SportsRatings: Boxing/MMA

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier - what next for the winner?

When the Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament began, Strikeforce could reasonably claim a heavyweight division that was at least the equal of the UFC in terms of talent and competitiveness. Since the Zuffa buyout, major talents—Overeem, Werdum, Antonio Silva—have been promoted, and Fedor was dropped after his losses, leaving the UFC much stronger in the top weight class. But Strikeforce still has some great fighters, and two of them meet in the tournament final tonight: Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier.

Cormier at #4 and Barnett at #7 are now the only Strikeforce fighters left in our Heavyweight top ten. Logically the winner should advance to the UFC, but can that happen?

Cormier trains with #6 Cain Velasquez, meaning that a matchup between the two might be hard to arrange. And of course Josh Barnett has simply not been welcome at the UFC for some time, and winning this tournament would probably mean he holds the Strikeforce belt and has to defend it. Alistair Overeem's recent testing snafu probably ruined any remaining chance for Barnett, as the last thing Dana White wants to do is welcome a 3-time positive tester back into the fold.

So this fight might really be for the Strikeforce belt and only the Strikeforce belt. After all, the UFC can't take every fighter, since White has said the promotion is going to continue for some time and not be absorbed into the UFC wholly.

The fight won't change our rankings much, either; Cormier is a fairly distant #4 and wouldn't move up any spots by beating Barnett; Barnett would simply replace Cormier at #4 with a win. The loser will fall to near the bottom of the top ten.

May Heavyweight rankings - fights through April 30th

Feb Rank	May Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Feb-Apr Results
1	1	Alistair Overeem	HW	67.73	29-11-0
2	2	Junior dos Santos	HW	56.29	8-0-0
3	3	Fabricio Werdum	HW	53.07	14-5-1	Def Roy Nelson
4	4	Daniel Cormier	HW	42.79	6-0-0
5	5	Antonio Silva	HW	39.01	13-3-0	last win -14 months.
6	6	Cain Velasquez	HW	36.40	6-1-0	last win -18 months.
7	7	Josh Barnett	HW	35.73	30-5-0

Lightweight: #1 Melendez vs. #24 Thompson; Light heavy: #13 Kyle vs. #18 Cavalcante

The co-headline fight of the evening is Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thompson. Melendez is our #1 lightweight, outranking Benson Henderson by a decent margin. But he lacks strong competition in Strikeforce, and is taking on a fighter ranked just 25th in our book.

This lesser competition is why most rankings have Melendez 3rd or 4th behind Henderson and Frankie Edgar. That's where we'll have Melendez if he gets upset; he'd fall to #4, with Thompson moving up to #3, and Henderson at #1.

If Melendez wins as expected, he won't gain much in terms of points but he would avenge (for the 2nd time) one of the only two losses of his career. And the call for him to move to the UFC would increase, as he'd be on a 7-fight win streak.

The only other fight of interest in terms of our weight class rankings is Mike Kyle vs. Rafael Cavalcante in the light heavyweight division. While Strikeforce recently boasted great heavyweights and can still claim one of the very best light heavyweight fighers, the UFC clearly dominates the light heavyweight division. The winner of this fight will approach the top ten but won't quite reach it.

There is no current champ in that division for Strikeforce, which is reasonable since we rank no Strikeforce fighter in the top 7. Gegard Mousasi at #8 and Muhammad Lawal at #10 are the highest ranked for the promotion currently, and will remain so regardless of this fight's outcome.

Jon Jones up to #2 in pound-for-pound top 100; who is left to beat at light heavyweight?

Jon Jones moved on step closer to the #1 overall spot in the SportsRatings Top 100 MMA Rankings. Jones' win over former #5 Rashad Evans moved Jones ahead of middleweight Anderson Silva to the #2 spot, behind the injured welterweight Georges St. Pierre.

With St. Pierre expected to be out through the summer—and losing points due to inactivity—Jones might capture the #1 spot if he beats #5 Dan Henderson, who is slated to be his next opponent. In the meantime, however, Silva will retake the #2 spot from Jones if he beats Chael Sonnen in UFC 148 in July.

Three heavyweights are in the top ten: Alistair Overeem at #4, UFC champ Junior dos Santos at #6, and Fabricio Werdum at #8. All three were scheduled to fight in the all-heavyweight UFC 146 but Overeem tested positive for steroids and was kicked off the competition.

