Official Arm Triangle Blog Rankings

Heavyweight

1. Junior Dos Santos (UFC) – It doesn’t get much more impressive than that. It took less than two minutes for JDS to set himself apart as the best of the big men.

2. Cain Velasquez (UFC) – Finally slipped up against one of the best strikers the game has seen. He doesn’t slip far though.

3. Alistair Overeem (Strikeforce) – Beating Brock Lesnar was impressive but it doesn’t make him jump Velasquez just yet.

4. Josh Barnett (Strikeforce) – Lesnar is out so everyone moves up. 2012 promises a lot of shakeups in this division.

5. Fabricio Werdum (UFC) – Looked sharp against Nelson, demonstrating improved striking and a good chin. Needs to develop a killer instinct.

6. Daniel Cormier (Strikeforce) – I am higher than most on this guy. I think he has world-beater potential but his size might be an issue in the UFC.

7. Frank Mir (UFC) – Ok ok ok, I have to give credit where credit is due. He took a beating and managed to somehow defeat Big Nog again.

8. Antonio Silva (Strikeforce) – This tournament is even good to its losers, placing them in high profile fights. Silva is good and we will find out how good very soon.

9. Mark Hunt (UFC) – Hunt has found himself on a nice little streak and making some waves in the division. Another win and he could shoot into the upper tier.

10. Mike Russow (UFC) – Do I think he is one of the best 10 fighters in this division? No, but no one else has given me a reason to consider them right now.

Light- Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones (UFC) – Will we finally get to see him back up his talk and defend his belt against Evans?

2. Dan Henderson (UFC) – He did just enough to pull off what might be the best fight in the sports history. That is enough to jump right to the front of the line.

3. Rashad Evans (UFC) – He gets the next show but I wasn’t overly impressed with him. We haven’t learned anything new about Rashad in a long time but he is definitely top tier.

4. Shogun Rua (UFC) – Shogun was heroic against Henderson and did enough to get a draw in my book. I’d watch those two fight 100 times over

5. Lyoto Machida (UFC) – Looked good in the first round and got caught in the second. Machida doesn’t actually slip down the list at all though.

6. Alexander Gustafsson (UFC) – Gustafsson keeps winning and winning. This should be a huge year for the young striker.

7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (UFC) – I think his body shots actually made Tito Ortiz cry. This guy is getting better against wrestlers and I think he is really dangerous.

8. Phil Davis (UFC) – A lackluster performance drops Mr. Wonderful to the bottom of the top 10 but the future is still bright.

9. Ryan Bader (UFC) – Big step up and his biggest win to date against Rampage in Japan. He has a long way to go though.

10. Quinton Rampage Jackson (UFC) – He apparently had a knee injury but his performance in Japan was his worst to date.

Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (UFC) – The best fighter in the world is going to fight Sonnen in a soccer stadium in Brazil – Enough Said.

2. Chael Sonnen (UFC) – Earned himself another title shot by edging out Bisping. Sonnen better be sharper against the Spider.

3. Mark Munoz (UFC) – Tough break on the injury but Munoz is still very much at the top of the heap. Munoz should get a quality uponent upon his return.

4. Vitor Belfort (UFC) – Coaches TUF Brazil and meets Wandi in June. The Brazil card should be nuts so it can gain a lot of momentum over the next 5 months.

5. Michael Bisping (UFC) – Bisping was so impressive in losing that I am moving him up my top 10. The Brit might have been robbed of a title show by a few judges that prefer takedowns to clinch control.

6. Tim Boetch (UFC) – Botech has been wrecking folks for a long time now but his comeback in japan put him on the map.

7. Yushin Okami (UFC) – Had Boetch dead to rights but couldn’t finish the fight. A two fight skid is not good for him but hopefully it wakes him up.

8. Hector Lombard (Bellator) – I really don’t like having him at number 5 but wins are wins. I think a few guys below might be primed to jump him.

9. Nate Maquardt (Some British Organization) – I don’t know what else to do with this guy. Hindsight is 20/20 so he has to be top 10 but what is next?

10. Luke Rockhold (Strikeforce) – As some fighters fall some must rise and the Strikeforce champion has done as much as anyone to rise.

Welterweights

1. Georges St. Pierre (UFC) – Out till November, GSP should return against Condit to unify the titles.

2. Carlos Condit (UFC) – Beats Diaz, proving me right for having him ranked higher pre fight but its hard to make him number one when you know GSP is returning.

3. Jake Ellenberger (UFC) – He didn’t look great against Sanchez but he was more impressive than Koscheck so I’ll give him the nod.

4. Josh Koscheck (UFC) – I was not really impressed with Koscheck against Pierce. He is in a tough spot but a change of camp might give him a new start.

5. Johnny Hendricks (UFC) – Huge win for Big Rig. I confidently give him the big jump because he has all the tools to fight with the cream of the crop

6. Martin Kampmann (UFC) – Kampmann looked on point against Alvez and will look for a big opponent next time around, a rematch with Condit maybe?

7. Jon Fitch (UFC) – To be honest, he is better than number 7 but with the long lay off and the quick KO, he has to fall for now.

8. Jake Shields (UFC) – There is a big drop off here in the latter half of this list but Shields is at least back to his winning ways.

9. Ben Askren (Bellator) – I have some serious questions about his ability to compete with the UFC crew but he has wins.

10. Diego Sanchez (UFC) – I think we have seen the best and worst of Sanchez but we are always going to see heart from the kid.

