There is constant debate about fighter rankings, which are normally based on voting from a panel of journalists. Such is the case with something as subjective as voting – it’s totally based on voter’s opinion, and biases are bound to seep through, whether intentional or no. So to try to put a fresh, objective, data-driven spin on rankings, The MMA Manifesto has come up with a performance based ranking system, solely based on how a fighter has performed in the cage, this time for Bellator. We’ll roll out a new weight class every Wednesday. Next up: Pound for Pound.
*stipulations: 1) any fighter currently suspended or 2) inactive for at least 12 months (without an upcoming fight scheduled) are excluded from the rankings
- Scoring based on a fighter’s past 10 Bellator performances (we use a seven year time limit, so if they have fought less than 10 times in past seven years, only the fights within that time frame are counted. For fighters who have also fought in the UFC during this time, those performances were counted also)
- Points based on a fighter’s opponent’s Bellator & UFC win/loss record (ie strength of schedule – the more successful a vanquished opponent is, the more points awarded), extra points given for finishes, extra points given for title fight wins.
- Points are weighed so most recent fights are worth more (ie most recent fight counts the most, 10th most recent fight the least)
- No points awarded for a loss
Stats | Total | ||
Rank | |||
1 | Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire | Featherweights | 362 |
2 | Ryan Bader | Light Heavyweights | 356.5 |
3 | Douglas Lima | Welterweights | 343 |
4 | Darrion Caldwell | Bantamweights | 335 |
5 | Michael Chandler | Lightweights | 322 |
6 | Gegard Mousasi | Middleweights | 318 |
7 | Andrey Koreshkov | Welterweights | 302 |
8 | Rafael Carvalho | Middleweights | 300 |
9 | Eduardo Dantas | Bantamweights | 272.5 |
10 | Rory MacDonald | Welterweights | 267 |
11 | Phil Davis | Light Heavyweights | 246 |
11 | Brent Primus | Lightweights | 246 |
13 | Alexander Shlemenko | Middleweights | 235 |
14 | Liam McGeary | Light Heavyweights | 204.5 |
15 | Daniel Straus | Featherweights | 201.5 |
16 | Linton Vassell | Light Heavyweights | 194.5 |
17 | Ilima-Lei Macfarlane | Women’s Flyweights | 190.5 |
18 | Lorenz Larkin | Welterweights | 179 |
19 | Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal | Heavyweights | 177.5 |
20 | Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire | Lightweights | 172 |
21 | Pat Curran | Featherweights | 164.5 |
22 | Daniel Weichel | Featherweights | 160.5 |
23 | Benson Henderson | Lightweights | 152 |
24 | John Salter | Middleweights | 148 |
25 | Emmanuel Sanchez | Featherweights | 144.5 |
26 | Joe Taimanglo | Bantamweights | 144 |
27 | David Rickels | Lightweights | 118 |
28 | Vadim Nemkov | Light Heavyweights | 117 |
29 | Cheick Kongo | Heavyweights | 116 |
30 | Chael Sonnen | Heavyweights | 113.5 |
31 | Goiti Yamauchi | Lightweights | 112.5 |
32 | A.J. McKee | Featherweights | 112 |
33 | Matt Mitrione | Heavyweights | 110.5 |
34 | Michael Page | Welterweights | 108 |
35 | Saad Awad | Lightweights | 107.5 |
36 | Joe Warren | Bantamweights | 104 |
37 | Paul Daley | Welterweights | 103 |
38 | Chidi Njokuani | Middleweights | 101 |
39 | Julia Budd | Women’s Featherweights | 96.5 |
40 | Derek Campos | Lightweights | 93 |
41 | Rafael Lovato Jr | Middleweights | 92.5 |
