As we at CR continue our rankings, we now head into arguably
the entertaining division in MMA: bantamweight.
After the UFC merged with the WEC, the 135ers have headlined
multiple UFC cards, including a couple PPVs. Let’s look at where the best in
the world rank:
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| Photo via MMACarnivale.com |
10. Tyson Nam – Eduardo Dantas was a consensus top-10
bantamweight and Tyson Nam knocked him out in 1:40 of the very first round.
Being number 10 is the lowest spot he deserves for his most recent win.
Unfortunately, Tyson Nam is in a bit of a limbo as he is facing a lawsuit from
Bellator. There is hashtag on Twitter which says #FreeTysonNam. Everyone should
go and try to make this trend. This lawsuit is rather unfair to say the very
least.
9. Bibiano Fernandes – So close. The UFC was so close to
signing the best bantamweight outside of their 135-lb division. Bibiano
Fernandes has been that one guy who UFC fans have been waiting to come over to
the world’s largest MMA promotion. With wins over Antonio Banuelos, Masakazu
Imanari, Joachim Hansen, and Joe Warren, there is no wonder as to why everyone
wants to see him fight in the UFC. He decided to sign with the Asian promotion
ONE FC instead.
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| Photo via FiveOuncesofPain.com |
8. Scott Jorgensen – Although he may be riding a two fight
losing streak to both Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland, Scott Jorgensen is still
immensely talented and one of the best bantamweights in the world. He has wins over
the likes of Brad Pickett, Jeff Curran, and Takeya Mizugaki. He has incredible
power and is always extremely entertaining.
7. Brad Pickett – “One Punch” has been one of the constant
stable mates as a top contender at 135. Never failing to entertain, this
Englishman is the type of fighter that the UFC salivates over. He always puts
everything on the line and poses as a threat to every fighter at 135.
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| Photo via MMAWeekly.com |
6. Eddie Wineland – Wineland was on a two fight losing
streak after hard fought and close decision losses to Urijah Faber and Joseph
Benavidez. He retaliated with a brutal and shocking 2nd round KO
over Scott Jorgensen. Wineland dominated that fight from the beginning. Renan
Barao, the current interim bantamweight champion, couldn’t even do what
Wineland did. This showed that Wineland is looking for one more shot at the
belt before he decides it’s time to hang up the gloves.
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| Photo via MMAJunkie.com |
5. Michael McDonald – 21 years old. How often do you see
someone barely old enough to drink and one of the best fighters in his
division? Almost never. That’s why McDonald is one of the most promising young
fighters in the UFC right now. He has insane power for 135. His KO win over former
WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres was incredible. It’s terrifying to
think that he is only 21. When Jon Jones was 21, he made his UFC debut. Yikes.
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| Photo via MMAJunkie.com |
4. Brian Bowles – I love Brian Bowles. I mean, how can you
not? He’s unbelievably entertaining, always slugging it out every fight, and
he’s a really nice, quite country boy. He is mainly known for his wild standup,
but his ground game is solid, considering he was a successful collegiate
wrestler. Although he hasn’t fought since his UFC 139 loss (due to constant
hand issues), his next fight should be against a big name.
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| Photo via MMAJunkie.com |
3. Urijah Faber – Say what you want about Faber constantly
being given title shots, but the guy deserves every single one. He is a true
legend of the sport and will undoubtedly become a Hall-of-Famer. Sure, his loss
to Renan Barao might have dashed his hopes of becoming a UFC champion for a
while, but until he loses to a non-champion, he will remain a top-5
fighter,
2. Renan Barao – 31 fights. 29 wins. And only 25 years old.
Absolutely incredible. What else can you say about the interim champ? His
dominating wins over Chris Cariaso, Brad Pickett, Scott Jorgensen, and Urijah
Faber speak for themselves. The kid is easily going to be Dominick Cruz’
hardest test to date, and if he can win, he will be champion for some time to
come.
1. Dominick Cruz – One of the most dominate champions,
Dominick Cruz easily slides into number one. Hate all you want on his lack of
finishing ability, but the guy is truly amazing. His footwork is mesmerizing. What
else can you say about it? The guy is a master of footwork and it shows in
every one of his performances. He only has two real tests left and if he can
get past both of those guys, I don’t really see anyone beating him.
So what did you guys think? Let us know in the comments section on what you either agreed on or disagreed on.
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