My MMA lightweight world rankings (161lbs and below)

My MMA light weight world rankings as of 6/24/07

1)Bj Penn
2)Hayuto Sakurai
3)Gilbert Melendez
4)Takanormi Gomi
5)Sean Sherk
6)Shinya Aoki
7)Nick Diaz
8)Tatsuya Kawajiri
9)Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
10)Din Thomas

Let me know what you all think.

I think rankings are completely subjective, and it's nothing more than your view of who's better than who... without a mathematical system in place, there is no point in arguing about who should be #5 or #6 and so on...

I think Sherk would GnP every fighter on that list. But rankings are often argued on what you have done in the division, rather than what you have done in the sport. I think it is silly to ignore what Sherk has done in the WW division. Anyway...
here are mine.
1 Sean Sherk
2 Gilbert Melendez
3 Takanori Gomi
4 Tatsuya Kawajiri
5 Hermes Franca
6 Joe Stevenson
7 Hayato Sakurai
8 Spencer Fisher
9 Roger Huerta
10 Clay Guida / Tyson Griffin

I don't think Nick Diaz can make 155.

dude what about BJ Penn????????

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Posted by bt155lbs

dude what about BJ Penn????????

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That was a one fight deal, he is moving back to WW.

This should prolly be in the Lounge but I'm not a mod, so here it goes...

I think that Kid should be ranked a little higher. I also personally have Huerta ahead of Thomas.

I did not have BJ ranked #1 before and have a hard time moving him up there with a win over Pulver.

Mach over Gomi also doesn't make much sense to me as Gomi demolished him.

I agree that Sherk is not in the top 3 and that Franca isn't in the top 10.

I personally do not have Sherk ranked ahead of Aoki. Neither do I have Gomi ranked ahead of Melendez. I also have Vitor Ribiero ahead of Kawajiri.

Overall though, a good solid ranking.

Here is mine
1. Gomi
2.Sakurai
3. Aoki
4. Penn
5. Yamamoto
6. Sean Sherk
7. Melendez
8. Huerta
9. Vitor Ribiero
10. Genki Sudo (if he does not come out of retirement by the end of the summer then he will be removed)

Note on the omission of Diaz- I don't think that Diaz will fight at 155 again... If he does and wins then he will be in my top 10 rankings. Same goes with BJ... if he does not fight at 155 again he will be removed.

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Posted by bt155lbs

dude what about BJ Penn????????

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If he was going to stay LW, I would put him behind Sherk, at number 2. I think a Sherk v BJ matchup would look very similar to the Hughes v BJ bout.

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Posted by ac_gi

I think Sherk would GnP every fighter on that list. But rankings are often argued on what you have done in the division, rather than what you have done in the sport.

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Thats silly then, rankings (as subjective as they may be) are divided into the appropriate weight divisions for a reason, otherwise you have a p4p list... Sherk has had 1 fight at 155, and although it was an important fight against a quality opponent, putting him at #1 on a 155 list because he was good at 170 would be like me saying Shamrock is #1 at 155 cause he was ranked high in open weight, and hes bigger than them so I think he'd win...

...rankings always get me upset like this, don't take it personal.

I doubt that. Im sure he'll move back to welterweight but not after he wins the lightweight belt

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Posted by richieb19

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Posted by ac_gi

I think Sherk would GnP every fighter on that list. But rankings are often argued on what you have done in the division, rather than what you have done in the sport.

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Thats silly then, rankings (as subjective as they may be) are divided into the appropriate weight divisions for a reason, otherwise you have a p4p list... Sherk has had 1 fight at 155, and although it was an important fight against a quality opponent, putting him at #1 on a 155 list because he was good at 170 would be like me saying Shamrock is #1 at 155 cause he was ranked high in open weight, and hes bigger than them so I think he'd win...

...rankings always get me upset like this, don't take it personal.

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I think beating Karo twice, and a hard fought war with Hughes should not be disregarded, like it didn't happen.

I'm on the other side of the fence on rankings. If said fighter can prove he can make weight, then show that he has not lost speed and power, then I don't understand why he should still be ignored. What is the magic number? 2 fights in the division? 10? I respect your opinion, I just disagree.

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Posted by bt155lbs


My MMA light weight world rankings as of 6/24/07

1)Bj Penn
2)Hayuto Sakurai
3)Gilbert Melendez
4)Takanormi Gomi
5)Sean Sherk
6)Shinya Aoki
7)Nick Diaz
8)Tatsuya Kawajiri
9)Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
10)Din Thomas

Let me know what you all think.

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Thats what THIS is for.......