42 | Augusto Sakai | Heavyweights | 90.5 |
43 | Javy Ayala | Heavyweights | 87.5 |
44 | Ed Ruth | Middleweights | 85 |
45 | Adam Piccolotti | Lightweights | 82.5 |
46 | Chris Honeycutt | Middleweights | 80 |
47 | Jordan Young | Middleweights | 77 |
48 | Brandon Girtz | Lightweights | 75.5 |
48 | Derek Anderson | Lightweights | 75.5 |
50 | Mauricio Alonso | Middleweights | 70 |
51 | James Gallagher | Featherweights | 68.5 |
51 | Ricky Rainey | Welterweights | 68.5 |
53 | J.J. Okanovich | Lightweights | 66 |
54 | Alex Huddleston | Heavyweights | 65 |
55 | Gregory Babene | Middleweights | 63 |
56 | Wanderlei Silva | Light Heavyweights | 62.5 |
57 | Brennan Ward | Welterweights | 61.5 |
58 | Michael McDonald | Bantamweights | 61 |
59 | Roy Nelson | Heavyweights | 58.5 |
60 | Neiman Gracie | Welterweights | 56.5 |
61 | Justin Patterson | Welterweights | 56 |
62 | Dean Hancock | Lightweights | 55 |
63 | Melvin Manhoef | Middleweights | 54 |
63 | Josh Koscheck | Welterweights | 54 |
65 | Ryan Quinn | Lightweights | 53.5 |
66 | Tywan Claxton | Featherweights | 52 |
67 | Emily Ducote | Women’s Flyweights | 51.5 |
68 | Sam Sicilia | Featherweights | 50.5 |
68 | Guilherme Vasconcelos | Welterweights | 50.5 |
70 | Fernando Gonzalez | Welterweights | 49.5 |
71 | Joaquin Buckley | Welterweights | 49 |
72 | Frank Mir | Heavyweights | 48 |
72 | Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson | Heavyweights | 48 |
74 | Aaron Pico | Featherweights | 47.5 |
74 | Kevin Ferguson Jr | Welterweights | 47.5 |
74 | Olga Rubin | Women’s Featherweights | 47.5 |
77 | Tyrell Fortune | Heavyweights | 47 |
77 | Kristina Williams | Women’s Flyweights | 47 |
79 | Daniel Pineda | Featherweights | 45.5 |
80 | Carrington Banks | Lightweights | 43 |
81 | Johnny Marigo | Bantamweights | 42.5 |
81 | Noad Lahat | Featherweights | 42.5 |
81 | Andre Fialho | Welterweights | 42.5 |
84 | Jake Smith | Lightweights | 40 |
84 | Marcus Surin | Lightweights | 40 |
84 | A.J. Matthews | Middleweights | 40 |
84 | Haim Gozali | Welterweights | 40 |
84 | Matt Secor | Welterweights | 40 |
89 | Justin Lawrence | Featherweights | 38.5 |
90 | Joey Davis | Welterweights | 38 |
91 | Jordan Howard | Bantamweights | 36 |
91 | Henry Corrales | Featherweights | 36 |
93 | Philip De Fries | Heavyweights | 34.5 |
93 | Chance Rencountre | Welterweights | 34.5 |
95 | Anastasia Yankova | Women’s Flyweights | 34 |
96 | Justin Wren | Heavyweights | 33.5 |
97 | Hisaki Kato | Middleweights | 32.5 |
98 | Ryan Couture | Welterweights | 32 |
99 | Jarod Trice | Light Heavyweights | 31.5 |
100 | Chinzo Machida | Featherweights | 30.5 |
100 | Alessio Sakara | Middleweights | 30.5 |
102 | Talita Nogueira | Women’s Featherweights | 30 |
102 | Alejandra Lara | Women’s Flyweights | 30 |
104 | Don Shainis | Featherweights | 29.5 |
104 | Romero Cotton | Middleweights | 29.5 |
106 | Sinead Kavanagh | Women’s Featherweights | 28.5 |
107 | Logan Storley | Welterweights | 27.5 |
108 | Leandro Higo | Bantamweights | 27 |
109 | Lena Ovchynnikova | Women’s Flyweights | 26.5 |
110 | Veta Arteaga | Women’s Flyweights | 26 |
111 | Dominic Mazzotta | Bantamweights | 25 |
111 | Mike Kimbel | Bantamweights | 25 |
111 | Gaston Bolanos | Featherweights | 25 |
111 | Mike Trizano | Featherweights | 25 |
111 | Natanial Parisi | Featherweights | 25 |
111 | Scott Clymer | Featherweights | 25 |
111 | Aaron Webb | Featherweights | 25 |
