After a one-month hiatus to hit the reset button and get some issues squared away, the Sporting Information MMA group of Steven Muehlhausen and E. Spencer Kyte are again with the newest version of their pound-for-pound rankings and there have been some sweeping modifications to the lineup.
The primary and solely man to concurrently maintain two UFC titles on the similar time, Conor McGregor, has been dropped from the rankings resulting from inactivity. It’s been nicely over a yr since “The Infamous” one stepped into the Octagon at UFC 205 and there are not any concrete plans as of this writing for him to return, so he’s been placed on the shelf in the meanwhile.
As soon as he will get one thing booked, he’ll be again within the combine.
Georges St-Pierre has all the time been forged out of the gathering of prime pound-for-pound skills. Just some months after the Montreal native returned to the cage and claimed the middleweight title, “GSP” has been factored out of consideration for this record as a result of he vacated the belt to cope with medical points. It doesn’t sound like he’s coming again any time quickly.
Perhaps it’s a partial negotiating ploy or utterly false, however when his lengthy-time coach is saying he doesn’t assume we’ll see St-Pierre “for one or two years,” there actually isn’t any purpose to go away him on this listing.
That is the Sporting Information UFC Pound-for-Pound Rankings for February 2018.
Khabib is among the extra fascinating guys on this record. He’s completely crushed just about everybody he’s ever confronted, however accidents and inactivity have restricted him over the previous few years, which means we’re nonetheless not one hundred-% sure the place he matches within the light-weight division and on an inventory like this.
Given his dominance, it’s troublesome to maintain him from being part of this collective and blowing by way of Edson Barboza late final yr definitely helped his standing, however the massive check will are available a pair months when he faces Tony Ferguson — offered that star-crossed Battle truly takes place. *Knocks on wooden vigorously*
Offered the whole lot goes in response to Hoyle, this could possibly be the yr once we discover out as soon as and for all simply how gifted and harmful Nurmagomedov actually is. – Kyte
Dillashaw proved past a shadow of a doubt he’s the person to beat within the bantamweight division when he notched a second-spherical TKO over Cody Garbrandt at UFC 217 to develop into a two-time Champion.
After the victory, Dillashaw said he wasn’t involved in a rematch towards Garbrandt, former champion Dominick Cruz or anybody else within the division. He’s solely considering one struggle and one struggle solely: flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
Dillashaw’s prepared to drop right down to one hundred twenty five kilos however he stated he’ll want sixteen weeks to do it. Nevertheless it seems like Dillashaw must defend the title towards Cruz or a surging Jimmie Rivera earlier than such a struggle can happen. — Muehlhausen
Given there’s a substantial amount of speak about Nunes difficult Cris Cyborg for the ladies’s featherweight title later this yr, this seems like a very good time to level out that the reigning UFC ladies’s bantamweight champion holds victories over each Germaine de Randamie and Julia Budd, who’re presently listed because the No. 2 and No. three featherweights on the earth in line with Struggle Matrix.
Nunes has gained six straight and appears to have reached her full potential as a fighter. She doesn’t get sufficient credit score for what she’s completed and a matchup with Cyborg could be the one means the Brazilian standout will get acknowledged and promoted as an elite championship expertise. – Kyte
A really legitimate case is on the market that “El Cucuy” is one of the best light-weight on the planet. He’s the interim light-weight champion, gained 10 consecutive fights, seven by stoppage.
The one factor stopping Ferguson breaking into the higher echelon of the game is a signature win. Hopefully that occurs at UFC 223 when for the fourth time he’s scheduled to conflict towards Nurmagomedov. If the struggle occurs — let’s say our prayers every day — and Ferguson can get the job completed, he ought to be thought-about one of the best one hundred fifty five-pound fighter on the planet and the title of undisputed champion. — Muehlhausen
“The Baddest Man on the Planet” did what few individuals anticipated him to do at UFC 220, grounding and grinding out Francis Ngannou to retain the UFC heavyweight title. Within the course of, the proud Ohio native established a brand new report for many consecutive profitable title defenses within the division.
