1. Anderson Silva (UFC) – (25-4)

“The Spider” is MMA’s most precise striker and as evidenced in his submission victories over Dan Henderson and Travis Lutter, the Brazilian is also dangerous on the ground. Last year Silva fought twice, a lackluster decision win over Thales Leites and a devastating knockout over former light-heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. In his first title defense of the year, Silva will meet Demian Maia at UFC 112 in a bout that is being billed as “MMA’s best striker vs. MMA’s best grappler”.

2.  Georges St. Pierre (UFC) – (19-2)

St. Pierre is becoming way too much for any welterweight to handle. Since his stunning loss to Matt Serra in 2007, St. Pierre has transformed into an unstoppable machine with absolutely no visible weaknesses in his game. The welterweight champion defended his belt twice in 2009 with overwhelming wins over Penn and Thiago Alves. Prior to those wins he dominated Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes, Serra, and Fitch. “Rush” will look to continue his supremacy in 2010 as he faces Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy at UFC 111 in Newark, New Jersey.

3. Fedor Emelianenko (Strikeforce) – (31-1, 1 NC)

“The Last Emperor” has reigned over the heavyweight division for nearly a decade. In his Strikeforce debut the big Russian was matched up with the monstrous Brett “The Grim” Rogers on Strikeforce’s first foray onto CBS. Rogers’ power gave Emelianenko some problems early on but “The Last Emperor” was able to connect with a thunderous right hand that put Rogers’ lights out. Now Emelianenko will face Fabricio Werdum in May but one can’t help but ponder how long it will be before we see the WAMMA champ competing in the UFC. After all he is going to run out of legitimate competition in Strikeforce very shortly.

4. B.J Penn (UFC) – (15-5-1)

“The Prodigy” has turned the UFC’s lightweight division into a dead zone. Penn has slashed through his foes like a machete with ruthless intentions. His only recent defeat came at the hands of welterweight champ St. Pierre but in the lightweight division Penn is untouchable. Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez were thought to be stiff challenges for the Hilo, Hawaii native but Penn brutally disposed of both of them with a relative amount of ease. Penn truly is a Hawaiian nightmare for UFC lightweights and Frankie Edgar may be the next to experience this firsthand at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.
5. Lyoto Machida (UFC) – (16-0)

An effective Shotokan karate base mixed in with a well-rounded MMA arsenal has led “The Dragon” to the UFC light-heavyweight championship. However, some dispute whether the belt truly belongs to Machida or not. In his first title defense he squared off with PRIDE sensation Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and many believe “Shogun” won the fight. The decision was very controversial and scored unanimously for Machida. The rematch is now set for UFC 113 in Montreal and for Machida’s sake he must win this fight convincingly if he wants to be known as the greatest fighter in the 205-lbs division.
6. Jose Aldo (WEC) – (16-1)

The WEC featherweight champion is on a nine fight win-streak and does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.  In November, Aldo destroyed Mike Brown to claim the featherweight crown with a vicious second round stoppage. Now Aldo will meet former champion Urijah Faber in the main event of the WEC’s first Pay-Per-View at WEC 48 in Faber’s backyard of Sacramento, California.

7. Brock Lesnar (UFC) – (4-1)

The UFC heavyweight champion is certainly a polarizing figure in the sport of MMA. But whether you love him or hate him you cannot deny Lesnar’s rapid progression. Since coming up short in his UFC debut to Frank Mir two years ago, Lesnar has imposed his will on every opponent that has dared to step into the Octagon with him. After what was thought to be a career ending illness, Lesnar has announced a full recovery and is slated to fight at UFC 116 in July; his opponent is yet to be determined.

8. Jon Fitch (UFC) – (21-3)

The former Purdue wrestling team captain is not exactly the most aesthetically pleasing fighter to watch but more often than not he gets the job done. His only loss in the Octagon was to the division’s champion, Georges St. Pierre and even in that fight he showed tremendous resiliency by constantly moving forward like a modern-day terminator. Since then Fitch has grinded out decisions over Akihiro Gono, Paulo Thiago and Mike Pierce. If he is victorious over Thiago Alves (whom he has defeated previously at UFC Fight Night 5) at UFC 111 then fans can expect to see Fitch competing for the title again in his next fight.

