- Hellowhosthat
- Black Belt
- Member Since 2020.06.27
My MMA Rankings
Hellowhosthat Bantamweight rankings
Have to have fought in last 3 years to be ranked.
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1
- Sean O'Malley
- "Suga"
- 18-1-0, 1 NC
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1994 - USA - UFC Champion
Continues to be better than people thought he was. Superb striking in win over Chito, excellent range management and just consistently landing throughout the fight with powerful stuff that would likely get most lesser chinned men out of there. Accuracy excellent and keeps up good workrate, good at sniping when people make mistakes. Interesting to see if tries to throw stuff up from guard or work back up in the next fight he gets taken down with some regularity in.
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2
- Merab Dvalishvili
- "The Machine"
- 17-4-0
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1991 - Georgia - UFC
Obviously the absolute king of cardio, maybe of all time. Great wrestler, sometimes struggles with top control but hardly matters as he just takes people straight back down again. Does have a habit of getting caught early which might catch him out one day if he gets hit too hard to come back from and wear the guy down.
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3
- Cory Sandhagen
- "Sandman"
- 17-4-0
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1992 - USA - UFC
Technical marvel who's always on the cusp of a title shot. Fantastic all round fighter who has options to take the fight where he's stronger against most people. Fluid and varied on the feet with really good accuracy on his strikes, good takedowns and top control, no cardio issues and good fight IQ. Feels you have to be either somehow an even better all round fighter or a specialist who can take it where you want in order to beat him.
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4
- Patchy Mix
- "No Love"
- 19-1-0
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1993 - USA - Bellator Champion
Scarily developing ways to KO people standing as well as having some of the best backpacking and finishing from there in the game. Done pretty much everything he can in Bellator and now being pushed onto a rematch cycle of guys he's beaten already.
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5
- Petr Yan
- "No Mercy"
- 17-5-0
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1993 - Russia - UFC
Significance of his losing streak was always overplayed anyway given who the fights were against and how close a lot of them were, but he reminded everyone how good he is once he gets going at 299 with his usual display of finely balanced boxing, mixed in with well timed kicks, good defence, solid wrestling offence if he wants it and good takedown defence. Figures to be relevant at the top of the division for a while yet.
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6
- Henry Cejudo
- "Triple C"
- 16-4-0
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1987 - USA - UFC
Former double champ still looks at the level where he can compete at the top of the division, losing competitive fights to the divisional elite and having his moments. Faded against Merab but everyone does and highly competitive with Aldo. Should still be considered a threat against anyone.
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7
- Umar Nurmagomedov
- 17-0-0
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1996 - Russia - UFC
Hopefully actually gets his top level fight that he's been pursuing soon. Easy to see why people avoid him as he's got the Nurmagomedov wrestling, with good range striking, nice spinny **** and decent power too. Also now proved he can fight through adversity after getting clipped. Formidable opponent.
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8
- Yadong Song
- "Kung Fu Kid"
- 21-8-1, 1 NC
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1997 - China - UFC
Performance against Yan was respectable I think, just got slightly outstruck by a superior technical guy on the feet like he did against Corey. Really good with the hands, very fast for the division, able to drive a good pace in a fight and keep pressure coming forward. Good takedown defence from time spent at TAM makes him hard to keep off you if you're a wrestler.
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9
- Rustam Kerimov
- 19-1-0
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1992 - Russia - ACA
Almost seemed to be suffering from a bit of post failing to get into the UFC depression in his loss to Borisov and a couple of his other ACA return fights. However he looked like the old Kerimov in his smashing of Charles Henrique and that guy has arguably the best timed level changes in the world, does damage on the ground, has excellent mat returns and serviceable spinny **** (if a bit spammy) on the feet.
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10
- Kyler Phillips
- "The Matrix"
- 12-2-0
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1995 - USA - UFC
Stylish as **** striker, beautifully balanced, great movement and finding of angles with huge variety on his strikes. Very fast and accurate and picks his shots well, most people aren't going to be able to stand with him. Has a decently aggressive guard too, happy to throw up decent armbars and triangles. Looked like he'd really levelled up in his fight against Pedro.
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11
- Jonathan Martinez
- "Dragon" | 19-4-0
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1994 - USA - UFC
This guy is always better than I remember him being every time I see him. Seems to be the peak exponent of the Factory X style, great leg kicks, solid hands, good TDD solid BJJ. Very calm with a good fight IQ.
