to work up against him and make him work hard. Very good at keeping forward pressure and staying in his opponents face constantly. Can be taken down himself especially from back bodylock, relies on wrestling up and that seems to fade as fight goes deeper.
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45
- Elves Brener
- 16-4-0
-
1997 - Brazil - UFC
Credit where it's due, this dude keeps beating people I think he has no business beating. I would never in a million years have picked him to beat Guram. Dude is just an absolute dog, seems to love nothing more than getting absolutely covered in blood while opponents stare in disbelief as he still comes at them. Good power on the feet and can put people out there, does end up in bad positions but just doesn't ******* give up. Cardio really good, always seems to have a strong third round no matter who against.
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46
- Ľudovít Klein
- "Mr. Highlight" | 21-4-1
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1995 - Slovakia - UFC
Developing into a better fighter than I thought he would. Move up to 155 seems to have helped his TDD and cardio. He's always had that really snappy and dangerous high kick, but now picking people apart technically and able to stay on his feet for the most part. Of course that TDD is likely to get tested again as he moves up the ranks, but seems to be moving in the right direction.
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47
- Manuel Torres
- "El Loco" | 15-2-0
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1995 - Mexico - UFC
This dude impresses me more every time I see him. Cracks really hard on the fight, really aggressive grappling game also with weird but effective takedowns. Gets on his opponent immediately and looks to do damage straight away. Very excited to see him mix it with top guys.
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48
- Loik Radzhabov
- "The Tajik Tank" | 18-5-1
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1990 - Azerbaijan - UFC
Always a solid dude in PFL as a two time finalist there. Good wrestler with decent power on the feet too, does slow late in fights but will keep throwing, shooting and coming forward and is a lot for people to deal with.
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49
- Mike Davis
- "Beast Boy" | 11-2-0
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1992 - USA - UFC
Ridiculously inactive but very good when he actually fights. Very good wrestling, good control, fast hands, respectable power. Has a path to victory in most fights. Just needs to get in there more than once every couple of years.
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50
- Paddy Pimblett
- "The Baddy" | 21-3-0
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1995 - England - UFC
Doing better than I thought he would at the top level. Still leaves his chin hanging out but getting better at sitting down on his own punches. Wrestling is improving which is allowing him to get into his BJJ more which has always been very good, especially when it comes to back takes. Gassed himself out a bit against Tony, which could well be caused by having to cut a lot of weight because he gets so fat between fights.
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51
- Jared Gordon
- "Flash" | 20-6-0, 1 NC
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1988 - USA - UFC
Just a solid all round guy, hard working, decent cardio, gets stuck in pretty well. Tends to lose against guys who are really good in one area and can take him there. Definite ceiling on him, but he's a solid test for most.
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52
- Clay Collard
- "Cassius" | 25-12-0, 1 NC
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1993 - USA - PFL
Fantastic hands and cardio, fights at a ridiculous pace with great volume and just breaks most guys that stand with him. Grappling is kind of throwing up loose subs, keeps people honest but guys with decent BJJ should shut it down without too much trouble. Doesn't ever check leg kicks.
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53
- Patricky Pitbull
- 25-13-0
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1986 - Brazil - PFL
Tournament format probably a bad idea for him at his age. Still a solid dude with good accuracy and power and good leg kicks. Got drowned in volume against Collard but was doing fine against him early. Still good enough to give a lot of people trouble.
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54
- Nasrat Haqparast
- 16-5-0
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1995 - Afghanistan - UFC
Getting some consistency having been in the UFC for what seems like forever. Keeps a good volume and can get some good pressure scrapping off but has failed in the past when he's stepped up against the top guys in the division.
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55
- Herdeson Batista
- "Capoeira" | 20-7-0, 1 NC
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1992 - Brazil - ACA
Powerful striker who's played spoiler against some very good Russians during his time in ACA. Has had a few losses there too but only against very good people.
