Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
Featherweight
Jul 16, 2009
Featherweight
1. Mike Thomas Brown (22-4)
Though it was just over a month ago that Mike Thomas Brown gritted out his second win over featherweight star Urijah Faber, the 145-pound kingpin can't necessarily rest easy. With pistol prospect Jose Aldo his next challenger, Brown may face his toughest task to date before 2009 is up.
2. Urijah Faber
(22-3)
Faber failed to recover the WEC title and featherweight mantle in his June 7 rematch with Mike Thomas Brown. However, fighting gamely for the better part of 25 minutes with a broken hand, Faber proved he still ranks among the featherweight elite.
3. Wagnney Fabiano (12-1)
Quietly one of the world's best featherweights, Fabiano could secure a crack at the WEC's title if he beats undefeated Midwesterner Erik Koch at WEC 43 on Sept. 2.
Garcia was blown out in his March championship bout against Mike Thomas Brown, but the Greg Jackson-trained “Bad Boy” will look to rejoin the WEC title hunt on Aug. 9 when he takes on Jameel Massouh.
5. Hatsu Hioki (19-3-2)
Hioki made the second round of the Sengoku tournament look just as easy as the first, as he easily submitted Briton Ronnie Mann. Hioki’s road to the tournament final goes through ZST representative Masanori Kanehara on Aug. 2.
6. Jose Aldo (15-1)
After cutting a swath through the WEC's featherweight division, 22-year-old wunderkind Jose Aldo has been chosen as the next man to challenge divisional ruler Mike Thomas Brown. The moment of truth for the Manaus native will come at WEC 45 in November, where he figures to be Brown's most explosive challenger to date.
7. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2)
After missing out of Sengoku's featherweight tournament due to a knee injury, the 37-year-old Mishima will make the first defense of his Deep featherweight title on Aug. 23. The colorful Cobra Kai leader will risk his throne against 22-year-old stud Takafumi Otsuka, who competed in Dream's featherweight GP earlier this year.
8. Takeshi Inoue (16-3)
In a bout that was more symbolic than relevant, professional Shooto’s current poster boy defended his 143-pound world title against Shooto icon Rumina Sato. After his usual dramatic early struggle, “Lion Takeshi” predictably punched out Sato in the first frame.
9. Rafael Assuncao (13-1)
In his awaited WEC debut, Assuncao showed why critics have afforded him blue-chip prospect status. He took a one-sided decision over a game Jameel Massouh and firmly implanted himself in the promotion’s featherweight plans.
10. Marlon Sandro (14-0)
On paper, Sandro’s Sengoku featherweight tournament bout against fellow undefeated Nick Denis was one of the most compelling. In actuality, it took Sandro just 19 seconds to knock the Canadian unconscious. The featherweight King of Pancrase will now take on red-hot Michihiro Omigawa on Aug. 2, with a spot in the tournament final on the line.
Other contenders: Bibiano Fernandes, Josh Grispi, Yuji Hoshino, Masakazu Imanari, Joe Soto.
1. Mike Thomas Brown (22-4)
Though it was just over a month ago that Mike Thomas Brown gritted out his second win over featherweight star Urijah Faber, the 145-pound kingpin can't necessarily rest easy. With pistol prospect Jose Aldo his next challenger, Brown may face his toughest task to date before 2009 is up.
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Faber failed to recover the WEC title and featherweight mantle in his June 7 rematch with Mike Thomas Brown. However, fighting gamely for the better part of 25 minutes with a broken hand, Faber proved he still ranks among the featherweight elite.
3. Wagnney Fabiano (12-1)
Quietly one of the world's best featherweights, Fabiano could secure a crack at the WEC's title if he beats undefeated Midwesterner Erik Koch at WEC 43 on Sept. 2.
4. Leonard
Garcia (12-4)
Garcia was blown out in his March championship bout against Mike Thomas Brown, but the Greg Jackson-trained “Bad Boy” will look to rejoin the WEC title hunt on Aug. 9 when he takes on Jameel Massouh.
5. Hatsu Hioki (19-3-2)
Hioki made the second round of the Sengoku tournament look just as easy as the first, as he easily submitted Briton Ronnie Mann. Hioki’s road to the tournament final goes through ZST representative Masanori Kanehara on Aug. 2.
6. Jose Aldo (15-1)
After cutting a swath through the WEC's featherweight division, 22-year-old wunderkind Jose Aldo has been chosen as the next man to challenge divisional ruler Mike Thomas Brown. The moment of truth for the Manaus native will come at WEC 45 in November, where he figures to be Brown's most explosive challenger to date.
7. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (19-6-2)
After missing out of Sengoku's featherweight tournament due to a knee injury, the 37-year-old Mishima will make the first defense of his Deep featherweight title on Aug. 23. The colorful Cobra Kai leader will risk his throne against 22-year-old stud Takafumi Otsuka, who competed in Dream's featherweight GP earlier this year.
8. Takeshi Inoue (16-3)
In a bout that was more symbolic than relevant, professional Shooto’s current poster boy defended his 143-pound world title against Shooto icon Rumina Sato. After his usual dramatic early struggle, “Lion Takeshi” predictably punched out Sato in the first frame.
9. Rafael Assuncao (13-1)
In his awaited WEC debut, Assuncao showed why critics have afforded him blue-chip prospect status. He took a one-sided decision over a game Jameel Massouh and firmly implanted himself in the promotion’s featherweight plans.
10. Marlon Sandro (14-0)
On paper, Sandro’s Sengoku featherweight tournament bout against fellow undefeated Nick Denis was one of the most compelling. In actuality, it took Sandro just 19 seconds to knock the Canadian unconscious. The featherweight King of Pancrase will now take on red-hot Michihiro Omigawa on Aug. 2, with a spot in the tournament final on the line.
Other contenders: Bibiano Fernandes, Josh Grispi, Yuji Hoshino, Masakazu Imanari, Joe Soto.
