I believe the question should be, would Joachim Hansen, Eddie Alvarez, or “JZ” Calvancante beat Jamie Varner, Nathan Diaz, Spencer Fisher, and Marcus Aurelio?

You could also ask if Aoki would beat Sean Sherk, Frankie Edgar, or Tyson Griffin? This would be a more accurate way to compare Aoki to Franca.

FightTrends.com: Everytime I see BJ at the top of this list my first reaction is to go “WTF!?!”, then I realize he has dominated the LW division.He doesn’t lose at LW, only at WW.Had BJ never went up to fight at WW I bet we would all still be saying he is P4P best, or atleast top 2 or 3.Crazy how a couple of losses at a higher weight have hurt his legacy.

Lol, yes he looked like crap against superstar WW St. Pierre. However, he did well at 191 against superstar LHW Machida at 220.

So Penn has moved up and fought and lost to the #1 WW *by far* and has ALSO fought and lost to the #1 LHW *by far*. Losing to GSP and Machida when he should be at 155 — should almost mean his status INCREASES, not decreases. So he lost to these stars, but afaik he is the only division #1 who has fought TWO other division #1′s (and p4p greats), going up one and two weight classes. Afaik we cannot say that about GSP, Silva, Machida, Fedor, Lesnar, or even multiple weight class champ Couture. His only other two losses were to Hughes at WW and Pulver at LW, so he really only has one loss at his weight class. He definitely deserves being in top 4 p4p.

Hansen, Kawajiri, Gomi, Melendez and JZ get a mention too. I can understand all of these fighters being included but Sanchez has only fought twice at LW and if you only need to win twice in a division to become top then there are a lot of top ten fighters out there.

meatloaf: You don’t think beating someone who was a Shooto champ and probably one of the best 30 or 40 lightweights in the world is a quality win?

I personally dont think so. This is the fromer best lw in the world were talkin about here. Not some random fighter in the top ten or twenty.

To your last point I dont agree, but I would love to see him try. If the old Gomi showed up I think he would have a shot, but he is a shell of his former self.

edub:
Ok dude I dont wanna argue with you considering i just agreed with something you said on the other page.But here goes…Sergio is not arguing your point. He made a better point than you did. Thats why your basically running around your whole argument to try and make him look like the wrong party. Which he simply isn’t. You compare Gomi who (I dont have the fight finder in front of me but) hasnt beaten anyone in the top ten in basically three years. Has a horrible loss to Sergei Golyaev(which I thought he won), losses toquality fighters in Kitaoka and Diaz, and wins over two guys who arent top level competition. Sherk who holds losses to GSP, BJ Penn, and Frankie Edgar. All top 10 guys im sure you know. And wins over Hermes Franca( Who was coming off wins against Spencer Fisher, and Jamie Varner), Tyson Griffin, and Kenny Florian. To compare the two at this stage of their career is just not valid.Shotokai made a bunch of points on why Sherk is better than Aoki. You chose to only look at the career argument, and you ran with it. Thats kinda what the beginning of your post argues against me as doing. Well I dropped to your level Im sorry.We are talking about top competition here. Top 30, top 40 top 50 is probably all the same you are right. But thats the point Im trying to make. Your saying its a quality win for Gomi just because he is an ok fighter. Its not.
Your right in the fact that you should of left it out of your argument, but you couldnt. It was part of a point you were trying to make that you know more than him about mma. To basically call him a ufc nuthugger because you were trying to make a mediocre fighter look better than he really is.
And you act like something hit a nerve for me to call you out on a bad point you made. Your guys whole argument was between Sherk and Gomi. Yet you for some reason felt the need to show your vast knowledge of mma and say he didnt know Nakakura was because he wasnt in the UFC. Maybe he just didnt think he was that good.

Do you have any idea how many fighters in the world are fighting at 154 or 155lbs.? A lot right?

You don’t think beating someone who was a Shooto champ and probably one of the best 30 or 40 lightweights in the world is a quality win?

I really hope Gomi’s not blowing smoke about coming west to fight but I think he is to get more money from one of the big Japanese promotions because he’d beat the shit out of nearly every lightweight in the UFC aside from BJ and Gray Maynard.