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56
- Raush Manfio
- "Cavalo de Guerra" | 17-5-0
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1991 - Brazil - Free Agent
Rather harshly released by PFL after they booked him against his best friend and the fight didn't go much beyond sparring. Raush was a good fit for the PFL season format, not really a finisher but kept good Schulte style pressure on people and scoring enough points to get ahead.
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57
- Rae Yoon Ok
- 17-4-0
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1991 - South Korea - ONE Championship
Former ONE champ is very solid, keeps a very good pace and pressure throughout a fight mixing up offence well. His major win against Lee got decisively avenged but got back on the horse with a solid win over Tynanes. A bit inactive as everyone who's paid well in ONE seems to be at the moment.
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58
- Ignacio Bahamondes
- "La Jaula" | 15-5-0
-
1997 - Chile - UFC
Seems to have somewhat of an issue with strikers who are very technically sound and find life a breeze against anyone else. Long, rangy, likes to spin and throw kind of unorthodox stuff which might be why he finds himself unable to get much off against guys who are really fundamentally sound on the feet. Nice long arms to wrap up chokes too
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59
- Nurullo Aliev
- "Tajik Eagle" | 9-0-0
-
2000 - Tajikistan - UFC
Very solid young grappler, gets the Khabib comparisons but in all honesty hasn't faced the kind of competition where you can make that a realistic claim yet. Shutting down Rafael Alves was pretty impressive given his level of experience though.
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60
- Rafa García
- "Gifted" | 16-3-0
-
1994 - Mexico - UFC
Very meat and potatoes but very solid. Solid boxing, advances a lot of the time and likes to level change into his pretty good wrestling, top control also pretty good, cardio solid, good chin. Just doesn't seem outstanding enough in any area to be truly elite but he's a very solid guy.
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61
- Michael Johnson
- "The Menace" | 22-19-0
-
1986 - USA - UFC
I'm kind of amazed that MJ has managed to stay so consistently inconsistent even in the twilight of his career. One fight it looks like he's falling off, the next fight he beats someone solid and then he falls off again and you wonder how he ever beat the solid dude in the first place. I guess the cycle is slowly moving further and further down the card, but it's still impressive.
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62
- Esteban Ribovics
- "El Gringo" | 13-1-0
-
1996 - Argentina - UFC
Super dangerous on the feet, especially early. Murdered the vast majority of his opponents in the first round and even had Radzhabov hurt. Did get taken down a lot by Loik which cost him the decision but he was working up pretty well, so if he can improve that by just a little he could become a factor.
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63
- Gadzhi Rabadanov
- 21-4-2
-
1993 - Russia - PFL
Team Khabib guy on a long unbeaten streak in Bellator and now PFL. Decent power on his punches and the level changes and control you'd expect although not one of the better guys on his team at that. Not really a finisher once you get to mid level competition.
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64
- Marc Diakiese
- "Bonecrusher" | 17-7-0
-
1993 - England - UFC
D1akiese seems to have mostly abandoned the striking even though he's pretty good at it and goes for his wrestling approach. Mostly sits in guard doing small ground and pound and winning rounds, not the most fan friendly style but seems to be doing the job for him.
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65
- Joe Solecki
- 13-4-0
-
1993 - USA - UFC
Good grappler and especially back taker, able to backpack pretty well and does attack chokes. Standup alright but not going to win on the feet against good guys. Didn't look competitive against a real top level guy when he fought Drakkar.
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66
- Vinc Pichel
- "From Hell" | 14-4-0
-
1982 - USA - UFC
Hard nosed vet, doesn't fight that often but when he does he presents a challenge still. Switched to Factory X and started using their leg kicks a bit. Pretty solid all round just getting a bit slow for the weight when in against the top guys. Really good chin and toughness, very difficult to finish.
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67
- Jim Miller
- "A-10" | 37-18-0, 1 NC
-
1983 - USA - UFC
Green fight kind of showed that there's a difference between modern day Jim and the top end of the division. Good guy to seperate the regional fighters in the UFC from the actual UFC level ones. Tough as always even if he's taken a lot of damage over his career. Reasonable power, good finishing instincts and good grappler. A little slow compared to younger strikers on the feet, always going to stay in there and keep trying.
