http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=12928
HEAVYWEIGHT
1. Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) (27-1-0, 1 NC)
Following the collapse of his deal with M-1 Global, Fedor Emelianenko seems to have landed in the money-laden laps of Affliction, Mark Cuban and others with a bout against Tim Sylvia (Pictures) on July 19. Hopefully this signals the beginning of a new era for MMA's "Last Emperor."
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) (31-4-1, 1 NC)
Some have questioned whether any UFC heavyweight, especially the battle-tested Brazilian, can crossover into stardom. Nogueira will now get the TUF treatment in the coming months as he goes head to head with Frank Mir (Pictures) in coaching the eighth season of the UFC's reality series in the build-up to his first title defense against the former champ.
3. Randy Couture (Pictures) (16-8-0)
Unfortunately, no news is bad news for Randy Couture (Pictures), who continues his legal two-step with the UFC in hopes of securing a bout with Fedor Emelianenko outside the Octagon. As the drama continues to boil over, one has to wonder just how much time "The Natural" has left to make this mega-bout happen.
4. Tim Sylvia (Pictures) (24-4-0)
Suddenly free from the organization that nurtured him into a heavyweight force, two-time UFC champion Tim Sylvia has chosen Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) as his first bout outside the UFC in nearly three years. An upset win over the sport's premier heavyweight would certainly go a long way toward erasing the memory of his collapse against Nogueira.
5. Andrei Arlovski (Pictures) (12-5-0)
It wasn't the vintage Arlovski performance some expected, but the former UFC champ pounded out previously undefeated Jake O'Brien (Pictures) in March. While many thought Arlovski being buried in the prelims would signal the end for the "Pitbull" in the UFC, both Arlovski, his management and even Dana White have expressed hope that the Belarusian will be back in the Octagon soon. There are also strong rumors he will fight outside the Octagon against Ben Rothwell (Pictures).
6. Fabricio Werdum (Pictures) (10-3-1)
Werdum successfully rebounded from a woeful Octagon debut against Andrei Arlovski (Pictures) with a well-earned stoppage over Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) in January. However, Werdum's road to a rematch with Nogueira will be a difficult one, as he's slated for duty against Brandon Vera (Pictures) on June 7.
7. Josh Barnett (Pictures) (22-5-0)
After drawing some criticism for inactivity in the post-PRIDE period, Barnett returned to action in Sengoku and knocked off a quality opponent in longtime training partner Jeff Monson (Pictures) on May 18. Next on tap for MMA's proudest catch wrestler figures to be a date with former foe Pedro Rizzo (Pictures) on Affliction's July 19 offering. In February 2001, Rizzo came out the victor of a fantastic clash between the two via a sizzling KO.
8. Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) (8-3-0)
After his devastating knockout of Mirko Filipovic (Pictures), many thought Gonzaga was the next UFC champion. Randy Couture (Pictures) brought him back down into the atmosphere, though, and then Fabricio Werdum (Pictures) slammed him back down to earth with a second-round stoppage in January. It remains to be seen if Gonzaga will be able to replicate his win over "Cro Cop" in the near future.
9. Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) (23-6-2)
After many headaches over finding an opponent for the former K-1 star, FEG finally produced a woefully overmatched Tatsuya Mizuno (Pictures), whom Filipovic destroyed in 56 seconds. Whether the state of things will improve for the Croatian remains to be seen.
10. Ben Rothwell (Pictures) (29-5-0)
On a 13-fight win streak, the Miletich product will get the chance to validate himself against better opposition in the very near future. Rothwell is scheduled for action on the main card of Affliction's debut card on July 19 against a yet-unnamed opponent.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
1. Quinton Jackson (Pictures) (29-6-0)
Currently starring in the seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter," "Rampage" has provided high-quality television thus far. Here's hoping for a high-quality bout in the season's culmination on July 5, when Jackson defends his UFC title against opposing coach Forrest Griffin (Pictures).
2. Lyoto Machida (Pictures) (13-0-0)
Many questioned how MMA's proudest karateka would fare against a strong, experienced wrestler. Machida passed that test with flying colors, dominating Tito Ortiz (Pictures) over three rounds and emerging as the presumptive challenger to face the winner of July's Rampage-Griffin clash. With his dominant display, and the falls of Henderson and Jardine, Machida rises from seventh to second.
