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출처: 이종격투기 원문보기 글쓴이: 개독킬러
헤비급
1. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1, 1 NC)
Signatures are not yet in place, but the sport's heavyweight ruler for the last six years is tapped to defend his mantle against Josh Barnett at Affliction's third offering on Aug. 1. The bout would be Emelianenko's third consecutive contest against a former UFC heavyweight champion.
2. Andrei Arlovski (15-6)
Despite his brutal and deflating KO loss to Fedor Emelianenko in January, Arlovski will look to remain active against quality opposition. The "Pitbull" steps onto Strikeforce's June 6 card on short notice to take on unbeaten prospect Brett Rogers.
3. Josh Barnett (24-5)
With any luck, Barnett's next action will be a long-awaited bout with Fedor Emelianenko on Aug. 1 for Affliction. Anything less would be unfortunate both for fans, and for a desperate Affliction.
4. Frank Mir (12-3)
A knee injury postponed Mir’s May matchup with Brock Lesnar. Now, the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion will seek to unify both versions of the promotion’s title when he rematches Lesnar at UFC 100 on July 11.
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1, 1 NC)
Whether it will wind up being the fight which fans had long hoped for remains to be seen, but two of the sport’s most enduring icons will square off at UFC 102 in August when Nogueira finally meets up with Randy Couture.
6. Brock Lesnar (3-1)
The former World Wrestling Entertainment star got a bit of bad news when his UFC heavyweight title rematch with Frank Mir was postponed due to injury. Lesnar will get the chance to become the lone undisputed UFC heavyweight king come July 11 at UFC 100.
7. Randy Couture (16-9)
His bout with Nogueira is long overdue. Hopefully, when “The Natural” and “Minotauro” square off at UFC 102 in August, the clash of heavyweight legends will not past its expiration date.
8. Tim Sylvia (24-5)
Not having seen action since his blowout loss to Fedor Emelianenko last July, the former UFC heavyweight champion is tracking down competition of a different sort. He’ll box 1988 Olympic gold medalist Ray Mercer on June 13.
9. Shane Carwin (11-0)
Just when it looked as if he were on the ropes, Carwin turned out the lights on Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96. The victory gave the touted heavyweight prospect his eleventh stoppage win in as many fights.
10. Alistair Overeem (29-11, 1 NC)
Overeem was originally tabbed to defend his Strikeforce heavyweight title on June 6 against prospect Brett Rogers. However, a scuffle in a Dutch nightclub resulted in an infection in his hand that nearly required amputation. We're just thankful that "The Demolition Man" will keep both hammers, instead of one.
Other contenders: Junior dos Santos, Aleksander Emelianenko, Jeff Monson, Ben Rothwell, Fabricio Werdum.
라이트 헤비급
1. Lyoto Machida (15-0)
His style and stoicism made him one of MMA's most intriguing fighters. However, his brutal bashing of Rashad Evans to take the 205-pound mantle has affirmed him as one of the sport's best fighters. Better still, Machida will be afforded the chance to add another outstanding name to his resume in Quinton "Rampage" Jackson later this year.
2. Quinton Jackson (30-7)
The good news for "Rampage" is that he will be given a chance to regain his UFC light heavyweight title and 205-pound supremacy later this year. The bad news, of course, is that to do it, he must fight newly minted divisional ruler Lyoto Machida, who been untouchable in the Octagon thus far.
3. Rashad Evans (13-1-1)
In his first defense of the UFC light heavyweight title he took from Forrest Griffin in December, Rashad Evans was blown out by Lyoto Machida inside of nine minutes. Evans now must take his place in line in an ultra-competitive 205-pound division.
4. Forrest Griffin (16-5)
Coming off of a deflating loss to Rashad Evans in December, many fighters would've opted for a tune-up bout. Forrest Griffin initially was tabbed to meet Brazilian banger Thiago Silva at UFC 101. That was before Griffin decided that a bout with the sport's pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva sounded more appealing on Aug. 8.
