MMA Lightweight Rankings - April 2012

A lot is happening in the lightweight division and many new fighters have begun to stake their claim as future greats.  Though there has been no real top lightweight action over the past month, there have been changes to the lightweight rankings based on inactivity and divisional changes. Adam Speechly’s drop to lightweight needed to be accounted for and due to inactivity over the past two years, Chris Bright has fallen off the rankings.

  

1. Costa Ioannou (4–0)

Undefeated in his professional career and boasting many of the biggest scalps in the division, Costa Ioannou is somewhat of an enigma in the lightweight class. He is ferocious on the feet, incredibly strong in the clinch and an expert on the ground, a mix which is proving increasingly difficult for the rest of the division to figure out. Ioannou, the current EFC Africa lightweight champion, was also the first South African to defend an EFC title, when he bested Alex Cheboub in emphatic style at EFC 10. If history is anything to go by, Costa Ioannou could be a dominant force in the hexagon for a long time to come.  

2. Brendon Katz (7-1)

Brendon Katz has a single blemish, courtesy of this list’s number one fighter, Costa Ioannou, in a fight of the night appearance. Shy of his only loss, Katz has looked impressive in the cage, and has recently made a successful jump to fighting internationally, where he has defeated USA’s Omar Santiago at XFC Africa 5 and UK’s Huseyin Garabet at UCMMA25. Hopefully we will see Brendon Katz back in the cage in South Africa soon, where he can put his wealth of experience to good use.  

3. Wentzel “The Animal” Nel (9-3)

Former EFC Africa Lightweight champion Wentzel Nel has used his wrestling to defeat some of the best in the division, including besting Leo Gloss to become the first EFC lightweight champion. Nel recently lost his lightweight crown to Costa Ioannou at EFC 08, but bounced back with a pair of wins against Manny Da Silva at EFC 09 and Terrence Griessel at EFC 11. It looks like The Animal wants his Lightweight belt back!

4. Ryan “The Lion” van Niekerk (20-6)

Ryan van Niekerk is a veteran of the sport, and has held division gold in other promotions. Van Niekerk has also fought some of the toughest names in the business including Wesley Hawkey and Chris Bright. Currently on a four fight winning streak, The Lion managed to win his EFC debut against Markus Taljaard and will be looking to build on this platform and ultimately earn an EFC Africa title shot.

5. Adam “The Prodigy” Speechly (12-3)

Former EFC Africa welterweight champion Adam Speechly will make his Lightweight debut at EFC 14 in a title fight against Costa Ioannou. Though The Prodigy has yet to fight at lightweight, his impressive welterweight resume assures him a place on this list, how he performs at lightweight, a division that I believe better suits him, will be interesting to see.

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SA Pound for Pound Rankings - March 2012

Having finally completed my South African MMA Rankings for each division, it seemed only fitting to look at the country as a whole. Pound for pound rankings are common enough in fighting sports, and come with their fair amount of speculation and criticism. Here is my list of the 10 best pound for pound (P4P) MMA fighters in South Africa:

1. Jeremy “Pitbull” Smith (11-1)

Jeremy Smith has achieved more in his young MMA career than most South African MMA fighters. Currently on an 11 fight winning streak, the Pitbull has defeated local and international talent alike. On 2 March 2012, Jeremy Smith removed any doubt of him being the best fighter in the country by defeating a very game Garreth McLellan to earn the EFC Africa Middleweight title.

2. Costa Ioannou (4-0)

Costa Ioannou has been a dominant force in the EFC lightweight division since his debut in 2010,  manhandling his opponents en route the EFC Africa lightweight title. Ioannou was also the first fighter to successfully defend his EFC title in 2011, and still undefeated,  shows no signs of slowing down in the near future.

3. Ruan “Fangzz” Potts (14-0)

Ruan Potts has had a dream run in the EFC, finishing every fighter the promotion has put in his path. In 2011 Potts earned himself the coveted EFC Africa heavyweight title, and later that year became the second man to successfully defend his title, mere minutes after Ioannou. Ruan Potts has won an extraordinary 14 fights in a row and has yet to be defeated in professional MMA.