3. Forrest Griffin (Pictures) (15-4-0)
Griffin has gone from TUF competitor to coach, as he leads his team against Quinton Jackson (Pictures)'s on the seventh season of the show. However, what's more important is the buildup to July's light heavyweight title clash, which should pull big numbers for Zuffa and the UFC. Griffin rises from fourth to third with the slips of Jardine and Henderson.
4. Chuck Liddell (Pictures) (21-5)
A badly torn hamstring has put Liddell on the shelf and cancelled his main event bout with Rashad Evans (Pictures) for June's UFC 85 card in London. Already entering the twilight of his career, the injury certainly isn't a good sign for one of MMA's most battle-tested veterans. Nonetheless, Liddell rises one spot to fourth.
5. Mauricio Rua (Pictures) (16-3-0)
After injuring his knee and stumbling in his UFC debut, it seemed "Shogun" had hit rock bottom. Then, with a big fight against Chuck Liddell (Pictures) looming, disaster struck again when Rua injured the same knee that had been surgically repaired just months before. There is a small silver lining: with the stumbles of Jardine and Henderson, Rua rises from sixth to fifth.
6. Dan Henderson (Pictures) (22-6-0)
He was torn up in his 185-pound title bout against Anderson Silva and his next move is uncertain. However, if Dan Henderson (Pictures) returns to the 205-pound division, there will be no shortage of interesting matchups -- although there may be a shortage of easy ones. In the mean time, inactivity sees Henderson drop from second to sixth in the red-hot light heavyweight division.
7. Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) (32-8-1, 1 NC)
If an impressive victory was needed to quell talks of whether "The Axe Murderer" was over the hill, that was exactly what was delivered in his 36-second blitzkrieg of Keith Jardine (Pictures). With the vintage Silva victory, the Brazilian rises from eighth to seventh.
8. Keith Jardine (Pictures) (13-4-1)
After knocking off Chuck Liddell (Pictures), Jardine had the opportunity to defeat the two greatest light heavyweights in the sport's history when he entered the Octagon for his May 24 bout with Wanderlei Silva (Pictures). Instead, Jardine was ripped apart and brutally dispatched in 36 seconds. With the demoralizing defeat, Jardine falls from third to eighth.
9. Rashad Evans (Pictures) (11-0-1)
After "Shogun" injured his knee a second time, Evans was moved into the main event role against Chuck Liddell (Pictures) only to see Liddell suffer a hamstring injury that forced him to pull out. Evans will now get a softer touch, when he takes on James Irvin (Pictures) on the card.
10. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Pictures) (5-2-0)
Sokoudjou restored some measure of his hype, handling a quality opponent in Kazuhiro Nakamura (Pictures) and stopping him at the end of the first frame. Although Africa's top mixed martial artist may still continue to fight talk of his 2007 wins being flukes, the UFC's 205-pound division should prove to be the acid test for the Cameroonian.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
1. Anderson Silva (21-4)
Another one up, another one down. MMA's middleweight king solidified his top pound-for-pound status with his destructive second-round submission over Dan Henderson (Pictures) in March. While talk of a boxing match with Roy Jones Jr. may not be realistic, Silva's reign has been spectacular thus far. And like Jones' reign as king of the ring, many fans are left wondering who can beat "The Spider."
2. Paulo Filho (Pictures) (16-0-0)
His on-again, off-again rematch with Chael Sonnen (Pictures) is in limbo, following Filho's admission into rehab for substance abuse. Here's to a speedy recovery for the potent Brazilian, who reportedly suffered from depression as well.
3. Rich Franklin (Pictures) (23-3-0, 1 NC)
Franklin put his second brutal loss to Anderson Silva behind him, overcoming some early adversity to put a beatdown on another former Silva challenger, Travis Lutter (Pictures) in April. With that second-round stoppage in the books, it's unclear what Franklin's next move at middleweight will be. But in the wide-open division, there is still a multitude of interesting fights for "Ace."
4. Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) (26-7-2)
With a dominant drubbing of Jeremy Horn (Pictures) now behind him, Marquardt will set his sights on once-beaten Brazilian Thales Leites (Pictures) in a June 7 bout that has twice been postponed. If Marquardt wants to prove he deserves another crack at the UFC title after getting blown out by Anderson Silva in July, he'll need an impressive victory.
