So, how do we compile our rankings? What separates us from other web sites that formulate rankings?
Here is our ranking criteria:
- Activities in the last 3 years
- Last 5 fights
- Most recent performance
- Strength of competition
- Performance against top competition
- Estimated ability against future competition
To make it simple, we only look at fights that have happened in the last 3 years of action. Thus, currently it is 2014, so the only fights that can be factored into a ranking are from the years 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Anything before then is essentially wiped clean. Why is that? Fighters develop and decline rapidly. In order to provide rankings that are current and reflect what has happened in the now, rather than the past, we confine a fighter's activity to this 3-year window.
From there, we heavily utilize the fighter's last 5 fights. We look at these fights more so than any other action that may have happened in 2011 or 2012. We want our rankings to reflect how the fighter is currently performing. Therefore, if a fighter fights 12 times in the last 3 years, we will heavily emphasize their performance over the last 5 fights, rather than the previous ones.
There are many fighters sporting undefeated records from developing fight scenes, especially abroad. Something we take into consideration is the strength of competition they have faced. If a fighter has compiled a bunch of wins against competition that is lackluster they will likely have a difficult time moving up in the rankings until they face stiffer competition in order for us to accurately predict how they would perform against exceedingly tougher competition.
If a fighter has fought elite competition and fallen short, we factor in how they performed. If a fighter fairs well against a higher-ranked adversary, they could still move up in the rankings.
We watch every fight, including the prelims to try and provide our readers with the best rankings possible.
* (NR) = Not Ranked
Reasons for exclusions from rankings:
- Inactivity over 18 months
- Changing weight classes. A fighter must debut in their new weight class in order to officially be ranked there. Upon their debut, they will immediately be removed from their former weight class.
- Yet to debut in Bellator. A fighter will not be officially ranked until they debut in the Bellator.
- Retirement. Once a fighter is presumed retired based on interviews or lack of activity, they are removed from the rankings until further clarification is provided.
The best Russian fighter is now at a crossroads and resembles a boxer who has already cornered an opponent, swings him, but does not dare to deliver a knockout blow. Now Khabib does not have to count on an immediate fight with Conor McGregor, and therefore it is worth before the start of Ramadan.
Possible rivals: Tony Ferguson, Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor
Rustam Khabilov (UFC)
Last year, thanks to four confident victories, turned out to be successful for the second number of the Russian lightweight, however, the lack of early endings and the academic manner of fighting so far do not allow him to break into the main card. The new UFC relies on entertainment, and therefore Rustam should take a chance to get a new big fight.
Possible rivals: Evan Dunem, Francisco Trinaldo, Michel Prazeres
Alexander Volkov (UFC)
The main Russian heavyweight hope in the UFC, Alexander Volkov, in a dramatic fight with Timothy Johnson, showed that he was working on mistakes and had already learned how to defend himself better from takedowns, but physically powerful heavyweights are still ready to give him a lot of problems. I would like to see him fight with the Dutch skyscraper Stefon Struve.
Possible rivals: Francis Nganou, Stefan Struve, Derrick Lewis
Rashid Magomedov (UFC)
After the first defeat in his career from top rival Beneil Dariush, the ex-M-1 champion is at a crossroads, whether to start conquering the heights of light weight again or go down to featherweight, which, given his size, would be a good option. In any case, he is a spectacular fighter and will be in demand in the UFC.
Possible rivals: Jim Miller, Brian Barbarena, Michael Johnson
Albert Tumenov (UFC)
After defeating the rated Lorenz Larkin, all the gates on the way to the top opened for Tumenov, but he lost twice in a row by choke to the much less skillful Gunnar Nelson and Leon Edwards. Opponents gradually adapted to Einstein's style, and he never improved his takedown defense. It's time to think and realize the mistakes.
Possible rivals: Seth Bachinsky, Nico Price, Zach Cummings
Alexey Oleinik (UFC)
Now time is not working for one of the most experienced Russian fighters, and his career is close to completion. If in the fight with Victor Pest he comes out in the same form as with Daniel Omelyanchuk, then he may have to hang up his gloves this year. But we believe in the strength of Oleinik's spirit and that he will have several more bright fights.
Possible rivals: Victor Pesta, Marcin Tybura, Andrey Orlovsky
Magomed Bibulatov (UFC)
WSOF Champion and Representative famous club"Akhmat". A brilliant record and versatile skill will allow a fighter tall for the lightest weight to start not from zero starting positions and pass a serious test already in the first fight. It will also be interesting to see his face-to-face (and who knows, maybe face-to-face) confrontation with another Russian “flyer” Ali Bagautinov.