9. Shinya Aoki (DREAM/Strikeforce) – (23-4)

This grappling wizard is in all probability the best lightweight that is not currently under contract with the UFC. Aoki has visible holes in his striking ability but his ground game more than makes up for it. The DREAM lightweight champion will look to make a huge name for himself in the States as he meets Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez in April on CBS in what will be his first fight in North America.
10. Dominick Cruz (WEC) – (15-1)

The only blemish on Cruz’ record is a loss at featherweight to former champion Urijah Faber. Since dropping down to the 135-lbs division, Cruz has handled everyone thrown his way including victories over Joseph Benavidez and Brian Bowles. His win over Bowles earned Cruz the coveted WEC bantamweight championship and a spot among the top ten fighters in the sport today.
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1) Fedor Emelianenko (Strikeforce) – (31 – 1, 1 NC)

The man. The myth. The legend. After roughly a decade in the fight game “The Last Emperor” still reigns supreme. Had it not been for a controversial stoppage due to a cut early in his career his record would still remain unblemished. He has simply done it better and longer than anyone else on the list.
2) Anderson Silva (UFC) – (25 – 4)

After what many called lackluster performances against Patrick Cote and Thales Leites he reminded everyone why he is still the most dangerous striker in the world with a thorough dismantling of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101. He still has yet to lose a fight in the UFC.
3) Georges St. Pierre (UFC) – (19 – 2)

“Rush” has been making it look easy for some time now in one of the deepest divisions in the UFC. He now has three consecutive welterweight title defenses under his belt and will be looking to make it an even four when he takes on British striker Dan Hardy at UFC 111 on March 27.
4) BJ Penn (UFC) – (15 – 5 – 1)

Penn is considered by many to be the top lightweight fighter in the history of the sport. After back-to-back victories over top contenders Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez this veteran continues to impose his dominance time in and time out. He has not lost at 155-pounds since November 2001.
5) Lyoto Machida (UFC) – (16 – 0)

The undefeated Machida is coming off an unimpressive and controversial unanimous decision victory over a very game Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104 in what was undoubtedly his toughest fight in his UFC career. This karate specialist, known to many simply as “The Dragon,” should be better prepared for the rematch that is likely to take place sometime during the first half of 2010.
6) Jose Aldo (WEC) – (16 – 1)

Aldo is coming off the biggest win of his career defeating long time WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown in dominant fashion to become the new title holder. He is (6 – 0) since joining the WEC and has won all of his fights by knockout. At the ripe old age of 23 he is fast becoming one of the best all-around fighters in the world.
7) Gegard Mousasi (Strikeforce/DREAM) – (28 – 2 – 1)

This Fedor Emelianenko disciple is a superstar in the making. After storming on the scene and winning the 2008 DREAM middleweight tournament he made a seamless transition to the United States and the Strikeforce light heavyweight division, capturing the 205-pound title in his debut. What is scary is that he has yet to reach his full potential at the age of 26.
8) Shinya Aoki (DREAM) – (23 – 4, 1 NC)

Aoki is arguably the best 155-pound fighter in the world not named BJ Penn. After conquering his Japanese homeland this submission specialist is currently flirting with the idea of coming to the United States to take on current Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez in a potential unification bout.
9) Jon Fitch (UFC) – (21 – 3, 1 NC)

Fitch’s handy work is not always pretty, but it is certainly effective. He is one of just four fighters ever who have won eight or more consecutive fights in the UFC along with Anderson Silva, Royce Gracie, and Lyoto Machida. Overall, he has won eleven of his twelve fights in the UFC losing only to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 87.
10) Jake Shields (Strikeforce) – (24 – 4 – 1)

This former EliteXC welterweight champion, and natural welterweight, recently added another belt to his collection defeating Jason “Mayhem” Miller to win the vacant Strikeforce middleweight championship. Look for him to return to the cage for his first title defense against the newly acquired free agent Dan Henderson.
Others considered (in no particular order):

Brock Lesnar (UFC), Dan Henderson (Strikeforce), Mauricio Rua (UFC),
Thiago Alves (UFC), Brian Bowles (WEC), Eddie Alvarez (Bellator/DREAM)
Mike Brown (WEC), Rashad Evans (UFC), Miguel Torres (WEC)
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Fight of the Year

The ’Fight of the Year’ award goes to the fight that was recognized as being exceptional due to the quality of the contest and its significance to the sport.