5. Mauricio Rua (18-3)
Rua was in the middle of a career tailspin heading into his April 18 do-or-die bout with Chuck Liddell. However, 2005’s unanimous “Fighter of the Year” turned in his best performance in recent memory. An in-shape and technically sound “Shogun” stopped Liddell in the first round to get back on the light heavyweight map.
6. Luis Arthur Cane (10-1)
It was his toughest test to date, but “Banha” showed poise in toughing out an entertaining decision in his April 18 bout with former WEC champion Steve Cantwell. It should be onward and upward for the hot prospect in the 205-pound division.
7. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1, 1 NC)
While a move to the 185-pound division may be imminent, “The Axe Murderer” will only slide partway down the scale for the time being. He will fight former middleweight champion Rich Franklin in a 195-pound catch-weight contest at UFC 99 on June 13 in Cologne, Germany.
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (17-3)
It took Nogueira seven years and 20 fights to finally have a bout in his native Brazil. Fortunately, he made it a show for Fortaleza fans, as he took out Dutchman Dion Staring with a triangle choke on May 9.
9. Keith Jardine (14-5-1)
With his up-and-down performances, Jardine's place in the light heavyweight division has been hard to peg. However, "The Dean of Mean" will get the chance to prove where he stacks up when he takes on Brazilian brawler Thiago Silva at UFC 102 on Aug. 29.
10. Thiago Silva (13-1)
Coming off his brutal bashing at the hands of Lyoto Machida in January, Silva was expected to get back into the saddle against Forrest Griffin at UFC 101. Instead, Silva will be in action three weeks later at UFC 102, meeting Keith Jardine.
Other contenders: Rich Franklin, Jon Jones, Chuck Liddell, Vladimir Matyushenko, Renato Sobral.
미들급
1. Anderson Silva (24-4)
Drawing scorn for his lackluster April title defense against Thales Leites, Silva was clearly in need of an interesting challenge. Now Silva, who has taken out elite welterweights and middleweights in his career, will have the chance to take out an elite light heavyweight at UFC 101 on Aug. 8 when he meets former 205-pound king Forrest Griffin.
2. Yushin Okami (23-4)
Yushin Okami is becoming more and more familiar with ill-timed injuries. After a hand injury lost him a potential shot against Anderson Silva late last year, a knee injury and training removed him from his bout at UFC 98 against Dan Miller.
3. Nate Marquardt (28-8-2)
Nate Marquardt is keen to rematch divisional ace Anderson Silva, who iced him in July 2007. In order to get another chance at "The Spider" and the UFC middleweight title, Marquardt will need to take out his biggest challenge since his bout with Silva in undefeated BJJ king Demian Maia at UFC 102 on Aug. 29.
4. Robbie Lawler (16-4, 1 NC)
EliteXC’s one-time middleweight champion will look to pick up where he left off when his former employer closed up shop. “Ruthless” takes on fellow former EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields in the headliner of Strikeforce’s June 6 bill on Showtime.
5. Dan Henderson (24-7)
It was not without a bit of a brouhaha, but Henderson earned a split decision over Rich Franklin at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland, on Jan. 17. Now, the former two-division Pride Fighting Championships titleholder has earned a lengthy promotional vehicle coaching against Michael Bisping on the ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The season’s larger payoff will be a marquee bout against Michael Bisping at UFC 100 in July.
6. Demian Maia (10-0)
Few fighters if any have been as impressive as Demian Maia over the last 14 months. The road to a shot at the UFC middleweight title for Maia now runs through Nathan Marquardt at UFC 102 on Aug. 29.
7. Jorge Santiago (21-7)
In the first defense of his Sengoku middleweight title, Jorge Santiago will be in for a rematch regardless, as Kazuhiro Nakamura and Kazuo Misaki square off on Aug. 2 in a title eliminator. It was Nakamura who Santiago bested to win Sengoku's middleweight tournament last November. Santiago followed that up by pulling out the fifth-round submission over Misaki in January to win the promotion's title.
8. Thales Leites (14-2)
No doubt wanting to erase the memories of his April title challenge against Anderson Silva, Leites has quickly accepted a bout with Italian striker Alessio Sakara at UFC 101 on Aug. 8.