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68
- Nazim Sadykhov
- "Black Wolf" | 9-1-1
-
1994 - Azerbaijan - UFC
Probably engaged in the wrong type of fight against Slava Claus but had shown against McKinney that he's a powerful all round fighter who hits hard and can grapple and take the back. Probably should have done that against Slava as it feels like he should have had an easier path to victory there. Did get badly hurt in that fight but Slava cracks so not too concerned about the chin unless it happens against a lighter hitter.
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69
- Fares Ziam
- "Smile Killer" | 15-4-0
-
1997 - France - UFC
Doing well in his second UFC run. Seems to have really worked on his offensive grappling and looks pretty safe there. Always been a good striker with good distance, timing and decent enough volume.
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70
- Claudio Puelles
- "Prince of Peru" | 12-4-0
-
1996 - Peru - UFC
Hugely dangerous with kneebars and BJJ decent all round but doesn't seem to have much standing up against decent strikers. Wrestling not that reliable so difficult for him to have success against guys who can strike and also have good TDD. Always going to have a chance against most people who are willing to engage in grappling with him.
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71
- Mauricio Ruffy
- "One Shot" | 10-1-0
-
1996 - Brazil - UFC
Dude looks a problem at 155. Very fast at the weight, manages distance really well, cracks very hard and throws a good variety of free strikes. Leg kicks very good, finishing instincts very good. Will have to see what cardio is like deeper at this weight.
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72
- Archie Colgan
- "King" | 10-0-0
-
1995 - USA - Bellator
Really good wrestler who's very athletic and has some power on the feet. Dominating everyone so far with a wrestling based and positional holding approach. Very good cardio and seems able to push a high pace for a full fight. Seems to be able to try and strike for a bit and take opponents down at will. Does do damage with ground and pound. Hasn't really run into much resistance yet so we'll have to see what occurs when that happens but looking like a great prospect at the moment. Keeps going sideways in terms of competition at the moment for some reason.
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73
- Jai Herbert
- "The Black Country Banger" | 12-5-1
-
1988 - England - UFC
Jai's had a bit of a weird run in the UFC so far. He's had good results against some really solid fighters like Klein and Nelson before getting a bit shut down by Ziam though. He's pretty well rounded and can take it wherever he needs to and although he has a losing UFC record at the moment it's been against some pretty stiff competition.
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74
- Daniel Zellhuber
- "Golden Boy" | 15-1-0
-
1999 - Mexico - UFC
Insane potential and seems to be developing very quickly after doing whatever he was doing that made him so gun shy against Ogden. Has gotten over that and is now back to being a torrent of long and technical offence and beating the **** out of dudes.
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75
- Chase Hooper
- "The Dream" | 14-3-1
-
1999 - USA - UFC
Now a different proposition from the skinny kid who came in as a featherweight. Chase is becoming a man, hell he's even starting to look like he can be competitive on the feet and he dropped Slava. Top BJJ just looks excellent, maintains position beautifully through transitions and mixes ground and pound while going for subs well, definitely out of his sub hunter phase. Does really barrel into overhands which leaves his head completely exposed at times, so that could be exploited by someone at some point. Despite this he's a rapidly improving fighter.
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76
- Tony Ferguson
- "El Cucuy" | 25-10-0
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USA - UFC - 1984
On the one hand Tony has only been losing to good competition lately. On the other hand they haven't really been competitive and it looks like his chin isn't really there anymore and that's something he always relied on (or at least good recovery). Cardio and desire to win still seemed there against Paddy so there might still be a tiny bit left in the tank.
