Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
Lightweight
Aug 10, 2007
LIGHTWEIGHT (155-145)
1. Takanori Gomi (Pictures) (27-3-0, 1 ND)
Gomi's submission loss in February to Nick Diaz (Pictures) was overturned when Nevada ruled that the Californian had marijuana in his system, which when added to the fact that Gomi has fought at 161 pounds for the past three years makes this ranking tenuous. A 2006 submission loss to Marcus Aurelio doesn't help either, but Gomi avenged being put to sleep by winning a decision in Nov. of last year. Even with all that working against him, Gomi stands atop the heap of a deep and exciting weight division with wins over the likes of Kawajiri, Ishida, and Sakurai.
2. Gilbert Melendez
(Pictures) (12-0-0)
After notching the biggest win of his outstanding young career on New Year's Eve against Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures), Melendez has spent the first seventh months of 2007 twiddling his thumbs like most of PRIDE's former lightweights. Thankfully, Strikeforce has saved the day, as their 155-pound champ will return to action against a yet-to-be-named opponent on Sept. 29, and will live out what most 25 year olds could only dream about: beating up a guy at the Playboy Mansion.
3. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) (19-4-2)
After a tough break in his split decision loss to Melendez, Kawajiri went back home to the drawing board in his home of Ibaraki to train. Of course, due to PRIDE getting pillaged, that's as far as he's gotten in seven months. Kawajiri has said he would love to fight stateside in the cage, but it seems that opportunity isn't exactly forthcoming. However, leading Shooto promoter Sustain has a card slated for Nov. 8 that could use his starpower, and it would provide a nice opportunity for "Crusher" to vent his frustrations in the ring.
A perennial elite lightweight, Shaolin's competition since his Dec. 2004 loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) has ranged from solid-but-unspectacular to woefully inadequate. Thankfully, a strong challenge should be right around the corner for Ribeiro, who could very well face fellow Brazilian stalwart Gesias Calvancanti (Pictures) in the ongoing HERO'S tournament as early as Sept. 17.
5. Sean Sherk (Pictures) (32-2-1)
The UFC champion's steroid saga will be prolonged for another few months as the California State Athletic Commission granted Sherk a continuance in order for he and doping attorney extraordinaire Howard Jacobs to prepare their case for the next CSAC meeting on Oct. 31. The real downer? Putting the breaks on a Nov. superfight with B.J. Penn (Pictures).
6. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) (15-3-1)
(See Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures)).
7. Joachim Hansen (Pictures) (15-5-1)
MMA's foremost Norseman is another unfortunate victim of the PRIDE buyout, having signed a five-fight deal with DSE just before his Feb. win over Jason Ireland (Pictures). Now, "Hellboy" is looking to field offers, and if suitors aren't forthcoming, he'll resume amateur boxing when Norway's amateur season begins in Sept.
8. Marcus Aurelio (14-4-0)
Aurelio was wise in being one of the first former PRIDE fighters to secure a new deal following the PRIDE buyout. Looking for his first win since April of last year, when he shocked the world against Takanori Gomi (Pictures), Aurelio will make his UFC debut on Aug. 25 to take on Clay Guida (Pictures) in a UFC 74 preliminary bout.
9. Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti (Pictures) (12-1-1)
Injury axed the defending HERO'S tournament champion from his July bout with Andre "Dida" Amade, but it appears Fight Entertainment Group will slot "JZ" into the semifinals on Sept. 17. Don't be surprised if FEG lines up a Brazilian vs. Brazilian semifinal again this year as they did last; instead, be overjoyed at the prospect of a JZ-Shaolin clash.
10. B.J. Penn (Pictures) (11-4-1)
This was the most difficult ranking to make of the entire bunch. Penn possesses an incredible amount of skill and is universally lauded by fighters and fans as being one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA. But he had not fought at 155 in nearly three and a half years before recently dispatching former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver (Pictures), who has slipped down the ranks since the two first met in Jan. 2002. Because he is 7-1-1 overall at 155, the Hawaiian nabs the final spot over Joe Stevenson (Pictures). Penn was scheduled to face UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (Pictures) in Nov. but that is on hold with news of Sherk's alleged positive steroid test. Wins over a couple ranked fighters would propel Penn to the top of the list.