Winner: Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Combat sports are haunted by the matches that don’t happen as too often chance, greed and stupidity denies fight fans some of the big matches that define the sport. Separated first by oceans, then by legal battles and finally by bad timing it looked like Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira would be one of those matches that would exist only in our dreams. For years we wondered whether the Greco-Roman wrestling game of the UFC Hall of Famer would be enough to negate the grappling skills of the first-ever Pride FC Heavyweight Champion. The collapse of Pride should have paved the way for the fight but the legal battles between Couture and Zuffa prevented Nogueira from challenging him for the Heavyweight Title. The end of that legal battle in 2008 should have led to an unification match between the liner champion Couture and the interim champion Nogueira but the latter’s role as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter prevented that. Instead both defended their titles in the winter 2008 in separate matches and both lost their titles. In doing so the way had finally cleared for the fight to be made.

At first fight fans were excited as the long awaited match between the two of the most revered fighters in MMA history was announced as the headliner of UFC 102. But as fight day grew nearer many grew nervous. Stories were circulating of Nogueira looking old and beaten-up when backstage at UFC events and after his disappointing performance against Frank Mir some began to say that those infamous beatings he had withstood in Pride had finally caught up with him. And while Randy Couture had been competitive early on in his fight against Brock Lesnar many wondered how long a 46 year old man could compete at the very top of a combat sport. To add to all this, ticket sales were disappointing and a TV build based on mutual respect failed to excite casual fans.

And yet when they both stepped into the Octagon on August 29th all the worries about the health of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and the age of Randy Couture were dismissed and any disappointment about ticket sales and pay per view buys was forgotten. Because for one night it was once again 2002 and these were the two most important heavyweights in the sport.

While the twelve-thousand strong crowd heavily cheered the former Oregon resident Couture it was Nogueira who was the better man on the night. He outclassed Couture standing up showing better boxing technique and greater power, dropping The Natural in both the first and third rounds, stunning him in the second. He was able to frustrate the wrestling game that had been the key to many of his opponent historic victories, being able to stop several takedown attempts and on two occasions even sweep Couture. However this was not a one-sided blowout as Couture was competitive throughout showing impressive boxing technique in several excellent exchanges and effective grappling as he frustrated Nogueira’s submission attempts. When the fight was over, the once partisan crowd was united in the belief that Nogueira was the deserved winner and that they had seen something very special.

While 2009 saw fights that were more action-packed or involved greater levels of skill none were as significant of memorable as the first meeting of Randy Couture and Antino Rodergiuo Nogueria. It was ten years in the making but the final dream fight of the old UFC/Pride duopoly did not fail to live up to the expectations of fight fans worldwide.

Fighter of the Year

The fighter that through his in-ring victories and performances was the exceptional MMA competitor of 2009.

Winner: Georges St. Pierre

For George St. Pierre 2009 started with the biggest fight of his life, perhaps the biggest fight in Mixed Martial Arts history. He defended his Welterweight Title against the reigning Lightweight Champion BJ Penn, the first time that two reigning UFC champions had fought in the Octagon. His opponent was himself a former Welterweight Champion and seemed to possess the takedown defense to frustrate St. Pierre and the boxing and BJJ skills to punish him. Both fighters were dominant champions and both fighters were regarded as contenders for the Best Pound for Pound crown.

And yet at UFC 94 George St. Pierre gave BJ Penn the beating of his life en route to retaining his title on a stoppage just before the fifth round. It was a twenty minute master class, with St. Pierre refusing to panic when in the first round Penn showed a freakish ability to stop his takedown attempts. Instead of being sucked into the standing battle that Penn wanted, St. Pierre used his work in the clinch and repeated takedown attempts to wear down the smaller fighter. Eventually Penn succumbed to the pressure being taken down by St. Pierre at the start of the second round. From there St. Pierre dominanted with superior ‘ground and pound’ and the grappling ability to move out of BJJ specialist Penn’s guard at will. The punishment he inflicted on Penn was as severe as any fighter has suffered this year, and it was no surprised that both Penn’s corner and the ringside doctor told referee Herb Dean that there was nothing to be gained from the fight going to a fifth round.