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77
- Trey Ogden
- "Samurai Ghost" | 17-6-0, 1 NC
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1989 - USA - UFC
Knuckled down since losing to Leavitt on his debut and seems to have changed his training environment to his own gym and it seems to be serving him well. Good win over a gun shy Zellhuber and then good top BJJ to shut down Motta and Holobaugh. I think he'd beat Leavitt in a rematch.
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78
- Viacheslav Borshchev
- "Slava Claus" | 7-4-1
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1992 - Russia - UFC
Very good offensive striker with good accuracy and power. Does get clipped more on the feet by people you'd think would be worse strikers than him and dropped a bit though. Not as polished on the ground but he is very tough there and always keeps moving and trying to get out and does a good job of not staying still long enough to be stopped which will usually give him a chance at getting back into a fight.
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79
- Terrance McKinney
- "T.Wrecks" | 15-7-0
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1994 - USA - UFC
A nightmare for guys early, hits very hard and comes out very aggressive, throws head kicks a bit wildly to the point where he tries to put so much power on them he sometimes falls over. Good grapper early too, strong squeeze and can muscle guys down. Much less dangerous when guys survive the initial onslaught, fades quickly and tends to lose if the fight goes long.
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80
- Yusuke Yachi
- 26-14-0
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1990 - Japan - RIZIN/Bellator
Good experienced grappler, can deal with most there but a little out of his depth against top quality grapplers like Barnaoui and Satoshi. Against other guys if he can get into the grappling he's usually able to control position pretty well.
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81
- Jamie Mullarkey
- 17-8-0
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1994 - Australia - UFC
Very tough but his chin doesn't always keep up with his toughness. Willing to take damage and not always a good idea for him. He does push a decent pace, keep decent volume with his strikes and mix level changes in pretty well though. Just tends to get destroyed by people superior to him and chin liable to completely collapse soon with the damage he takes.
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82
- Chris Duncan
- "The Problem" | 11-2-0
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1993 - Scotland - UFC
Pretty solid start to UFC life. Finished by Torres but I think that guy is on his way towards the top. Chris is a decent pressure striker and a competent wrestler. Maybe a bit sloppy with his defence sometimes but he seems to be getting better.
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83
- Charlie Campbell
- "The Cannibal" | 9-2-0
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1995 - USA - UFC
Technically good striker and grappler, bit of a tendency to get wild and has been caught exchanging in the past but seemed to fight with a greater level of control in the Peek fight. Big for the division, good pop on long punches.
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84
- Pavel Gordeev
- 21-4-0, 1 NC
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1993 - Russia - ACA
I kind of think of Gordeev as like Rafa Garcia at home. Same kind of style, likes to push forward primarily with boxing and try to mix in level changes though more prone to trying to crash into cage clinches. Wrestling not anything special from there but he'll stick at it and often get guys down eventually. Chin pretty solid, dropped against Artiom but that was a good shot, gassed pretty badly after that but could just be a mixture of being hurt and tired.
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85
- Evan Elder
- "The Phenom" | 8-2-0
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1997 - USA - UFC
Some pretty tough match-ups and circumstances so far in his UFC run. I think he's clearly a talented dude who's decently athletic and has good levels of skill everywhere. Got a comfortable win under his belt against Valdez and can now build from there.
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86
- Jordan Leavitt
- "The Monkey King" | 11-3-0
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1995 - USA - UFC
Dangerous grappler, not as good a striker. Kind of at that mid level of BJJ where he's creative and aggressive with subs so he'll get guys who aren't skilled at it, but gets subbed himself by guys who are a bit more refined in their BJJ games.
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87
- Maheshate Hayisaer
- 10-3-0
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1999 - China - UFC
Now training in the US at Fight Ready although I didn't really see massive improvements against Moggly. He's lanky and had good offence anyway, good long strikes and uses knees well, just likes getting punched in the face, but does have a solid chin.
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88
- Clay Guida
- "The Carpenter" | 38-24-0
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1981 - USA - UFC
Old but can still go to a decent extent. Probably the best cardio you're ever going to see of someone his age in a lighter division. Still solid enough to push young fighters to a decision, although he hasn't really evolved enough to get his wrestling working on a lot of the younger generation. Solid in vet vs vet fights.