1. Takanori Gomi (Pictures) (27-3-0, 1 ND)
Gomi's submission loss in February to Nick Diaz (Pictures) was overturned when Nevada ruled that the Californian had marijuana in his system, which when added to the fact that Gomi has fought at 161 pounds for the past three years makes this ranking tenuous. A 2006 submission loss to Marcus Aurelio doesn't help either, but Gomi avenged being put to sleep by winning a decision in Nov. of last year. Even with all that working against him, Gomi stands atop the heap of a deep and exciting weight division with wins over the likes of Kawajiri, Ishida, and Sakurai.
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After notching the biggest win of his outstanding young career on New Year's Eve against Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures), Melendez has spent the first seventh months of 2007 twiddling his thumbs like most of PRIDE's former lightweights. Thankfully, Strikeforce has saved the day, as their 155-pound champ will return to action against a yet-to-be-named opponent on Sept. 29, and will live out what most 25 year olds could only dream about: beating up a guy at the Playboy Mansion.
3. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) (19-4-2)
After a tough break in his split decision loss to Melendez, Kawajiri went back home to the drawing board in his home of Ibaraki to train. Of course, due to PRIDE getting pillaged, that's as far as he's gotten in seven months. Kawajiri has said he would love to fight stateside in the cage, but it seems that opportunity isn't exactly forthcoming. However, leading Shooto promoter Sustain has a card slated for Nov. 8 that could use his starpower, and it would provide a nice opportunity for "Crusher" to vent his frustrations in the ring.
4. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro
(Pictures) (19-1-0)
A perennial elite lightweight, Shaolin's competition since his Dec. 2004 loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) has ranged from solid-but-unspectacular to woefully inadequate. Thankfully, a strong challenge should be right around the corner for Ribeiro, who could very well face fellow Brazilian stalwart Gesias Calvancanti (Pictures) in the ongoing HERO'S tournament as early as Sept. 17.
5. Sean Sherk (Pictures) (32-2-1)
The UFC champion's steroid saga will be prolonged for another few months as the California State Athletic Commission granted Sherk a continuance in order for he and doping attorney extraordinaire Howard Jacobs to prepare their case for the next CSAC meeting on Oct. 31. The real downer? Putting the breaks on a Nov. superfight with B.J. Penn (Pictures).
6. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) (15-3-1)
(See Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures)).
7. Joachim Hansen (Pictures) (15-5-1)
MMA's foremost Norseman is another unfortunate victim of the PRIDE buyout, having signed a five-fight deal with DSE just before his Feb. win over Jason Ireland (Pictures). Now, "Hellboy" is looking to field offers, and if suitors aren't forthcoming, he'll resume amateur boxing when Norway's amateur season begins in Sept.
8. Marcus Aurelio (14-4-0)
Aurelio was wise in being one of the first former PRIDE fighters to secure a new deal following the PRIDE buyout. Looking for his first win since April of last year, when he shocked the world against Takanori Gomi (Pictures), Aurelio will make his UFC debut on Aug. 25 to take on Clay Guida (Pictures) in a UFC 74 preliminary bout.
9. Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti (Pictures) (12-1-1)
Injury axed the defending HERO'S tournament champion from his July bout with Andre "Dida" Amade, but it appears Fight Entertainment Group will slot "JZ" into the semifinals on Sept. 17. Don't be surprised if FEG lines up a Brazilian vs. Brazilian semifinal again this year as they did last; instead, be overjoyed at the prospect of a JZ-Shaolin clash.
10. B.J. Penn (Pictures) (11-4-1)
This was the most difficult ranking to make of the entire bunch. Penn possesses an incredible amount of skill and is universally lauded by fighters and fans as being one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA. But he had not fought at 155 in nearly three and a half years before recently dispatching former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver (Pictures), who has slipped down the ranks since the two first met in Jan. 2002. Because he is 7-1-1 overall at 155, the Hawaiian nabs the final spot over Joe Stevenson (Pictures). Penn was scheduled to face UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (Pictures) in Nov. but that is on hold with news of Sherk's alleged positive steroid test. Wins over a couple ranked fighters would propel Penn to the top of the list.
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