All Russian MMA fans expected that after Khabib Nurmagomedov wins the lightweight title, he will rise significantly in the rankings. The expectations were justified.
The Russian left behind all his competitors, including Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson. It is likely that Khabib will make his first belt defense with one of them. Nurmagomedov is set to return to the Octagon in November. Let's see how the UFC matchmakers work.
In the ranking of the best fighters, regardless of weight categories, Khabib rose to eighth place. This is a record for him. He has never climbed into the top 10 of this rating. Only UFC champions ranked above him, with the exception of McGregor. Why he is higher than Khabib in this ranking is probably a mystery to Conor himself. But this will not bother our athlete much.
Everything is clear with Khabib. What about other Russian fighters?
US Featherweight Zabita Magomedsharipova nicknamed ninja and kung fu master. The ex-champion of the ACB League is loved by fans abroad: he fights very coolly and spectacularly.
He spent three fights in the UFC, winning them, and for each of these fights he received bonuses in the amount of 50 thousand dollars from the managers. This is very cool. But what’s also cool is that Zabit rose to 14th place in the organization’s lightweight rankings after defeating American Kyle Bochniak at UFC 223. Now we can only hope that the Russian will be given an opponent from the TOP 10. Or maybe the opponent will be Yair Rodriguez, who is on the 11th line.
One of Ramzan Kadyrov's favorite fighters, Magomed Bibulatov, is now in full swing preparing for the UFC Fight Night 128 tournament (April 22), where he will fight with the Japanese Yuta Sasaki.
Magomed unexpectedly lost his previous fight to John Moraga, but remained in 15th place in the flyweight rankings. Bibulatov is the favorite in the fight against the Japanese. A victory will definitely move him up several places.
Light heavyweight Gadzhimurad Antigulov He fought two fights in the UFC, winning them. This allowed him to rise to 13th place in the ranking.
It is still unknown when the Russian will have his next fight. UFC management considers Gadzhimurad a promising fighter, and there is no point in arguing with that. We are looking forward to big fights and a rise in the rankings.
We have several people in the TOP 15 heavyweights. On the 13th line is located Shamil Abdurakhimov, who is now waiting for a decision on his next fight.
May soon improve its position Alexey Oleynik. On May 13, at the UFC 224 tournament in Brazil, he will fight against the 14th number in the heavyweight ranking, Junior Albini. The Russian, by the way, is higher - in tenth place. A victory will allow Alexey to overcome his loss to Curtis Blaydes and move up one or two places in the rankings. The chances of success are good.
Well, Russia’s main hope in the UFC heavyweight division is Alexander Volkov, who had a great run and scored four victories in the UFC. Drago is in third place. Only Alistair Overeem, Francis Ngannou, and champion Stipe Miocic are ahead.
It is still unknown where and when, and most importantly, with whom, Volkov will fight next time. It all depends on himself, as well as on the fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. However, we can say with confidence that Alexander is very close to the title fight.
source: “Soviet Sport”
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9 min.The UFC has gained widespread popularity. The most ferocious warriors on the planet fight against each other, hoping to find out whose martial arts are better and who is the strongest. The best UFC fighters for 2017, according to the Big Rating magazine:
Robert Whittaker
Robert John Whittaker, born in 1990. He is an Australian fighter with New Zealand roots. Known by the nickname "The Reaper".
The fighter competes in the middle weight (his own weight is 84 kg).
What we know about Robert is that he was taught sports from early childhood. Robert's father John sent the boy to karate when he was still a toddler. After eight years of training, Robert changed his qualifications to Hapkido, and in 2003 he began training in MMA.
Robert began his professional career in 2009 with the Xtreme Fight Championships promotion in Australia.
His first fight took place on March 14, 2009 against Chris Tullowin. A crushing victory in the first round gave Robert an incredible impetus for further studies.
Whittaker then signed up for the Cage Fighting Championships, where he won 6 victories.
With a 9-2 record, Whittaker competed on The Ultimate Fighter. There the Australian team faced their English opponents.
The first fight lasted only 19 seconds. Robert knocked out Luke Newman in the first round. Moreover, for this knockout he received a bonus in the form of $25,000 for the “Knockout of the Season.”
At the moment the fighter 19 wins and 4 losses.