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89
- Christos Giagos
- "The Spartan" | 20-12-0
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1990 - USA - UFC
Solid and experienced, kind of a lower levels of the division gatekeeper. Usually gets finished by prospects but generally reliable to fight to his level and hold off people he should be beating.
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90
- Lando Vannata
- "Groovy" | 12-7-2
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1992 - USA - UFC
Flitting between 145 and 155 lately. Always been inconsistent and now quite inactive too. Capable of some spectacular offence, but also capable of some pretty awful performances and in truth it's been a while since he looked good.
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91
- Kauê Fernandes
- 8-2-0
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1995 - Brazil - UFC
Great win in LFA when catching Felipe Buakaw cold with an early head kick propelled Kaue into the UFC, struggled to make much happen against Diakiese though, but that was quite a tough first assignment.
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92
- Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady
- "Pride Of Palestine" | 15-4-0
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1995 - Palestine - UFC
Decent power on the feet and pretty good wrestling but not the best top control. I think his win over Hardwick on DWCS was more due to a bad performance by George than on him being especially good, but he was doing a bit better than I expected against Radzhabov too to be fair.
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93
- Kurt Holobaugh
- 20-8-0, 1 NC
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1986 - USA - UFC
Took him a while but finally picked up a UFC win in his third run. Kurt is a solid black belt with some good subs off his back and a decent enough all rounder. Issue is when he comes up against guys with good takedowns and solid base and sub defence who keep their hips square etc then he finds it difficult to get anything going.
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94
- Francisco Prado
- 12-2-0
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2002 - Argentina - UFC
Tough nosed kid who could maybe have done with a year in a bridging regional rather than jumping straight from Samurai Fight House to UFC. Really, really ******* tough, took loads of shots of Zellhuber and never lost his desire to come forward. Had an issue with the wrestling with Mullarkey, but is constantly improving and as long as he's not matched up super tough he should be able to keep his spot on the roster and develop into a solid guy as he matures.
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95
- Michal Figlak
- "Mad Dog" | 8-2-0
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1996 - Poland - UFC
Unlucky to lose the Hubbard fight, good pressure boxer but a bit limited in his offence, mainly just basic punches and leg kicks but he's good at them and good at walking dudes down to land them. Wrestling isn't that effective against actual wrestlers, ends up on his back a bit but does commit to getting up quickly.
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96
- Austin Hubbard
- "Thud" | 16-7-0
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1991 - USA - UFC
Not sure he actually won the Figlak fight but Austin is a tough dude with good cardio who will make people have to work very hard to beat him. Not really outstanding anywhere but pushes a pace and can do everything well enough to make it competitive.
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97
- Ottman Azaitar
- "Bulldozer" | 13-2-0
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1990 - Germany/Morocco - UFC
Doesn't seem to have been the same since he lost his magic potatoes. Also seems to have actively got worse since the King of Morocco basically funded all his training and took him out of the grind in Germany. Always had one shot knockout power but doesn't seem to react to being on the back foot in a fight well at all.
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98
- Bolaji Oki
- "The Zulu Warrior" | 9-1-0
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1995 - Belgium - UFC
Very impressive KO on contender series where he looked athletic and dangerous. Ended up being more conservative and using more wrestling in his UFC debut proper. Need to see more at the top level to make a real assessment of his prospects.
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99
- Roosevelt Roberts
- "The Predator" | 12-4-0, 1 NC
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1994 - USA - UFC
Talented but inconsistent. Dangerous both with powerful long strikes and with wrapping up chokes, tall and pretty fast but also prone to losing fights to guys much less talented than him. Not really a quitter, just seems to get himself in bad positions in fights he doesn't need to.
