falling off the rankings

[Bran]

there's been a bunch of fighters to fall off the rankings in 2007. Rogerio Nogueira and Tito Ortiz are off most top ten lists, guys like sokoudjou, griffin and jardine sky rocketed to top 5 slots(though getting there in one fight is contestable). you got Fedor sitting at #1, even though he earned that spot, him and randy who's at #2-4 are gonna both be on the shelf til about october at the earliest. Cro Cop, who was #2 heavyweight in the world is just hanging on after getting beat by two unranked opponents. basically what i'm saying is that the rankings pretty much became a shit-storm since february. my question to you is, that with upsets showing no sign of stopping, who do you see falling off the rankings in their respective divisions in 2008. heres mine

Lightweight:
there will be some shifts, but it'll probably keep roughly the same guys i think

Welterweight:
i think with Condit looking great against a very tough Larson, and Alves and Davis looking great as of late and the 170 debut of swick, we'll see Kikuchi drop off the rankings because basically, to me, if you're gonna get ranked at 170 you gotta be either jake shields or in the UFC.

Middleweight:
this is the division that needs the most help, and not just in the UFC. Filho's looked worse and worse in his last two fights against unranked opponents and with dennis kang getting KOed by an unranked akiyama and then akiyama getting KOed by misaki along with the return of frank shamrock, shits getting all jumbled. i expect to see lutter make his way to the top 10 and trigg drop off.

EDIT: i forgot to take in to account the 185 debut of bisping and the possible drop of wanderei silva. should be interesting.

Light Heavyweight:
even though this is the most drastically changed division last year, i don't expect anyone to really get bumped out because the only real unranked guys i see goin top ten are maybe Thiago Silva or maybe Babalu.

Heavyweight:
arguably the top 2 fighters in the division aren't going to fight anyone for the next 10 months at least. who knows when barnett(#3-4) fights again, and sylvia just may beat nogueira, so with two wins over arlovski, we just may see him in the number 1 spot by the time 2009 comes around. i don't know who could possibly break in to the top ten here though, but look out for vera and rizzo.

[leedogg900]

Originally Posted by TheBranMan

there's been a bunch of fighters to fall off the rankings in 2007. Rogerio Nogueira and Tito Ortiz are off most top ten lists, guys like sokoudjou, griffin and jardine sky rocketed to top 5 slots(though getting there in one fight is contestable). you got Fedor sitting at #1, even though he earned that spot, him and randy who's at #2-4 are gonna both be on the shelf til about october at the earliest. Cro Cop, who was #2 heavyweight in the world is just hanging on after getting beat by two unranked opponents. basically what i'm saying is that the rankings pretty much became a shit-storm since february. my question to you is, that with upsets showing no sign of stopping, who do you see falling off the rankings in their respective divisions in 2008. heres mine

Lightweight:
there will be some shifts, but it'll probably keep roughly the same guys i think

Welterweight:
i think with Condit looking great against a very tough Larson, and Alves and Davis looking great as of late and the 170 debut of swick, we'll see Kikuchi drop off the rankings because basically, to me, if you're gonna get ranked at 170 you gotta be either jake shields or in the UFC.

Middleweight:
this is the division that needs the most help, and not just in the UFC. Filho's looked worse and worse in his last two fights against unranked opponents and with dennis kang getting KOed by an unranked akiyama and then akiyama getting KOed by misaki along with the return of frank shamrock, shits getting all jumbled. i expect to see lutter make his way to the top 10 and trigg drop off.

EDIT: i forgot to take in to account the 185 debut of bisping and the possible drop of wanderei silva. should be interesting.

Light Heavyweight:
even though this is the most drastically changed division last year, i don't expect anyone to really get bumped out because the only real unranked guys i see goin top ten are maybe Thiago Silva or maybe Babalu.

Heavyweight:
arguably the top 2 fighters in the division aren't going to fight anyone for the next 10 months at least. who knows when barnett(#3-4) fights again, and sylvia just may beat nogueira, so with two wins over arlovski, we just may see him in the number 1 spot by the time 2009 comes around. i don't know who could possibly break in to the top ten here though, but look out for vera and rizzo.

imo its pretty dumb if tito aint in the top ten, seeing as tito has only lost to chuck and randy, and beat forrest. i can also see thiago silva making the top 10, hes looked real impressive.

i think the lightweight rankings should change this year. cause i think guys like edgar, griffin, florian, din etc.. are better then guys like hansen and ribeiro. and i think they would match up well with guys like ishida and kawajiri. the only thing stopping ufc 155lbs from being ranked is alot of top 155lbs arnt in the ufc. and not many if any will beat bj penn.

maybe im crazy but i think guys like edgar, penn, sherk, din, and tyson would beat guys like ishida, kawajiri and JZ. i think they would be good fights but for some reason i think the ufc fighters are better.

[TN94z]

I see Serra dropping for sure. Jardine will drop. I agree that Thiago Silva and Lutter will work their way up. I think Silva will storm his way up. With that being said, I have never put that much stock in ranking systems anyway.

[markzabin]

Fabricio Werdum, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou IMO are possible drop offs. Thiago Silva will replace them if either lose again. Serra could easily lose 2 fights in 08' and be off the list. The entire light weight division will go upside down too, most people don't even rank BJ for some reason.

[Dork8503]

Originally Posted by markzabin

Fabricio Werdum, and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou IMO are possible drop offs. Thiago Silva will replace them if either lose again. Serra could easily lose 2 fights in 08' and be off the list. The entire light weight division will go upside down too, most people don't even rank BJ for some reason.

Why not Gabe.

If Gabe loses to Werdum why wouldn't he drop off. He beat Mirko, then would Lose to Randy and Werdum.

Yeah beating Mirko was good but never beating a top guy until Mirko then losing your next 2.

If Gabe loses i say he goes to 10 and anyone like Vera or someone outside UFC wins 1 good fight an they take his spot.

[markzabin]

I don't think that Gabe should go off the list just due to the fact his last fight being for the title. But pretty much if you lose 2 or 3 in a row you shouldn't be on the list. I singled out Soko and Werdum cause "I really wasn't impressed, by their (last) performance." Close decisions/fights (i.e. Penn) may be excluded IMO.

I guess I would take off Wandy too, 3 in a row kinda hurts.

Diego Sanchez? Take him out of WW if he is a LW

[kalebarker]

If Frank Mir gets a good win over Lesnar his stock will increase heavily and possibly get a top 10 opponent after. He has a chance to break into the top 10. Also if Kongo gets good opponents that are also good matchups for him (no wrestling) he could make it in too.

[Afro]

Originally Posted by leedogg900

imo its pretty dumb if tito aint in the top ten, seeing as tito has only lost to chuck and randy, and beat forrest. i can also see thiago silva making the top 10, hes looked real impressive.

i think the lightweight rankings should change this year. cause i think guys like edgar, griffin, florian, din etc.. are better then guys like hansen and ribeiro. and i think they would match up well with guys like ishida and kawajiri. the only thing stopping ufc 155lbs from being ranked is alot of top 155lbs arnt in the ufc. and not many if any will beat bj penn.

maybe im crazy but i think guys like edgar, penn, sherk, din, and tyson would beat guys like ishida, kawajiri and JZ. i think they would be good fights but for some reason i think the ufc fighters are better.

Din better then Shaolin!?!?