9. Vitor Belfort (18-8)
Early indications were that the new-look, middleweight Belfort would meet divisional stalwart Gegard Mousasi under the Affliction banner in August. However, with Mousasi adamant on not cutting down to middleweight again, it looks like Belfort will be in for another opponent.
10. Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)
You'd be hard-pressed to find too many people who think of Chael Sonnen as an elite middleweight. Fortunately for the Team Quester, results are what count, and with a dominant display over top-15 opposition in Dan Miller, and Gegard Mousasi's exit from the division, Sonnen re-enters these rankings.
Other contenders: Yoshihiro Akiyama, Michael Bisping Patrick Cote, Dan Miller, Frank Trigg.
*Having announced his departure from the division, formerly No. 3 ranked Gegard Mousasi exits the middleweight rankings.
웰터급
1. Georges St. Pierre (18-2)
Despite debate over the improper use of Vaseline by St. Pierre’s cornermen, “Rush” destroyed B.J. Penn in their Jan. 31 superfight at UFC 94. The bout reinforced St. Pierre’s case to be considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the game, and he’ll have another chance to bolster his position against a brilliant opponent when he meets Thiago Alves at UFC 100 in July.
2. Thiago Alves (16-3)
His noted 2008 breakout has earned him a shot against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100 in July. However, if his in-cage meeting with St. Pierre at UFC 94 told us anything, it’s that the “Pitbull” will not be the crowd favorite against the budding Canadian superstar.
3. Jon Fitch (18-3, 1 NC)
Fitch will have the chance to atone for the indiscretions of teammate Josh Koscheck, as he’ll take on his American Kickboxing Academy compatriot’s upset author, Paulo Thiago, at UFC 100 on July 11.
4. Jake Shields (22-4-1)
With no forthcoming opposition at 170 pounds, the former EliteXC welterweight champion will step up to take on standout middleweight Robbie Lawler in the headliner of Strikeforce’s second Showtime effort on June 6 in St. Louis.
5. Martin Kampmann (15-2)
For a short matter of hours, fans were excited to see MMA's foremost Dane take on fast-rising prospect T.J. Grant at the TUF 9 finale in June. However, Kampmann turned down the bout, saying that he was looking for bigger fights in the 170-pound division.
6. Karo Parisyan (18-5, 1 NC)
It will be a long 2009 for Parisyan. After getting popped for painkillers following his Jan. 31 split decision win over Dong Hyun Kim, Parisyan’s victory was declared a no contest. Now “The Heat” will serve a nine-month suspension.
7. Paulo Thiago (11-0)
He’s gutsy, if nothing else. Having aced his February UFC debut against Josh Koscheck, the relatively unknown Brazilian will now attempt to knock off Koscheck’s teammate and consensus top-three welterweight Jon Fitch at UFC 100 on July 11.
8. Josh Koscheck (12-4)
Following his shocking upset loss to Paulo Thiago in February, Koscheck was scheduled for comeback duty against Chris Wilson at UFC 98 in May. Unfortunately, “The Ultimate Fighter” alum was forced out of the bout due to a foot injury.
9. Carlos Condit (22-5)
A victory was not in the cards for Condit in his UFC debut, but his wildly entertaining April 1 split decision loss to Martin Kampmann did show that the former WEC kingpin belongs in the Octagon with the sport’s top 170-pounders.
10. Matt Hughes (43-7)
It wasn't particularly well received, but Hughes got the decision in his much-awaited grudge match with Matt Serra on May 23. The former welterweight ruler said he would like another bout to finish out his career, especially one in his neck of the Midwest.
Other contenders: Marcus Davis, Dan Hardy, Jay Hieron, Mike Swick, Nick Thompson.
라이트급
1. B.J. Penn (13-5-1)
With his Greasegate protests lingering, Penn has accepted the offer to defend his UFC 155-pound crown against Kenny Florian. The long overdue lightweight matchup is set for UFC 101 on Aug. 8.
2. Shinya Aoki (20-4, 1 NC)
Coming off his crushing loss against Hayato Sakurai in April, Aoki hasn't opted for a soft touch. He will take on returning lightweight standout Vitor Ribeiro at Dream 10 on July 20.