4. Garreth “Soldierboy” McLellan (6-2)

Garreth McLellan has evolved as a fighter over the past few years and now shows a completely well rounded game. McLellan, now 5-1 in the EFC, showed just why he is on this list in his titanic clash with Jeremy Smith at EFC 12, a fight in which he had the champion and P4P #1 in trouble on several occasions.

5. Chris Bright (26-3)

Chris Bright is somewhat of an MMA legend in South Africa and has a truly notable record. The Port Elizabeth local also boasts international experience and has never lost in his natural weight division. Bright however has not fought since May 2010, which begs the question of how he will perform against the rapidly improving athletes of today. Hopefully this question will be answered soon enough.

6. Brendon Katz (7-1)

Brendon Katz’ sole professional loss was at the hands of Costa Ioannou in a fight of the night clash. Shy of that, Katz has racked up 7 wins, won an XFC title and has now made the jump to fighting internationally with great success. 

7. Rico “White Lion” Hattingh (14-2)

Rico Hattingh mustered an impressive record early in his MMA career with 13 straight wins. Hattingh’s losses have both come from international opponents, and after his EFC debut in 2010, his local record stood at 14-0. Hattingh has had a string of injury problems which has forced him out of the Hexagon for almost 2 years. Hopefully Hattingh will be back in action soon, in all likelihood against Ruan Potts in a epic South African heavyweight clash.

8. Darren “Double D” Daniel (5-1)

Darren Daniel has defeated some of South Africa’s top MMA fighters in brutal fashion, including current EFC welterweight champion Dallas Jakobi. Daniel is also undefeated on South African soil, his lone loss coming from an international bout in China. Darren Daniel has been out of action for a while, but is set for a return in 2012.

9. Demarte “The Wolf” Pena (3-0)

Reigning EFC Africa featherweight champion Demarte Pena is undefeated in the Hexagon and has defeated some of the top featherweights in the country. The wolf will face his greatest test when he meets dangerous contender Wesley Hawkey in his first title defence.

10. Dallas Jakobi (12-5)

Dallas Jakobi earned his spot on this list by capping off a solid 3 fight winning streak with an impressive win against Adam Speechly at EFC 10. The victory saw Jakobi taking the EFC welterweight title in his first welterweight fight. A newcomer to the division, Jakobi still has a lot to prove in a stacked division. First up is Jadyson Costa at EFC 13.

Honourable mentions

Wesley Hawkey, Wentzel Nel, Adam Speechly, Martin van Staden, Tyron Rightford, Norman Wessels

For all rankings visit my MMA Rankings page

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Lightweight Rankings - March 2012

Costa Ioannou

There was not much top end lightweight action at EFC 12, as a result most of the rankings remain unchanged. There were however some new challengers uncovered who many yet be a threat in the EFC lightweight division. Keep an eye on Ryan van Niekerk and Boyd Allen in the future.

  

1. Costa Ioannou (4–0)

Undefeated in his professional career and boasting many of the biggest scalps in the division, Costa Ioannou is somewhat of an enigma in the lightweight class. He is ferocious on the feet, incredibly strong in the clinch and an expert on the ground, a mix which is proving increasingly difficult for the rest of the division to figure out. Ioannou, the current EFC Africa lightweight champion, was also the first South African to defend an EFC title, when he bested Alex Cheboub in emphatic style at EFC 10. If history is anything to go by, Costa Ioannou could be a dominant force in the hexagon for a long time to come.

2. Chris Bright (26-3)

Chris Bright made a quick cameo in the EFC, earned a title shot and was then forced to withdraw due to injury. This is all most MMA fans have seen of one of the most decorated MMA fighters South Africa has ever produced. Bright has fought both nationally and internationally for many years and is regarded as one of the best ground specialists in the country. As MMA fans we can only hope that the powers that be can arrange for Chris Bright to challenge Costa Ioannou sooner rather than later, in what would undoubtedly be a defining fight for South African MMA and a BJJ master class.