Possible rivals: Dustin Ortiz, Brandon Moreno, Tim Elliot
(UFC)
Three defeats in the last four fights - not the best legacy for the Knockout in the New Year. However, low competition in the lightest division has so far kept him from being fired. Ali needs to find new motivation and believe in himself, as the fight with Koji Horiguchi turned out to be his worst fight in the UFC.
Possible rivals: Louis Smolka, Ryan Benoist, Ben Nguyen
(Bellator? UFC? FIGHT NIGHTS?)
Where the best Russian heavyweight will actually continue his career, no one knows now. Bellator refuses to improve the financial conditions of its ex-champ, but at the same time does not let him go to the UFC. In the current stalemate, he is left to fight in the internal arena of FIGHT NIGHTS, but it is difficult to find a good heavyweight outside the UFC. Depending on the variant, we will select a different opponent for him.
Possible rivals: Javi Ayala, Antonio Silva, Roy Nelson
(Bellator)
With the immediate future of Fedor, everything is clear - this is a strong heavyweight from the second ten Matt Mitrione. Both the meaning of continuing a career and specific options will depend on the result of this fight, which are much more in Bellator than a couple of years ago. The main thing to understand is that a heavy knockdown in a fight with Maldonado is a lucky punch or the real level of the current Emelianenko.
Possible rivals: Matt Mitrione, Sheik Kongo, Quinton Jackson
(Bellator)
After a triumphant return to Bellator, Shlemenko is full of desire to regain the championship title, which is now held by Ricardo Carvalho, but he did not prove everything in the fight with Melvin Manhoef. Storm must meet with one of these two. In theory, all rivals in the middle division are tough for him, but, knowing Sasha's style, the fights will certainly turn out to be valid.
Possible rivals: Melvin Manhoef, Ricardo Carvalho, Chael Sonnen
(Bellator)
The Spartan found himself in the role of his teacher after an unexpected defeat by Brandon Halsey. He knew how to defeat Douglas Lima and perfectly demonstrated it in the first fight, and in the second he got carried away and ran into a counter blow. I think Bellator will not mind completing this trilogy and finally revealing the strongest.
Possible rivals: Douglas Lima, Paul Daly, Michael Page
(Bellator)
After a heavy knockout from Javi Ayala, Sergey needs a serious rest, and the Bellator management is absolutely right not to let him free float in Russian local tournaments. Sergei has recently shown motivation only for money, not titles, which is normal at his age, and therefore is unlikely to immediately accept a serious challenge.
Possible rivals: Tony Johnson, Oli Thompson, Satoshi Ishii
M-1
With increasing competition, M-1 is no longer the undisputed best Russian company, but rather the first among equals. Nevertheless, even with not the greatest financial opportunities, they make much more interesting shows for television than some competitors inflated with money. So, in the upcoming year in the featherweight division we are waiting for an exciting revenge between Ivan Buchinger and Magomed Idrisov. Alexander Butenko will accept a challenge from the hyped and mysterious Abukar Yandiev, who will try to fit into the 77 kg limit. In light heavyweight, Rashid Yusupov, who made a career in M-1 from scratch, will defend his title against the German tank Stefan Pütz. Finally, Shlemenko's graduate and welterweight champion Alexei Kunchenko will test the strength of Kazakh prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov. It is still difficult to find a worthy opponent for Ramazan Emeev, who, after defeating Anatoly Tokov, is ready to enter the world level. Shlemenko for this Bellator fight definitely won't let go.
FIGHT NIGHTS
Last year, the company of Ziyavudin Magomedov and Kamil Gadzhiev made big step forward, but it was rather extensive growth. With an increase in the number of tournaments and the number of fighters, some of them have clearly slid down to the local level. Nevertheless, FIGHT NIGHTS main fights and their elements of the show are still of interest to the general public. Title fight Kirill Sidelnikov with Sergei Pavlovich - the main event in the Russian heavyweight division. Murad Machaev is ready to be tested by UFC veteran Diego Brandan and, I would like to believe, will show something more than a blanket. We are waiting for the return of Vitaly Minakov, work on the bugs from Vladimir Mineev, as well as the performance of the Mokhnatkin spouses. An important step on the part of the company will be the introduction of doping control, for which Russian market MMA has matured for a long time.
Minakov is ahead of Emelianenko by 30 positions. Rating of MMA fighters
The legendary fighter Fedor Emelianenko remained at 44th place in the February rating best fighters world among the heavyweights.The legendary Russian mixed style fighter, 39-year-old Fedor Emelianenko, remained in 44th place in the February rating of the best fighters in the world among heavyweights.
