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MMA Rankings, February 2023: Would Bellator champ Johnny Eblen beat the UFC’s best? – MMA Fighting
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In the ever-shifting MMA landscape, ranking the world’s greatest fighters might seem like a fool’s errand, but that’s exactly we’ve set out to do with the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Here, our esteemed panel sorts out the movers and shakers from every division to provide you with the most definitive list of the best fighters on the planet.
With that, let’s take a look at the biggest rankings storylines from this past cycle (Jan. 22-Feb. 12).
Johnny Eblen is the best middleweight in the world. Disagree? Just ask him.
With respect to Bellator’s 185-pound champion, ranking him No. 1 in the division is probably a stretch, even given the scorching 13-0 start to his MMA career and two outstanding wins against Anatoly Tokov and Gegard Mousasi. But suggesting that he could beat the current No. 1 in the division doesn’t sound crazy at all.
Eblen breaks into the top 5 this month, jumping from No. 6 to No. 4, with one panelist going as far as to throw him a vote for the top spot. His body of work clearly isn’t as substantial as some of the UFC’s stars, but one can’t help but wonder if his high pressure style would make him a favorite over UFC champion Alex Pereira or even former champion Israel Adesanya. On that same token, would more similarly-styled middleweights like Robert Whittaker or Marvin Vettori have the edge against Eblen?
As long as Eblen is in Bellator, it’s difficult to chart a path that sends him further up the charts; then again, if Eblen keeps winning, he’s going to stay in the thick of the No. 1 discussion for a long time.
For years, Yair Rodriguez felt like he might become one of MMA’s also-rans. A super talented prospect who was spoken of in hushed tones before he won the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, Rodriguez lived up to much of his promise while also hitting snag after snag on his way up the charts. Losses to Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar had some questioning his ceiling, but a golden opportunity presented itself at UFC 284 with the promotion deciding to throw an interim featherweight title into the mix while undisputed champion Alexander Volkanovski moved up to fight Islam Makhachev.
On Saturday, we saw the best version of Rodriguez we’d ever seen. He out-struck and outworked Emmett for almost 10 minutes before finishing with a triangle choke late in the second round. Presumably, Rodriguez has locked up a title shot against Volkanovski, and if we see this version of him on that hypothetical fight night, you better believe the champ is in for another major test.
For now, Rodriguez can take solace in joining Volkanovski and Holloway in the esteemed MMA Fighting top 3, just edging past Bellator star Patricio Pitbull.
UFC president Dana White guaranteed that the slumping Derrick Lewis won’t have to worry about his spot in the company anytime soon.
But Lewis’ spot in our rankings? Anything but secure.
For the first time since we started doing these rankings in July 2021, Lewis is not a top 10 heavyweight. “The Black Beast” has fallen on hard times with three straight losses and four losses in his past five appearances. His recent setback against Serghei Spivac was the straw that broke the camel’s back for our panel, as Lewis’ dispirited effort resulted in him crashing all the way from No. 7 into a tie for the No. 14 spot.
It doesn’t help that the heavyweight division has seen new blood rise over the past couple of years, with Spivac, Ciryl Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, Jailton Almeida, Alexandr Romanov, and Tom Aspinall leading the charge. As risky as it is to count out the hard-hitting Lewis, it’s likely that we won’t see him near the top of the charts again.
Two welterweights at different points of their careers made a strong case to be included in the rankings this cycle.
Jack Della Maddalena and Lorenz Larkin have little in common, but both picked up huge wins in February to claim the No. 14 and No. 15 spots at welterweight, respectively. “Jackie Three Names” (h/t Shaun Al-Shatti) made it four first-round finishes in four UFC appearances with his submission of Randy Brown at UFC 284, while Lorenz Larkin scored the highlight of the night on Bellator’s CBS debut when he clobbered Mukhamed Berkhamov with a standing elbow.
In the case of Della Maddalena, the Aussie slugger continues his steady rise up the ranks, with a top 10 opponent likely in his future. The road only gets more treacherous from here, but Della Maddalena has passed every test so far with flying colors.
Larkin was a top-ranked welterweight when he parted ways with the UFC in 2016, but falling short against Bellator’s best while also bouncing between 170 and 185 pounds has left our panel somewhat bewildered as to what to do with him. Regardless, “The Monsoon” has quietly strung together an eight-fight unbeaten streak and he received enough support this cycle to get a number next to his name again, a nod that one could argue was overdue.
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Check out the complete February rankings below.