5. Robbie Lawler (Pictures) (16-4-0)
Looking to put recent injury woes behind him, Lawler will gear up for what will likely be the biggest fight of his career when he defends his EliteXC middleweight title against fellow heavy-handed 185-pounder Scott Smith. The bout is set for the main card of EliteXC's May 31 event on CBS.
6. Yushin Okami (Pictures) (22-4-0)
If Okami needed a dominant and decisive victory to really cement his place in the middleweight division, he's got it. Japan's best plus-155 product crashed former UFC champ Evan Tanner (Pictures)'s homecoming party with a nasty second-round knockout in March. Given the controversial history between the two, a rematch with Anderson Silva would seem to be the most sensible fight, though Okami will be hard-pressed to score a second win over the champ.
7. Frank Trigg (Pictures) (16-6-0)
In what looked like a highly compelling affair, Dream announced that Trigg would meet grappling god-turned MMA prospect Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in the opening round of its middleweight tournament on April 29. However, Trigg said that he had not agreed to the fight and didn't even have a visa. Oops.
8. Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures) (10-1-0, 2 NC)
Ever the source of controversy and quagmires, Akiyama's participation in Dream's middleweight tournament was seemingly nixed when he announced before the event he had a broken nose that would take three weeks to heal. It's almost amazing to think of what might happen to Akiyama next.
9. Kazuo Misaki (Pictures) (19-8-2, 1 NC)
"The Grabaka Hitman" will return to action on Sengoku's June 8 card against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. However, Misaki called out streaking Brazilian Jorge Santiago (Pictures) after Santiago knocked off his training partner Yuki Sasaki (Pictures), which could provide a great match-up in the near future for World Victory Road's MMA product.
10. Jorge Santiago (Pictures) (17-7-0)
Santiago had a tougher-than-anticipated time with Yuki Sasaki (Pictures) on May 18, but eventually grabbed the win with a nasty armbar in the third round. More importantly, the bout may have cleared the way for a potential showdown with Sasaki's teammate Kazuo Misaki (Pictures) in the coming months. That could give Santiago the major fight it seemed he was deprived of after his Strikeforce tournament victory in November.
WELTERWEIGHT
1. Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) (16-2-0)
With the Matt Serra (Pictures) drama behind him, St. Pierre's attention now turns to reigning in the fashion expected from him when he first captured the UFC title in November 2006. First on deck for GSP is a fantastic title scrap with Jon Fitch (Pictures), headlining the UFC's August 9 foray in Minnesota.
2. Jon Fitch (Pictures) (16-2-0, 1 NC)
Fitch picked up a high-quality win in March, taking out an underrated and largely unknown Chris Wilson. The problem was that he looked less than stellar in doing so, which has quieted much of the hype he brought into the bout. Nonetheless, with St. Pierre regaining the undisputed UFC title, Fitch will likely get his championship chance later this year.
3. Matt Hughes (Pictures) (41-6-0)
Although the longtime welterweight king has only a few fights left, Hughes has stepped in to save the injury-plagued UFC 85 card on June 7, where he'll take one of the 170-pound class' new breed in Thiago Alves (Pictures).
4. Josh Koscheck (Pictures) (10-2-0)
With a new contract in tow, Koscheck will climb back into the Octagon in July. This time around, he will meet the ever-game Chris Lytle (Pictures) on the Jackson-Griffin undercard.
5. Diego Sanchez (Pictures) (18-2-0)
After his destruction of Sweden's David Bielkheden (Pictures) in March, Sanchez is set to get back into the saddle next month. Sanchez will take on tough slugger Luigi Fioravanti (Pictures) on the June 21 finale of TUF 7.
6. Jake Shields (Pictures) (20-4-1)
A back injury to Shields initially postponed his Elite XC title defense against Drew Fickett (Pictures) on March 29. Then set for June 14, a knee injury to Fickett has further postponed the bout.
7. Matt Serra (Pictures) (9-5)
The slipper dropped for Serra, who was destroyed in his rematch with St. Pierre. However, Serra might not be done in big bouts. A potential clash with Matt Hughes (Pictures) seems likely in the near future.
