Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
A New Contender
This light heavyweight thing is working out pretty well for Anthony Smith.
Since moving up from 185 pounds earlier this year, “Lion Heart” is 3-0 at 205 pounds, with his most recent victory being the most impressive. After surviving some adversity in the first two frames, Smith rallied to submit former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir in the third round of the UFC Fight Night 138 headliner in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. In addition to his triumph over Oezdemir, Smith owns finishes of Mauricio Rua and Rashad Evans in his new division. As a result, Smith leaves the bubble and enters the light heavyweight top 10 at No. 4, while Oezdemir’s two-bout skid has him falling to the sixth spot.
Elsewhere, Top 5 light heavyweight Ryan Bader moved one step closer to becoming a two-division champion with a dominant decision victory over Matt Mitrione the Bellator heavyweight grand prix semifinals on Oct. 12. The Arizona native has won six straight contests and will meet Fedor Emelianenko for the promotion’s vacant heavyweight crown on Jan. 26 in Los Angeles. In the meantime Bader makes his debut on the heavyweight bubble, replacing Mitrione.
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