3. Eddie Alvarez (17-2)
With his May 1 submission over Eric Reynolds, Alvarez reached Bellator's lightweight tournament final, just as everyone had expected. However, the world expected him to meet Jorge Masvidal in the championship. Instead, he'll meet upset author and potential "Submission of the Year" owner Toby Imada on June 19.
4. Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)
Despite the attention given to his New Year’s Eve rematch with Gesias Cavalcante, the bout was nixed at the last minute when a pre-fight medical test revealed an undisclosed head injury to Hansen.
5. Kenny Florian (11-3)
Almost an afterthought in the current frenzy of MMA news, "Ken Flo" will take on UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn at UFC 101 on Aug. 8. It will be the fighter-cum-analyst's second crack at UFC gold.
6. Satoru Kitaoka (24-8-9)
A June 7 tune-up bout against Yukio Sakaguchi in his home promotion of Pancrase is first up for Kitaoka. However, the real fight for Sengoku's lightweight champ will be his first title defense Aug. 2, when he'll meet GCM Cage Force lightweight champ Mizuto Hirota.
7. Tatsuya Kawajiri (24-5-2)
For the last six years, Kawajiri has been one of MMA's best lightweights, but in a red-hot, hyperactive division, he didn't quite have the wins to show for it. His workmanlike unanimous verdict over standout Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante on May 26 proved that the "Crusher" has still got it.
8. Gray Maynard (7-0, 1 NC)
Despite virtually no fanfare, "The Bully" has dominated three strong lightweights in a row. His March 15-minute thrashing of a high-quality Jim Miller was Maynard's most consummate outing to date.
9. Frankie Edgar (10-1)
Not wanting to hear any more discussion about him cutting to 145 pounds, Edgar made a strong statement that he can hang against elite lightweights, staying a step ahead of former UFC lightweight champ Sean Sherk for the full 15 minutes of their May 23 bout.
10. Sean Sherk (33-4-1)
With no clear direction in the UFC's lightweight division, Sherk was already in a tight spot before his May 23 loss to Frankie Edgar. Now a promotional course of action for the "Muscle Shark" is even more difficult to divine.
Other contenders: Gesias Cavalcante, Gilbert Melendez, Eiji Mitsuoka, Josh Thomson, Jamie Varner.
*With the re-entries of Kawajiri and Edgar, the formerly fifth-ranked Gesias Cavalcante (who lost to Kawajiri) and the formerly ninth-ranked Josh Thomson (who has been inactive) fall just beyond the top 10 in the ultra-competitive lightweight division.
페더급
1. Mike Thomas Brown (21-4)
Brown destroyed deserved contender Leonard Garcia in their March 1 encounter, proving he's the sport's superlative 145-pounder. However, in order to win over all critics, he'll need to replicate his November victory over Urijah Faber when the two rematch at WEC 41 on June 7.
2. Urijah Faber (22-2)
Faber's chance for revenge will come at WEC 41 on June 7. He’ll get a second shot against Mike Thomas Brown for the promotion's 145-pound title and MMA's featherweight throne in front of a partisan Sacramento crowd.
3. Wagnney Fabiano (12-1)
Fabiano didn't get the stoppage he sought, but the Nova Uniao product put another win on his ledger on April 5. He took a commanding unanimous decision over fellow grappling stalwart Fredson Paixao.
4. Leonard Garcia (12-4)
Garcia originally had hoped to recoup from his brutal March 1 loss to WEC champ Mike Thomas Brown by hopping on the WEC 41 bill on June 7. Although that didn't pan out, the Texan "Bad Boy" may find a home on Aug. 9's WEC 42 card.
5. Hatsu Hioki (19-3-2)
Hioki made the second round of the Sengoku tournament look just as easy as the first, easily tapping Briton Ronnie Mann. Hioki's road to the tournament final goes through ZST rep Masanori Kanehara on Aug. 2.
6. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2)
Mishima was originally sought as an entrant in Sengoku’s featherweight tournament, where he would have been an early favorite. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered in training will keep him on the shelf for the early portion of 2009. The colorful veteran plans to return to action in the early summer and defend his Deep featherweight title.