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12
- Raufeon Stots
- "Supa" | 20-2-0
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1988 - USA - Bellator
Very solid run aside from the Mix fight but no shame in losing to that guy. Pretty fast on the feet, doesn't really hit hard but volume decent and does have a fast and solid head kick. Good wrestler with good control and good scrambles and ability to shut down other wrestlers.
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13
- Deiveson Figueiredo
- "Deus da Guerra" | 23-3-1
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1987 - Brazil - UFC
Former 125 UFC champ doing well at 135 since stepping up. Seems to have carried power up and strength seems to have come with him also. Cardio and pace actually seems like it could be a little bit better without the big cut but hasn't really been pushed there yet. Very good grappler when he can get on top, good back takes and powerful squeeze on RNC's and guillotines. A little bit on the older side for someone in the lower weight classes.
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14
- Mario Bautista
- 14-2-0
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1993 - USA - UFC
MMA Lab dude who's one of the best in the division when it comes to setting a pace. Managed to outwork someone like Ricky Simon. Good at chipping away at the legs and with strikes and wearing guys down. Just hard to impose anything on.
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15
- Marlon Vera
- "Chito" | 23-9-1
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1992 - Ecuador - UFC
Title fight loss felt kind of inevitable. Probably shouldn't have been there in the first place but still a very solid guy with one of the best chins of all time and a really good work rate that can make life very difficult. Just a bit too straightforward on the feet to trouble guys that are really technically good.
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16
- Said Nurmagomedov
- 18-3-0
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1992 - Russia - UFC
Spin kicking, neck snatching son of a gun. Pretty close loss to Martinez has aged well and he's looked great recently outside that fight, although Saidyokub did put it on him for a while. Seems to have something from everywhere that would make him a threat though and I think he's better from the bottom than your average Dagi grappler.
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17
- Sergio Pettis
- "The Phenom" | 23-6-0
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1993 - USA - Bellator
Improved since leaving the UFC, still wonder if he might be better as a flyweight but seems happy to stay at Bantam for now. Enjoys a speed and technical range striking over most guys and grappling is decent enough unless he's in there with a Mix or someone. Still seems to lack power despite meme spinning back fist against Kyoji but a quality point fighter who knows what to do to impress the judges.
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18
- Magomed Magomedov
- "Tiger" | 20-3-0
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1991 - Russia - Bellator
Great scrambler, capable of out scrambling even the likes of Sabatello. Really good squeeze on chokes and catches guillotines well. Good cage wrestling and the usual dagi trips.
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19
- Rob Font
- 20-8-0
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1987 - USA - UFC
Still a solid striker despite advancing a bit in years now. Boxing really good, can crack and is pretty patient. Takedown defence has been an achilles heel for him recently, difficult to see him really levelling up in that regard at this stage of his career.
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20
- Ricky Simón
- 20-5-0
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1992 - USA - UFC
Surprisingly not that competitive with Bautista, on a bit of a skid after forcing his way into the main event scene. Doesn't really seem close to being done though and his mix of ploughing in with overhands and mixing it with the wrestling will still be enough to beat a lot of guys because he's very good at it, just might struggle if he needs to find an alternative path to victory.
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21
- Pavel Vitruk
- 19-6-1
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1990 - Ukraine - ACA Champion
Enjoying the best run of his career which has lead him to become the champ in ACA. Patient and fights pretty well off the back foot, very good at get ups and seperating which is important in Russia, wrestlers don't like it when they take him down and he just pops back up and shoves them off. Was down in my opinion when he caught Borisov with the knee, but he still caught him and he's still got the belt.
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22
- Dominick Cruz
- "The Dominator" | 24-4-0
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1985 - USA - UFC
Picks and chooses his fights these days. Relies on speed and agility to move around the cage and mix the pot shots with the wrestling but that's going to get tougher given his age and injury history. Still looks fairly competitive when he fights but leaves big gaps in activity after every loss.
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23
- Pedro Munhoz
- "The Young Punisher" | 20-9-0, 2 NC
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1986 - Brazil - UFC
Always going to be a tough challenge for up and comers and a good gauge of where they're at. Pretty much impossible to finish although you can land on him a lot and get ahead of him on points if you're quick. Leg kicks are still there and it's still hard for other leg kickers to beat him in that style of fight. BJJ really good but doesn't really use it.