8. Thiago Alves (Pictures) (14-3-0)
After firmly placing himself in the title hunt with his April 2 stoppage of Karo Parisyan (Pictures), Alves is looking for further validation. "Pitbull" has the chance to firmly entrench himself as the next man in line for a crack at GSP's title after Fitch if he can knockoff the sport's most storied welterweight in Matt Hughes (Pictures) in on June 7 in London.
9. Karo Parisyan (Pictures) (18-5-0)
Parisyan, who was set to challenge for the UFC welterweight title in November 2005, just had his title hopes take another hit when he was stopped by Thiago Alves (Pictures) in their April 2 bout.
10. Carlos Condit (Pictures) (22-4-0)
Condit was the marquee man for the WEC's recent foray into New Mexico and the 170-pound champ didn't disappoint. He avenged his September 2004 loss to Carlo Prater (Pictures) with a first-round guillotine in front of his raucous home crowd.
LIGHTWEIGHT
1. B.J. Penn (Pictures) (13-4-1)
With his return to the division, many proclaimed Penn the world's best lightweight. With his dominant victory to retain the UFC lightweight championship against Sean Sherk (Pictures), Penn validates those claims by claiming the top spot in these rankings. With a Roger Huerta (Pictures)-Kenny Florian (Pictures) eliminator on tap for August, and his desire to rematch Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) made vocal, Penn's future should certainly prove exciting.
2. Takanori Gomi (Pictures) (28-3-0, 1 NC)
Sengoku's star lightweight announced his return for August. Also in the works for the summer is an eight-man lightweight tournament to determine the man to fight Gomi for Sengoku's inaugural lightweight championship. Although quality competition may be in the future for Gomi after all, his old nemesis BJ Penn takes over the top spot in the Sherdog rankings, dropping Gomi from first to second.
3. Shinya Aoki (Pictures) (15-2, 1 NC)
Although he drew criticism for not continuing in his March bout with Gesias Cavalcante (Pictures), Aoki rectified the situation on April 29, using his dynamic grappling to take a well-earned decision over the potent Brazilian. Next up for Aoki will be Olympic silver medalist Katsuhiko Nagata (Pictures) on June 15. With the victory, Aoki jumps into the rankings in the three slot.
4. Gesias Cavalcante (Pictures) (14-2-1, 1 NC)
Cavalcante came out on the losing end of things in his April 29 rematch with Shinya Aoki (Pictures). Now, "JZ" is looking at three to four months on the shelf to recover from a torn ACL. With the loss, and the ascension of BJ Penn, Cavalcante slides from second to fourth.
5. Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) (14-1-0)
Melendez's March 29 defense of his Strikeforce title against Gabe Lemley (Pictures) wound up being the mismatched beatdown anticipated. The next action for the Cesar Gracie (Pictures) product against Josh Thomson (Pictures) in June, a match more befitting his stature.
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) (22-4-2)
Kawajiri replicated his July 2005 victory over Luiz Firmino (Pictures), taking another commanding decision victory. With "JZ" now out of the Dream lightweight tournament bracket, many have tabbed "Crusher" as the remaining favorite.
7. Sean Sherk (Pictures) (32-3-1)
The ten months of torture for Sean Sherk (Pictures) were punctuated in painful fashion as he was thoroughly handled by BJ Penn in their lightweight title clash. However, due to Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro's inactivity and Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures)'s loss, Sherk actually gains a spot in these rankings, moving from eighth to seventh.
8. Caol Uno (Pictures) (25-10-4)
No, you're not caught in a timewarp. Uno seemed like an also-ran in the deep Dream lightweight tournament, but the veteran fighter-fashionista turned in a vintage performance, choking out Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) in the second round. However improbable, Uno jumps into the rankings at eight.
9. Mitsuhiro Ishida (Pictures) (16-4-1)
Most expected Ishida to use his active top game to take out veteran Caol Uno (Pictures) in the Dream lightweight tournament's quarterfinals. However, "The Endless Fighter" fell victim to the "Uno Shoten", and with the loss, slides from third to ninth in the ultra-competitive lightweight division.
