Rich Hansen's Take
HANSEN: Transparency in MMA Rankings - My Top 15 Featherweight Fighters (April 2014)
Apr 24, 2014 - 4:05:18 PM HANSEN: Transparency in MMA Rankings - My Top 15 Featherweight Fighters (April 2014)

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By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Guest Columnist

Despite my hiatus from this site, both writing and audio, I'm still keeping up with the sport and with the site. On top of that, I'm still in charge of compiling the monthly rankings. And since I'm going through the effort to compile the rankings, I still put together my own rankings in each division as well. My breakdown continues today with the featherweight ranks.

1.) Jose Aldo: You want divisional dominance? Jose Aldo has never lost a fight at featherweight. His one career loss was a lightweight bout when he was 21 years old back in November 2005. Aldo is the only Featherweight Champion in UFC history, after closing out the WEC as their Featherweight Champion. While it would be nice to see the maniacal aggression we saw earlier in his career, he is undoubtedly a better fight now than he was in those days. But one can't help but wonder how he'd look if he threw just slightly more strikes per minute than he does right now, as he possesses one of the lowest rates in the UFC.

Significant victories: Cub Swanson, Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Manvel Gamburyan, Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, Chan Sung Jung, Ricardo Lamas


2.) Chad Mendes: If all you think about Chad Mendes is the last three seconds of his fight with Jose Aldo at UFC 142 in January 2012, you're selling yourself short. Mendes was three seconds away from taking the first round of that fight... before Jose Aldo damn near decapitated him. And yes, I can't be a wagon until I grow wheels. I get that. I'm just saying that Mendes doesn't get the credit he is due because Jose Aldo turned a cage grab into a hellacious knockout. Jamie Penick has gone on the record as saying that he would favor Mendes in a rematch with Aldo.

Significant victories: Stephen Siler, Erik Koch, Cub Swanson, Michihiro Omigawa, Rani Yahya, Darren Elkins, Clay Guida, Nik Lentz

Notable losses: The aforementioned Jose Aldo


3.) Frankie Edgar: If you need proof that it's impossible to hate Frankie Edgar, well, he beat B.J. Penn twice (including one batshit crazy-ass robbery in Abu Dhabi) and I can't hate him. He's a solid dude, fun fighter, with an impeccable resume. Add on top of that the fact that he's giving B.J. Penn a third bite at the apple, simply because B.J. gave him a chance a few years back.

Significant victories: Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin, Mark Bocek, Spencer Fisher, Hermes Franca, Sean Sherk, BJ Penn (2x), Gray Maynard, Charles Oliveira

Notable losses: Gray Maynard, Benson Henderson (2x), Jose Aldo


4.) Ricardo Lamas: I have a feeling this is a little high, but as long as he holds an unavenged victory over Cub Swanson, this is where he belongs. While it's probably true that he has nothing for Jose Aldo, there are a ton of guys below Lamas who have nothing for Lamas. Nothing wrong with being perpetually top five.

Significant victories: Cub Swanson, Hatsu Hioki, Erik Koch

Notable losses: Danny Castillo, Iuri Alcantara, Jose Aldo


5.) Patricio Freire: See, now if you're reading this for the first time in mid-June, when he's the reigning Bellator Featherweight Champion, you'll be nodding your head in agreement. With the possible exception of Edchael Chandarez, Pitbull's the most talented fighter in Bellator.

Significant victories: Wilson Reis (2x), Georgi Karakhanyan, Daniel Straus, Diego Nunes, Justin Wilcox

Notable losses: Joe Warren, Pat Curran


6.) Cub Swanson: I really think the statute of limitations on Jose Aldo's flying double knee KO has been reached. Swanson's a stone cold killer, and a while a win over Jeremy Stephens won't move him any closer to a title shot, one more win after that should get him his chance at revenge. Swanson has losses to three of the fighters ahead of him in these rankings, but I would argue that he's a far better fighter now than he was even a couple years ago.

Significant victories: Hiroyuki Takaya, George Roop, Ross Pearson, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Dennis Siver

Notable losses: Jens Pulver, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Ricardo Lamas


7.) Pat Curran: PR hits aside - after all, it wasn't his fault that Bellator gave him an unearned title shot - Curran made the most of his gifted title shot and got his loss back from Daniel Straus. It's interesting to me that the third fight between these two (second in Bellator) was so different than the one it proceeded. I think what that means is that Curran laid an egg in his loss to Straus, and that the real Curran is the one we saw last time out. He'll need to be that fighter, and better, if he's going to defend against Pitbull Freire on June 6.

Significant victories: Daniel Straus (2x), Roger Huerta, Marlon Sandro, Joe Warren, Patricio Freire, Shahbulat Shamhalaev

Notable losses: Darren Elkins, Eddie Alvarez, Daniel Straus


8.) Chan Sung Jung: The Korean Zombie is everybody's favorite fighter, yours too. In case you think he's all flash and no sizzle, remember his battle with Dustin Poirier in May 2012. It's sad to realize that he's only fought once since that fantastic victory, but injuries can be a bitch. Here's hoping they don't sap the magic that makes him your favorite fighter.