As before, not a single Russian fighter is in the TOP-10 of his weight class. The best result of Bellator champion Andrey Koreshkov, who is ranked 14th in the welterweight division.
The Fightmatrix rating is calculated in the same way as the FIFA rating in football. If you win strong opponent you get more points. You defeat the weak - you get few points or nothing at all.
Who has risen the most among the Russians?
Welterweight Alexander Yakovlev broke into the top 50 rankings in his weight category. This happened thanks to a convincing knockout victory over George Sullivan. At the moment, Sasha takes 33rd place.
Heavyweight Evgeny Erokhin moved up to 30th place in the ranking of his division. Already on February 7, he will fight against Brandon Cash at the WSOF GC2 tournament, following which he will claim a much higher place.
Who can climb into the top 10 in the near future?
Bellator champion Andrey Koreshkov has a chance to get into the top 10 already in April. If he defeats former UFC champion Benson Henderson, then at least the tenth line will be for the Russian fighter.
Ali Bagautinov, a representative of the lightest weight category, also has good chances for the top 10. If he defeats the next opponent (not yet known), he will most likely rise in the rankings.
Lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov can also return to the top if he defeats Tony Ferguson in the next fight.
Heavy weight
1. Fabrizio Werdum (Brazil, 20 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw)
2. Cain Velasquez (USA, 13-2)
3. Alistair Overeem (Holland, 34-14)
4. Junior dos Santos (Brazil, 17-4)
5. Stipe Miocic (USA, 14-2)
6. Andrei Orlovsky (Belarus, 25-11)
7. Ben Rothwell (USA, 36-9)
8. Mark Hunt ( New Zealand, 11-10-1)
9. Travis Brown (USA, 18-3-1)
10. Frank Mir (USA, 18-10)
14 . Vitaly Minakov (Russia, 17-0)
17 . Alexey Oleinik (Ukraine/Russia, 55-9-1)
19 . Denis Goltsov (Russia, 16-4)
20. Sergey Kharitonov (Russia, 24-6)
26. Ruslan Magomedov (Russia, 14-1)
29. Alexander Volkov (Russia, 24-6)
30.Evgeny Erokhin (Russia, 13-4)
44. Fedor Emelianenko (Russia, 35-4)
46. Sergey Pavlovich (Russia, 6-0)
48. Konstantin Erokhin (Russia, 9-3)
55. Vadim Nemkov (Russia, 5-1)
64. Shamil Abdurahimov (Russia, 15-4)
88. Salimgirey Rasulov (Russia, 14-6)
light heavyweight
1. Jon Jones (USA, 21-1)
2. Daniel Cormier (USA, 17-1)
3. Anthony Johnson (USA, 21-5)
4. Ryan Bader (USA, 20-5)
5. Phil Davis (USA, 15-3)
6. Alexander Gustafsson (Sweden, 16-4)
7. Glover Teixeira (Brazil, 24-4)
8. Rashad Evans (USA, 21-4-1)
9. Liam McGuire (Great Britain, 11-0)
10. Quinton Jackson (USA, 36-11)
21. Viktor Nemkov (Russia, 23-5)
29. Maxim Grishin (Russia, 21-6)
33. Shamil Gamzatov (Russia, 1-0)
47. Gadzhimurad Antigulov (Russia, 16-4)
61. Abdul-Kerim Edilov (Russia, 16-4)
62. Shamil Nurmagomedov (Russia, 19-3)
72. Mikhail Mokhnatkin (Russia, 8-1-1)
83. Muslim Makhmudov (Russia, 8-2)
85. Rashid Yusupov (Russia, 5-2)
Average weight
1. Luke Rockhold(USA, 15-2)
2. Chris Wideman (USA, 13-1)
3. Yol Romero (Cuba, 11-1)
4. Vitor Belfort (Brazil, 25-11)
5. Ronaldo Souza (Brazil, 22-4)
6. Lyoto Machida (Brazil, 22-7)
