Sherdog’s Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
Lightweight
Sep 25, 2007
LIGHTWEIGHT (155-145)
1. Takanori Gomi (Pictures) (27-3-0, 1 ND)
Gomi's submission loss in February to Nick Diaz (Pictures) was overturned when Nevada ruled that the Californian had marijuana in his system, which when added to the fact that Gomi has fought at 161 pounds for the past three years makes this ranking tenuous. A 2006 submission loss to Marcus Aurelio doesn't help either, but Gomi avenged being put to sleep by winning a decision in Nov. of last year. Even with all that working against him, Gomi stands atop the heap of a deep and exciting weight division with wins over the likes of Kawajiri, Ishida, and Sakurai.
2. Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) (12-0-0)
After notching the biggest win of his outstanding young career on New Year's Eve against Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures), Melendez has spent the first seventh months of 2007 twiddling his thumbs like most of PRIDE's former lightweights. Thankfully, Strikeforce has saved the day, as their 155-pound champ will return to action against Tetsuji Kato (Pictures) on Sept. 29, and will live out what most 25 year olds could only dream about: beating up a guy at the Playboy Mansion.
3. Gesias Calvancanti (Pictures) (14-1-1)
Injury axed the defending HERO'S tournament champion from his July bout with Andre "Dida" Amade, but Fight Entertainment Group slotted "JZ" into the semifinals on Sept. 17 against fellow Brazilian Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro. "JZ" ran over the once-beaten Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter in 35 seconds before armbarring Amade in the finals. Two stoppage wins, one over a Top 5 fighter, jumps the American Top Team fighter up from the eighth spot.
After a tough break in his split decision loss to Melendez, Kawajiri went back home to the drawing board in his home of Ibaraki to train. Of course, due to PRIDE getting pillaged, that's as far as he's gotten in close to 10 months. Kawajiri has said he would love to fight stateside in the cage, but it seems that opportunity isn't exactly forthcoming. However, leading Shooto promoter Sustain has a card slated for Nov. 8 that could use his starpower, and it would provide a nice opportunity for "Crusher" to vent his frustrations in the ring. Kawajiri falls a spot due to his inactivity and Calvancanti's HERO'S effort.
5. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (Pictures) (19-2-0)
A perennial elite lightweight, Shaolin's competition since a Dec. 2004 loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) has ranged from solid-but-unspectacular to woefully inadequate. He failed in what was expected to be his biggest test in years, when Gesias Calvancanti (Pictures) threw him to the floor and pounded out a TKO win on Sept. 17. Ribeiro drops from No. 4 to 5.
6. Sean Sherk (Pictures) (32-2-1)
The UFC champion's steroid saga will be prolonged until Oct. 31, when the California State Athletic Commission granted Sherk a continuance in order for he and doping attorney extraordinaire Howard Jacobs to prepare their case. The real downer? Putting the breaks on a Nov. superfight with B.J. Penn (Pictures). Sherk drops from 5 to 6 with the Calvancanti leapfrog.
7. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) (15-3-1)
Ishida, like his teammate and friend Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) and the rest of the PRIDE Bushido refugees, is stuck in limbo. Despite the fact he has said he would like to compete in the Octagon, unless his management aggressively pushes Zuffa for a deal, "The Endless Fighter" is not likely to come stateside. Ishida, and other exiled fighters, can only hope the rumors of a Shigeru Saeki-led Bushido revival become a reality.
8. Joachim Hansen (Pictures) (15-5-1)
MMA's foremost Norseman is another unfortunate victim of the PRIDE buyout, having signed a five-fight deal with DSE just before his Feb. win over Jason Ireland (Pictures). After talking to the UFC about a contract offer, Hansen has recently said he's decided to sit out until Dec. 31 and let his deal expire, so he can negotiate as a free agent.
9. B.J. Penn (Pictures) (11-4-1)
Penn was scheduled to face UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (Pictures) in Nov. but that is on hold with news of Sherk's alleged positive steroid test. Wins over a couple ranked fighters would propel Penn to the top of the list.
10. Joe Stevenson (28-7-0)
At the age of 25 Stevenson is one of the most experienced fighters in mixed martial arts. His late August unanimous decision win over Kurt Pellegrino (Pictures) did not come easy, but "Daddy" did enough to earn the win and his spot in this ranking. Stevenson, who captured the welterweight crown during the third season of "The Ultimate Fighter," is 4-0 in the UFC since dropping to 155 pounds. Pending the outcome of Sean Sherk (Pictures)'s appeal for steroids, Stevenson could find himself in the UFC lightweight title picture very soon.