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24
- Oleg Borisov
- 26-7-1
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1985 - Russia - ACA
Former ACA champ who you can rely on to always fight the same way. Very roided and the juice seems to have done his gas tank well, just walks forward all fight putting pressure on people and throwing. Not really a KO artist but he'd got a solid chin and it's just a lot to deal with for people, throws some level changes in too just to keep things varied and can do it for 5 rounds no problem. Getting old but not really looking any worse, was up against Vitruk before getting caught with a knee that would have KO'd anyone.
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25
- Chris Gutierrez
- "El Guapo" | 20-5-2
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1991 - USA - UFC
Factory X guy with a Factory X style, Jonathan Martinez has surpassed him for me but he's got those great leg kicks and the timing to land them. Has a nice spinning elbow that he throws too, struggled when stepped up against higher level competition to this point though.
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26
- Montel Jackson
- "Quik" | 13-2-0
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1992 - USA - UFC
Massive hands Montel is very big for the weight and can crack. Good offensive wrestler although did show some frustration defensively when he fought Johns. Seems to be over that and winning again although he's yet to really test himself against someone truly top tier. Has a chance to prove himself against Said.
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27
- Jean Matsumoto
- 15-0-0
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1999 - Brazil - UFC
Handling regular step up in competition getting into the majors really well and looking like the real deal. Able to fend off a sustained wrestling attack from a cardio machine in Argueta and find a sub. Already knew he's a good, balanced striker who fights at a good pace, but showing the ability to dig deep to pull a win out shows another level to his game.
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28
- Victor Henry
- "La Mangosta" | 24-6-0, 1 NC
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1987 - USA - UFC
Grizzled vet making the most of late career UFC run after being a well kept secret for years. Breaks dudes by fighting at a high pace with good boxing which builds over the course of a fight, stays in the face of people as they slow down and he doesn't. Catch wrestling background means he's a perfectly competent grappler too, fine staying safe against decent level BJJ guys.
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29
- Adrian Yanez
- 16-5-0
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1993 - USA - UFC
Very fast hands and very crisp boxing but some limitations starting to come to the fore now he's mixing it with higher class opponents. Leg kicks seem to be an issue as he places a lot of weight on his front foot to let his hands go but in all fairness Martinez is very good at those.
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30
- Cody Garbrandt
- "No Love" | 14-6-0
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1991 - USA - UFC
Chin obviously terrible, nowhere near the fighter he was when he was the UFC champ. Still fast and still carries power in his hands and if he can detonate a hook on someone's chin he can always get the KO. Good wrestler when he uses it but doesn't seem to have the gas tank to use it as a style. Not really comfortable off his back. Comments of getting vertigo on the mat after the Figgy fight a concern. More than capable of clearing up lower level UFC guys but struggle to see him beating anyone in and around the rankings again.
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31
- Dan Argueta
- "The Determined" | 9-2-0, 2 NC
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1993 - USA - UFC
Excellent level of workrate, brings it hard every minute of the fight. Constantly shooting and looking at getting and keeping control. Strong, striking not great but just looking to pile into clinches and shots anyway. Struggles a little to keep position sometimes but can get away with it to an extent due to cardio. Does allow guys too much opportunity to get back into a fight because of it sometimes though.
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32
- Caolán Loughran
- "The Don" | 9-1-0
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1996 - Ireland - UFC
Strong offensively, short which means he has to work to get into range and lacks head movement which means he can get tagged up getting there but hasn't really looked hurt yet. Strong cage wrestling and top game and throws hard when he gets in close. Really good hooks to the body to wear guys down.
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33
- Juan Díaz
- "Pegajoso" | 12-1-1
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1998 - Peru - Lux Fight League champion
Used to be known as a grappler but has worked on his boxing to the extent that that's really considered his strength now. Really nice movement and picks up on the timing with his hands throughout the fight, finding his angles well. Still has good grappling from the back bodylock and can use his jits if he wants. Only loss is a razor thin decision against the other elite Peruvian bantamweight prospect Gato Loco which could have gone either way.
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34
- Victor Hugo
- "Striker" | 25-4-0
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1992 - Brazil - UFC
Decent takedown defence and get ups against Falcao to expand on good DWCS win. Strikes pretty well off the back foot and has good knees. On a very solid win streak but hasn't really faced much top competition during it.