Lightweights Gilbert Melendez (#7) and Benson Henderson (#9) joined by featherweight Jose Aldo at #10. Rashad Evans fell to #11 and Frankie Edgar dropped from #10 to #17 after his loss to Henderson in UFC 144 in late February.

SportsRatings MMA Top 10 (overall/pound-for-pound) for May, 2012

Feb Rank	May Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	February-April results
1	1	Georges St. Pierre	WW	95.06	20-2-0
3	2	Jon Jones	LH	83.33	10-1-0	Def #5 Rashad Evans
2	3	Anderson Silva	MW	82.07	26-3-0
4	4	Alistair Overeem	HW	67.73	29-11-0
6	5	Dan Henderson	LH	59.20	29-8-0
7	6	Junior dos Santos	HW	56.29	8-0-0
8	7	Gilbert Melendez	LW	56.10	19-2-0
9	8	Fabricio Werdum	HW	53.07	14-5-1	Def #344 Roy Nelson
25	9	Benson Henderson	LW	49.86	8-1-0	Def #10 Frankie Edgar
13	10	Jose Aldo	FW	43.06	13-1-0

Big movers in the top 100 include Carlos Condit—St. Pierre's next foe—who lept from #29 to #13 after beating former #12 Nick Diaz, and Eddie Alvarez who topped ex-#11 Shinya Aoki in Bellator 66 on April 20th. Alvarez jumped from #48 to #13.

Re-entry: Ryan Bader's win over Quinton Jackson in UFC 144 allowed him to re-enter the top 100 all the way up at #28, while Tim Boetsch's win over Yusin Okami put him back in at #73. Takanori Gomi made a huge jump from #239 to #83 by beating #70 Eiji Mitsuoka, but the biggest move was Mark Hunt's leap from #477 to #99 which resulted from his KO win over ex-#67 Cheick Kongo

The Weight Class Rankings: Featherweight

Feb Rank	May Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Feb-Apr Results
1	1	Jose Aldo	FW	43.06	13-1-0
2	2	Dominick Cruz	FW	35.57	11-1-0
3	3	Hatsu Hioki	FW	27.88	17-3-2	Def Bart Palaszewski
4	4	Hiroyuki Takaya	FW	25.73	11-10-1
5	5	Bibiano Fernandes	FW	24.32	8-1-0

Jose Aldo remains #1 and hasn't lost in over 5 years; his next opponent is #19 featherweight Erik Koch in July. #2 Dominick Cruz takes on #8 Urijah Faber in June. Hatsu Hioki's win over Bart Palaszewski solidified his #3 standing but he's still a ways behind the top two; he fights Ricardo Lamas in June. Hiroyuki Takaya and Bibiano Fernades are close at #4 and #5 respectively.

Lightweight: Who is best, Melendez or Henderson?

Feb Rank	May Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Feb-Apr Results
1	1	Gilbert Melendez	LW	56.10	19-2-0
4	2	Benson Henderson	LW	49.86	8-1-0	Def #2 Frankie Edgar
9	3	Eddie Alvarez	LW	39.71	17-3-0	Def #3 Shinya Aoki
2	4	Frankie Edgar	LW	37.54	9-2-1	Lost to #4 Benson Henderson
3	5	Shinya Aoki	LW	32.37	24-5-0	Lost to #9 Eddie Alvarez
5	6	Michael Chandler	LW	28.51	3-0-0

Gilbert Melendez remains our #1 lightweight, with new UFC champ Benson Henderson making it interesting after his win over Frankie Edgar, who falls from #2 to #4. Also making a big move up is Eddie Alvarez, who leaps from #9 to #3 as victim Shinya Aoki drops to #5.

Melendez next faces #25 Josh Thompson on May 19th, while in August Henderson and Edgar have a rematch. If Henderson wins that, he will be neck-and-neck with Melendez, who is hampered by having lesser quality competition in Strikeforce. In fact Bellator, which boasts Alvarez, Aoki, and undefeated Michael Chandler, has three of our top six lightweights. Chandler's recent win in Bellator 67 is not figured into the ratings yet.

