Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
Rankings
Nov 14, 2009
November 2009 is one of the most stacked months in this sport's
short history, and Saturday night at the Sears Centre, Fedor
Emelianenko got it started on the right foot.
In the first marquee match of the month, Emelianenko put an explosive end to his more-competitive-than-expected bout with Brett Rogers to maintain MMA's heavyweight mantle. However, the real rankings shakeup from Strikeforce's first foray on network television comes from newly minted middleweight champion Jake Shields, who officially exits the welterweight division and enters these middleweight rankings following his unanimous decision over Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
Shields is not responsible for the only middleweight movement, though. The darling of the blossoming Polish MMA scene, Mamed Khalidov finally cut down to the middleweight division and made a strong statement in his biggest bout to date by ending Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago's run of nine straight stoppage wins.
That same night in Tokyo, Michihiro Omigawa took another hotly contested and controversial decision over divisional standout Hatsu Hioki. Now 4-1-1 as a featherweight, Omigawa may have the chance to avenge his lone career loss on New Year's Eve, should he get his rematch with Sengoku featherweight champion Masanori Kanehara.
All this just days into the month, with welterweight title implications coming up at UFC 105 and the featherweight division prime to be reshaped at WEC 44. You spoil us, November.
In the first marquee match of the month, Emelianenko put an explosive end to his more-competitive-than-expected bout with Brett Rogers to maintain MMA's heavyweight mantle. However, the real rankings shakeup from Strikeforce's first foray on network television comes from newly minted middleweight champion Jake Shields, who officially exits the welterweight division and enters these middleweight rankings following his unanimous decision over Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
Shields is not responsible for the only middleweight movement, though. The darling of the blossoming Polish MMA scene, Mamed Khalidov finally cut down to the middleweight division and made a strong statement in his biggest bout to date by ending Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago's run of nine straight stoppage wins.
That same night in Tokyo, Michihiro Omigawa took another hotly contested and controversial decision over divisional standout Hatsu Hioki. Now 4-1-1 as a featherweight, Omigawa may have the chance to avenge his lone career loss on New Year's Eve, should he get his rematch with Sengoku featherweight champion Masanori Kanehara.
All this just days into the month, with welterweight title implications coming up at UFC 105 and the featherweight division prime to be reshaped at WEC 44. You spoil us, November.
