FIGHT! Rankings: Daley Blows One Title Shot But Preserves Another, Jimmo Continues Climb

At FIGHT! Magazine, we believe there is a need for a completely objective and unbiased ranking system for fighters to replace the myriad subjective rankings that have become skewed, in many instances, by fighter popularity. In an effort to address this issue FIGHT! Magazine brings you its computerized rankings system which takes into account a fighters strength of opponent, strength of performance, and frequency of activity. Go here for a detailed explanation of how FIGHT!’s rankings work.

Two noteworthy MMA cards were held in England on Saturday night – the first, BAMMA 5, saw top-10 welterweight Paul Daley enter the cage in Manchester opposite Yuya Shirai in what was meant to be a BAMMA Welterweight Championship bout. But Daley came in over weight, as he has done on multiple occasions, and the fight became a non-title affair. After that, the only thing riding on the fight besides the purse was a likely April title fight versus Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz (#?). Daley did what Daley does, knocking Shirai out in the first round, and preserving his Strikeforce contendership as well as his #10 spot in FIGHT!’s Welterweight Rankings. Shirai stayed put as well, holding steady at #75.

In the evening’s other marquee fight, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez took on The Ultimate Fighter veteran James McSweeney in a 220# catchweight affair. Rodriguez said that he would begin competing at 205 pounds, then said he’d make the full cut when the fight purse warranted it, but he has yet to make it to light heavyweight – or even 15 pounds over that limit – in two attempts. Rodriguez took the decision from McSweeney with superior grappling, climbing from #73 to #64 in the Light Heavyweight Rankings. McSweeney falls from #89 to #91 with the loss.

At Middleweight, Alex Makhonin enters the rankings at #92 with his win over UFC veteran Xavier Foupa-Pokam, who fell from #152 to #155. In the only other ranked fight, Jean-Francois Lenogue enters the Middleweight Rankings at #150 after his loss to unranked Claudio Henrique Da Silva. No other ranked fighters appeared on the card.

While BAMMA was entertaining crowds in Manchester, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 40 took place down south in London. Rosi Sexton bested Roxanne Modafferi in the main event, but FIGHT! isn’t ready to roll out our women’s rankings just yet. The only ranked action took place at Featherweight and Welterweight, where Ashleigh Grimshaw and Charlie Leary entered the rankings at #96 and #186, respectively. No other ranked fighters appeared on the card.

(Photo courtesy of Maximum Fighting Championship.)

On this side of the Atlantic, MFC 28: Supremacy was held at the River Cree Resort & Casino near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. At the top of the card was a Light Heavyweight Championship match between homegrown MFC fighters Ryan Jimmo and Dwayne Lewis. Jimmo stopped Lewis with vicious ground and pound, creeping up from from #25 to #22 in the Light Heavyweight Rankings. Lewis falls from #50 to #61.

Also at 205#, former MFC Light Heavyweight Champion Emanuel Newton defeated UFC vet Rodney Wallace, earning a lift from #38 to #25 in the rankings, while Wallace crashes from #43 to #71.

More than a year after a public dust up with MFC owner Mark Pavelich, UFC vet Drew Fickett made his promotional debut, besting fellow UFC vet Matt Veach, who stepped up on short notice to replace MFC Lightweight Champion Antonio McKee. Fickett actually slipped from #36 to #37 Lightweight Rankings after the fight, while Veach dropped from #139 to #141. Fickett’s fall has more to do with other lightweights moving ahead of him than it does with his performance.

Also at lightweight, Curtis Demarce fell from #90 to #150 in the rankings after losing to unranked Richie Whitson and Garrett Nybakken enters the rankings at #213 following his second straight MFC loss, this time to unranked Dan Ring.

Thomas Denny re-enters the Welterweight Rankings at #103 following a draw with Sheldon Westcott, who enters the rankings at #102. In the only only rankings action, Paapa Inkumsah enters the Welterweight ranking at #203 after his third loss in three qualifying fights.

No other ranked fighters appeared on the card.

In the only other rankings-relevant fights on Saturday night, UFC veteran Rodney Wallace“>Gerald Harris dropped a decision to unranked James Head at XFN: Harris vs. Head in Oklahoma City, Okla. Harris drops from #65 to #118 in the Middleweight Rankings with the loss. In the other marquee fight, Mike Budnik climbed to #77 in the Featherweight Rankings with a win over unranked Jonny Carson.