Welterweight: Plenty of foes await injured St. Pierre

Feb Rank	May Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Feb-Apr Results
1	1	Georges St. Pierre	WW	95.06	20-2-0
5	2	Carlos Condit	WW	42.48	20-5-0	Def #2 Diaz
3	3	Johny Hendricks	WW	33.41	8-1-0
4	4	Jake Ellenberger	WW	33.11	13-5-0	Def #14 Diego Sanchez
2	5	Nick Diaz	WW	31.46	20-8-0	Lost to #5 Carlos Condit
7	6	Ben Askren	WW	29.63	5-0-0	Def #13 Douglas Lima
6	7	Jon Fitch	WW	27.11	18-2-1	last win -14 months.

Georges St. Pierre's last win was on April 30, 2011, so he'll have points deducted starting next month, but he's so far and away #1 here that his inactivity won't even start to close the gap in any meaningful way. At #2, Carlos Condit awaits the matchup with St. Pierre that he earned by beating Nick Diaz. Diaz dropped to #5 as a result of the loss, and with it the long-anticipated Diaz-St. Pierre fight will have to wait even longer.

#3 Johnny Hendricks is another eventual St. Pierre foe. #4 Jake Ellenberger is on a 6-fight winning streak, while #6 Ben Askren is undefeated at 10-0 overall. This leaves a big backlog of opponents for St. Pierre when he returns, and before that there's sure to be some infighting that weeds out the challengers. #7 Jon Fitch was at one time looking like he'd get a quick rematch with "Rush" but his 12-second KO at Hendrick's hands in late December spoiled that idea.

Middleweight: It's Silva and Sonnen. No one else is important right now.

Feb Rank	May Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Feb-Apr Results
1	1	Anderson Silva	MW	82.07	26-3-0
2	2	Chael Sonnen	MW	38.26	24-11-1
3	3	Mark Munoz	MW	29.15	7-1-0
4	4	Hector Lombard	MW	26.95	20-2-1
5	5	Luke Rockhold	MW	25.71	5-0-0
6	6	Vitor Belfort	MW	23.72	20-9-0
8	7	Siyar Bahadurzada	MW	23.59	8-1-0	Def Paulo Thiago
7	8	Chris Weidman	MW	22.14	4-0-0

When Chael Sonnen thoroughly dominated Anderson Silva in August, 2010 at UFC 117, for four rounds and three minutes before losing to a triangle armbar, it was clear that Sonnen had joined Silva at the top of the middleweight mountain, with no one else close. But in terms of rankings, a loss is a loss and Sonnen had to battle his way back to being #1 contender, defeating Brian Stann and Michael Bisping to get the July rematch in UFC 148.

If Sonnen wins there will be a rubber match for sure; if Anderson prevails, then some of the other fighters in the top ten will move up. #3 Mark Munoz faces #8 Chris Weidman in July, and the winner will have an inside track to Silva. #4 Hector Lombard moves to the UFC from Bellator, taking on the dangerous Brian Stann in August. Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold is #5 and at some point should make the jump to the UFC if he keeps winning. #7 Siyar Bahadurzada joined the UFC in April, while #6 Vitor Belfort has been clamoring for a rematch with Silva since the last fight ended so suddenly with a front kick to Belfort's face.

But all of this is on hold until Silva-Sonnen II.

Light Heavyweight: Who is left for Jon Jones to fight?

Feb Rank	May Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Feb-Apr Results
1	1	Jon Jones	LH	83.33	10-1-0	Def #2 Rashad Evans
3	2	Dan Henderson	LH	59.20	29-8-0
2	3	Rashad Evans	LH	42.83	19-2-1	Lost to #1 Jon Jones
5	4	Mauricio Rua	LH	34.04	17-6-0
22	5	Ryan Bader	LH	31.00	6-2-0	Def #4 Quinton Jackson
6	6	Lyoto Machida	LH	29.55	14-3-0
4	7	Quinton Jackson	LH	27.33	24-10-0	Lost to #22 Ryan Bader
7	8	Gegard Mousasi	LH	25.40	21-3-2
10	9	Alexander Gustafsson	LH	23.68	7-1-0	Def Thiago Silva

#1 lightweight Jon Jones' next opponent will be #2 Dan Henderson. That part's easy. If he beats Henderson, who is left to challenge him? He's already beaten #3 Rashad Evans (just a few weeks ago in UFC 145), #4 Mauricio Rua (UFC 128), #5 Ryan Bader (UFC 126), #6 Lyoto Machida (UFC 140), and #7 Quinton Jackson (UFC 135). Unless you are clamoring for #8 Gegard Mousasi to make the jump from Strikeforce, or think #9 Alexander Gustafsson is actually ready to challenge Jones, there is not a foe on the immediate horizon in the lightweight division that Jones hasn't already vanquished.