Jose Aldo
Brazilian fighter, nicknamed "Scarface". He competes in the featherweight division (body weight 65 kg), under the auspices of the UFC.
Notably, Aldo turned out to be the fourth and final WEC Featherweight Champion and became the first UFC Featherweight Champion immediately after the UFC and WEC merged.
Surprisingly, until 2015, Aldo was the leader of the list of the best fighters regardless of weight category.
Jose Aldom is a two-time featherweight champion and has 26 wins, and 2 defeats.
Michael Bisping
A fighter from England, with the aristocratic nickname “Count”. He competes in the middle weight (body weight 84 kg) in the UFC league. At the moment he is the champion of his weight category. His resume also includes the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Championship and the Ultimate Fighter 3 Championship.
June 4, 2016 was significant for Michael, because he won the UFC champion belt.
Currently the athlete has 30 wins And 7 defeats.
Dominic Cruz
An American fighter of Mexican origin, who has the formidable nickname “The Dominator.” He competes in the bantamweight category (own weight 61 kg).
Dominic is a former two-time UFC champion and former WEC champion in his own weight class.
Currently Dominick Cruz has 22 wins and 2 defeats.
Tyron Woodley
American mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler. Tyrone has the nickname “The Chosen One” and competes in the welterweight division (own weight 77 kg). Since 2013 he has been competing in the UFC and is a champion in his weight category.
Tyrone's first fight took place in 2013 with Jay Chiron. The fight lasted exactly 36 seconds and ended with a lightning-fast knockout.
On November 16, 2013, Tyrone had another fight, which went in the same vein. Woodley received the "Best Knockout of the Night" award for this fight.
At the moment the fighter 18 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw.
Daniel Cormier
The story of the rise of the fighter nicknamed “DC” is quite fascinating. Initially, he took part in the Olympic Games from the USA.
In the UFC, Daniel began his career as a heavyweight, but then moved to light heavyweight. He justified this by saying that he did not want to compete with his friend Cain Velasquez.
Rising to the top of Olympus, Daniel defeated many famous opponents, which include such fighters as Frank Mir, Josh Barnett and others.
The only fighter who was beyond Cormier’s strength was Jon Jones. The first match ended in defeat on points, but the second still cannot take place, because the date has already been postponed twice.
The fighter's strengths include Olympic training: a high level of wrestling, pressing and boxing.
It's funny, but outside of the octagon, Daniel is a friendly and pleasant person, as well as a great friend.
At the moment the fighter has 19 wins And 2 defeats.
Cody Garbrandt
American fighter, bantamweight category (he weighs only 61 kg). Cody's professional career started just four years ago. Of course, then no one knew him yet and the general public did not even suspect about him. However, the finest hour came in 2016. The public saw 4 lightning victories, 3 of which occurred by knockout in the first round.
Now he has gone from being an unknown upstart to becoming the UFC bantamweight champion.
Cody's strengths include high speed and accuracy, endurance and developed fighting intelligence.
Currently Cody Garbrand has 11 wins and 0 losses.
Max Holloway
Jerome Max Holloway is a fighter from the United States who competes in the featherweight category. Max's own weight is 65 kg. Nicknamed "The Blessed One," he worked his way through the UFC's featherweight division to become a champion in that weight class.
Now he is listed as the fourth best fighter in the world, regardless of weight category, according to Sherdog.
Now Max has 17 wins and 3 losses
Stipe Miocic
American mixed martial arts fighter, originally from Croatia. Now he competes in the heavyweight division. Now his weight is 120 kg.
The fighter with the specific nickname “Stone Cold” began his career on October 8, 2011, fighting against Joey Beltran. The victory was awarded unanimously.
At the moment the fighter has 17 wins and 2 losses.
Conor McGregor
A unique fighter in UFC history, because he is the only holder of two championship belts at once, in different weight categories. McGregor's nickname is "The Notorious".
At the moment, he is the current lightweight champion and a very extraordinary person in the UFC. Everyone knows McGregor for his very striking fighting style, which includes various techniques and styles.
McGregor's unusual disposition is combined with a fierce character. He starts the fight long before its official start, because he always provokes his opponent in every possible way.
