Independent World MMA Rankings for March 2010

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 solid MMA writers from across the MMA media landscape come together once a month to form the 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).

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. Cain Velasquez (8-0)

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1, 1 No Contest)

6. Junior dos Santos (10-1)

7. Brett Rogers (10-1)

8. Alistair Overeem (32-11, 1 No Contest)

9. Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1)

10. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)

Light Heavyweight Rankings (186 to 205 lbs.)

1. Lyoto Machida (16-0)

2. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-4)

3. Rashad Evans (14-1-1)

4. Anderson Silva (25-4)

5. Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1)

6. Forrest Griffin (17-6)

7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3)

8. Dan Henderson (25-7)

9. Thiago Silva (14-2)

10. Vitor Belfort (19-8)

Middleweight Rankings (171 to 185 lbs.)

1. Anderson Silva (25-4)

2. Dan Henderson (25-7)

3. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)

4. Vitor Belfort (19-8)

5. Nathan Marquardt (29-9-2)

6. Demian Maia (12-1)

7. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

8. Robbie Lawler (17-5, 1 No Contest)

9. Yushin Okami (23-5)

10. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (11-2, 1 No Contest)

Welterweight Rankings (156 to 170 lbs.)

1. Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. Jon Fitch (21-3, 1 No Contest)

3. Thiago Alves (16-6)

4. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

5. Paulo Thiago (13-1)

6. Dan Hardy (23-6)

7. Nick Diaz (21-7, 1 No Contest)

8. Matt Hughes (43-7)

9. Paul Daley (23-8-2)

10. Matt Serra (10-6)

Lightweight Rankings (146 to 155 lbs.)

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

2. Shinya Aoki (23-4, 1 No Contest)

3. Eddie Alvarez (19-2)

4. Kenny Florian (12-4)

5. Tatsuya Kawajiri (26-5-2)

6. Gray Maynard (9-0, 1 No Contest)

7. Frankie Edgar (11-1)

8. Diego Sanchez (21-3)

9. Gilbert Melendez (17-2)

10. Joachim Hansen (19-8-1)

Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)

1. Jose Aldo (16-1)

2. Mike Brown (23-5)

3. Urijah Faber (23-3)

4. Hatsu Hioki (20-4-2)

5. Bibiano Fernandes (7-2)

6. Marlon Sandro (16-1)

7. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue (18-3)

8. Raphael Assuncao (14-2)

9. Manny Gamburyan (10-4)

10. Michihiro Omigawa (9-8-1)

Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)

1. Dominick Cruz (15-1)

2. Brian Bowles (8-1)

3. Joseph Benavidez (12-1)

3. Miguel Torres (37-3)

5. Masakatsu Ueda (10-0-2)

6. Scott Jorgensen (9-3)

7. Takeya Mizugaki (12-4-2)

8. Damacio Page (15-4)

9. Wagnney Fabiano (13-2)

10. Akitoshi Tamura (14-8-2)

Note: Shane Carwin and Quinton Jackson are temporarily ineligible to be ranked, due to the fact that they have been inactive for over 12 full months, and will regain their eligibility the next time they fight.