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): Serghei Spivac def. No. 7 Derrick Lewis, No. 10 (tied) Ryan Bader def. Fedor Emelianenko, No. 10 (tied) Marcin Tybura def. Blagoy Ivanov
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Ciryl Gane vs. Jon Jones (UFC 285, March 4), No. 7 Alexander Volkov vs. No. 13 Alexandr Romanov (UFC Vegas 71, March 11), No. 14 (tied) Valentin Moldavsky vs. Linton Vassell (Bellator 292, March 10)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Phil De Fries (4), Ante Delija (1), Linton Vassell (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 10 Nikita Krylov vs. No. 13 Ryan Spann (UFC Vegas 70, Feb. 25), No. 11 (tied) Anatoly Malykhin vs. Arjan Bhullar (ONE Fight Night 8, March 24, heavyweight championship bout)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Paul Craig (6), Yoel Romero (3), Antonio Carlos Junior (1), Khalil Rountree (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 6 Johnny Eblen def. Anatoly Tokov
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Marvin Vettori vs. No. 14 Roman Dolidze (UFC 286, March 18), No. 7 (tied) Derek Brunson vs. No. 12 Dricus Du Plessis (UFC 285, March 4), No. 7 (tied) Andre Muniz vs. Brendan Allen (UFC Vegas 70, Feb. 25)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Jack Hermansson (2), Kelvin Gastelum (1), Anatoly Tokov (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Leon Edwards vs. No. 2 Kamaru Usman (UFC 286, March 18), No. 7 (tied) Yaroslav Amosov vs. Logan Storley (Bellator 291, Feb. 25), No. 7 (tied) Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. No. 10 Geoff Neal (UFC 285, March 4)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Roberto Soldic (4), Logan Storley (3), Jason Jackson (1), Neil Magny (1), Michael Page (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 Islam Makhachev def. No. 1 FW Alexander Volkanovski
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 5 Justin Gaethje vs. No. 6 Rafael Fiziev (UFC 286, March 18), No. 10 Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Benson Henderson (Bellator 292, March 10)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Drew Dober (6), Olivier Aubin-Mercier (5), Tofiq Musayev (2), Roberto Satoshi (2), Renato Moicano (2), Dan Hooker (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 1 LW Islam Makhachev def. No. 1 Alexander Volkanovski (lightweight championship bout), No. 4 Yair Rodriguez def. No. 7 Josh Emmett
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: N/A
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Dan Ige (3), Adam Borics (1), Jeremy Kennedy (1), Magomedrasul Khasbulaev (1), Movlid Khaybulaev (1), Jonathan Pearce (1), Sodiq Yusuff (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 (tied) Petr Yan vs. No. 5 Merab Dvalishvili (UFC Vegas 71, March 11)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): John Lineker (3), Chris Gutierrez (3), Adrian Yanez (3), Danny Sabatello (2), Pedro Munhoz (1), Said Nurmagomedov (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 12 Muhammad Mokaev vs. Jafel Filho (UFC 286, March 18)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Tim Elliott (3), Ali Bagautinov (2), Rogerio Bontorin (2), John Dodson (2), Jeff Molina (2), Matt Schnell (2), Danny Kingad (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 13 Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Lina Lansberg (UFC Vegas 69, Feb. 18)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Talita Bernardo (2), Lina Lansberg (2), Chelsea Chandler (1), Melissa Dixon (1), Julija Stoliarenko (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Valentina Shevchenko vs. No. 7 Alexa Grasso (UFC 285, March 4), No. 2 Jessica Andrade vs. No. 9 Erin Blanchfield (UFC Vegas 69, Feb. 18), No. 11 Jennifer Maia vs. No. 13 Casey O’Neill (UFC 286, March 18), No. 12 Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas (UFC 285, March 4)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Joanne Wood (3), Tracy Cortez (2), Molly McCann (2), Miranda Maverick (1), Amanda Ribas (1), Karina Rodriguez (1)
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): N/A
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 4 Jessica Andrade vs Erin Blanchfield (flyweight bout), No. 9 Amanda Ribas vs. Viviane Araujo (flyweight bout)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Tabatha Ricci (2), Lupita Godinez (1), Luana Pinheiro (1)
A refresher on the ground rules:
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Curated By: Buzz Staff
Trending Desk
Last Updated: November 21, 2023, 15:32 IST
Delhi, India
The winner of this no-rule game receives Rs 2 lakh. (Photo Credits: YouTube)
A recent Channel 4 documentary titled “UNTOLD: The Secret World of Fight Clubs" delves into the shocking and underground trend of bare-knuckle fighting prevalent across the UK. The documentary exposes the gritty reality of these no-rule brawls, featuring participants like Alex Etherington, who not only took part in such a brutal event but also lost his ear in the process. Etherington, who now keeps his detached ear in a jar, shares his firsthand experience, providing insight into the world of these unrestricted fighting rings.
In an underground fight club documentary by Channel 4 titled “UNTOLD: The Secret World of Fight Clubs" a shocking trend of bare-knuckle fighting across the UK was exposed. The documentary reveals the gritty reality of these no-rule brawls. Among the participants was Alex Etherington, who took part in this disturbing trend fight, and lost his ear. He now keeps his detached ear in a jar. Etherington recounted his experience with these unrestricted fighting rings.
