Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
Bantamweight
Jul 16, 2009
Bantamweight
1. Miguel Torres (37-1)
The king of the 135-pound world, Torres will finally take on undefeated challenger Brian Bowles in their much-anticipated bantamweight bout on Aug. 9 as the headliner of WEC 42 in Vegas.
2. Masakatsu
Ueda (9-0-2)
July 19 will mark the third defense of Ueda's Shooto 132-pound world title. It also may mark his toughest test to date, when he takes on precocious prospect Eduardo Dantas, Shooto's South American 132-pound king.
3. Brian Bowles (7-0)
Bowles' April crack at bantamweight king Miguel Torres was postponed due to a back injury. With Torres having successfully knocked off Takeya Mizugaki on April 5, Bowles will now get his shot at WEC 42 on Aug. 9.
Mizugaki won over the hearts and minds of MMA fans in April when he took divisional king Miguel Torres to a thrilling 25-minute decision. However, things get no easier for the former Shooto rookie MVP, as he'll meet rock-solid veteran Jeff Curran at WEC 42 on Aug. 9.
5. Joseph Benavidez (10-0)
After a sterling performance against veteran Jeff Curran in April, Benavidez may be but a single fight from a crack at the WEC bantamweight title. At WEC 42 on Aug. 9, he takes on fellow fast-rising 135-pounder Dominick Cruz in what amounts to a de facto title eliminator, with the victor likely facing the winner of Miguel Torres-Brian Bowles later this year.
6. Will Ribeiro (10-2)
The Brazilian MMA community continues to rally around Ribeiro, who was given only a 50-50 chance to live after a horrific motorcycle accident last December. Here’s to continued recovery and progress for the Brazilian banger.
7. Akitoshi Tamura (14-7-2)
The former Shooto world champion showed he made the right decision in opting to cut down to the bantamweight division. He made a successful 135-pound debut on April 5, taking a unanimous nod over former WEC title challenger Manny Tapia.
8. Manny Tapia (10-2-1)
Undefeated over his first 11 bouts, Tapia has lost his last two in the WEC. However, snapping that losing streak won't come easy, as "The Mangler" will meet former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland at WEC 43 on Sept. 2.
9. Damacio Page (11-4)
In his March 1 bout with the well-regarded Marcos Galvao, Page showed off the power and ferocity that made him an intriguing prospect as he crushed the Brazilian in a mere 18 seconds.
10. Marcos Galvao (6-3-1)
"Louro" has disappointed in the WEC following his successes in Brazil and Japan. He was brutally dispatched by Damacio Page in only 18 seconds on March 1.
Other contenders: Antonio Banuelos, Chase Beebe, Dominick Cruz, Eddie Wineland, Rani Yahya.
1. Miguel Torres (37-1)
The king of the 135-pound world, Torres will finally take on undefeated challenger Brian Bowles in their much-anticipated bantamweight bout on Aug. 9 as the headliner of WEC 42 in Vegas.
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July 19 will mark the third defense of Ueda's Shooto 132-pound world title. It also may mark his toughest test to date, when he takes on precocious prospect Eduardo Dantas, Shooto's South American 132-pound king.
3. Brian Bowles (7-0)
Bowles' April crack at bantamweight king Miguel Torres was postponed due to a back injury. With Torres having successfully knocked off Takeya Mizugaki on April 5, Bowles will now get his shot at WEC 42 on Aug. 9.
4. Takeya
Mizugaki (11-3-2)
Mizugaki won over the hearts and minds of MMA fans in April when he took divisional king Miguel Torres to a thrilling 25-minute decision. However, things get no easier for the former Shooto rookie MVP, as he'll meet rock-solid veteran Jeff Curran at WEC 42 on Aug. 9.
5. Joseph Benavidez (10-0)
After a sterling performance against veteran Jeff Curran in April, Benavidez may be but a single fight from a crack at the WEC bantamweight title. At WEC 42 on Aug. 9, he takes on fellow fast-rising 135-pounder Dominick Cruz in what amounts to a de facto title eliminator, with the victor likely facing the winner of Miguel Torres-Brian Bowles later this year.
6. Will Ribeiro (10-2)
The Brazilian MMA community continues to rally around Ribeiro, who was given only a 50-50 chance to live after a horrific motorcycle accident last December. Here’s to continued recovery and progress for the Brazilian banger.
7. Akitoshi Tamura (14-7-2)
The former Shooto world champion showed he made the right decision in opting to cut down to the bantamweight division. He made a successful 135-pound debut on April 5, taking a unanimous nod over former WEC title challenger Manny Tapia.
8. Manny Tapia (10-2-1)
Undefeated over his first 11 bouts, Tapia has lost his last two in the WEC. However, snapping that losing streak won't come easy, as "The Mangler" will meet former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland at WEC 43 on Sept. 2.
9. Damacio Page (11-4)
In his March 1 bout with the well-regarded Marcos Galvao, Page showed off the power and ferocity that made him an intriguing prospect as he crushed the Brazilian in a mere 18 seconds.
10. Marcos Galvao (6-3-1)
"Louro" has disappointed in the WEC following his successes in Brazil and Japan. He was brutally dispatched by Damacio Page in only 18 seconds on March 1.
Other contenders: Antonio Banuelos, Chase Beebe, Dominick Cruz, Eddie Wineland, Rani Yahya.