If anything his title defense against Thiago Alves was even more one-sided with George St. Pierre being able to take him down ten times throughout the fight and impose his will on the ground. This was despite Thiago Alves being the bigger of the two fighters and having displayed impressive takedown defense in previous fights with highly regarded wrestlers such as Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck. St. Pierre also had to contend with a groin injury that significantly reduced his mobility in the fourth and fifth rounds. This injury stopped him fighting again in 2009, with his next bout scheduled to be at UFC 111 where he will defend his Welterweight Title against Dan Hardy.

In 2009 no fighter was the equal of George St. Pierre, while other fighters put in disappointing performances in key matches or were content to fight substandard opposition he dismantled two world class fighters. He won all nine of the rounds he fought in and demonstrated an unparrelled breadth and depth of fighting skills. He is the complete fighter and if anyone encapsulates excellence in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts it is George St. Pierre. Whether it’s a willingness to fight the very best in his division, an ability to regroup and recover from setbacks or the determination to improve every facet of his game he is the fighter that everyone in the MMA world should compare themselves against. He has little left to prove in the Welterweight division and may well have to move up in weight to seek fresh challenges but for now he can reflect on another dominant year as the Inside Fights Fighter of 2009.

Check out the rest of our annual awards.

2009 Inside Fights MMA Awards – Part 1

2009 Inside Fights MMA Awards – Part 2

2009 Inside Fights MMA Awards – Part 3
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The series will be broken down into four parts, with this section following up parts one and two with “Knockout of the Year” and “Submission of the Year”.

Submission of the Year

This award goes to the most impressive, scientific and dynamic submission of the year.

Winner: Toby Imada’s inverted triangle choke against Jorge Masvidal at BFC 5

Everyone’s calling it the best submission of the year, and quite possibly the best submission of all time. Just when Masvidal thought he was out of harm’s way with Imada slung over his shoulders, Imada sunk his left leg under Masvidal’s neck and the inverted triangle choke was expertly applied before Masvidal even knew he was in trouble. Masvidal was too stunned to tap out, so he stood there while he was forced into unconsciousness. His body flopped over and revealed his purple face much to the satisfaction of the fans and definitely Imada.

Knockout of the Year

The “Knockout of the Year” award goes to the owner of the most brutal knockout strike (whether it be a kick, knee or a punch) of the year.

Winner: Dan Henderson’s right-hook knockout shot against Michael Bisping at UFC 100

As opposing head coaches of hit Spike TV program “Ultimate Fighter”, it was natural and almost necessary for Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping to build up heat for their fight at UFC 100. Although there were bigger rivalries on previous Ultimate Fighters (Ortiz/Shamrock and Pulver/Penn), none were more intense than Bisping and Henderson’s.

For the first time in the show’s history, The Ultimate Fighter pit two nations against each other: United States of America vs. United Kingdom. Michael Bisping, who is quite the cocky bloke, saw this as an opportunity to get under the skin of former American olympian Dan Henderson by talking an incredible amount trash. One week it was tales about how Bisping’s British fighters were superior to Henderson’s American fighters, and the next it would be about how Henderson should be the underdog because everyone was underestimating Bisping’s knockout power. All this time, Hendo kept quiet besides the witty comebacks because he knew his time of revenge would come when they were across from each other in the octagon.

“He has his big right hand; I don’t think he’s gonna land that big shot. I very rarely get hit. I’ve never been dropped, I’ve never been knocked out. And if he does, this hand will be there to block it, and this hand will be right there to counter.” Michael Bisping on the Countdown to UFC 100.

When bell-time rolled around, both fighters were pumped by Bisping’s antics and were looking for the knockout victory. After eight minutes and twenty seconds of Michael Bisping circling to his left, he eventually walked into Dan Henderson’s right hand. Needless to say, he didn’t have “this hand” to block it, nor did he have his other hand to throw the counter. Henderson’s right hand sent Bisping to the canvas in what was the knockout punch of the year, and followed it with another concussion-worthy right for good measure.

2009 Inside Fights MMA Awards – Part 1
2009 Inside Fights MMA Awards – Part 2

Stay tuned to Inside Fights for Part 4 of our award series for 2009.

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The series will be broken down into four parts, with this section following up Pt. 1 with “Fight Card of the Year” and “Story of the Year”.

Fight Card of the Year

The fight card that went above and beyond the expectations held by the mixed martial arts community.