10. Joe Stevenson (28-8-0)
After earning a well-deserved title opportunity in January, Stevenson was dismantled by Penn. However, he will be back in action against quality opposition July 5, when he meets tough Brazilian Gleison Tibau (Pictures) on the undercard of Jackson-Griffin. With the recent activity in the division, Stevenson falls from ninth to tenth.
*With the recent activity in the division, formerly seventh-ranked Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro falls just outside the top ten due to inactivity.
FEATHERWEIGHT
1. Urijah Faber (Pictures) (20-1-0)
Heavy is the head that wears the crown and -- with a potential bout against Jens Pulver (Pictures) looming -- Faber could be in for the stiffest test of his career. The crowd will be pro-Faber, though, as the "California Kid" defends in his backyard of Sacramento.
2. Jeff Curran (Pictures) (29-9-1)
"The Big Frog" had a great first round but ultimately fell prey to Urijah Faber (Pictures) in their Dec. 12 WEC title bout. Curran benefits from the losses of "Lion Takeshi" and Masakazu Imanari (Pictures), rising from third to second, but will have to earn the number two slot on June 1, when he'll take on ATT product Mike Thomas Brown.
3. Leonard Garcia (Pictures) (11-3-0)
After dropping to the featherweight class and scoring the biggest win of his career over Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictures) in February, Garcia was busted in March in connection with a cocaine ring in Texas. Garcia has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. None too surprisingly, his fight career is on hold for the time being. However, despite his possible indiscretions, the high-profile losses in the division see Garcia climb from fifth to third.
4. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Pictures) (18-6-2)
After dropping three of his last four, the colorful veteran abandoned the lightweight division where he'd spent his entire career. In his 145-pound debut, Mishima made out fantastically, taking a majority decision and the Deep featherweight title from Masakazu Imanari (Pictures).
5. Masakazu Imanari (Pictures) (14-6-1)
Imanari couldn't strike gold with one of his leglocks against Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Pictures) on May 19 and dropped a decision as well as his Deep title. The "Ashikan Judan" also drops from fourth to fifth in these rankings.
6. Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictures) (9-5-1)
There was much excitement over Takaya's Feb. 13 WEC debut. Many thought he could be a quality competitor and offer a challenge to divisional kingpin Urijah Faber (Pictures). The hype was quickly nixed, though, as he was knocked out quickly by Leonard Garcia (Pictures).
7. Antonio Carvalho (Pictures) (10-3-0)
Carvalho was scheduled to meet Yuji Hoshino (Pictures) in the GCM Cage Force 145-pound tournament, but an injury nixed that bout and GCM couldn't pull off last-minute heroics to find the Canadian an opponent. The Carvalho-Hoshino bout will now likely happen June 22, any future injuries notwithstanding.
8. Hatsu Hioki (Pictures) (15-3-1)
The ultra-skilled Nagoyan continued his comeback after a miserable 2007 by absolutely destroying grappling whiz Baret Yoshida (Pictures). However, Hioki tweaked his knee in the victory, which nixed a potential big bout with Rumina Sato (Pictures) in May.
9. Trenell Young (Pictures) (9-7)
After a career as a journeyman, "Savant" opted to cut down to the featherweight division after a career of competiting across a variety of weight classes as heavy as middleweight. The move paid off richly as Young scored the biggest win of his career by taking a decision over former Shooto world champion "Lion Takeshi" Takeshi Inoue (Pictures). The win sees Young debut in these rankings at number nine.
10. Takeshi Inoue (Pictures) (14-3-0)
The former Shooto world champ looked like he was taking control of his May 3 fight with Trenell "Savant" Young, until he got caught in a deep guillotine that turned the tide. After dropping the decision, "Lion Takeshi" drops hard from second to tenth in these rankings.
BANTAMWEIGHT
1. Miguel Torres (Pictures) (32-1-0)
The sudden star of MMA's emerging bantamweight class was set for a very interesting June 1 bout with Manny Tapia (Pictures). However, even after a knee injury axed Tapia from the bout, Torres' June title defense remains exciting on paper, as the mulleted Mexicano will meet Pancrase poster boy Yoshiro Maeda (Pictures) in the first defense of his WEC title.
2. Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures) (8-0-1)
In the biggest fight of his young career, Ueda became just the second fighter to be an All-Japan amateur Shooto champion, a Shooto rookie champion and a Shooto world champion by taking a commanding decision over Koetsu Okazaki (Pictures) to win the Shooto 132-pound world title. Although the WEC will continue to become the focal point of the weight class, Ueda has become the division's torchbearer abroad.
3. Koetsu Okazaki (Pictures) (5-1-1)
Okazaki was quite simply outclassed by the stronger, more technical Ueda in their March 28 title showdown. What's next for the Osaka-native is uncertain as he has never been much of a workhorse and may not get back into the ring until the latter stages of the year.
4. Atsushi Yamamoto (Pictures) (11-5-1)
The Norifumi Yamamoto (Pictures) (Pictures) pupil had the biggest opportunity of his career in his bout with Masakatsu Ueda (Pictures), which offered the winner a chance to fight for the vacant 132-pound Shooto world title. In a hard-fought bout, Ueda came out the victor, sending Yamamoto back to the drawing board.
5. Brian Bowles (Pictures) (4-0-0)
Bowles went from "Who is this kid?" after his June submission over vet Charlie Valencia (Pictures) to "This kid is serious" after his Dec. 12 steamrolling of the well-traveled and well-accomplished Marcos Galvao (Pictures). 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), Manny Tapia (Pictures) and Miguel Torres (Pictures).
6. Marcos Galvao (Pictures) (6-2-0)
After years of competing in Shooto, "Louro" got a golden opportunity to showcase his skills in the WEC. 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.
7. Daniel Lima (8-2-2)
After pulling out of a scheduled bout with Tetsu Suzuki in March, the next move for the Australia-based Brazilian is uncertain, though it will likely come in the land down under.
8. Takeya Mizugaki (8-2-2)
The tournament favorite in GCM's 135-pound Cage Force tournament, Mizugaki hurdled injury woes and is ready for his quarterfinal bout. Mizugaki will climb back into the cage June 22 to meet the colorful Daichi Fujiwara.
9. Chase Beebe (11-2-0)
Although Beebe was dethroned by divisional kingpin Miguel Torres, there's plenty of time for the young Chicago-native to get back into the title picture. The road back to the WEC championship begins June 1 when the 23-year-old takes on Brazilian banger Will Ribeiro on the untelevised undercard of the Faber-Pulver card in Sacramento.
10. Manny Tapia (10-0-1)
Tapia's next battle will be rehabbing from surgery, following the knee injury that scuttled his June 1 WEC title challenge against Miguel Torres. However, upon return, he will likely be the man to challenge for the WEC crown.
FLYWEIGHT
1. Shinichi Kojima (Pictures) (8-3-4)
Kojima's embarassing run at 132 pounds is now seemingly over, thankfully. "BJ" is scheduled to be back in action on July 18, where he'll defend his 123-pound Shooto world title against a yet-to-be-determined opponent and attempt to regain some measure of dignity.
2. Yasuhiro Urushitani (Pictures) (14-3-6)
May 3 provided more of the same for MMA's most unlucky fighter, as another seemingly strong performance by Urushitani against Ryuichi Miki (Pictures) didn't earn him the expected decision, but rather resulted in another disappointing draw. C'est la vie.
3. Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures) (20-4-3)
After his disappointing September loss to Urushitani, Mamoru has looked sensational in dominant decision victories over up-and-comers Yuki Shoujou (Pictures) and Masaaki Sugawara (Pictures). In knocking off Sugawara last month, Mamoru put one of the most exciting performances of his career in what may have been the best bout in pro Shooto thus far in 2008.
4. Yuki Shoujou (Pictures) (7-4-2)
After a great 2007 campaign, Shoujou took the step up in competition against former champion Mamoru Yamaguchi (Pictures) in February. Despite a spirited effort, Mamoru was dominant for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision. Although losing to Mamoru is nothing to be ashamed of, Shoujou's loss illustrates the difficulty for up-and-coming flyweights to break the compact of the "big three."
5. Ryuichi Miki (Pictures) (6-2-3)
Shooto's ultimate underdog, Miki defied the odds once again on May 3. Although it may not have been the most deserved draw in the world, Miki proved game and tough against the ultra-slick Urushitani and didn't back down for fifteen minutes. His aggressiveness earned him the draw, and earns him the fifth spot in these rankings.
Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