Significant victories: Michihiro Omigawa, Leonard Garcia (TWISTER), Mark Hominick (SIX SECONDS), Dustin Poirier (2012 FIGHT OF THE YEAR)

Notable losses: Leonard Garcia (2010 SLOPPY FIGHT OF THE YEAR), George Roop, Jose Aldo


9.) Daniel Straus: His win over Pat Curran made me a believer, and the quality of the most recent fight with Curran cemented my belief that he's a top-ten fighter. Straus really opened up his offense in the last Curran fight, and has added a previously untapped level of excitement to his performances. He'll face the winner of the June 6 fight between Pitbull Freire and Curran this fall, and he stands a good chance to keep the belt rotating.

Significant victories: Marlon Sandro, Pat Curran,

Notable losses: Pat Curran (2x), Patricio Freire


10.) Dustin Poirier: I've got a feeling that a year from now he's going to be fighting for the title. I'd feel stronger about that if he ever developed any defensive skills, but the lack of defense in the pursuit of violence is fine with me. Had Poirier managed to defeat Cub Swanson, that might have catapulted him to a title shot. And I'm telling you right now, a fight between Aldo and Poirier would be fun for the four and a half minutes it would last.

Significant victories: Josh Grispi, Max Holloway, Erik Koch, Diego Brandao, Akira Corassani

Notable losses: Danny Castillo, Chan Sung Jung, Cub Swanson


11.) Jeremy Stephens: Featherweight agrees with him. After losing three in a low at 155, he's gone 3-0 at 145 and is main eventing an upcoming card against Cub Swanson. Clearly one of Dana White's favorites, as is evidenced by the fact that he's not currently in prison, Stephens might backdoor his way into a number 1 contender fight if he upsets Swanson.

Significant victories: Cole Miller, Rafael dos Anjos, Sam Stout, Marcus Davis, Rony Jason, Darren Elkins

Notable losses: Din Thomas, Spencer Fisher, Joe Lauzon, Gleison Tibau, Melvin Guillard, Anthony Pettis, Bonald Cerrone, Yves Edwards


12.) Shinya Aoki: I know. It's not 2007. Shut up. If he were in the UFC, he'd make serious waves. He's not going to be fighting Gilbert Melendez or any other near-welterweights. Aoki can submit anyone, anyone I say, at 145 pounds. But, as long as he wishes to be the big fish in a small pond, his reputation will wither away.

Significant victories: Joachim Hansen (2x), Gesias Cavalcante, Caol Uno, Edide Alvarez, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Satoru Kitaoka, Antonio McKee

Notable losses: Hayato Sakurai (2x), Joachim Hansen, Gilbert Melendez, Eddie Alvarez


13.) Nik Lentz: Just as Cub Swanson's loss to Jose Aldo weighs too heavily upon Swanson's reputation, Lentz is still bearing the cross of his awful fight over Andre Winner. That was in 2010, and there have been scores upon scores of crappy fights since then. Don't believe me? Just watch any Bellator fight at 205 or 265. Lentz is a good wrestler with solid hands, and is a legitimate gate keeper to near-contendership at featherweight.

Significant victories: Drew Fickett, Tyson Griffin, Diego Nunes, Hacran Dias

Notable losses: Mark Bocek, Evan Dunham, Chad Mendes


14.) Dennis Siver: Convincing losses to Donald Cerrone and Cub Swanson accurately showed his ceiling, and then his bust for taking hCG lowered that ceiling considerably. Considering his age, and factoring in that for all we know this isn't the first time he fought while doping, it's safe to say it's all downhill from here.

Significant victories: Spencer Fisher, George Sotiropoulos, Matt Wiman, Diego Nunes, Manny Gamburyan (hCG, not overturned to a NC)

Notable losses: Daniel Weichel, Gray Maynard, Melvin Guillard, Ross Pearson, Donald Cerrone, Cub Swanson


15.) Clay Guida: He's a talented grappler, there's no disputing that. But the disconnect between what he DOES and what people believe he does is just astounding to me. He hops around like a rabbit running away from a bear, and he's a folk hero anyhow. I just don't get it. Whatever. Personal disdain aside, he knows how to win fights, on scorecards anyhow. And I suppose that's a talent. I suppose. Whatever.

Significant victories: Josh Thomson, Mac Danzig, Nathan Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Takanori Gomi, Anthony Pettis, Hatsu Hioki, Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Notable losses: A whole mess of dudes you've never heard of, Gilbert Melendez, Din Thomas, Tyson Griffin, Roger Huerta, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Benson Henderson, Gray Maynard, Chad Mendes