7. Jose Aldo (14-1)
One of the sport's hottest prospects, Aldo will be back in action June 7 at WEC 41. The 22-year-old pistol will be meeting a fellow young prospect, Cub Swanson, with upward mobility in the featherweight division at stake.
8. Takeshi Inoue (16-3)
In a bout that was more symbolic than relevant, pro Shooto's current poster boy defended his 143-pound world title against Shooto icon Rumina Sato. After his usual dramatic early struggle, "Lion Takeshi" predictably punched Sato out in the first frame.
9. Rafael Assuncao (13-1)
In his awaited WEC debut, Rafael Assuncao showed why critics have afforded him blue-chip prospect status. He took a one-sided decision over a game Jameel Massouh and firmly implanted himself in the promotion's featherweight plans.
10. Marlon Sandro (14-0)
On paper, Sandro's Sengoku featherweight tournament bout against fellow undefeated Nick Denis was one of the most compelling. In actuality, it took Sandro just 19 seconds to knock the Canadian unconscious. The featherweight King of Pancrase will now take on red-hot Michihiro Omigawa on Aug. 2, with a spot in the tournament final on the line.
Other contenders: Bibiano Fernandes, Yuji Hoshino, Masakazu Imanari, Joe Soto, Cub Swanson.
*With his loss to Bibiano Fernandes, formerly eighth-ranked Masakazu Imanari falls just outside of the top 10.
밴텀급
1. Miguel Torres (37-1)
The king of the 135-pound world, Torres will finally take on undefeated challenger Brian Bowles in their much-anticipated bantamweight bout on Aug. 9 as the headliner of WEC 42 in Vegas.
2. Masakatsu Ueda (9-0-2)
July 19 will mark the third defense of Ueda's Shooto 132-pound world title. It also may mark his toughest test to date, when he takes on precocious prospect Eduardo Dantas, Shooto's South American 132-pound king.
3. Brian Bowles (7-0)
Bowles' April crack at bantamweight king Miguel Torres was postponed due to a back injury. With Torres having successfully knocked off Takeya Mizugaki on April 5, Bowles will now get his shot at WEC 42 on Aug. 9.
4. Takeya Mizugaki (11-3-2)
Mizugaki won over the hearts and minds of MMA fans in April when he took divisional king Miguel Torres to a thrilling 25-minute decision. However, things get no easier for the former Shooto rookie MVP, as he'll meet rock-solid veteran Jeff Curran at WEC 42 on Aug. 9.
5. Joseph Benavidez (10-0)
Benavidez's April 5 bout against Jeff Curran served as the coming-out party that many had anticipated. Urijah Faber's top pupil pushed his undefeated mark to 10-0 and signaled his arrival as a top-flight 135-pounder.
6. Will Ribeiro (10-2)
In the wake of his life-threatening motorcycle accident late last year, the Brazilian fight community continues to rally around Ribeiro. All proceeds from Shooto Brazil's May 30 show will go toward Ribeiro's on-going medical expenses and recovery.
7. Akitoshi Tamura (13-7-2)
The former Shooto world champion showed he made the right decision in opting to cut down to the bantamweight division. He made a successful 135-pound debut on April 5, taking a unanimous nod over former WEC title challenger Manny Tapia.
8. Manny Tapia (10-2-1)
Tapia, who ran up an undefeated record through his first 11 bouts, has now suffered back-to-back losses courtesy of divisional king Miguel Torres and then Akitoshi Tamura, who outworked him to a unanimous decision on April 5.
9. Damacio Page (11-4)
In his March 1 bout with the well-regarded Marcos Galvao, Page showed off the power and ferocity that made him an intriguing prospect as he crushed the Brazilian in a mere 18 seconds.
10. Marcos Galvao (6-3-1)
"Louro" has disappointed in the WEC following his successes in Brazil and Japan. He was brutally dispatched by Damacio Page in only 18 seconds on March 1.
Other contenders: Chase Beebe, Dominick Cruz, Noah Thomas, Eddie Wineland, Rani Yahya.
플라이급