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35
- Mitchell McKee
- "Merciless" | 6-0-0
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1997 - USA - LFA
Former division 1 wrestler so obviously has the offensive grappling going for him. Transitioning pretty smoothly into MMA and building a solid record in MMA. You'd expect him to beat everyone he's beaten so far but he's done so in decent style with dominant grappling and back takes. Does look to have decent power but finishes have slowed a bit as his competition has got slightly tougher. Kind of reminds me a bit of Ricky Simon in the way that he fights. Probably ready for a contender series shot.
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36
- Ary Farias
- "AstroBoy" | 13-4-0
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1989 - Brazil - Shooto Brasil Champion
Multiple time BJJ world champion, obviously great at that, back takes are absolutely exceptional and among the best in the world. Relies on athletic double legs to get to the mat usually which get harder later in the fight, can get back trips too. Throws pretty hard on the fight but pretty lungy and high energy. Gets hit a bit but chin seems solid. Slows down in later rounds of 5 rounders but mostly okay for 3.
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37
- Cody Haddon
- 6-1-0
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1998 - Australia - HEX Champion
Very good bantamweight prospect who's only loss was a pretty competitive fight to Steve Erceg. Good hands, good grappling, good all round fighter. Probably due a shot on the contender series soon.
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38
- Vince Morales
- "Vandetta" | 14-7-0
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1990 - USA - Tuff-N-Uff
On a good run since his UFC release, going around various promotions and picking up wins. Best one was a surprisingly fun fight against very solid Japanese vet Yuki Motoya in RIZIN where he turned into a really good pressure kickboxer with a lot of volume, which is something I haven't seen from him before.
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39
- Pedro Falcão
- "Pedrinho" | 16-4-0
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1992 - Brazil - UFC
Little bit one dimensional but pretty good at pressing forward, trying to get a double and trying to either clinch trip off the cage or get to the back if he can't. Striking doesn't really seem to be anything special and doesn't really seem to have an alternative to his main gameplan.
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40
- Youssouf Binate
- 5-0-0
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1997 - Ivory Coast - Ares
Top prospect
Recently moved down from 145 and made weight fine and showed good level of energy against an opponent who kept coming at him and shooting. Taken down a couple of times but showed an ability to work back up. Good long striking at range and uses knees to body really well in plum clinch situations, cracking the sternum repeatedly which can really impact the opponents gas tank. Keeps pace well and got finish in the third round during his first time being extended out of the first.
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41
- Angel Pacheco
- 7-3-0
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1992 - USA - UFC
Very tough but that's not always a good thing at the top level, kind of feels like he'll just take a lot of damage against tough guys.
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42
- Khaseyn Shaykhaev
- 7-1-0
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1997 - Russia - LFA
Nowhere near as good as his brother but went with him to Kill Cliff and has been there for a while , but I don't think he's as committed as Khuseyn. Still pretty fundamentally sound fighter both on the feet and with the wrestling, doesn't do anything special but solid enough.
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43
- Omar Arteaga
- "Codigo 50" | 11-1-0
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1998 - Peru - Samurai Fight House Champion
Pretty dynamic, very good intercepting jump knee when opponent tries to take him down. Decent long strikes in general. Ends up getting clinched against the cage a lot but works back up pretty well if taken down. Has shown he can keep safe against at least loose leg lock attempts.
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44
- Rani Yahya
- 28-12-1, 1 NC
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1984 - Brazil - UFC
Was always one dimensional even in his prime, but nowadays he doesn't have the gas tank to push for takedowns for long. Slower than he used to be so more hittable on the feet and is generally going to get gradually beaten up by decent strikers. If he can get on top the BJJ is still going to be there but it's just tough to see him getting there against anyone decent now.
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45
- Carlos Veras
- 5-0-0, 1 NC
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1999 - Brazil - Shooto Brasil
Very competitive in SB title shot against Ary Farias. Clearly confident in his grappling as willingly went to the ground with Ary. Obviously not able to do a lot offensively but defended back well when lost it against world class BJJ. Good cardio, fought 5 rounds no problem, good sprawl if he wants to stay off the ground for the most part.