Lightweight

1. Benson Henderson (UFC) – The new king of 155. All the sudden the division is looking like the most competitive in the sport. Bendo has the tools to stay on top though.

2. Frankie Edgar (UFC) – The fact of the matter is Frankie Edgar is still the second best at 155. The pressures are to drop but he is a top tier guy where he is.

3. Gray Maynard (UFC) – Finally falls in my rankings but not far. This guy is still a beast at 155 and I don’t think we have heard the last of him.

4. Gilbert Melendez (Strikeforce) – Melendez is great but I am really tired of the hype. He needs to get a taste of the UFC lightweight shark tank if he is going to move up.

5. Anthony Pettis (UFC) – I had been asleep too long on him after his loss to Guida but he is probably the best striker in the division. Looks like he is getting the next shot too.

6. Shinya Aoki (Dream) – The talent emerging in this weight class is too substantial to compete at lower levels and stay this high too long.

7. Jim Miller (UFC) – Back on track, now Jim Miller is in the hunt for a title shot and might be able to string together the big wins to do it.

8. Nate Diaz (UFC) – I think both Diaz boys are hitting their stride right now and Nate looked pretty good against the dynamic Cerrone.

9. Clay Guida (UFC) – Guida didn’t look bad against Henderson he just didn’t have much for him.

10. Joe Lauzon (UFC) – He lost quickly to Pettis but there really isn’t any shame in that. I still like him moving forward.

Featherweight

1. Jose Aldo (UFC) – Aldo holds up against the game Mendes. Hopefully a new contender emerges soon.

2. Hatsu Hioki (UFC) – I was finally impressed with this guy. He probably earned himself a date with Aldo, unless Edgar decides to drop weight that is.

3. Chad Mendes (UFC) – Another fighter falls to Aldo and another fighter falls down the ranks.

4. Dustin Poirier (UFC) – Looks like he will meet Sung Jung in a title elemenator soon. Could be fireworks.

5. Diego Nunes (UFC) – Nunes gets a big win in the invisible prelims but he is back to his winning ways and looking for a title shot in 2012.

6. Pat Curran (Bellator) – Talented fighter with the world in front of him. He just needs to find consistency.

7. Chang Sung Jung (UFC) – I have been really impressed with his last two wins. He is at a great camp and has his best days in front of him.

8. Jimmy Hettes (UFC) – This kid is what I call a third generation grappler and I think he has all the tools for a really bright future.

9. Bart Palaszewski (UFC) – Wrecked Tyson Griffin in one of the bigger upsets of the year. I like this guy and can’t wait to see him again.

10. Marlon Sandro (UFC) – His talent keeps him on my list. Lots of talent and lots of movement.

Bantamweight

1. Dominick Cruz (UFC) – Another big one for Cruz. Can anyone stop this guy. He has topped 2-6 on this list already.

2. Urijah Faber (UFC) – He finally gets the number two spot as folks start moving down to fight in the brand new Flyweight division.

3. Renan Barao (UFC) – This guy is the real deal. I think he will earn himself a title shot by the end of the year but he has to wait for Faber and Cruz to settle their score.

4. Brian Bowles (UFC) – Really came up short against Faber but he is still one of the best in the division. I have lots of time for him.

5. Scott Jorgensen (UFC) – Solid performance but not enough to beat the rising star Barao. Now he gets to restart the climb.

6. Masakatso Ueda (Shooto) – He may only be on a two-fight win streak but he is 12-1-2. Ueda seems to be improving with each fight.

7. Miguel Torres (UFC) – He is going to get a second chance at life in the UFC. I think the luster has been lost on this one though.

8. Bibiano Fernandes (DREAM) – He had three wins in 2011 and is probably one of the most exciting young talents outside the UFC>

9. Brad Picket (UFC) – With some talent dropping weight there is a bit of a void. Even though he is coming off a disappointing performance I have all the time in the world for Pickett.

10. Takeya Mizugaki (UFC) – This guy can’t catch a break but I still think he is a top 10 fighter in this division so he steals the spot.

Flyweight

1. Joseph Benavidez (UFC) – He looked as good or better at Flyweight than at Bantamweight. He looked like a worldbeater really.

2. Ian McCall (UFC) – Was robbed of breakout performance by terrible judging logistics. I personally think he won the fight but they will run back his semi-finals fight with Mighty Mouse.

3. Demetrious Johnson (UFC) – Had a hectic battle with McCall that should gone to an extra round. This guy has a bright future at 125.

4. Jussier Da Silva (Shooto) – Its only a matter of time before he emerges into the big time I think. He has only lost one fight and that was to McCall.

5. Shinichi Kojima (Shooto) – The record is so so but I like that he finishes fights both by submission and TKO/KO. Eyes should be on him March 10^th to see if he might be a valuable addition to the UFC roster.

6. Yasuhiro Urushitani (UFC) – As records go he is a top 5 fighter but he got exposed and completely outclassed by Benavidez and it looked bad.

7. Darrell Montague (TPA) – Montague is a young kid with knockout power. I wont be surprised if he emerges as a UFC fighter within the year.

8. Jose Tome (Various Brazilian Organizations) – Hasn’t lost in 16 fights (two NCs in that streak), Tome has finished 23 of his 28 wins and needs to step up in competition.

9. Mamoru Yamaguchi (Shooto) – An experienced fighter coming off a lose, Yamaguchi needs to get back to his winning ways as this division emerges.

10. Louis Gaudinot (UFC) – A top tier fighter from last seasons TUF, “Goodnight” has always needed to be at 125 pounds and is already scheduled to make the move.