Winner: UFC 107

While UFC 100 was the card breaking all of the pay-per-view records in 2009, UFC 107 was the card from this year that went above and beyond all of the expectations that was held for it, which was quite the feat after the UFC and the Memphis event lost its biggest trump card, Quinton “Ramage” Jackson, to the silver screen.

The card was headlined by a lightweight championship bout between the challenger Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez and the champion BJ Penn that ended with a technical knockout due to a doctor’s stoppage after Penn dominated Sanchez for over four rounds. Also on the card, Frank Mir desolated Cheick Kongo with a first round guillotine submission that shut Kongo’s lights out and had commentator Joe Rogan shouting in excitement.

However, Mir and Penn were not the only ones to finish fights in convincing and devastating fashion. Former lightweight top contender Kenny Florian faced off against the always entertaining Clay Guida in a 155-pound bout that saw “Ken-Flo” finish Guida via submission in the second round.

While Penn, Florian, and Mir put on impressive performances from the evening’s main card, what made this event the best one of the year was the under card that entertained the Memphis crowd for several hours before the main card began.

The preliminary card featured a total of six bouts, including an exciting match up between Alan Belcher and Wilson Gouveia. Belcher obliterated Gouveia in the very first round and won him Knockout of the Night honors. Along with that technical knockout, the under card had three other stoppages, including Damarques Johnson’s slick triangle choke against Edgar Garcia.

While the UFC’s Dec. card may not have received the attention of UFC 100, the fact that seven out of the eleven fights did not need the judges’ scorecards is a huge factor in making UFC 107 the fight card of the year. The card featured exciting knockouts, slick submissions, and several brutal wars that went to the a decision. For the 600,000 people that purchased the pay-per-view, it is hard to imagine they were disappointed after UFC 107 soared well above any expectations the Memphis card was given.

Story of the Year

The story that was the most prominent headline from the 2009 fight-year.

Winner: Strikeforce’s Rise in MMA

In sports such as professional football and baseball in the United States of America, there is one organization that runs the show. Football has the NFL, while baseball has the MLB. The case was very similar in mixed martial arts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC has survived through the tumultuous storms, while many mixed martial arts organizations have fallen on the wayside. However, one organization, while it is still not in the same league as the UFC, is a viable organization that has survived when many thought it would not.

The California-based promotion Strikeforce has been promoting MMA fights since 2006. However, it was not until three years later in 2009 when Strikeforce finally made their mark as a legitimate mixed martial arts promotion in the U.S.A.

While promotions such as Elite XC and Affliction crumbled in a short period of time, the UFC and Strikeforce remained to pick up all of the pieces. However, it was Strikeforce that made the biggest move when they signed Fedor Emelianenko to a fight contract after the UFC failed to lock down “The Last Emperor”.

Strikeforce unveiled Emelianenko live on CBS on Nov. 7 of this year, and the experiment was a resounding success. American fans endeared themselves to the Russian, as Emelianenko knocked out Brett Rogers in the second round of the evening’s main event.

However, Strikeforce not only has the greatest heavyweight in the world under contract, but they have also taken their weak divisional competition and brought in the firepower necessary to have legitimate weight classes. In fact, the Strikeforce middleweight division, while no member could beat Anderson Silva, is a very strong division in terms of competition. The lightweight and heavyweight divisions are the same way, while the light heavyweight division is really the only weak point.

And if that was not enough, like it or not, Strikeforce has brought women’s mixed martial arts into the mainstream, mainly due to the highly promoted women’s lightweight championship between Gina Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos last August.

Strikeforce will never be a threat to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in any big way, but in 2009, with additions such as Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson, the San Jose Promotion is looking more and more like it is hear to stay. While the UFC is still obviously the “big show”, Strikeforce has become a notable organization in a sport where so many organizations have failed in trying to gain what Scott Coker and his humble promotion have.

Stay tuned to Inside Fights for Part 3 and 4 of our award series for 2009. And in case you missed Part 1, check it out here.
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The series will be broken down into four parts, with this section leading it off with awards for “Breakout Fighter of the Year” and “Upset of the Year”.

Breakout Fighter of the Year

“Breakout Fighter of the Year” award goes to the fighter who did the most to rise into the spotlight through an exceptional year of success in 2009.

Winner: Jose Aldo (4-0 in 2009)

Jose Aldo’s four-fight year with the WEC earned him the reputation of a killer and the title of champion. Aldo began the phenomenal year with a knockout victory in January at WEC 38 against Rolando Perez.