3. Brendon Katz (7-1)

Brendon Katz has a single blemish, courtesy of this list’s number one fighter, Costa Ioannou, in a fight of the night appearance. Shy of his only loss, Katz has looked impressive in the cage, and has recently made a successful jump to fighting internationally, where he has defeated USA’s Omar Santiago at XFC Africa 5 and UK’s Huseyin Garabet at UCMMA25. Hopefully we will see Brendon Katz back in the cage in South Africa soon, where he can put his wealth of experience to good use.  

4. Wentzel “The Animal” Nel (9-3)

Former EFC Africa Lightweight champion Wentzel Nel has used his wrestling to defeat some of the best in the division, including besting Leo Gloss to become the first EFC lightweight champion. Nel recently lost his lightweight crown to Costa Ioannou at EFC 08, but bounced back with a pair of wins against Manny Da Silva at EFC 09 and Terrence Griessel at EFC 11. It looks like The Animal wants his Lightweight belt back!

5. Ryan “The Lion” van Niekerk (20-6)

Ryan van Niekerk is a veteran of the sport, and has held division gold in other promotions. Van Niekerk has also fought some of the toughest names in the business including Wesley Hawkey and Chris Bright. Currently on a four fight winning streak, The Lion managed to win his EFC debut against Markus Taljaard and will be looking to build on this platform and ultimately earn an EFC Africa title shot.

View all : Best MMA fighters in South Africa

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Top 5 MMA Lightweights in South Africa

The lightweight division is one of the premier divisions in MMA. It is synonymous with highly skilled fighters who have seemingly infinite stamina. This usually results in epic battles. The South African lightweight scene is no different, and is home to some of South Africa’s top MMA athletes. Here is my take on the current rankings of South African lightweight fighters:

  

1.       Costa Ioannou (4–0)

Undefeated in his professional career and boasting many of the biggest scalps in the division, Costa Ioannou is somewhat of an enigma in the lightweight class. He is ferocious on the feet, incredibly strong in the clinch and an expert on the ground, a mix which is proving increasingly difficult for the rest of the division to figure out. Ioannou, the current EFC Africa lightweight champion, was also the first South African to defend an EFC title, when he bested Alex Cheboub in emphatic style at EFC 10. If history is anything to go by, Costa Ioannou could be a dominant force in the hexagon for a long time to come.

2.       Chris Bright (26-3)

Chris Bright made a quick cameo in the EFC, earned a title shot and was then forced to withdraw due to injury. This is all most MMA fans have seen of one of the most decorated MMA fighters South Africa has ever produced. Bright has fought both nationally and internationally for many years and is regarded as one of the best ground specialists in the country. As MMA fans we can only hope that the powers that be can arrange for Chris Bright to challenge Costa Ioannou sooner rather than later, in what would undoubtedly be a defining fight for South African MMA and a BJJ master class.

3.       Brendon Katz (7-1)

Brendon Katz has a single blemish, courtesy of this list’s number one fighter, Costa Ioannou, in a fight of the night appearance. Shy of his only loss, Katz has looked impressive in the cage, and has recently made a successful jump to fighting internationally, where he has defeated USA’s Omar Santiago at XFC Africa 5 and UK’s Huseyin Garabet at UCMMA25. Hopefully we will see Brendon Katz back in the cage in South Africa soon, where he can put his wealth of experience to good use.  

4.       Wentzel “The Animal” Nel (9-3)

Former EFC Africa Lightweight champion Wentzel Nel has used his wrestling to defeat some of the best in the division, including besting Leo Gloss to become the first EFC lightweight champion. Nel recently lost his lightweight crown to Costa Ioannou at EFC 08, but bounced back with a pair of wins against Manny Da Silva at EFC 09 and Terrence Griessel at EFC 11. It looks like The Animal wants his Lightweight belt back!

5.       Alex “Professor” Cheboub

The Professor’s recent move to the EFC Africa Lightweight division has opened many doors for the grappling guru. Firstly, a title shot against Costa Ioannou, which Cheboub lost via third round submission in what turned out to be an intense chess match on the ground. One of the most technical fighters in the EFC, Cheboub, who has spent the majority of his time in the welterweight division, will now be able to pit himself against smaller opponents, where it is less likely that his impressive skill set will be neutralised by size and strength alone.    

To view all South African rankings, visit my MMA rankings page

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