The brash Irishman is simply making history. Just look at the fight of Jose Aldo in the featherweight division at UFC 194. Conor simply crushed his opponent in 13 seconds and received the championship title.
At the moment the fighter 21 wins and 3 losses.
Demetrius Johnson
Second place in our ranking was taken by the famous American Demetrius Khrysna, who competes in the lightest weight category. Surprisingly, the fighter weighs only 56 kg. He is now the current champion in his weight category, and he is also recognized as the most consistent fighter.
A trained fighter can fight both standing and on the ground. It is distinguished by great speed and excellent reaction. Ideally adapts to any opponent.
Now Demetrius has 26 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw.
John Jones
The winner of today's ranking is the famous Jonathan Dwight Jones, nicknamed "Bones". He competes in the light heavyweight category at 93 kg.
This is one of the most talented and technical fighters in the whole world. What is the light heavyweight championship worth at just 23 years old? He became the youngest UFC champion in the history of the organization.
All his fights end in undeniable victories. The only defeat does not have a very good history, because he was disqualified for striking with his elbows at prohibited angles. To be honest, Jon Jones has no defeats.
However, like any talent, John found himself in an awkward situation when his dark side was revealed. It's sad to say, but the UFC legend had problems with the law due to drug use. This led to the stripping of belts, as well as the refusal of some contracts with sponsors.
Max Holloway / MMA Fighting
It's time to sum up the results of 2017 in mixed martial arts. Over the course of 12 months, MMA fans were able to watch defeats of dominant champions, scandals, the emergence of new stars, shocking knockouts and much more. We present the ranking of the 10 best fighters, regardless of weight category.
No. 10 VOLKAN OZDEMIR (14-1)
Unexpectedly in the top ten best fighters of the year Volkan Oezdemir. As of early 2017, the general MMA public knew absolutely nothing about the Swiss fighter of Turkish origin. He had several fights against strong opponents, but he did not stand out in anything significant.
In February of this year, Oezdemir came out on short notice against a UFC top midfielder. Ovince Saint Preux. Most experts considered Volkan an underdog. However, during the meeting he was able to be faster than his opponent, more technical and more active in the first two rounds. By the third five-minute period, the fighter’s strength was exhausted and he could lose. This was due to the fact that he did not go through a full training camp. At the same time, the judges gave him the victory.
In May, Oezdemir received a fight with a light heavyweight prospect Misha Tsirkunov, who was considered one of the most powerful young fighters. The Latvian could have played this fight well, but he underestimated his opponent and went on the attack with his saber drawn, forgetting about defense. In the first round, Oezdemir knocked out his opponent with several accurate hits.
In July, the main fight of life for Oezdemir took place, in which he. Such victories made experts turn their attention to Volkan, who became the discovery of the year as the fighter who achieved a title shot in fewer fights.
#9 AMANDA NUNES (15-4)
UFC women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes had her most successful year in 2016. In 2017, the Brazilian had only one fight. As part of her second title defense, Amanda met in a rematch with the famous Thai boxing master Valentina Shevchenko.
In their first confrontation, Nunes confidently won, beating her opponent on the ground. But by the second fight, Shevchenko emerged more experienced in MMA and dangerous in the stand-up with the ability to defend against a takedown. Therefore, Nunes did not take risks the entire fight and it seemed that she lost the fight. However, the judges.
The year was not the brightest for the Brazilian, but she was able to remove all questions by defeating the most dangerous rivals in the division.
#8 DEMETRIUS JOHNSON (27-2-1)
The best fighter in the world regardless of weight category Demetrius Johnson this year he defended his UFC flyweight title twice more, but for certain reasons he cannot be at the top of our rankings.
Firstly, the “mighty mouse”, having beaten all the strongest opponents in his weight class, fought with the middle peasants in 2017 Wilson Reis And Ray Borg. Secondly, Johnson was offered a fight with the former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, who was ready to come down in weight. However, Demetrius refused such a test and took an easier path.
This situation has greatly angered the UFC management, which understands that Johnson is unpopular and wants to organize competitive fights for him. Dana White he even resorted to threats, declaring that he would disband the flyweight division. The parties managed to make peace, but the company’s management still had a bad feeling.