I’ve stated it a couple of occasions up to now, however I’ll say it once more right here: Miocic has grow to be every thing we hoped Cain Velasquez can be earlier than accidents derailed his profession. He can knock dudes out, drown them with strain or wrestle them into oblivion; he’s multi-faceted and boasts wonderful fundamentals, none of which is attractive, however it definitely makes him onerous to beat. – Kyte
CrGoing into her title protection at UFC 219, Holly Holm had been deemed because the hardest foe so far for Cyborg.
Holm proved that to be the case, going 5 full rounds with Cyborg and at occasions, connecting on some exhausting photographs. When the battle was even after two rounds, Cyborg confirmed she might make the right changes and walked out with the ladies’s featherweight title.
Cyborg had been eager to make her subsequent title protection towards somebody within the one hundred forty five-pound division, although Nunes needed a crack at her fellow Brazilian.
Now the battle seems to coming to fruition. Dana White stated it’s the bout to make and Cyborg’s relented. She’s even went as far to say she’s agreed to battle Nunes at UFC 226 in July (the battle isn’t official simply but) in what be the most important ladies’s battle in 2018. — Muehlhausen
Whereas most everybody else hated on Woodley’s efficiency towards Demian Maia, I used to be over right here cheering like mad.
To me it was the equal of a pitcher tossing a shutout towards an elite lineup or a prime-tier defender shutting down one of many league’s main scorers — it is probably not what you needed, however you possibly can’t say it’s not spectacular.
Woodley is concentrating on a spring or summer time return following shoulder surgical procedure and has a number of fascinating choices out there to him and whereas he will get criticized for stumping for giant fights, it’s a must to give “The Chosen One” credit score: he’s fought the No. 1 contender each time he’s put his belt on the road and there aren’t a variety of champions recently who can say the identical. — Kyte
Taking a look at what Holloway has finished is staggering, but in addition exhibits how nice our prime-two fighters are.
Holloway cemented himself because the king of the featherweights again at UFC 218 when he as soon as once more defeated Jose Aldo by third-spherical TKO. With the victory, Holloway ran his profitable streak to 12, with 9 of these coming by way of stoppage.
Plenty of fighters would to take a break and chill out however Holloway isn’t a type of champions. He’ll go up towards his unique UFC 218 opponent, Frankie Edgar. If Holloway can get via the previous light-weight champion, then he would have cleared out the division.
Give Holloway credit score: he needs to be one of the best of all time and is prepared to struggle anybody and everybody to get to that degree. — Muehlhausen
Cormier proved that Volkan Oezdemir wasn’t on his degree at UFC 220, ending the surging title challenger within the second spherical to validate his standing as the present UFC mild heavyweight champion.
I do know, I do know. Jon Jones, blah blah blah. However “Bones” is inactive as soon as once more and all Cormier has finished in his chief rival’s absence is beat the perfect fighters within the division in spectacular trend. I hate enjoying the “in case you take these two fights off his report” recreation as a result of everybody appears higher with a pair losses eliminated from their resume, however Cormier is undefeated in any other case, together with a thirteen-zero mark at heavyweight.
Oh yeah — he additionally has an opportunity to say the heavyweight title later this yr, so there’s that, too. — Kyte
This can be a no-brainer. Johnson’s unbeaten in 14 fights (half by stoppage) and owns the consecutive title protection document.
However what’s subsequent for the perfect fighter on the planet — and maybe the best of all time?
It appeared a mega-battle with T.J. Dillashaw was on the horizon as Johnson and the UFC need the battle made. A nagging shoulder damage pressured “Mighty Mouse” to go underneath the knife in mid-January.
Whereas the surgical procedure places that battle on maintain, it’s one which continues to be more likely to happen and will additional set Johnson aside from the pack. — Muehlhausen