1. Takanori Gomi (Pictures) (27-3-0, 1 ND)
Gomi's submission loss in February to Nick Diaz (Pictures) was overturned when Nevada ruled that the Californian had marijuana in his system, which when added to the fact that Gomi has fought at 161 pounds for the past three years makes this ranking tenuous. A 2006 submission loss to Marcus Aurelio doesn't help either, but Gomi avenged being put to sleep by winning a decision in Nov. of last year. Even with all that working against him, Gomi stands atop the heap of a deep and exciting weight division with wins over the likes of Kawajiri, Ishida, and Sakurai.
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After notching the biggest win of his outstanding young career on New Year's Eve against Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures), Melendez has spent the first seventh months of 2007 twiddling his thumbs like most of PRIDE's former lightweights. Thankfully, Strikeforce has saved the day, as their 155-pound champ will return to action against Tetsuji Kato (Pictures) on Sept. 29, and will live out what most 25 year olds could only dream about: beating up a guy at the Playboy Mansion.
3. Gesias Calvancanti (Pictures) (14-1-1)
Injury axed the defending HERO'S tournament champion from his July bout with Andre "Dida" Amade, but Fight Entertainment Group slotted "JZ" into the semifinals on Sept. 17 against fellow Brazilian Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro. "JZ" ran over the once-beaten Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter in 35 seconds before armbarring Amade in the finals. Two stoppage wins, one over a Top 5 fighter, jumps the American Top Team fighter up from the eighth spot.
4. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) (19-4-2)
After a tough break in his split decision loss to Melendez, Kawajiri went back home to the drawing board in his home of Ibaraki to train. Of course, due to PRIDE getting pillaged, that's as far as he's gotten in close to 10 months. Kawajiri has said he would love to fight stateside in the cage, but it seems that opportunity isn't exactly forthcoming. However, leading Shooto promoter Sustain has a card slated for Nov. 8 that could use his starpower, and it would provide a nice opportunity for "Crusher" to vent his frustrations in the ring. Kawajiri falls a spot due to his inactivity and Calvancanti's HERO'S effort.
5. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (Pictures) (19-2-0)
A perennial elite lightweight, Shaolin's competition since a Dec. 2004 loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) has ranged from solid-but-unspectacular to woefully inadequate. He failed in what was expected to be his biggest test in years, when Gesias Calvancanti (Pictures) threw him to the floor and pounded out a TKO win on Sept. 17. Ribeiro drops from No. 4 to 5.
6. Sean Sherk (Pictures) (32-2-1)
The UFC champion's steroid saga will be prolonged until Oct. 31, when the California State Athletic Commission granted Sherk a continuance in order for he and doping attorney extraordinaire Howard Jacobs to prepare their case. The real downer? Putting the breaks on a Nov. superfight with B.J. Penn (Pictures). Sherk drops from 5 to 6 with the Calvancanti leapfrog.
7. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) (15-3-1)
Ishida, like his teammate and friend Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) and the rest of the PRIDE Bushido refugees, is stuck in limbo. Despite the fact he has said he would like to compete in the Octagon, unless his management aggressively pushes Zuffa for a deal, "The Endless Fighter" is not likely to come stateside. Ishida, and other exiled fighters, can only hope the rumors of a Shigeru Saeki-led Bushido revival become a reality.
8. Joachim Hansen (Pictures) (15-5-1)
MMA's foremost Norseman is another unfortunate victim of the PRIDE buyout, having signed a five-fight deal with DSE just before his Feb. win over Jason Ireland (Pictures). After talking to the UFC about a contract offer, Hansen has recently said he's decided to sit out until Dec. 31 and let his deal expire, so he can negotiate as a free agent.
9. B.J. Penn (Pictures) (11-4-1)
Penn was scheduled to face UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (Pictures) in Nov. but that is on hold with news of Sherk's alleged positive steroid test. Wins over a couple ranked fighters would propel Penn to the top of the list.
10. Joe Stevenson (28-7-0)
At the age of 25 Stevenson is one of the most experienced fighters in mixed martial arts. His late August unanimous decision win over Kurt Pellegrino (Pictures) did not come easy, but "Daddy" did enough to earn the win and his spot in this ranking. Stevenson, who captured the welterweight crown during the third season of "The Ultimate Fighter," is 4-0 in the UFC since dropping to 155 pounds. Pending the outcome of Sean Sherk (Pictures)'s appeal for steroids, Stevenson could find himself in the UFC lightweight title picture very soon.
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