No. 7 STIPE MIOCIC (17-2)
Many will wonder why the brightest heavyweight and champion is only in 7th position. The fact is that Stipe Miocic only entered the octagon once. American Croatian. The Brazilian, although he became an official contender, has not been shining in the octagon over the past few years and has had a lot of unimpressive fights. The only consolation was the fact that the champion took revenge from the Brazilian, to whom he had previously lost by a controversial decision of the judges.
At the beginning of 2018, Miocic will face a fight. In this fight, Stipe will be up against youth, overcoming which he will be able to be much higher in the ranking.
#6 TONY FERGUSON (23-3)
Unexpectedly, but deservedly, the 33-year-old “interim” lightweight champion appeared in the ranking Tony Ferguson. El Cucuy also played only one match in 2017, but due to circumstances beyond his control. The main irritant for the American was the Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov, who ruined their mega-fight due to weight loss. This was the second time the Dagestani disrupted their planned fight.
However, in October, Tony managed to have a title fight, in which he was opposed by the arrogant Kevin Lee. During the fight, Ferguson was able to tire his opponent in the third round. Having received the “temporary” title, “El Cucuy” became the main contender for the championship belt, which is held by Conor McGregor. This meeting may take place in the spring or summer of 2018.
#5 TJ DILLASHAW (15-3)
No. 4 GEORGES SAINT PIERRE (26-2)
Canadian mixed martial arts superstar Georges Saint-Pierre after a four-year absence, he finally returned to the UFC. In his first fight after a layoff, the veteran faced the Briton Michael Bisping as part of the fight for the middleweight title.
The Canadian's return was due to taking less damage from Bisping, who is clearly not the best fighter in the division. The Briton won the title thanks to the excessive self-confidence and laxity of the former belt holder Luke Rockhold. After that, he avoided truly dangerous opponents.
The only intrigue remained in what state Saint-Pierre would be after the downtime and how he would be able to compete in the middleweight division. During the fight, Georges showed that he had not lost anything from his technical arsenal. We saw both footwork and the famous Superman punch. As a result, the fight ended with the Canadian winning via sambision in the third round.
After this fight, St-Pierre renounced the title because he fell ill with intestinal colitis.
#3 TYRONE WOODLEY (18-3-1)
UFC featherweight champion American Tyron Woodley 2017, in the first match with whom I could only count on a draw. In the rematch, Woodley and Thompson once again created a dull spectacle of cautious fighting. This time the champion turned out to be more active, to whom the judges gave the victory.
In the second fight, which took place in July, Woodley faced the best Brazilian fighter Damian Maia. The challenger's threat on the ground should have come from Maia, despite the fact that Woodley is a basic wrestler. However, this did not happen and Tyrone stopped several dozen attempts to take the fight to the ground. He's a champion in the stand.
#2 ROBERT WHITTAKER (19-4)
In April, Whittaker, to the surprise of many experts,... In this fight, the Australian was considered a big underdog and was given almost no chance of winning. However, Robert was able to destroy the "aligator".
In the second match against Yoel Romero Whittaker was given even less chance of winning, since the opponent was very powerful physically and technically. However, Robert took advantage of the Cuban's main drawback - poor endurance. Romero was not enough for 5 rounds and he was forced to lose the episodes that allowed him.
Note that in February 2018, there were 221 Australians at UFC 2018.
#1 MAX HOLLOWAY (19-3)
The most successful year of 2017 was for the Hawaiian guy Max Holloway, who managed to win the featherweight title. In January, Max faced the best fighter in the history of the division Jose Aldo. Despite all the regalia and experience of the Brazilian, “Blessed”. In the third round, after good hits from the American, the referee stopped the fight and gave the victory to Max.
In December, Holloway was scheduled to meet Frankie Edgar, but the challenger was injured and withdrew from the fight. , who was preparing to fight with Ricardo Lamas around the same time. The new confrontation with the Brazilian was tougher, since the veteran used his powerful low kicks more often. However, Jose’s skills and endurance were not enough to withstand an opponent who was constantly advancing. Finally, again in the third round, Holloway.
In 2018, the most anticipated fight for Holloway may be. Don't forget that in the featherweight division it was Max who created the biggest problems for the Irishman.
Karen AGHABEKYAN, website