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411 MMA Rankings: Pound for Pound

December 8, 2016 | Posted by Jonathan Solomon

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411’s MMA Ranking Rules

– Which fighters are eligible for these rankings? They must meet the following qualifications: fight at least once in the past 365 days or if they have not, be officially scheduled for an upcoming fight.

– A fighter serving a disciplinary suspension will not be ranked. They can return when they have served their suspension or in the event it is rescinded. This includes fighters who may disregard their suspension locally to fight overseas.

– If a fighter appears on just one single ballot, and in the top ten, five points will be deducted to balance between other fighters who may be ranked lower, but appear on a greater amount of ballots.

411’s MMA Rankings

Pound For Pound


1) Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (25-2-1)

Height: 5’3

Birthday: August 13, 1986

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Tim Elliott – Win via decision (unanimous) – TUF Finale – December 3, 2016

– vs. Henry Cejudo – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 197 – April 23, 2016

– vs. John Dodson – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 191: Johnson vs. Dodson 2 – September 5, 2015

– vs. Kyoji Horiguchi – Win via submission (armbar) – UFC 186: Johnson vs. Horiguchi – April 25, 2015

– vs. Chris Cariaso – Win via submission (kimura) – UFC 178: Johnson vs. Cariaso – September 27, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown

Comment: Amazingly, the only change at the top of the rankings (PFP) since January is the removal of Jon Jones. Past that, Demetrious leap frogged Dominick Cruz to become the best fighter of the world in the minds of our staff. Johnson’s impressive streak of successful title defenses is legendary at this point and no opponent looks to be able to solve his game. He’s reached the old place where Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre were in their primes where you don’t think anyone can beat them.



2) Dominick Cruz (22-1)

Height: 5’8

Birthday: September 3, 1985

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Urijah Faber – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2 – June 4, 2016

– vs. T.J. Dillashaw – Win via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night – January 17, 2016

– vs. Takeya Mizugaki – Win via TKO (punches) – UFC 178: Alvarez vs. Cerrone – September 27, 2014

– vs. Demetrious Johnson – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on Versus: Cruz vs. Faber – October 1, 2011

– vs. Urijah Faber – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber – July 2, 2011

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Cody Garbrandt – UFC 207 – December 30, 2016

Comment: Cruz returned to action following his series of injuries over two years ago, but 2016 was when he proved he was no fluke and remains the greatest bantamweight fighter in the history of MMA. Before the year ends, he’ll look to make a clean sweep of Team Alpha Male fighters (or linked fighters) when he defends his title against Cody Garbrandt.



3) “Notorious” Conor McGregor (21-3)

Height: 5’8

Birthday: July 14, 1988

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Eddie Alvarez – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 205 – November 15, 2016

– vs. Nate Diaz – Win via decision (split) – UFC 202 – August 20, 2016

– vs. Nate Diaz – Loss via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC 196 – March 5, 2016

– vs. Jose Aldo – Win via KO (punch) – UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor – December 12, 2015

– vs. Chad Mendes – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 189: McGregor vs. Mendes – July 11, 2015

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown

Comment: McGregor is the epitome of a great pound-for-pound fighter, winning titles at featherweight and lightweight within a year of each other. It looks like the UFC will not allow him to continue on that pace as it’s reported they have given the featherweight title back to Jose Aldo (laughable), but we’ll see how that plays out. In the mean time, McGregor has become the hottest commodity in the sport and one of the rare fighters in which you MUST see them anytime they’re competing.



4) Jose Aldo (26-2)

Height: 5’7

Birthday: September 9, 1986

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Frankie Edgar – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones 2 – July 9, 2016

– vs. Conor McGregor – Loss via KO (punch) – UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor – December 12, 2015

– vs. Chad Mendes – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 179: Aldo vs. Mendes 2 – October 25, 2014

– vs. Ricardo Lamas – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 169: Barao vs. Faber 2 – February 1, 2014

– vs. Chan Sung Jung – Win via TKO (punches) – UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie – August 3, 2013

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



5) Daniel Cormier (18-1)

Birthday: March 20, 1979

Height: 5’9

Weight: 239

Currently fighting with: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Anderson Silva – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 200: Tate vs. Nunes – July 9, 2016

– vs. Alexander Gustafsson – Win via decision (split) – UFC 192: Cormier vs. Gustafsson – October 3, 2015

– vs. Anthony Johnson – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC 187: Cormier vs. Johnson – May 23, 2015

– vs. Jon Jones – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier – January 3, 2015

– vs. Dan Henderson – Win via submission (rear naked choke) – UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw – May 24, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown




6) Max Holloway (16-3)

Height: 5’11

Birthday: December 4, 1991

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Ricardo Lamas – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping – June 4, 2016

– vs. Jeremy Stephens – Win via decision (unanumous) – UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor – December 12, 2015

– vs. Charles Oliveira – Win via TKO (injury) – UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Oliveira – August 23, 2015

– vs. Cub Swanson – Win via submission (guillotine choke) – UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold – April 18, 2015

– vs. Cole Miller – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch – February 14, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. Anthony Pettis – UFC 206: Holloway vs. Pettis – December 10, 2016




7) Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (14-1-1)

Height: 6’0

Birthday: February 11, 1983

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Tyron Woodley – Draw (split decision)- UFC 205 – November 15, 2016

– vs. Rory MacDonald – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – June 18, 2016

– vs. Johny Hendricks – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson – February 6, 2016

– vs. Jake Ellenberger – Win via KO (spinning hook kick) – UFC TUF 21 Finale – July 12, 2015

– vs. Patrick Cote – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 178: Cerrone vs. Alvarez – September 27, 2014

– vs. Robert Whittaker – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 170 – February 22, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

-Unknown




7) Tyron Woodley (16-4-1

Height: 5’9

Birthday: April 17, 1982

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Stephen Thompson – Draw (split decision) – UFC 205 – November 15, 2016

– vs. Robbie Lawler – Win via KO (punch) – UFC 201: Lawler vs. Woodley – July 30, 2016

– vs. Kelvin Gastelum – Win via decision (split) – UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz – January 31, 2015

– vs. Dong Hyun Kim – Win via KO (punches) – UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le – August 23, 2014

– vs. Rory MacDonald – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 174: Johnson vs. Bagautinov – June 14, 2014

– vs. Carlos Condit – Win via TKO (injury) – UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler – March 15, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown




9) Frankie Edgar (21-5-1)

Height: 5’6

Birthday: October 16, 1981

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 6 fights:

– vs. Jeremy Stephens – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 205 – November 15, 2016

– vs. Jose Aldo – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones 2 – July 9, 2016

– vs. Chad Mendes – Win via KO (punches) – UFC TUF Finale – December 11, 2015

– vs. Urijah Faber – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber – May 16, 2015

– vs. Cub Swanson – Win via submission (neck crank) – UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson – November 22, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

-Unknown



10) T.J. Dillashaw (13-3)

Height: 5’6

Birthday: February 7, 1986

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Raphael Assuncao – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 200 – July 9, 2016

– vs. Dominick Cruz – Loss via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night – January 17, 2016

– vs. Renan Barao – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC on Fox: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 – July 25, 2015

– vs. Joe Soto – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 177: Dillashaw vs. Soto – August 30, 2014

– vs. Renan Barao – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw – May 24, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

– vs. John Lineker – UFC 207 – December 30, 2016




11) Michael Bisping (30-7)

Height: 6’2

Birthday: February 28, 1979

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Dan Henderson – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 204 – October 8, 2016

– vs. Luke Rockhold – Win via KO (punches) – UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2 – June 4, 2016

– vs. Anderson Silva – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Bisping – February 27, 2016

– vs. Thales Leites – Win via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites – July 18, 2015

– vs. C.B. Dollaway – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 186 – April 25, 2015

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



12) “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (27-11, 1 NC)

Height: 5’11

Birthday: March 20, 1982

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Tyron Woodley – Loss via KO (punch) – UFC 201: Lawler vs. Woodley – July 30, 2016

– vs. Carlos Condit – Win via decision (split) – UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit – January 2, 2016

– vs. Rory MacDonald – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor – July 11, 2015

– vs. Johny Hendricks – Win via decision (split) – UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler 2 – December 6, 2014

– vs. Matt Brown – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. Brown – July 26, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



13) Joseph Benavidez (25-4)

Height: 5’4

Birthday: July 31, 1984

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Henry Cejudo – Win via decision (split) – TUF Finale – December 3, 2016

– vs. Zach Makovsky – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – February 6, 2016

– vs. Ali Bagautinov – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 192 – October 3, 2015

– vs. John Moraga – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC 187 – May 23, 2015

– vs. Dustin Ortiz – Win via decision (unanimous) – UFC Fight Night – November 22, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown



14) Stipe Miocic (16-2)

Birthday: August 19, 1982

Height: 6’4

Weight: 245

Currently fighting with: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Alistair Overeem – Win via KO (punch) – UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem – September 10, 2016

– vs. Fabricio Werdum – Win via KO (punch) – UFC 198: Werdum vs. Miocic – May 14, 2016

– vs. Andrei Arlovski – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit – January 2, 2016

– vs. Mark Hunt – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Miocic – May 10, 2015

– vs. Junior dos Santos – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC on FOX: dos Santos vs. Miocic – December 13, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

– Unknown


15) Eddie Alvarez (28-5)

Birthday: November 11, 1984

Currently Fighting With: UFC

Last 5 fights:

– vs. Conor McGregor – Loss via TKO (strikes) – UFC 205 – November 15, 2016

– vs. Rafael dos Anjos – Win via TKO (strikes) – UFC Fight Night – July 7, 2016

– vs. Anthony Pettis – Win via decision (split) – UFC Fight Night – January 17, 2016

– vs. Gilbert Melendez – Win via decision (split) – UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum – June 13, 2015

– vs. Donald Cerrone – Loss via decision (unanimous) – UFC 178: Alvarez vs. Cerrone – September 27, 2014

Next scheduled appearance:

-Unknown

Closing Comments: Luke Rockhold and Jacare Souza received additional votes.