Of course if Hendo finds a way to beat Jones things get interesting again, but Jones has truly "cleaned out the division" by beating all of the best fighters. If Henderson hadn't made a resurgence lately Jones would be reduced to fighting rematches or low-ranking opponents already. If the UFC is smart, they'll space out Jones' fights for a while until new challengers can emerge.

The other option is for Jones to move up to heavyweight, which Dana White rightly says is not a good idea yet.

Heavyweights: Overeem's steroid test tarnishes dream heavyweight UFC event

Feb Rank	May Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Feb-Apr Results
1	1	Alistair Overeem	HW	67.73	29-11-0
2	2	Junior dos Santos	HW	56.29	8-0-0
3	3	Fabricio Werdum	HW	53.07	14-5-1	Def Roy Nelson
4	4	Daniel Cormier	HW	42.79	6-0-0
5	5	Antonio Silva	HW	39.01	13-3-0	last win -14 months.
6	6	Cain Velasquez	HW	36.40	6-1-0	last win -18 months.
7	7	Josh Barnett	HW	35.73	30-5-0
8	8	Frank Mir	HW	34.71	15-5-0
9	9	Fedor Emelianenko	HW	34.26	26-4-0
10	10	Brock Lesnar	HW	24.78	4-2-0	last win -21 months.

The Alistair Overeem-Junior dos Santos match originally headlining UFC 146 would have established a true #1 between the former Strikeforce champ and current UFC champ, but it was not to be. Overeem shockingly tested positive for steroids between events—shocking not because Overeem is a PED user, which was laughingly obvious to anyone following the sport, but because he actually failed to beat the test.

So instead of Overeem, dos Santos faces #8 Frank Mir, another fighter whose weight makes rapid upward movements like Overeem's. But he hasn't tested positive so he gets his umpteenth title fight. It's not nearly as interesting, however.

Mir was supposed to fight #6 Cain Velasquez, with Roy Nelson facing #5 Antonio Silva; instead Silva and Velasquez will face off in a very interesting matchup. However, considering that #4 Daniel Cormier (who trains with Velasquez) recently defeated Silva, one can only expect Velasquez to do the same. Left off the card for some reason is #3 Fabricio Werdum, who beat Nelson in February.

Cormier's next fight will be on May 19 for the Strikeforce championship against #7 Josh Barnett—another past steroid user with three positive tests. This creates an interesting dilemma—can the winner jump to the UFC? Barnett has been persona-non-grata there for years, and Cormier might not fight training partner Velasquez.

Now in limbo, i.e. outside of the UFC/Strikeforce world which contains all the top heavies, is #9 Fedor Emelianenko, who will fight #25 Pedro Rizzo in June. #10 Brock Lesnar, Overeem's last opponent, is back in pro wrestling where the drug testing is, to say the least, pretty lax.

Mitchell nears heavyweight boxing top ten; Pulev-Dimitrenko on May 5th

Seth Mitchell had a first-round scare against Chazz Witherspoon but righted the ship and put his opponent away in the 3rd, and he climbs from #18 to #11 in this month's SportsRatings Heavyweight Top 100.

Mitchell is now 25-0 with 19 stoppages, no losses, and just one draw—since avenged—to blemish his record. He's 11-0 against ranked fighters, and has moved from #37 six months ago due to a solid win (TKO 2) over Timur Ibragimov and the Witherspoon fight.

He also solidifies his status as one of the very top American heavyweights, ranking 4th behind #6 Chris Arreola, #7 Eddie Chambers, and #9 Tony Thompson. Witherspoon (30-3) again drops off the top 100, but he'll surely bounce back as he did after losses to Arreola and Thompson. Witherspoon is becoming a gatekeeper in the mode of #20 Monte Barrett; fighters who beat him have a title shot in their future, while those who lose, don't.

