Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
Bantamweight
Jan 4, 2008
BANTAMWEIGHT (135-125)
1. Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures) (6-0-2)
The king of Shooto's 132-pound class, Hokazono remains one of MMA's largest enigmas. In effortless back-to-back thrashings of Marcos Louro and Kenji Osawa (Pictures) to capture the vacant Shooto crown, Hokazono looked like a pound-for-pound king. Yet he only fights once or twice a year, and he insists MMA is a hobby for him. Worse yet, his much-anticipated July title clash with former champ Ryota Matsune (Pictures) was cancelled after the oft-injured Matsune suffered a torn bicep and a broken rib. American promoters would be smart to nab the 30-year-old Osakan and give him a stage to let his potential shine through.
2. Koetsu Okazaki (Pictures) (5-0-1)
After an 18-month layoff, Okazaki returned in June 2006 and has rattled off successive wins over Hiroyuki Tanaka (Pictures), So Tazawa (Pictures) and Atsushi Yamamoto (Pictures). The well-rounded pupil of Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Pictures) is perhaps the best-kept secret in Shooto's 132-pound division. Another solid win may make him the most worthy challenger to Hokazono's title.
3. Atsushi Yamamoto (Pictures) (11-4-1)
Yamamoto's decision to leave Pancrase, where the smallest weight class is 141 pounds, for pro Shooto, where he can compete at his more natural weight of 132 pounds, continues to pay dividends. The "Kid" Yamamoto disciple took a dominant unanimous decision over standout grappler "Hadairo" Tetsu Suzuki (Pictures) on Sept. 22 and solidified his spot in the upper echelon of Shooto's 132-pound division.
Bowles went from "Who is this kid?" after his June submission win over vet Charlie Valencia (Pictures) to "This kid is serious" after his Dec. 12 steamrolling of the well-traveled and well-accomplished Marcos "Louro" Galvao. With the win, Bowles notched the most significant victory to date for a North American bantamweight against international competition and also cemented himself as a worthy adversary to the likes of Chase Beebe (Pictures) and Miguel Torres (Pictures).
5. Marcos Galvao (Pictures) (6-2-0)
After years of competing in Shooto, "Louro" got a golden opportunity to showcase his skills in the WEC, which has quickly become the big stage for talent below 155 pounds. The result? Galvao got absolutely destroyed by upstart Brian Bowles (Pictures), who tore him apart on the feet en route to a second-round stoppage. With the shellacking, Galvao falls from second to fifth in the rankings.
6. Daniel Lima (Pictures) (8-2-2)
The Australia-based Brazilian has enjoyed a solid 2007 campaign. He moved his mark to 3-0 on the year with an exciting split-decision victory over Kenji Osawa (Pictures) in September. The next action for "Little Devil" will likely come in his adopted homeland.
7. Kenji Osawa (Pictures) (13-7-1)
The charismatic Wajyutsu product came out on the wrong end of a split decision in his rematch with Daniel Lima (Pictures). How his two losses in a row will affect his desire to compete stateside is unknown, but thankfully Osawa's self-professed desire to face the best fighters in the world should see him remain in relevant competition.
8. Takeya Mizugaki (Pictures) (8-2-2)
The 2005 Shooto rookie MVP notched another dominant victory in the cage with a spanking of journeyman Seiji Otsuka (Pictures) on Cage Force's Dec. 1 bill. Here's hoping the potent 24-year-old fighter will find better and more meaningful action in the Shooto ring early next year.
9. Miguel Torres (Pictures) (19-1-0)
For most mixed martial arts fans, Torres' Sept. 5 win in the WEC against Jeff Bedard (Pictures) was the first opportunity to see the lanky bantamweight from Chicago. His combination of striking and submissions make him an incredibly difficult fight for anyone in the division. With the success of the WEC, the ultra-talented Torres will finally have the chance to fight accomplished bantamweight opponents in 2008.
10. Chase Beebe (Pictures) (11-1-0)
A big fish in a small but developing pond, the WEC's 135-pound champ looked fantastic in his grueling 25-minute title win over Eddie Wineland (Pictures) in March. He also looked excellent in his first defense on Sept. 5 against world champion submission grappler Rani Yahya (Pictures), which was also a five-round war. Beebe's rank, like Miguel Torres (Pictures)', certainly does not reflect his immense talent. With the road ahead being lined with more accomplished foes, he's a sure bet to climb these rankings.
1. Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures) (6-0-2)
The king of Shooto's 132-pound class, Hokazono remains one of MMA's largest enigmas. In effortless back-to-back thrashings of Marcos Louro and Kenji Osawa (Pictures) to capture the vacant Shooto crown, Hokazono looked like a pound-for-pound king. Yet he only fights once or twice a year, and he insists MMA is a hobby for him. Worse yet, his much-anticipated July title clash with former champ Ryota Matsune (Pictures) was cancelled after the oft-injured Matsune suffered a torn bicep and a broken rib. American promoters would be smart to nab the 30-year-old Osakan and give him a stage to let his potential shine through.
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After an 18-month layoff, Okazaki returned in June 2006 and has rattled off successive wins over Hiroyuki Tanaka (Pictures), So Tazawa (Pictures) and Atsushi Yamamoto (Pictures). The well-rounded pupil of Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Pictures) is perhaps the best-kept secret in Shooto's 132-pound division. Another solid win may make him the most worthy challenger to Hokazono's title.
3. Atsushi Yamamoto (Pictures) (11-4-1)
Yamamoto's decision to leave Pancrase, where the smallest weight class is 141 pounds, for pro Shooto, where he can compete at his more natural weight of 132 pounds, continues to pay dividends. The "Kid" Yamamoto disciple took a dominant unanimous decision over standout grappler "Hadairo" Tetsu Suzuki (Pictures) on Sept. 22 and solidified his spot in the upper echelon of Shooto's 132-pound division.
4. Brian
Bowles (Pictures) (4-0-0)
Bowles went from "Who is this kid?" after his June submission win over vet Charlie Valencia (Pictures) to "This kid is serious" after his Dec. 12 steamrolling of the well-traveled and well-accomplished Marcos "Louro" Galvao. With the win, Bowles notched the most significant victory to date for a North American bantamweight against international competition and also cemented himself as a worthy adversary to the likes of Chase Beebe (Pictures) and Miguel Torres (Pictures).
5. Marcos Galvao (Pictures) (6-2-0)
After years of competing in Shooto, "Louro" got a golden opportunity to showcase his skills in the WEC, which has quickly become the big stage for talent below 155 pounds. The result? Galvao got absolutely destroyed by upstart Brian Bowles (Pictures), who tore him apart on the feet en route to a second-round stoppage. With the shellacking, Galvao falls from second to fifth in the rankings.
6. Daniel Lima (Pictures) (8-2-2)
The Australia-based Brazilian has enjoyed a solid 2007 campaign. He moved his mark to 3-0 on the year with an exciting split-decision victory over Kenji Osawa (Pictures) in September. The next action for "Little Devil" will likely come in his adopted homeland.
7. Kenji Osawa (Pictures) (13-7-1)
The charismatic Wajyutsu product came out on the wrong end of a split decision in his rematch with Daniel Lima (Pictures). How his two losses in a row will affect his desire to compete stateside is unknown, but thankfully Osawa's self-professed desire to face the best fighters in the world should see him remain in relevant competition.
8. Takeya Mizugaki (Pictures) (8-2-2)
The 2005 Shooto rookie MVP notched another dominant victory in the cage with a spanking of journeyman Seiji Otsuka (Pictures) on Cage Force's Dec. 1 bill. Here's hoping the potent 24-year-old fighter will find better and more meaningful action in the Shooto ring early next year.
9. Miguel Torres (Pictures) (19-1-0)
For most mixed martial arts fans, Torres' Sept. 5 win in the WEC against Jeff Bedard (Pictures) was the first opportunity to see the lanky bantamweight from Chicago. His combination of striking and submissions make him an incredibly difficult fight for anyone in the division. With the success of the WEC, the ultra-talented Torres will finally have the chance to fight accomplished bantamweight opponents in 2008.
10. Chase Beebe (Pictures) (11-1-0)
A big fish in a small but developing pond, the WEC's 135-pound champ looked fantastic in his grueling 25-minute title win over Eddie Wineland (Pictures) in March. He also looked excellent in his first defense on Sept. 5 against world champion submission grappler Rani Yahya (Pictures), which was also a five-round war. Beebe's rank, like Miguel Torres (Pictures)', certainly does not reflect his immense talent. With the road ahead being lined with more accomplished foes, he's a sure bet to climb these rankings.
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