7. Geghard Mousasi (Armenia/Holland, 37-6-2)
8. Robert Whittaker (Australia, 15-4)
9. Michael Bisping (Great Britain, 27-7)
10. Uriah Hall (USA, 12-6)
…
22. Ramazan Emeev (Russia, 13-3)
26. Alexander Shlemenko (Russia, 51-9)
34. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (Russia, 27-3)
40. Anatoly Tokov (Russia, 22-1)
50. Alexey Butorin (10-0)
55. Vitaliy Bigdash (8-0)
74. Vagab Vagabov (Russia, 20-0)
80. Mikhail Kolobegov (Russia, 9-3)
82. Vladimir Mineev (Russia, 5-0)
Welterweight
1. Robbie Lauler (USA, 27-10)
2. Johny Hendrix (USA, 17-3)
3. Rory McDonald (Canada, 18-3)
4. Tyron Woodley (USA, 15-3)
5. Rousimar Palhares (Brazil, 18-6)
6. Carlos Condit (USA, 30-9)
7. Demian Maia (Brazil, 22-6)
8. Hector Lombard (Cuba, 34-4-1)
9. Matt Brown (USA, 20-13)
10. Ben Henderson (USA, 23-5)
14. Andrey Koreshkov (Russia, 18-1)
21. Albert Tumenov (Russia, 17-2)
33. Alexander Yakovlev (Russia, 23-6-1)
59. Beslan Isaev (Russia, 33-7)
66. Alexey Kunchenko (Russia, 12-0)
72. Omari Akhmedov (Russia, 15-3)
89. Albert Duraev (Russia, 8-3)
92. Abubakar Vagaev (Russia, 10-1)
A light weight
1. Rafael dos Anjos (Brazil, 25-7)
2. Donald Cerrone (USA, 28-7)
3. Eddie Alvarez (USA, 27-4)
4. Anthony Pettis (USA, 18-4)
5. Will Brooks (USA, 17-1)
6. Tony Ferguson (USA, 20-3)
7. Gilbert Melendez (USA, 22-5)
8. Beneil Dariush (USA, 12-1)
9. Al Iaquinta (USA, 13-3-1)
10. Nate Diaz (USA, 18-10)
15. Rashid Magomedov (Russia, 19-1)
27. Alexander Sarnavsky (Russia, 32-3)
32. Rustam Khabilov (Russia, 17-3)
38. Magomed Mustafaev (Russia, 13-1)
39. Mairbek Taysumov (Russia, 24-5)
67. Oleg Bagov (Russia, 20-8)
83. Eduard Vartanyan (Russia, 12-2)
85. Ramazan Esenbaev (Russia, 9-1-1)
91. Hussein Khaliev (Russia, 14-1)
Feather-weight
1. Conor McGregor (Ireland, 19-2)
2. Frankie Edgar (USA, 20-4-1)
3. Jose Aldo (Brazil, 25-2)
4. Max Holloway (USA, 15-3)
5. Daniel Straus (USA, 24-6)
6. Chad Mendes (USA, 17-4)
7. Patriso Freire (Brazil, 24-3)
8. Charles Oliveira (Brazil, 21-5)
9. Ricardo Lamas (USA, 16-4)
10. Dnaiel Weichel (Germany, 36-9)
19. Marat Gafurov (Russia, 13-0)
37. Murad Machaev (Russia, 18-1)
45. Rasul Mirzaev (Russia, 14-0)
46. Zubaira Tukhugov (Russia, 18-3)
72. Magomed Idrisov (Russia, 6-0)
90. Salman Zhamaldaev (Russia, 10-1)
Bantamweight
1. Dominic Cruz (USA, 21-1)
2. TJ Dillashaw (USA, 12-3)
3. Uriah Faber (USA, 33-8)
4. Renan Barao (Brazil, 33-3)
5. Bibiano Fernandez (19-3)
6. Eduardo Dantas (Brazil, 17-4)
7. Marlon Moraes (Brazil, 15-4-1)
8. Jimmy Rivera (USA, 19-1)
9. Aljamin Sterling (USA, 12-0)
10. Marcos Galvao (Brazil, 17-6-1)
56. Timur Valiev (Russia, 10-1)
60. Magomed Magomedov (Russia, 12-1)
70. Rakhman Dudayev (Russia, 16-3)
80. Petr Yan (Russia, 5-0)
84. Mikhail Malyutin (Russia, 31-12)
Flyweight
1. Demetrius Johnson (USA, 23-2-1)
2. Joseph Benavidez (USA, 23-4)
3. John Dodson (USA, 17-7)
4. Henry Cejudo (USA, 10-0)
5. Jusier da Silva (Brazil, 18-4)
6. Louis Smolka (USA, 10-1)
7. Kueji Horiguchi (Japan, 16-2)
8. Wilson Reis (Brazil, 20-6)
9. Zach Makowski (USA, 19-6)
10. Ray Borg (USA, 9-1)
15. Ali Bagautinov (Russia, 13-4)
48. Velimurad Alkhasov (Russia, 4-0)
83. Yunus Evloev (Russia, 18-7)