Rankings update 12/2/13: First-round finishes propels Nate Diaz up lightweight ranking
Good thing Nate Diaz didn’t actually skip out on his fight with Gray Maynard in favor of attending his 10-year high school reunion.
Instead of catching up with old friends and casual acquaintances, the talented lightweight from “The 209” was inside the Octagon, staggering Maynard with a short left hand to kick off an offensive assault that ultimately ended with Diaz earning a first-round stoppage win over his familiar foe.
Following back-to-back losses, Saturday’s blistering performance against Maynard has returned Diaz to the Top 5 in the lightweight division in the latest iteration of the UFC Rankings. The media voters elevated the 28-year-old Diaz three spots to No. 5 in the incredibly deep 155-pound ranks, while Maynard falls three places to land at No. 8 following his second straight first-round stoppage loss.
Diaz, who proclaimed himself and friend/training partner Gilbert Melendez the top two lightweights in the organization during a classic post-fight interview with Jon Anik, leapfrogs surging emerging contenders Rafael dos Anjos and Khabib Nurmagomedov, each of whom could be potential opponents for the Stockton, California-based fighter next time out.
While there were very few additional changes to the remaining rankings following Saturday’s Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate finale, the two adjustments in the welterweight division make little sense… not that rankings always make sense.
Inexplicably, Rory MacDonald swapped places with Robbie Lawler, the Canadian climbing to No. 3 in the 170-pound ranks despite the fact that the resurgent veteran just earned a split decision victory over “Ares” at UFC 167.
Additionally, Matt Brown – he of the six-fight winning streak heading into next weekend’s UFC on FOX showdown with Carlos Condit – dropped one place to No. 9 in the division, while Martin Kampmann climbed to No. 8 despite having lost two straight and not having another fight booked as of this writing.
UFC FIGHTER RANKINGS (November 18, 2013)
Pound-for-Pound
1 Jon Jones
2 Georges St-Pierre
3 Jose Aldo
4 Anderson Silva
5 Cain Velasquez
6 Renan Barao
7 Demetrious Johnson
8 Anthony Pettis
9 Chris Weidman
10 Benson Henderson
Flyweight
Champion: Demetrious Johnson
1 Joseph Benavidez
2 John Dodson
3 Ian McCall
4 John Moraga
5 John Lineker
6 Jussier Formiga
7 Chris Cariaso
8 Ali Bagautinov
9 Timothy Elliott
10 Louis Gaudinot
Bantamweight
Champion: Dominick Cruz
1 Renan Barao (Interim Champion)
2 Urijah Faber
3 Michael McDonald
4 Eddie Wineland (+1)
5 Raphael Assuncao (-1)
6 Brad Pickett
7 Scott Jorgensen
8 TJ Dillashaw
9 Mike Easton
10 Takeya Mizugaki
Featherweight
Champion: Jose Aldo
1 Chad Mendes
2 Ricardo Lamas
3 Frankie Edgar
4 Cub Swanson
5 Chan Sung Jung
6 Dustin Poirier
7 Dennis Siver
8 Nik Lentz
9 Clay Guida
10 Erik Koch
Lightweight
Champion: Anthony Pettis
1 Benson Henderson
2 Gilbert Melendez
3 TJ Grant
4 Josh Thomson
5 Nate Diaz (+3)
6 Rafael dos Anjos
7 Khabib Nurmagomedov
8 Gray Maynard (-3)
9 Donald Cerrone
10 Jim Miller
Welterweight
Champion: Georges St-Pierre
1 Johny Hendricks
2 Carlos Condit
3 Rory MacDonald (+1)
4 Robbie Lawler (-1)
5 Jake Ellenberger
6 Demian Maia
7 Jake Shields
8 Martin Kampmann (+1)
9 Matt Brown (-1)
10 Nick Diaz
Middleweight
Champion: Chris Weidman
1 Anderson Silva
2 Vitor Belfort
3 Ronaldo Souza
4 Michael Bisping
5 Lyoto Machida
6 Luke Rockhold
7 Mark Munoz
8 Francis Carmont
9 Costa Philippou
10 Tim Kennedy
Light Heavyweight
Champion: Jon Jones
1 Alexander Gustafsson
2 Glover Teixeira
3 Rashad Evans
4 Phil Davis
5 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
6 Dan Henderson
7 Chael Sonnen
8 Gegard Mousasi
9 Mauricio Rua
10 Lyoto Machida
Heavyweight
Champion: Cain Velasquez
1 Junior Dos Santos
2 Daniel Cormier
3 Fabricio Werdum
4 Antonio Silva
5 Travis Browne
6 Josh Barnett
7 Alistair Overeem
8 Frank Mir
9 Stipe Miocic
10 Roy Nelson
Women's Bantamweight
Champion: Ronda Rousey
1 Cat Zingano
2 Miesha Tate
3 Alexis Davis (+1)
4 Sara McMann (-1)
5 Sarah Kaufman
6 Liz Carmouche
7 Jessica Eye
8 Amanda Nunes
9 Jessica Andrade (+1)
10 Germaine de Randamie (-1)