Aldo wasted little time getting back into the cage when he defeated Chris Mickle via technical knockout at WEC 39. “Junior” followed that up with a technical knockout victory over Cub Swanson at WEC 41 in a bout that aged only eight seconds before its completion.

After his third victory of 2009, Aldo was given the chance he had been waiting for when he was granted his title shot against Mike Thomas Brown, who had successfully defended the belt two times.

Aldo and Brown headlined WEC 44 in what seemed to be a very even match. However, the Brazilian utilized his speed and power to roll through Brown en route to a technical knockout after he took Brown’s back in the second round and pounded him to a stoppage.

Aldo finished the year with a 4-0 record in the WEC with all of his victories coming by way of knockout. He needed just over ten minutes to win all four of his contests with his bout against Brown being the longest fight of his year (6:20). Two of his fights did not even see the second minute of the first round.

What truly sets Aldo apart from fighters such as Dan Hardy and Cain Velasquez is not only the fact that he won all of his fights, but that he won all of his fights in absolutely devastating fashion. The fact that he demolished top featherweights Cub Swanson and Mike Brown also helps “Junior’s” case.

Aldo leaves 2009 as WEC featherweight champion and an addition to most people’s pound for pound rankings. After the year he had, that is really no wonder. In fact, the only thing you can wonder about is how he ever lost a fight in the first place.

Upset of the Year

The “Upset of the Year” award goes to the fighter who battled through the odds en route to a victory over an opponent who was deemed a greater fighter.

Winner: Brian Bowles’ knockout victory over Miguel Torres at WEC 42

Brian Bowles victory over Miguel Torres at WEC 42 this past summer was not an upset because the fight was necessarily a mismatch, but rather due to the fact that the heavy-handed wrestler was facing the most dominant bantamweight in the history of mixed martial arts.

When Torres entered the cage on August 9, he brought with him a 17 fight win-streak that could be traced all the way back to June of 2004. With a 37-1 record in his resume, the submission ace seemed the clear favorite.

However, Bowles’ heavy hands ended Torres’ historic streak, as the undefeated Georgian knocked Torres out at 3:57 in the first round.

The initial reaction to a Miguel Torres loss was foreign to almost every one of his fans, along with everyone else who had any clue who he was, due simply to the fact that the vast majority had never seen him lose before. After all, it had been around half a decade since Torres last tasted defeat.

However, on paper this was not as big of an upset as a “Lauzon vs. Pulver”. Bowles entered the bout with seven victories and no losses, with all seven victories coming by way of submission or knockout. His heavy hands had proved disastrous for a couple fighters before his career in the WEC, but his submission game was what he used to finished the vast majority of his fights, including victories over Will Ribeiro, Damacio Page, and Charlie Valencia.

Yet after five years of complete dominance and a 17 fight win-streak from Miguel Torres, Brian Bowles exited the octagon on Aug. 9 with a belt very few people expected him to gain. While in the gambling world Bowles may not have been the underdog Thierry Rameau Sokoudjou was against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira several years ago, the shock factor of a Miguel Torres loss proved worthy enough to move this shocker into the top position of this year’s biggest upsets.

Stay tuned to Inside Fights for more of our MMA awards for 2009.

Cung Le may have proved that he is the best pure kicker in the sport of mixed martial arts, but it was not enough to finish off the unflappable Scott Smith.

Le’s loss leaves us all to speculate, will Le ever compete in an MMA fight again?

In the evening’s other middleweight affair, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza made his Strikeforce debut an impressive one, having his way with veteran and former Olympian Matt Lindland.

Souza stated in his post fight comments that he expects nothing less then a title shot in 2010. The question is, who will he have to submit his way through?

With last nights shakeup in the division, lets take a look at the current Strikeforce middleweight standings.

1. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

Shields didn’t earn any new fans in his five round decision win over Jason “Mayhem” Miller but he did walk away with the belt and that is all that counts for now. If a rumored title fight with Dan Henderson goes through, it will be the biggest fight of Shields’s career and a win would silence all the haters.

2. Dan Henderson (25-7)

Henderson left behind the limelight – and headache – of the UFC to finish out his legendary career with a number two organization in the sport. It is being rumored he will take on current Middleweight Champion Jake Shields in his debut; a win would give him what he was unable to secure in the UFC, a coveted title.

3. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (14-2)

The BJJ wizard had markedly improved stand up in his Strikeforce debut, making Matt Lindland look like an amateur fighter. He came to Strikeforce to win a belt and a subsequent win in the organization should accomplish that. A fight with Jason Miller makes sense on all levels and a fight with Robbie Lawler would make for a great “striker vs. grappler” match if Lawler accepts.

4. Jason “Mayhem” Miller (22-7)

Miller proved that he is impossible to finish in his fight with Shields and nearly finished Shields with a submission in the third round. As mentioned above, a fight with “Jacare” makes the most sense but if the organization can put together “Souza vs. Lawler” then a fight between “Mayhem” and never say die Scott Smith could make for an entertaining battle.

5. Robbie Lawler (18-5)

Losing to Jake Shields in his last fight put Lawler in an awkward position. He was offered “Jacare” which was turned down. A rumored fight between Nick Diaz never materialized. Finally his fight with Trevor Prangley was canceled last hour. Strikeforce can use Lawler to create great stand up fights so Lawler vs. Le or Lawler vs. Radach would be serve well.

6. Scott Smith (17-6)

Like Lawler, Smith is someone Strikeforce can count on to create a great fight. In terms of climbing the middleweight ladder, swimming upstream may serve difficult. Smith’s best bet would be to land a fight with “Mayhem” Miller but if  Lawler wants nothing to do with “Jacare” then Miller will likely be tapped to fight the Brazilian.

7. Cung Le (6-1)

Le falls back to reality with his last minute loss to Smith. Le was cruising to a decisive decision win but, even if he had one, it is hard to think his kicks alone would have won him his title back.

Whether Le chooses to compete MMA again remains to be seen – if he does return, a fight with Benjii Radach would offer up another compelling stand-up war. Or, Le vs. Shamrock II?

8. Frank Shamrock (23-10-2)

At this point in his career, Shamrock is here to leverage his name to put together entertaining fights that make him and the company money. Le vs. Shamrock II would certainly make the most sense in that regard. A wild card fight would be Shamrock vs. “Mayhem” Miller if Shamrock is feeling frisky. Something about Shamrock vs. Lindland doesn’t sound so bad, no?

9. Benji Radach (19-5)

Radach is a scrappy fighter who can console with Cung Le given that he too had victory snatched from him by Scott Smith in the final frame. Radach may never compete in a title fight but he can serve as a valuable piece to Strikeforce as they look to solidly their middleweight roster. A fight with Joey Villasenor would be sure to produce some fireworks. Outside of that, acting as a gatekeeper to Tim Kennedy or Luke Rockhold are options.

10. Joey Villasenor (27-6)

Villasenor defeated Evangelista Santos in his Strikeforce debut by split decision – not exactly creating the momentum he would have liked to within his new organization. A fight with Radach would be fun, and like Radach, he too can serve as a gatekeeper to up-and-comers like Tim Kennedy and Luke Rockhold.

They are published in the first week of every month and take into account all shows leading up to the beginning of the voting process.

The most recent set of rankings: August 2009

HEAVYWEIGHT

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Brock Lesnar
3. Frank Mir
4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
5. Josh Barnett
6. Shane Carwin
7. Randy Couture
8. Brett Rogers
9. Alistair Overeem
10. Cain Velasquez

NOTES: The strength of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s victory over Randy Couture at UFC 102 moves him up one spot to #4. Nogueira may have earned himself a title shot with the performance, but it appears that a rematch with #3 Frank Mir may be in the cards. Mir is scheduled to face Cheick Kongo in December at UFC 107, but there are rumors bubbling that the fight may be scrapped in favor of doing Nogueira vs. Mir 2 on the Ultimate 2009 show on January 2nd…Josh Barnett drops from #3 to #5, likely based on inactivity. He’ll continue to drop down the list until he fights again…Shane Carwin moves to #6, leapfrogging the free-falling Alistair Overeem. Carwin will face Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight championship in November…Brett Rogers moves from #10 to #8. Rogers will face #1 heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko on an undisclosed card in October or November.

