The Doggy Bag: One Special Rematch

Has there ever been any consideration over revamping the way Sherdog puts together its weight class and pound-for-pound rankings? The current system is not bad but could be improved if it were less restricted by the decisions handed down by judges, who frequently prove to know much less about MMA than the Sherdog staff. For a recent example, did Frankie Edgar win a decision over B.J. Penn? Yes, he did. Does that single, controversial fight really mean he is the number one lightweight in the world -- and the number eight pound-for-pound fighter? If we are being honest, it doesn’t. This is your site, Sherdog. Rather than falling in line with the whims of unqualified judges, let us see your real rankings.
-- Brent, Portland, Ore.

Brian Knapp, associate editor: The rankings process will never be an exact science, and it can be maddening not only for those of us who help compile them but for those who have a vested interest in them. Lists like these are inherently flawed because of their subjective nature, and someone will always be unhappy with them, no how much time, energy and study we put forth.

We have to recognize the outcomes of fights, whether we agree with them or not. To ignore Edgar’s performance against Penn would do a great injustice to him. The decision from that match was not some gross miscarriage of justice. It was a close fight. I had Penn winning. The three judges seated cage-side saw it differently. Bottom line: Edgar won. That he now occupies the top spot in our lightweight rankings does not necessarily mean we view him as the sport’s best lightweight.

Let us look to college basketball for some precedence. In 2004, St. Joseph’s finished the regular season undefeated and achieved a top ranking in the country. No one outside of Philadelphia believed the Hawks had the best team in the land that year, but through attrition, consistent winning and good fortune, they reached the top spot. It happens almost every year in virtually every sport where rankings are involved.

Edgar may not be the world’s best lightweight -- most still believe that distinction belongs to Penn -- but he has proven worthy of being ranked number one, as has Penn and Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. To that end, the process of determining our rankings can always be improved, and we are open for suggestions.