111 | Ernest James | Heavyweights | 25 |
111 | Teagan Dooley | Light Heavyweights | 25 |
111 | Mandel Nallo | Lightweights | 25 |
111 | Costello Van Steenis | Middleweights | 25 |
111 | Mohammad Yahya | Welterweights | 25 |
111 | Denise Kielholtz | Women’s Flyweights | 25 |
111 | Juliana Velasquez | Women’s Flyweights | 25 |
111 | Katy Collins | Women’s Flyweights | 25 |
111 | Ky Bennett | Women’s Flyweights | 25 |
127 | Joe Schilling | Middleweights | 24 |
128 | Blair Tugman | Featherweights | 23 |
129 | Almog Shay | Bantamweights | 22.5 |
129 | Justin Tenedora | Bantamweights | 22.5 |
129 | Cris Williams | Featherweights | 22.5 |
129 | Brian Moore | Featherweights | 22.5 |
129 | Mihail Nica | Lightweights | 22.5 |
129 | Zach Freeman | Lightweights | 22.5 |
129 | Teagan Dooley | Middleweights | 22.5 |
129 | Vinicius de Jesus | Welterweights | 22.5 |
129 | Amanda Bell | Women’s Featherweights | 22.5 |
129 | Colleen Schneider | Women’s Flyweights | 22.5 |
129 | Kate Jackson | Women’s Flyweights | 22.5 |
140 | Arlene Blencowe | Women’s Featherweights | 20.5 |
140 | Valerie Letourneau | Women’s Flyweights | 20.5 |
142 | Matt Lozano | Bantamweights | 20 |
143 | Brandon Phillips | Bantamweights | 18 |
144 | John Teixeira | Featherweights | 15.5 |
145 | Bruna Ellen | Women’s Flyweights | 14.5 |
146 | Heather Hardy | Women’s Flyweights | 13 |
146 | Jaimelene Nievera | Women’s Flyweights | 13 |
148 | Adam Borics | Featherweights | 10 |
148 | Sergei Kharitonov | Heavyweights | 10 |
148 | Jose Campos | Welterweights | 10 |
151 | Jeremy Petley | Lightweights | 9.5 |
152 | Brian Grimmell | Welterweights | 9 |
153 | J.J. Ambrose | Lightweights | 8 |
154 | Jessica Middleton | Women’s Flyweights | 6.5 |
155 | Andrew Salas | Featherweights | 5 |
155 | Frank Buenafuente | Featherweights | 5 |
155 | Kester Mark | Featherweights | 5 |
155 | Juan Archuleta | Featherweights | 5 |
155 | Levi Matan | Welterweights | 5 |
155 | Shimon Gosh | Welterweights | 5 |
155 | Corina Herrera | Women’s Flyweights | 5 |
155 | Kaytlin Neil | Women’s Flyweights | 5 |
155 | Lisa Blaine | Women’s Flyweights | 5 |
155 | Stephanie Geltmacher | Women’s Flyweights | 5 |
165 | Jonathan Bowman | Featherweights | 4.5 |
165 | Emmanuel Rivera | Lightweights | 4.5 |
165 | Luis Jauregui | Lightweights | 4.5 |
165 | Rebecca Ruth | Women’s Flyweights | 4.5 |
169 | Brandon Polcare | Bantamweights | 0 |
169 | Jose Antonio Perez | Featherweights | 0 |
169 | William Joplin | Featherweights | 0 |
169 | Thomas Lopez | Featherweights | 0 |
169 | Fedor Emelianenko | Heavyweights | 0 |
169 | Leonardo Leite | Light Heavyweights | 0 |
169 | Ian Butler | Welterweights | 0 |
169 | Kemmyelle Haley | Welterweights | 0 |
169 | Khonry Gracie | Welterweights | 0 |
169 | Zak Bucia | Welterweights | 0 |
169 | Roberta Paim | Women’s Featherweights | 0 |
169 | Alice Yauger | Women’s Flyweights | 0 |
169 | Brooke Mayo | Women’s Flyweights | 0 |
169 | Bruna Vargas | Women’s Flyweights | 0 |
169 | Elina Kallionidou | Women’s Flyweights | 0 |
169 | Helen Harper | Women’s Flyweights | 0 |
169 | Na Liang | Women’s Flyweights | 0 |
Check back next Wednesday for our Heavyweight rankings
Bellator Performance Based Rankings
Heavyweights
Light Heavyweights
Middleweights
Welterweights
Lightweights
Featherweights
Bantamweights
Women’s Featherweights
Women’s Flyweights
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