MMA Pound for Pound Rankings

By E. Spencer Kyte
The Love of Sports Correspondent

While I haven’t been bestowed with an actual title or anything like that, I like to think of myself as the resident MMA guy here at The Love of Sports.

I spend a great deal of time focused on the world of MMA, because, well, I’m completely addicted to it in every way possible and for me, there’s nothing I’d rather do than watch some outstanding fights or discuss who the best pound for pound fighter in the world is today.

So, welcome to a little something I intend on bringing you once a month – my Pound for Pound Fighter Rankings, where I strongly encourage you to flood the site with comments as to why someone should be ranked higher or wondering aloud how I could possibly exclude your favorite Mixed Martial Artist.

1. Georges St. Pierre

He’s avenged both of the losses he’s taken during his career, both in dominating fashion and both times a title was on the line. There isn’t a part of GSP’s game that is missing and going the distance against Jon Fitch in his most recent bout shows that his stamina is just as strong as his all-around game.

2. Anderson Silva

Hopefully the retirement talk is just talk and nothing more, because “The Spider” is one of the deadliest and most entertaining MMA practitioners in the sport today. He’s cleaned out the Middleweight division and sent James “The Sandman” Irvin to dreamland in his Light Heavyweight debut.

3. Fedor Emilianenko

Listen – when you dispose of someone the size of Tim Sylvia in 36 seconds, you get my attention. When you haven’t lost in nearly 8 years and it’s the only loss of your career, you’ve earned my admiration. Like everyone else, I still want to see more of “The Last Emperor,” even if it means waiting until 2009.

4. B.J. Penn

If ever there was an example of not banking everything on a guy’s record, it would have to be Penn and his four ticks in the L Column. Thing is, those losses came to Matt Hughes, GSP, the still undefeated Lyoto Machida in an open weight contest and Jens Pulver back in the day. Penn will more than solidify his standing in these rankings should he topple GSP in their upcoming superfight.

5. Urijah Faber

“The California Kid” is going to run out of competition in the WEC. Only Hurricane Ike spared Michael Thomas Brown from being the next victim of Faber’s complete package inside the Octagon.

6. Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera

“Minotauro” is the interim UFC Heavyweight Champion and currently signed up to fight fellow coach Frank Mir at the close of The Ultimate Fighter 8. Should he get through Mir – and I expect him to do so easily – a bout with the winner of the Brock Lesnar / Randy Couture showdown would be next.

7. Miguel Torres

If he had more competition, the WEC bantamweight might be higher up on this list. As it stands, his 34-1 career record and his two impressive displays thus far in 2008 land him this spot on our list.

8. Forrest Griffin

Griffin is the Rodney Dangerfield of MMA in my books. No matter what he accomplishes, he still can’t get no respect around here. Before taking the UFC Light Heavyweight strap from Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Griffin submitted Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, widely considered one of the best in the world at the time. To me, it’s like Ric Flair always used to say – “To be the man, you have to beat the man, WOOO!” Right now, Griffin is The Man at 205.

9. Takanori Gomi

The Japanese invader to our initial rankings will no doubt be an unknown to many MMA fans and that is okay. Not everyone can be as much of an addict as I am and enjoy watching Gomi’s fights on YouTube to see that “The Fireball Kid” and his 29-3 career record deserve recognition in these rankings.

10. Jon Fitch

Now, this one’s undoubtedly going to get me some heat, but hear me out first. His only loss in his last 15 fights is to the guy who tops this list. He’s beaten everyone else at his weight and went the distance with GSP. Who else do you put here?