Speaking to the Sun, Alex said, “I felt lucky to get on King Of The Streets. It’s quite sought after. I only got on it because my friend vouched for me. It got half a million views on YouTube and I got around 7,000 followers on Instagram overnight. I didn’t know what was going to happen because it was my first No Rules fight. I couldn’t really have a game-plan really. I didn’t know what to expect."
Alex Etherington faced Bachir ‘Bash’ Fakhouri in the fight and recalling the fight, he said, “He was desperate for a win as he’d come off a few losses. Ten seconds in, he bit my ear off. I didn’t know it had come off at first. Blood was trickling down my face. He wouldn’t let go of my hair. I ended up getting whiplash from it. He was going for my eyes." Eye gouging is permitted during the fights, although according to Alex, they’re typically halted before the pressure causes any harm.
Alex went to the hospital after the fight where doctors informed him that his torn ear couldn’t be reattached as “it wasn’t a clean cut. There was a risk of infections too, so there was no chance. It’s quite a big chunk, about the width of your pinkie finger." Despite the severe injury, the fighter expressed that it doesn’t bother him. Upon returning home, Alex showed his girlfriend, Fizza Khan, the torn ear, who insisted he keep it. Interestingly, Alex decided to store his piece of ear in a jar filled with an alcohol solution, following advice from someone and placed it in the kitchen on a shelf.
Meanwhile, Alex Etherington refrains from disclosing his fight earnings but the estimated payouts are around £2,000 (approximately Rs 2 lakh). He clarified that fighters receive compensation only when the win and highlighted that the amount isn’t enough to become a full time fighter. For Alex, engaging in this activity wasn’t about establishing a career but rather fulfilling a bucket list wish. He expressed satisfaction due to lack of rules and limitations, describing the experience as a taste of genuine freedom that left him excited for weeks after the fight.
Detroit Pistons coach Monty Williams called out his team for its lack of “fight” after another blowout loss, saying his players are not honoring “the organization and the jersey.”
Williams delivered a brief but passionate statement to reporters Monday night after Detroit’s 126-107 home loss to the Washington Wizards in a matchup of the NBA’s two worst teams.
It was the fourteenth consecutive loss for the Pistons (2-15), who now own the NBA’s worst record and have not won a game in a month. The lowly Wizards (3-14), who had not won since Nov. 8, shot 51% from the floor and had seven scorers in double figures against the Pistons, who have lost three of their past four games by a least 19.
“That wasn’t fight on the floor,” Williams said. “That wasn’t Pistons basketball by any stretch of the imagination. That’s what this is — we have to have people that honor the organization and the jersey by competing at a high level every night.
“I’m not talking about execution, just competing. That wasn’t it, and that’s on me.”
In a postgame media session that lasted only one minute, Williams opened by saying he was “very” disappointed with the loss and described the Pistons’ overall spirit in the game as “poor.”
Williams told reporters before the game that the Pistons held a players-only meeting Friday, saying that “accountability” was a key talking point and that he loves working with the young roster.
But Williams was much harsher in his tone after the loss.
“It’s just a level of growing up on this team, maturity, understanding what game-plan discipline is — all the stuff we talk about all the time,” he said. “It’s enough talking.”
Third-year forward Isaiah Livers said he agreed with Williams’ assessment.
“There are a lot of little things we can talk about, but we just didn’t play hard,” Livers said. “Every team has roles, and it feels like none of us are playing our roles to the best of our abilities.”
Star guard Cade Cunningham, who admitted last week that the Pistons are “bad” in a candid assessment of the team, told the Detroit Free Press that he and his teammates are making mistakes because they are “not physical enough or not aggressive enough.”
“We all wanna win really bad,” Cunningham told the Free Press. “Everybody’s doing it out of the spirit of that — wanting to win, wanting to do what’s best for the team.
“I think we need more aggressive mess ups. Where we’re struggling right now is slip ups where we’re not physical enough or not aggressive enough. That’s what we need to lean towards instead of trying not to press.”
The 14-game losing streak ties the second-longest in Pistons franchise history, and their schedule does not get easier in the short term. After Wednesday’s home game against the Lakers (10-8), the Pistons travel to New York the next day to face the Knicks (9-7) before returning home Saturday to host the Cavaliers (9-8).
If they cannot win one of those games, the Pistons will be in danger of approaching the longest skid in their history — a 21-game losing streak that bridged the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasons.
“We play great stretches, and then we’ve had crazy bad stretches where we dig ourselves in too deep of a hole,” Cunningham told the Free Press. “That’s it right there — it’s just holding each other accountable and when we do feel it start to slip, having the mental stamina to stay together, stay connected.”
By Jeff Zimmerman
Trainer Calvin Ford shared his excitement for the Spence-Crawford fight, the return of Gervonta “Tank” Davis and a potential super fight with “The Monster” Naoya Inoue.
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Calvin is a good trainer and a fun guy. When Gervonta was getting ready to fight Rolly Romero, he post a video mocking the way Rooly trains, man it’s so funny
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