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100
- Trevor Peek
- 9-2-0, 1 NC
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1995 - USA - UFC
Wild, strong, good chin, just not very good technically. Did show he could wrestle a bit against Yahya but pretty awful opponent. Once he fights someone who can handle his intensity, his wild style of unorthodox bar fights just doesn't seem to work. Better fighters will just deal with it, tag him up and take him down.
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101
- Nikolas Motta
- "Iron" | 14-5-0, 1 NC
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1993 - Brazil - UFC
Always pretty solid on the regionals. Little bit of a glass cannon in the majors. UFC career was probably hanging by a thread before Nolan charged at him without defending himself.
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102
- Makwan Amirkhani
- "Mr. Finland" | 17-10-0
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1988 - Finland - Oktagon
Our gassy boi decided to move up to 155, I did have some hope that might improve his cardio but that didn't seem to be the case in his debut at the weight. Always dangerous in the first round, really good rolls from front headlock and good backtaking and good at dragging guys down even though his entries aren't that pretty. Get out of the first round with him and life is good though.
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103
- Natan Levy
- "Lethal" | 8-2-0
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1991 - Israel - UFC
Jury's still out on this guy at the highest level for me. He's pretty athletic and strong, but people who are solid seem to give him issues. He's comfortable in a dogfight and tends to beat lower level guys who bring that to him.
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104
- Ricky Glenn
- "The Gladiator" | 22-8-2
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1989 - USA - UFC
Chin seems to have gone. Had that really good performance to get a draw with Grant Dawson a couple of years ago but after a couple of quick knockout losses he doesn't seem to be that fighter anymore.
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105
- Gabriel Benítez
- "Moggly" | 23-12-0
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1988 - Mexico - UFC
Was a good featherweight back in the day but pretty well out of his prime now. Dude is still tough and will throw down with guys, but slightly undersized compared to most strikers at the weight and isn't as quick as he used to be.
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106
- Anshul Jubli
- "King of Lions" | 7-1-0
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1995 - India - UFC
I think he's better than the last round of the Breeden fight made him look. In the first couple of rounds he showed some decent striking, although he didn't really have much power. He'd also shown some good wrestling on Road to UFC to beat Jekah and more impressively for me Red Horse. Dude just completely mentally fell to pieces when a guy started barking at him.
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107
- Kaynan Kruschewsky
- "Bahia" | 15-2-0, 1 NC
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1991 - Brazil - UFC
Aggressive and has some pop but not as good as record suggest he should be. Has a no contest on his record against Damien Lapilus which was a very clear loss. Maybe a little bit chinny but did get cracked hard by Brener. Feels like at UFC level he'll put **** guys out but probably get put out himself by anyone decent by the standards there.
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108
- Landon Quiñones
- "The Lone Wolf" | 7-3-1
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1995 - USA - UFC
One of the prospects from the prospects team on TUF who lost to a vet and then they decided to sign him anyway. Giving Knight pretty much his only path to victory was a worrying fight IQ moment, but I did think he beat Mederos.
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109
- MarQuel Mederos
- 9-1-0
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1996 - USA - UFC
Solid regional guy who got an early win over an overrated opponent on DWCS then I thought he probably lost his debut against Quinones but it was a close fight.
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110
- Artiom Damkovsky
- 25-17-0
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1983 - Belarus - ACA
Solid veteran, uses a Philly shell type of striking defence, carries front hand very low. Pretty good at countering guys as they come forward, has some power if lands clean. Takedown defence against the cage pretty good but does get clinched there a lot. Decent body kicks in short range. Cardio pretty solid, withstood a lot of pressure against Gordeev to crack him in the 5th and nearly finish.
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111
- Yanal Ashmouz
- "Red Fox" | 7-1-0
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1995 - Israel - UFC
Bombed Sam Patterson out early with a huge overhand which left him hugely out of it so clearly has power. Then looked pretty limited in his fight against Chris Duncan. Didn't really have a lot of high level experience pre-UFC.
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112
- Damir Hadžović
- "The Bosnian Bomber" | 14-7-0
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1986 - Bosnia - UFC
Fairly tough UFC bottom sc****r who just about seems to pull a win out at the right time to stay on the roster. Kind of okay everywhere but not really good anywhere and getting old.
