Fighters of the Week

  1. Max Holloway: Just like last time, only 38 seconds longer. Holloway, a flurry of punches and at absurd speed, fire-bombing Jose Aldo away from his longtime featherweight championship.

  2. Anissa Meksen: Meksen can now stake her claim as the best female kickboxer in the world after taking Tiffany van Soest’s Glory Bantamweight title. It was a tight bout, but Meksen finally has her validation as world champion on the biggest stage.

  3. Francis Ngannou: But for the grace of god, Alistair Overeem’s head is still attached to his torso after that monstrous uppercut delivered by Ngannou and in to a title fight.

  4. Rey Vargas: And still WBC Junior Featherweight champion with a UD win over Oscar Negrete, handing him his first loss in the co-main of HBO’s Cotto-Ali card.

  5. Angel Acosta: Is the new WBO Junior Flyweight champion after failing to capture it in his last bout with a tenth-round TKO of Juan Alejo.

6. Gordon Ryan: Another Eddie Bravo Invitational tournament, this time in the absolute division, another freaking Gordon Ryan tournament win. Unreal. He continues to own the EBI in every division they put him in.

7. Kevin VanNostrand: Is the Glory interim featherweight champion after a nasty body-knee KO of Anvar Boynazarov just over a minute in the main event of Glory 48.

8. Robert Thomas: Upset Wayne Barrett and KO’d Mike Lemaire to earn his place at the Glory middleweight crown winning the contender tournament.

9. Nicco Montano: And the Cinderella story is complete! Montano topped off an unbelievable run through much higher-level challengers with defeating top draft pick Roxy Modafferi by a sizeable UD to become the first UFC Women’s Flyweight championship.

10. Jake Shields: Used the overtime rules and a smart strategy to contain Gilbert Burns, and used a variety of escapes to take the overtime win in the main event of Submission Underground 6.

11. Brett Johns: And welcome to title contention, Brett. That’s how you open eyes. He’s now 15-0 following a goddamned calf slicer thirty seconds into his bout with Joe Soto.

12. Sadam Ali: Sure, Cotto wasn’t 100%, but everyone and their grandmother was doubting Ali, and he came through when it mattered the most, taking control of the fight and toppling the retiring warrior.

13. Julia Budd: In a thoroughly unentertaining main event, Budd escaped with yet another close decision over Arlene Blenclowe, despite many scoring it for Blenclowe.

14. Eddie Cummings: In the main event of Fight To Win Pro 56, Jacob Sandoval was surprisingly aggressive, but Cummings masterfully worked him until he found his back, then slapped on a RNC for the victory.

15. Miguel Cotto: Fought valiantly like the warrior he is, even with one arm, fought to the end and went out on his shield. Smooth sailing and happy retirement.