| 30 January 2010
Pretty much every MMA website out there runs some sort of fighter rankings. Normally it's the run-of-the-mill pound-for-pound and/or best at each weight class rankings. We here at The MMA Manifesto tend to try to do things differently (because we're oddballs and anti-social). So, in that vein, our first set of rankings will be the "Top Five Non-UFC Fighters". The UFC might have a virtual monopoly of the top MMA talent out there, but they don't have a complete stranglehold of the talent (at least not yet). And with Strikeforce running an event tonight, there's no better time than now to give the fighters outside of the UFC a little love.
1) Fedor Emelianenko - Strikeforce - 31-1-1 - WAMMA Heavyweight Champion (aka Mythical Heavyweight Champion)
No surprise that Fedor Emelianenko heads this list. Not only is he the uncrowned heavyweight champion of the world, he is also possibly the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. The one and only blemish on his record was a 2000 loss due to a cut. Here's hoping Strikeforce finally gets him a title shot versus Alistair Overeem so The Last Emperor can have a real title to his name.
2) Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce - 28-2-1 - Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion
The best young MMA fighter in the world, hands down, is Gegard Mousasi. With 31 pro MMA fights under his belt already at the age of 24, Mousasi is on the best roll of his career, not having been defeated since 2006. During that time he has fought at three weight classes (middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight) and has beaten such notables as Denis Kang, Ronaldo Souza, Renato Sobral and Sokoudjou.
3) Jose Aldo - WEC - 16-1 - WEC Featherweight Champion
Many experts pick as the 2009 Fighter of the Year, Jose Aldo went 4-0 in the WEC last year. This included a shocking, TKO victory over 145lb king Mike Thomas Brown to capture the WEC Featherweight championship. Apparently Aldo's first title defense versus Urijah Faber will also be the WEC's debut on PPV.
4) Shinya Aoki - DREAM - 23-4-1 - DREAM and WAMMA Lightweight Champion, Shoot Middleweight Champion
His New Year's Eve performancemight have soured some people on him, but there is no denying that Shinya Aoki is one of the best fighters in the world. His destruction of Sengoku LightweightChampion Mizuta Hirota at Dynamite!! 2009 proved that he is the lightweight ruler of Japan and perhaps the only legititmate lightweight challenger for B.J. Penn. Aoki appears to be primed to make his North American debut for Strikeforce later this year.
5) Dan Henderson - Strikeforce - 25-7 - former Pride Welterweight and Middleweight Champion
After seeming to be past his expiry date after back-to-back UFC losses in 2007 and 2008, Dan Henderson ran off three straight wins in the promotion before jumping ship to Strikeforce. While his best days probably are behind him, Henderson should still have enough in the tank to dethrone current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields, a match rumored to be taking place in a few months time.
Others considered: Miguel Angel Torres, Ben Henderson, Brian Bowles.
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