...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
We’re back on the rotation in our “Keeping Tabs On…” series, where we break down the UFC’s Top 15 ranked fighters in each division. We'll let you know where we've got them ranked, what they've got coming up, how often they've been competing, what we've said about them recently at MMATorch, and more. We continue today with the featherweight division.
Champ: Jose Aldo
MMATorch Rank: 1 Next Fight: TBA Previous Fight: Ricardo Lamas (Win), UFC 169 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 4 Contender Status: Current Champ What We're Saying: "Aldo looked excellent against Lamas. He dominated 90% of the fight, he was attacking consistently, and he was doing damage. That he didn't get the finish is a testament to Lamas, not a condemnation of Aldo, and there wasn't a ton more Aldo could have done to stop the fight earlier without opening himself up to needless punishment. At times that type of risk-aversion can turn some fans off, as some just want to see reckless abandon in the cage. Aldo's not that type of fighter, and doesn't need to be" - Jamie Penick
1. Chad Mendes
MMATorch Rank: 2 Next Fight: TBA Previous Fight: Nik Lentz (Win), UFC on Fox 9 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 6 Contender Status: Rising, should get next title shot What We're Saying: "I think Mendes is the rightful top contender, but Swanson could be tossed in there because his fight with Aldo took place well before Mendes got his shot. Still, Swanson's not been in the cage for quite some time, whereas Mendes has been fairly busy. He's been much more visible, and has done nothing but win fights - most of them convincingly - since his loss to Aldo." - Jamie Penick
2. Frankie Edgar
MMATorch Rank: 3 Next Fight: B.J. Penn, The Ultimate Fighter 19, July 6 Previous Fight: Charles Oliveira (Win), UFC 162 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 4 Contender Status: Rising, former Champ can get back to a title fight with a few wins What We're Saying: "The TUF 19 Finale is also expected to play host to the TUF 19 coaches bout between B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar. That bout will be Penn's debut in the featherweight division, the third separate division he'll have competed in inside the Octagon." - Jamie Penick
3. Ricardo Lamas
MMATorch Rank: 5 Next Fight: TBA Previous Fight: Jose Aldo (Loss), UFC 169 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 3 Contender Status: Next Title challenger What We're Saying: "Lamas is a really good fighter in his own right, but Aldo is just simply better. That's about as simple as it gets. I would have liked to see more killer instinct from Aldo in this fight, as it was clear that Lamas wasn't going to win" - Frank Hyden
4. Cub Swanson
MMATorch Rank: 4 Next Fight: TBA Previous Fight: Dennis Siver (Win), UFC 162 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 5 Contender Status: Rising, may just be a fight or two away What We're Saying: "I think Mendes is the rightful top contender, but Swanson could be tossed in there because his fight with Aldo took place well before Mendes got his shot. Still, Swanson's not been in the cage for quite some time, whereas Mendes has been fairly busy." - Jamie Penick
5. Chan Sung Jung
MMATorch Rank: 6 Next Fight: TBA Previous Fight: Jose Aldo (Loss), UFC 163 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 2 Contender Status: Falling, loss to Champ and injuries have him in back of the line What We're Saying: "Jung was hesitant to come forward himself, expecting more offense from the Champ to work off of. So there wasn't a ton to work with offensively for Jung in that fight, and then when he separated his shoulder from throwing a punch, that was the end for him." - Jamie Penick
6. Dustin Poirier
MMATorch Rank: 9 Next Fight: Akira Corassani, “The Ultimate Fighter: Nations” Finale, April 16 Previous Fight: Diego Brandao (Win), UFC 168 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 6 Contender Status: Rising, still several fights away from contention What We're Saying: "Poirier will try to make it three wins in a row after an impressive stoppage of Diego Brandao in December. That followed up a decision win over Erik Koch in August at UFC 164." - Jamie Penick
7. Dennis Siver
MMATorch Rank: 10 Next Fight: TBA Previous Fight: Manny Gamburyan (Win), UFC 168 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 4 Contender Status: Falling, facing suspension for failed drug test What We're Saying: "This is one of the scenarios where Siver likely mistimed his cycle, so this drug was still in his system, but whatever anabolics he may have been using prior to administering hCG are unknown, because he wasn't tested in camp where he'd have reaped the benefits of the drugs." - Jamie Penick
8. Nik Lentz