Yes thats one option for posting rankings but it wont get the views there that it will here in a forum nor will cause discussions like it will here in the forum

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Posted by bt155lbs

Yes thats one option for posting rankings but it wont get the views there that it will here in a forum nor will cause discussions like it will here in the forum

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Yeah, I don't mind discussing rankings. Actually, I think it's kind of fun. It's always a good argument.

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Posted by bt155lbs

dude what about BJ Penn????????

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yea what the heck?

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Posted by Ultimate_fighter

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Posted by bt155lbs

dude what about BJ Penn????????

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yea what the heck?

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If he was going to stay LW, I would put him behind Sherk, at number 2. I think a Sherk v BJ matchup would look very similar to the Hughes v BJ bout.

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Posted by ncordless

This should prolly be in the Lounge but I'm not a mod, so here it goes...

I think that Kid should be ranked a little higher. I also personally have Huerta ahead of Thomas.

I did not have BJ ranked #1 before and have a hard time moving him up there with a win over Pulver.

Mach over Gomi also doesn't make much sense to me as Gomi demolished him.

I agree that Sherk is not in the top 3 and that Franca isn't in the top 10.

I personally do not have Sherk ranked ahead of Aoki. Neither do I have Gomi ranked ahead of Melendez. I also have Vitor Ribiero ahead of Kawajiri.

Overall though, a good solid ranking.

Here is mine
1. Gomi
2.Sakurai
3. Aoki
4. Penn
5. Yamamoto
6. Sean Sherk
7. Melendez
8. Huerta
9. Vitor Ribiero
10. Genki Sudo (if he does not come out of retirement by the end of the summer then he will be removed)

Note on the omission of Diaz- I don't think that Diaz will fight at 155 again... If he does and wins then he will be in my top 10 rankings. Same goes with BJ... if he does not fight at 155 again he will be removed.

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Im ranking Sakurai ahead of Gomi based on recent performances. (Dennis Hallman beat Matt Hughes twice but Matts ranked higher)Gomi hasnt had an impressive fight in a while

I would like to see Huerta beat somebody like Spencer Fisher or Tyson Griffin before being ranked higher than a well accomplished Thomas. I do like Riberio and agree I should rank him 10th ahead of Din Thomas

Wow. Nick Diaz really does get no respect. Now save the comments about his attitude, we are talking skill here... I see Gomi on everyones list... Didnt Diaz beat him? I hate that people dont take it into consideration because of the N.C. It really still happened guys.

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Posted by rcg916

Wow. Nick Diaz really does get no respect. Now save the comments about his attitude, we are talking skill here... I see Gomi on everyones list... Didnt Diaz beat him? I hate that people dont take it into consideration because of the N.C. It really still happened guys.

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I have him ranked 7th, and the dude has nothing but my respect hes's a real fighter

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Posted by rcg916

Wow. Nick Diaz really does get no respect. Now save the comments about his attitude, we are talking skill here... I see Gomi on everyones list... Didnt Diaz beat him? I hate that people dont take it into consideration because of the N.C. It really still happened guys.

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Nick Diaz is a hell of a fighter. I left him off my rankings because I was under the assumption that he would not fight at LW anymore. I thought it was a one fight thing, so that he could take on Gomi.

all this lightweight talks is getting me thinking imagine if they still had that lightweight GP...imagine the possibilities :
penn
sherk
gomi
sakurai
aoki
melendez
diaz
franca
stevenson
ishida
kawajiri
aurellio
yamamoto
thomas
huerta
griffin
fischer
edgar
guida
guillard
nate diaz
lauzon
pellegrino
i feel like i could go on forever...seems like it could even be 32 deep if you included all of the organizations: horodecki, palasezski (spelling?), leopoldo, josh thomson...

Aaaah... thats better... lol. I thought we were talking about the 161 class... He said he can make that all day, but 155 is too much... Good lists by the way, pretty much everyone.

edit: was working on a diaz HL when I originally read that... probably why I chimed in, lol.

Din Thomas deserves to be i the top 10 but I think Shaolin deserves it more

updated rankings

1)Bj Penn
2)Hayuto Sakurai
3)Gilbert Melendez
4)Takanormi Gomi
5)Sean Sherk
6)Shinya Aoki
7)Nick Diaz
8)Tatsuya Kawajiri
9)Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
10)Vitor Ribeiro


A lightweight tournament would be so awesome. Say they took the top 24 and seeds 1-8 got a first round bye. Fight the semi's and finals the same day. I think Gil Melendez has as good as chance as anyone of winning the tournament

my money would be on gil.