December Independent MMA World Rankings

The rankings are published on multiple web sites – including of course this one – and you can check them out any time by going to www.IndependentWorldMMARankings.com.

Some of the best and most knowledgeable MMA writers from across the MMA media landscape have come together to form one independent voting panel. These voting panel members are, in alphabetical order:

Zach Arnold (Fight Opinion); Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings); Jared Barnes (Freelance); Jordan Breen (Sherdog); Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter, MMA Memories, and MMA Journalist Blog); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Todd Martin (CBS Sportsline); Jim Murphy (The Savage Science); Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA); Leland Roling (Bloody Elbow); Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse); Jonathan Snowden (Heavy.com); Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion); Ivan Trembow (Freelance); and Dave Walsh (Total MMA and Head Kick Legend).

Note: Will Ribeiro is no longer eligible to be ranked, due to the fact that he has not had an MMA fight in over 12 months.

Heavyweight Rankings (206 to 265 lbs.)

1. Fedor Emelianenko (31-1, 1 No Contest)

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)

3. Frank Mir (13-4)

4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1, 1 No Contest)

5. Shane Carwin (11-0)

6. Brett Rogers (10-1)

7. Alistair Overeem (31-11, 1 No Contest)

8. Junior dos Santos (9-1)

9. Cain Velasquez (7-0)

10. Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1)

Light Heavyweight Rankings (186 to 205 lbs.)

1. Lyoto Machida (16-0)

2. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-4)

3. Rashad Evans (13-1-1)

4. Quinton Jackson (30-7)

5. Anderson Silva (25-4)

6. Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1)

7. Forrest Griffin (17-6)

8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3)

9. Dan Henderson (25-7)

10. Thiago Silva (14-1)

Middleweight Rankings (171 to 185 lbs.)

1. Anderson Silva (25-4)

2. Nathan Marquardt (29-8-2)

3. Dan Henderson (25-7)

4. Vitor Belfort (19-8)

5. Demian Maia (11-1)

6. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

7. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)

8. Yushin Okami (23-5)

9. Robbie Lawler (16-5, 1 No Contest)

10. Jorge Santiago (21-8)

Welterweight Rankings (156 to 170 lbs.)

1. Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. Jon Fitch (20-3, 1 No Contest)

3. Thiago Alves (16-6)

4. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

5. Dan Hardy (23-6)

6. Matt Hughes (43-7)

7. Paulo Thiago (12-1)

8. Mike Swick (14-3)

9. Carlos Condit (24-5)

10. Marius Zaromskis (13-3)

Lightweight Rankings (146 to 155 lbs.)

1. B.J. Penn (15-5-1)

2. Shinya Aoki (22-4, 1 No Contest)

3. Eddie Alvarez (19-2)

4. Kenny Florian (12-4)

5. Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

6. Gray Maynard (8-0, 1 No Contest)

7. Frankie Edgar (11-1)

8. Diego Sanchez (21-3)

9. Joachim Hansen (19-8-1)

10. Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1)

Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)

1. Jose Aldo (16-1)

2. Mike Brown (22-5)

3. Urijah Faber (22-3)

4. Hatsu Hioki (20-4-2)

5. Bibiano Fernandes (7-2)

6. Raphael Assuncao (14-1)

7. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue (17-3)

8. Wagnney Fabiano (12-2)

9. Manny Gamburyan (10-4)

10. Michihiro Omigawa (8-8-1)

Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)

1. Brian Bowles (8-0)

2. Miguel Torres (37-2)

3. Takeya Mizugaki (12-3-2)

4. Masakatsu Ueda (10-0-2)

5. Dominick Cruz (14-1)

6. Akitoshi Tamura (14-7-2)

7. Joseph Benavidez (10-1)

8. Damacio Page (12-4)

9. Rani Yahya (15-4)

10. Manny Tapia (10-3-1)