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113
- Alex Munoz
- 7-2-0
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1990 - USA - UFC
Okay wrestler, doesn't really stay very active. Solid enough to grind out a decision over low level guys, but not really good enough to make any kind of run.
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114
- Tom Nolan
- "Big Train" | 6-1-0
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2000 - Australia - UFC
Very offensive minded with little regard to defence, just tries to go out and slaughter the dude. Found out against Motta that he will probably have to re-assess his style at the top level.
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115
- Victor Martinez
- "The Brick" | 13-5-0
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1991 - USA - UFC
Went on a decent run against mid-high level for regionals regional guys which got him into the UFC after winning a pretty hard fought battle against Jacob Rosales. Easy defeat at the hands of Leavitt raises questions about future at this level.
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116
- Mitch Ramirez
- "The Fight Stalker" | 8-2-0
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1992 - USA - UFC
Fairly solid all round, good guy for the regionals. Not sure he can translate it to the top level. Defensive BJJ was alright for a while against Moises but then he just got his leg blasted off instead.
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117
- Chris Padilla
- "Taco" | 14-6-0
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1995 - USA - UFC
Wasn't expecting this dude to get a win in his UFC debut but he proved me wrong. Has a pretty explosive double leg and took advantage of bad get ups to sink a choke. Took a lot of leg kicks on the feet which could be a problem in future.
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118
- Darrius Flowers
- "Beast Mode" | 12-7-1
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1994 - USA - UFC
Seems an average dude who had a weirdly good one year run on the regionals which ended up in him fluking a win on the contender series and getting into the UFC. Now finding out what that's like in reality.
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119
- Thibault Gouti
- "GT" | 17-7-0
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1987 - France - Bellator
Improved since his UFC days, very tough and keeps a good pace on the feet. Still not technical enough to beat someone smooth and takedown defence not sufficient to hold off good wrestlers but he's solid enough.
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120
- James Llontop
- "Goku" | 14-3-0
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1999 - Peru - UFC
Badly exposed in his UFC debut and really needs to go away and work on his get ups. Not that mad about his takedown defence as Padilla had a decent double leg, but he kept rushing up, ended up giving his back and then had awful choke defence. Good leg kicks and decent pressure boxing and still young so maybe he can turn it around, but not promising.
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121
- Mohammad Yahya
- "The UAE Warrior" | 12-4-0
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1994 - UAE - UFC
Got a UFC offer presumably because they wanted to have someone from UAE on the roster. Made Trevor Peek look like a D1 wrestler on his debut which isn't promising.
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122
- Brendon Marotte
- "The Kid" | 8-2-0
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1996 - USA - UFC
One of the lower level New England Cartel guys who can crushed on the regionals and then got offered a UFC shot because they like that gym. Proceeded to get insta-murdered by T Wrecks.
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123
- Alex Reyes
- "The Executioner" | 13-4-0
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1986 - USA - UFC
Dom's brother came into the UFC and got whipped, then had a serious illness and took some time to get healthy so he could come back and get whipped again. Just hasn't looked anything like competitive in the UFC.
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124
- Conor McGregor
- "The Notorious" | 22-6-0
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1988 - Ireland - UFC
Unranked as hasn't fought for 2 years. Who knows what Conor will look like when he returns.
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125
- Gregor Gillespie
- "The Gift" | 14-1-0
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1986 - USA - UFC
Unranked as hasn't fought for 2 years.. Likes fishing more than fighting. Excellent wrestler and fun scrambler when he actually fights, but leaves big gaps between fights and is now in his late 30s.
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126
- Chris Gruetzemacher
- "Gritz" | 15-5-0
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1986 - USA - UFC
Unranked as hasn't fought for 2 years. Seems to have gone MIA, but still on the roster. Was always pretty solid if unspectacular, tough nosed guy.
My Summary