The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 began airing in September, featuring a cast of heavyweights including Kimbo Slice vying for a UFC contract. The fan interest and buzz surrounding the show was palpable, leading to a huge jump up the rankings for Kimbo as well as several other participants. The Youtube sensation-turned legitimate MMA fighter rose 10 spots to first place from August to September, yet another example of his star power as an athlete.
Also enjoying a major boost in September was UFC 103 participant Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort, who returned to the organization and defeated Rich Franklin in a convincing first round stoppage. Belfort’s victory clearly resonated with fans, driving the Brazilian veteran up 21 spots to second place in the buzz rankings.
TUF 10 particpants including Roy Nelson and Wes Sims also enjoyed a significant ‘Spike’ in exposure, climbing 150 and 205 spots, respectively. Seth Petruzelli, the fighter who ended Kimbo Slice’s run in the now-defunct EliteXC promotion, rose to 33 in the rankings despite having no involvement with the show. A rematch between Petruzelli and Kimbo could be a ratings winner for the UFC.
Other notables include Lyoto Machida receiving increased fan buzz despite inactivity in September, a sign that the Brazilian Karate expert could be a casual fan favorite in the making. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Demian Maia, Brian Bowles, and Miguel Torres all suffered unceremonious drops in September after their prior month bouts.
| September Rank |
Fighter | August to September Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson | Up 10 |
| 2 | Vitor Belfort | Up 21 |
| 3 | Fedor Emelianenko | No Change |
| 4 | Anderson Silva | Down 2 |
| 5 | Quinton “Rampage” Jackson | Up 13 |
| 6 | Lyoto Machida | Up 4 |
| 7 | Brock Lesnar | Down 3 |
| 8 | Roy Nelson | Up 150 |
| 9 | Chuck Liddell | Down 2 |
| 10 | Rich Franklin | Up 33 |
| 11 | Rashad Evans | Up 9 |
| 12 | Bobby Lashley | Up 1 |
| 13 | Randy Couture | Down 5 |
| 14 | Shane Carwin | Down 5 |
| 15 | Tito Ortiz | Down 3 |
| 16 | Wes Sims | Up 205 |
| 17 | Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic | Up 30 |
| 18 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | Down 2 |
| 19 | Frank Mir | Up 14 |
| 20 | Ken Shamrock | Up 10 |
| 21 | Brett Rogers | Up 5 |
| 22 | Diego Sanchez | Up 3 |
| 23 | Andrei Arlovski | Up 5 |
| 24 | Tim Sylvia | Up 14 |
| 25 | Mauricio “Shogun” Rua | Up 10 |
| 26 | Forrest Griffin | Down 21 |
| 27 | Dan Henderson | Down 10 |
| 28 | Wanderlei Silva | Up 6 |
| 29 | Gina Carano | Down 28 |
| 30 | Junior Dos Santos | Up 45 |
| 31 | Jason “Mayhem” Miller | Up 21 |
| 32 | Royce Gracie | Up 26 |
| 33 | Seth Petruzelli | Up 48 |
| 34 | Matt Hughes | Up 3 |
| 35 | Keith Jardine | Down 14 |
| 36 | Georges St. Pierre | Down 21 |
| 37 | Efrain Escudero | Up 82 |
| 38 | Paul Daley | Up 166 |
| 39 | Thiago Silva | Down 12 |
| 40 | Bob Sapp | Up 15 |
| 41 | Roger Huerta | Up 15 |
| 42 | Frank Shamrock | Down 6 |
| 43 | Melvin Guillard | Up 63 |
| 44 | Frank Trigg | Up 49 |
| 45 | Antonio Rogerio Nogueira | Up 45 |
| 46 | Thiago Alves | Down 6 |
| 47 | BJ Penn | Down 33 |
| 48 | Nick Diaz | Down 16 |
| 49 | Ricardo Arona | Up 79 |
| 50 | Cain Velasquez | Down 6 |
Dropped out from August to September:
Alistair Overeem (#56), Kenny Florian (#59), Mark Coleman (#61), Renato “Babalu” Sobral (#62), Brandon Vera (#66), Nate Marquardt (#68), Gegard Mousasi (#76), Jon Fitch (#80), Gabriel Gonzaga (#81), Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (#92), Miguel Torres (#127), Chris Leben (#137), Demian Maia (#200), Brian Bowles (#219)
[...] Top 50 Overall Buzz Rankings for recent months: – October 2009 (#1 Rank: Lyoto Machida) – September 2009 (#1 Rank: Kimbo Slice) [...]