Sergio Hernandez:
How am I arguing your point for you?The first argument shotokai made was that Sherk had wins over Franca, Florian, and Griffin.Those three wins came in the last three years.Aoki has beaten Alvarez and went 2-1 against Hansen in that time.Granted, shotokai added some extraneous info about Sherk’s career that isn’t relevant and you took that and warped it into some argument that Gomi should be included too?The last time Gomi had a win over ANYONE sniffing the Top 10 was three years ago against Ishida but really, it was four years ago against Mach.Someone thought it was ridiculous that Sherk was ranked over Aoki, shotokai argued his case and marked out a bit for Sherk, and you somehow brought Gomi into the mix.

I’ve lost enough brain cells trying to reason with you.

meatloaf:
Honestly the whole thing should’ve never even started because this Sergio is basically arguing my point for me and just doesn’t get it, but whatever.

How am I arguing your point for you? The first argument shotokai made was that Sherk had wins over Franca, Florian, and Griffin. Those three wins came in the last three years. Aoki has beaten Alvarez and went 2-1 against Hansen in that time.

Granted, shotokai added some extraneous info about Sherk’s career that isn’t relevant and you took that and warped it into some argument that Gomi should be included too?

The last time Gomi had a win over ANYONE sniffing the Top 10 was three years ago against Ishida but really, it was four years ago against Mach.

Someone thought it was ridiculous that Sherk was ranked over Aoki, shotokai argued his case and marked out a bit for Sherk, and you somehow brought Gomi into the mix.

meatloaf: LOL. Good to see of all the points I made about how full of shit his argument is that the UFC comment touched a nerve with people. I guess I should’ve left it out so no one focused on just that, but to bad because if that little comment bothers someone chances are you’re a huge UFC nuthugger.Honestly the whole thing should’ve never even started because this Sergio is basically arguing my point for me and just doesn’t get it, but whatever.And for the record say Nakakura is ranked 40th so what the difference between guys ranked 30 or 40?Nothing they’re basically all on the same skill level when you start going that high into rankings.Bottom line he’s a quality fighter. Who gives a shit if he’s ranked 33 or 22? What difference does it make.

Ok dude I dont wanna argue with you considering i just agreed with something you said on the other page. But here goes…

Sergio is not arguing your point. He made a better point than you did. Thats why your basically running around your whole argument to try and make him look like the wrong party. Which he simply isn’t. You compare Gomi who (I dont have the fight finder in front of me but) hasnt beaten anyone in the top ten in basically three years. Has a horrible loss to Sergei Golyaev(which I thought he won), losses to quality fighters in Kitaoka and Diaz, and wins over two guys who arent top level competition. Sherk who holds losses to GSP, BJ Penn, and Frankie Edgar. All top 10 guys im sure you know. And wins over Hermes Franca( Who was coming off wins against Spencer Fisher, and Jamie Varner), Tyson Griffin, and Kenny Florian. To compare the two at this stage of their career is just not valid.

Shotokai made a bunch of points on why Sherk is better than Aoki. You chose to only look at the career argument, and you ran with it. Thats kinda what the beginning of your post argues against me as doing. Well I dropped to your level Im sorry.

We are talking about top competition here. Top 30, top 40 top 50 is probably all the same you are right. But thats the point Im trying to make. Your saying its a quality win for Gomi just because he is an ok fighter. Its not.

Your right in the fact that you should of left it out of your argument, but you couldnt. It was part of a point you were trying to make that you know more than him about mma. To basically call him a ufc nuthugger because you were trying to make a mediocre fighter look better than he really is.

And you act like something hit a nerve for me to call you out on a bad point you made. Your guys whole argument was between Sherk and Gomi. Yet you for some reason felt the need to show your vast knowledge of mma and say he didnt know Nakakura was because he wasnt in the UFC. Maybe he just didnt think he was that good.

edub:
And here’s where the argument turns into “Your defending the UFC becuase you are a Mark” or whatever the term is. Takashi Nakakura is good but top 30 in the world he is not.

LOL. Good to see of all the points I made about how full of shit his argument is that the UFC comment touched a nerve with people. I guess I should’ve left it out so no one focused on just that, but to bad because if that little comment bothers someone chances are you’re a huge UFC nuthugger.
Honestly the whole thing should’ve never even started because this Sergio is basically arguing my point for me and just doesn’t get it, but whatever.