On The Bubble: Andrei Arlovski, Junior Dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Cro Cop

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

1. Lyoto Machida
2. Rashad Evans
3. Quinton Jackson
4. Anderson Silva
5. Gegard Mousasi
6. Mauricio Rua
7. Forrest Griffin
8. Thiago Silva
9. Rich Franklin
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

On The Bubble: Luiz Cane, Renato Sobral, Keith Jardine

NOTES: The most significant debut in these rankings comes courtesy of Anderson Silva. Silva’s destruction of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 vaults him into the #4 spot. Silva will continue to fight light heavyweights while also defending his middleweight title, and a potential heavyweight excursion has been discussed. If that comes to fruition, Silva could very well become the first man to ever be ranked in three weight classes at one time…Nipping at Silva’s heels is Gegard Mousasi, who made an emphatic statement that he’s a true contender in the division with his one-sided beating of Renato Sobral at the Strikeforce card in August. Mousasi debuts at #5 in the rankings…Griffin falls from #4 to #7 this month after his embarrassing loss to Silva…#10 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira recently inked a contract with the UFC and will make his Octagon debut at UFC 105 in November…Thiago Silva debuts in the rankings after destroying Keith Jardine at UFC 102.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Nate Marquardt
4. Yushin Okami
5. Demian Maia
6. Vitor Belfort
7. Jorge Santiago
8. Robbie Lawler
9. Yoshihiro Akiyama
10. Chael Sonnen

On The Bubble: Nick Diaz, Michael Bisping

NOTES: The only change in the top five in this division comes courtesy of Demian Maia, who switches places with Yushin Okami. Maia lost by vicious knockout to #3 Nate Marquardt at UFC 102…Chael Sonnen debuts in the rankings at #10. Sonnen will face #4 Yushin Okami at UFC 104 in October. A win will likely vault him into title contender status.

WELTERWEIGHT

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Thiago Alves
4. Jake Shields
5. Martin Kampmann
6. Mike Swick
7. Carlos Condit
8. Josh Koscheck
9. Matt Hughes
10. Paulo Thiago

On The Bubble: Frank Trigg, Dan Hardy

NOTES: Matt Hughes re-enters the rankings this month. Hughes recently signed a new contract with the UFC and will return in early 2010 against an unnamed opponent…#3 Thiago Alves will face #10 Paulo Thiago at UFC 107 in December. An emphatic win by Alves will put him in line for another fight with Georges St. Pierre, but he’ll likely have to win at least one more fight. #2 Jon Fitch is closer to a title shot than anyone else in the UFC’s division, and a win over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 106 will likely cement another title shot for Fitch…#5 Martin Kampmann and #6 Mike Swick were scheduled to face each other to determine the next contender for St. Pierre’s belt at UFC 103 later this month, but Swick was forced to pull out because of a concussion suffered during training. Kampmann will instead face the debuting Paul Daley, but it’s no longer certain that a Kampmann win will earn him a title shot. The company may instead look to put Josh Koscheck in that role if Koscheck can pull off an impressive victory over the returning Frank Trigg at UFC 103.

LIGHTWEIGHT

1. BJ Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Tatsuya Kawajiri
5. Kenny Florian
6. Diego Sanchez
7. Gray Maynard
8. Frank Edgar
9. Joachim Hansen
10. Josh Thomson

On The Bubble: Gesias Calvancante, Clay Guida

NOTES: #5 Kenny Florian drops one spot after losing to BJ Penn in August. Florian’s next task will be Clay Guida at UFC 106…#6 Diego Sanchez will challenge BJ Penn for the lightweight championship at UFC 107 in December. That fight replaces the resceduled Quinton Jackson/Rashad Evans grudge match, which was canceled when Jackson landed the role of B.A. Baracus in the new A-Team remake…#2 Shinya Aoki will face #9 Joachim Hansen on the October 6 DREAM.11 card. If victorious, Aoki is expected to take on #4 Tatsuya Kawajiri on the DREAM New Year’s Eve show.
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LIGHTWEIGHT
Updated: July 27, 2009

1. BJ Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Eddie Alvarez
4. Kenny Florian
5. Joachim Hansen
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri
7. Gray Maynard
8. Diego Sanchez
9. Frank Edgar
10. Gesias Calvancante

NOTES: Kenny Florian moves up one spot, perhaps in anticipation of his UFC 101 championship bout against BJ Penn in two weeks…Diego Sanchez debuts in the rankings after being named the number-one contender for the lightweight title. Sanchez has looked virtually unstoppable since dropping to lightweight and will face the Florian/Penn winner later in the year.
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