MMATorch Rank: 11 Next Fight: Manny Gamburyan, UFC Fight Night 40 Previous Fight: Chad Mendes (Loss), UFC on Fox 9 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 5 Contender Status: Stagnant, lost to one of the top contenders, could bounce back What We're Saying: "Lentz hopes to bounce back from a decision loss to Chad Mendes in his last outing at UFC on Fox 9 in Sacramento in December, his first as a featherweight. He had looked very good in his first two 145 lb. fights, and gave Mendes a tough test as a replacement opponent on that card, but he was taken down a few times in what ended up being the deciding factor of the fight." - Jamie Penick
9. Clay Guida
MMATorch Rank: Not ranked (received votes) Next Fight: Tatsuya Kawajiri, UFC Fight Night 39, April 11 Previous Fight: Chad Mendes (Loss), UFC 164 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 3 Contender Status: Falling, unlikely to get to a title fight What We're Saying: "For Guida, it'd be his third fight in the featherweight division after splitting his first two 145 lb. appearances in 2013. In January, he edged a questionable split decision over Hatsu Hioki, and in August, he suffered his first career stoppage loss when he was taken out by Chad Mendes." - Jamie Penick
10. Dennis Bermudez
MMATorch Rank: Not ranked (received votes) Next Fight: TBA Previous Fight: Jimy Hettes (Win), UFC 171 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 6 Contender Status: Rising, now has six straight wins and deserves a step up What We're Saying: "Dennis Bermudez has now won six straight fights, and it's time to get him a step up in both competition and profile. He controlled Jimy Hettes from the outset of their fight, mixing up his attacks nicely and never letting Hettes settle into a comfortable spot. Instead, he hurt Hettes several times throughout the fight, finally bringing an end to the bout in the third round. He looked excellent, and I hope the UFC gives him a big fight in his next outing." - Jamie Penick
11. Jeremy Stephens
MMATorch Rank: 13 Next Fight: TBA Previous Fight: Darren Elkins (Win), UFC on Fox 10 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 5 Contender Status: Rising, still several fights from legitimate contention What We're Saying: "Jeremy Stephens continues to surprise at featherweight, and he had a very strong performance that kind of exposed Darren Elkins… I'm not sure what Stephens' ceiling is at 145 lbs. right now, but he might be getting a shot at a top ten guy to find out." - Jamie Penick
12. Darren Elkins
MMATorch Rank: Not ranked (received votes) Next Fight: TBA Previous Fight: Jeremy Stephens (Loss), UFC on Fox 10 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 6 Contender Status: Falling, not likely to work into contention What We're Saying: "Elkins is still too one dimensional a fighter. He is still young, so he has time to be more than a wrestler with good striking. If he wants to stay in the UFC he will need to do a much better job than he did" - Eric Hobaugh
13. Conor McGregor
MMATorch Rank: Not ranked Next Fight: Cole Miller, UFC Fight Night Dublin, July 19 Previous Fight: Max Holloway (Win), UFC Fight Night 26 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 5 Contender Status: Rising, could have a fast track given the UFC’s affinity towards him What We're Saying: "McGregor has already been pushed to the moon by the UFC whether its deserved or not, and he certainly had some buzz about him from his time in Cage Warriors. And given the call out he received from Cole Miller and the back and forth they've had, having a little grudge match in McGregor's home country seems like a solid choice if that's the route they go." - Jamie Penick
14. Tatsuya Kawajiri
MMATorch Rank: 14 Next Fight: Clay Guida, UFC Fight Night 39, April 11 Previous Fight: Sean Soriano (win), UFC Fight Night 34 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 3 Contender Status: Rising, deserves a chance to earn a shot What We're Saying: "This is an interesting fight at 145 lbs. It gives Kawajiri the top ten opponent he was looking for (by the UFC's rankings), while it gives Guida a legitimate opponent after a loss to one of the best in the division. Still, it would have been nice to see Kawajiri on a non-Fight Pass show; he's a potential challenger with a few wins, but needs more widespread exposure to the UFC's core audience." - Jamie Penick
15. Erik Koch
MMATorch Rank: Not ranked (ineligible as he moved to lightweight) Next Fight: Daron Cruickshank, UFC Fight Night 40, May 10 Previous Fight: Rafaello Oliveira (Win), UFC 170 Number of Fights Since Jan. 2012: 3 Contender Status: No longer in the division What We're Saying: "Koch made quick work of Rafaello Oliveira last weekend at UFC 170 in Las Vegas, knocking him out in the first round. That bounced him back from consecutive losses at featherweight in 2013, which in part prompted the move back up to the lightweight division." - Jamie Penick
DON'T GO YET... WE SUGGEST THESE MMATORCH ARTICLES, TOO!
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.