And for the record say Nakakura is ranked 40th so what the difference between guys ranked 30 or 40?
Nothing they’re basically all on the same skill level when you start going that high into rankings.
Bottom line he’s a quality fighter. Who gives a shit if he’s ranked 33 or 22? What difference does it make.

meatloaf: You also are so eager to argue when you in fact have no clue what you’re talking about because Gomi’s last win was in May against a very good Takashi Nakakura who was the Shooto lightweight champ when he knocked him out. Maybe you’re one of these people who might think Nakakura is shit because he’s not fighting in the UFC but he’s not

And here’s where the argument turns into “Your defending the UFC becuase you are a Mark” or whatever the term is. Takashi Nakakura is good but top 30 in the world he is not.

I personally hope he never weighs more than 155 pounds again.

Sergio Hernandez:
I do feel better, thanks!And my point is still valid because Gomi’s wins were foooooorever ago while Sherk’s and Aoki’s are still relatively fresh thus more relevant.What, are you gonna rank Mark Coleman as a top 10 heavyweight because he has wins over Frye, Severn, and Igor under his belt?Notice the A) criteria in ranking is RECENT activity in the weight class.

No dude you did miss the point and if you shut your ego down a little and read my post carefully and read the one I was replying to you’d see the guy was saying it was insane basically to rank Sherk behind Aoki because Sherk’s had the better career, and my point was if you’re basing rankings on whose had the better career Gomi would be ranked, but the rankings aren’t a career based list.
So you making a wise ass remark about ranking Mark Coleman are unknowingly agreeing with me while wanting to argue with me at the same time. Get it?

You also are so eager to argue when you in fact have no clue what you’re talking about because Gomi’s last win was in May against a very good Takashi Nakakura who was the Shooto lightweight champ when he knocked him out. Maybe you’re one of these people who might think Nakakura is shit because he’s not fighting in the UFC but he’s not.

Next time you’re out to pick a fight online with someone make sure you know what you’re arguing about. Otherwise find a new hobby.

meatloaf: Apparently you missed the point, but if you feel better thinking you’ve corrected me go ahead and keep on thinking that.

I do feel better, thanks!

And my point is still valid because Gomi’s wins were foooooorever ago while Sherk’s and Aoki’s are still relatively fresh thus more relevant.

What, are you gonna rank Mark Coleman as a top 10 heavyweight because he has wins over Frye, Severn, and Igor under his belt?

Notice the A) criteria in ranking is RECENT activity in the weight class.

Sergio Hernandez:
Because his last relevant win (if you want to even consider Ishida that) was almost 3 years ago and he’s 3-2-1 (should be 3-3) since then?

Apparently you missed the point, but if you feel better thinking you’ve corrected me go ahead and keep on thinking that.

meatloaf: because nobody has more quality wins at lightweight over the course of their career than Gomi

BJ and Gomi are neck and neck for quality wins at lw. Gomi-Pulver, Sakurai, Ishida, Kawajiri…those are probably his best ones.
BJ-Gomi(prime), Stevenson, Sherk, Florian, Uno, Thomas…Probably his best. Id go with BJ but its a toss up.

mulefloyd:

Wow! It’s about time. I will freely admit that I’ve thought this site has shown a prejudice against the UFC but finally someone gets the rankings of the “japan” LWs about right.

Prejudice against the UFC? Seriously? Like 90% of what we report is UFC news, if we reported anymore UFC news we may as well change our name to UFC2.com.

But thanks for the kind words on the rankings.

shotokai_: How is it in anyway absurd? Do something for me, type in Sean Sherk into Google. Yeah, this is hi-tech sh*t. Do the same thing for Shinya Aoki. Then click on something called Sherdog Fight Stats, not sure if you will have heard of it. And compare their records. And tell me exactly what the f*ck is absurd.Oh I can’t bare the wait, I’ll do it for you. Sherk has wins over Griffin, Franca, Florian at 155. And two wins over Parisyan and a win over Diaz at 170. With his only career losses at 155 coming to undisputed champ, and not to mention highly ranked p4p superstar, BJ Penn, and to Frankie Edgar; who’s ranked at 4 on this list. His only other two career losses came to Hughes and GSP, both at 170, and both when they were beating everyone at that point in their respective careers.Now put your personal and short sighted hatred for Sherk to the side for one moment, and retract your ironically absurd comment. It could, possibly, be argued by someone much more intellectual and knowledgeable than yourself that perhaps Aoki could at a similar level to Sherk in the LW rankings, perhaps even above – I personally strongly disagree – but to proclaim Sherks position above him as some sort of absurdity, implying that Aoki, regardless of his record, standard of competition faced, experience, devastating losses etc, should be above Sherk by default is absolutely and completely moronic. Good day Sir.

Calm down, Sean. I’m starting to think you are juicing again.