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46
- Cameron Smotherman
- "The Baby-Faced Killer" | 10-4-0
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1997 - USA - Fury FC
Better than he showed on DWCS but still struggles with TDD a little bit, tendency to give his back up a little bit. Good power on the feet when he lands clean and has a decent habit of coming back into fights when behind.
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47
- Michel Lima
- "Pânico" | 18-6-0
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1992 - Brazil - LFA
Flashy striker but doesn't really hit very hard and doesn't set things up. I tend to think if you're going to throw big stuff all the time it makes less sense if you don't have so much power. Striking defence not amazing, but he's okay and will probably style on lower level dudes.
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48
- Sundet Aytkul
- 7-2-0
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1998 - Kazakhstan - Octagon
All offence, no defence. When it goes well, it's incredibly entertaining and just an absolute torrent of exciting violence which overwhelms people. When it goes badly he gets badly slept by a random Chinese dude he really should be beating talent wise. Mistake prone in both striking and grappling but the sheer ferocity of his offence both in striking and ground and pound means I'm still holding out hope for the guy.
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49
- Hunter Azure
- 11-3-0
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1992 - USA - United Fight League Champion
Spotty results recently but rebounded from DWCS dissapointment by putting on a good pressure boxing performance against Cosme, getting good volume off with the hands while coming forward before finding a nuke of a right in the 2nd.
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50
- Cass Bell
- "The Mean Green Fighting Machine" | 8-3-0
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1987 - USA - CFC
Long time Bellator guy now picking up some wins on very low level regionals. Not athletic at all but sort of awkward in his own way. Very tall which allows him to land strikes before the other guy can get to him even if the technique isn't really there on them. Uses legs pretty well in guard too. Most competent guys should be able to shut him down but he's able to keep things quite competitive.
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51
- Eric Shelton
- "Showtime" | 17-8-0
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1991 - USA - Unified MMA
Very inconsistent fighter, sometimes he's derailing solid prospects, sometimes he's losing to complete nobodies. On a good day he's still the same guy he was in the UFC but it depends which Eric shows up.
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52
- Ryan Kuse
- "Third Street Savage" | 7-2-0
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1994 - USA - Fury FC
Okayish wrestler but not really outstanding enough at it to make it work at a good level I don't think. Should be good for giving a lot of regional dudes a rough time. Striking sort of okay, doesn't really have any power but seems to train it. Can take a shot and has decent cardio. Probably going to be the kind of guy who's a gatekeeper to a DWCS shot.
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53
- Amun Cosme
- "Moon" | 6-2-0
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1991 - USA - United Fight League
Got all the way to the UFL Grand Prix finals where he couldn't get his countering going at all against good boxing pressure from Azure and just ended up throwing a few kicks before getting flatlined.
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54
- Jared Scoggins
- "Psycho" | 10-3-0
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1995 - USA - Free Agent
Had a couple of wins early in his career that look good in retrospect but just doesn't seem to have developed. Pretty boring cage grinding style which worked okay on the regionals but hasn't been able to overcome even lower level guys in bigger promotions with it. Dude got flatlined by Josh Hill which has to raise serious questions about his chin.
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55
- Cameron Else
- "Camchida" | 11-6-0
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1987 - England - Cage Warriors
Had a good start early in his comeback fight against McEwan. Willing to walk opponent down and got a couple of drops. **** when he ends up on his back and lets subs get too deep, also fades badly late in fights.
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56
- Gabriel Martinez
- "Goro" | 8-0-0
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2002 - Argentina - Samurai Fight House
Stacked for the weight class. Seems strong, likes to get guys down and work aggressive ground and pound to get them out of there. Effective at the low level he's currently fighting at.
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57
- Reece McEwan
- 7-3-0
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1995 - Scotland - Cage Warriors
Pretty **** on the feet, just tries to move side to side and looks to time takedowns. Gets hit a fair bit and don't think chin is that great. Is tough and does have good cardio and his top game is pretty good when he can actually get there, don't think will ever get beyond regional level.
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58
- Matias Olmedo
- "Chucky Ray" | 6-1-0
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1990 - Argentina - Samurai Fight House
Tough grappler, pretty limited. Fights through being hurt pretty well but outclassed pretty thoroughly in Arteaga fight. Likes going for leg locks which look like they'll work against cans but good guys should shut them down easily enough. Doubt he ever progresses much beyond the regional Argentine scene.
My Summary