Top-ranked American Heavyweights (in bold) as of May 1, 2012:

-3 Yr	-1 Yr	-6 mos	Apr Rank	May Rank	Fighter	Rating	Rated Record	April results / May schedule
6	15	12	6	6	CHRIS ARREOLA	19.86	19-2-0
7	8	5	7	7	EDDIE CHAMBERS	19.63	14-2-0	last win -14 months.
2	5	9	10	8	RUSLAN CHAGAEV	19.05	15-2-0	KO 3 #155 BILLY ZUMBRUN
19	12	11	8	9	TONY THOMPSON	18.68	17-1-0
26	4	8	9	10	DAVID HAYE	18.33	5-1-0	last win -17 months.
--	37	37	18	11	SETH MITCHELL	18.17	11-0-0	TKO 3 #46 CHAZZ WITHERSPOON

Two top ten fighters were in action last month: #4 Tyson Fury put away Martin Rogan in the 5th, while Ruslan Chagaev needed just 3 rounds to KO Billy Zumbrun. Fury's win helped create a smidge of distance between he and #5 Robert Helenius, while Chagaev gained a couple of spots. Three years ago this month Chagaev was at #2, while Fury was very green at #93.

Denis Boytsov (31-0) moved up a spot to #15 by winning a wide unanimous decision over Domonick Guinn. Only one judge gave Guinn a single round, a patter that held in his previous two losses, both of which were also to undefeated fighters (Amir Mansour and Kubrat Pulev).

Yet another undefeated prospect, Alexander Ustinov (27-0) climbed a notch with a victory over Jason Gavern. Ustinov has been in a holding pattern for over a year as he schedules mostly stay-busy fights.

Kelvin Price moved up 9 spots to #36, beating Arron Lyons, while Kevin Johnson leaped back into the top 100 at #39 with an April 1st TKO of former #32 Alex Leapai in Australia. Juan Carlos Gomez paid back Darnell Wilson for his earlier upset loss, regaining a bit of lost ground to #45. Joe Hanks' first-round KO of journeyman Marcus Rhode was good enough to put Hanks just outside the top 50, while Rhode's first stint in our top 100 came to a quick end.

Upcoming: Pulev-Dimitrenko, Airich-Solis, Price-Sexton

Mitchell may have fallen just short of the top ten but either #12 Kubrat Pulev or #13 Alexander Dimitrenko will get there after their May 5th showdown. Dimitrenko (32-1) resided in the top ten before his only loss to Eddie Chambers, while undefeated Bulgarian Pulev (15-0) has been moving up the charts rapidly since his debut in September of 2009. That was 2 month after Dimitrenko's loss, meaning Pulev has fought 5 times as often as Dimitrenko lately. We favor Pulev to get the win and the top ten ranking. Also on that card is #14 Edmund Gerber (19-0) who has a much more manageable foe in current #148 Maurice Harris.

Odlanier Solis, ranked #42 after his loss to Vitali Klitschko and subsequent inactivity while recovering from his knee injury, begins his comeback on May 19 as he faces #17 Konstantin Airich. Airich (23-5-2), was barely holding on to a top 300 ranking before he upset Ondrej Pala and leapt into the top 20 last month. He has won six fights in a row, against reasonable competition, so he should provide a decent comeback test for olympic gold medalist Solis, who needs to re-establish himself as a force on the heavyweight scene and prove that the layoff hasn't eroded his skills—or added to his weight problem. We expect Solis to win but will be watching his conditioning.

Also on the 19th another olympic medalist, the UK's David Price, ranked #24, faces off against #34 Sam Sexton for the British heavyweight title that #4 Tyson Fury gave up rather than face Price. Many believe Price would defeat Fury given the opportunity, but there are questions about Price's chin lingering from his amateur days. Sexton's chin has its own weaknesses, and Price's accurate punching will most likely expose them; we pick Price in a late stoppage. The two are fairly well-matched skillwise, but Price's reach gives him a big advantage.

Povetkin beats Huck in hard-fought, majority decision

#3 ranked Heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin defeated Marco Huck, who was competing in his first bout since moving up from Cruiserweight, in a majority decision in Germany. One judge scored the fight a draw, while the others gave it to Povetkin by a small margin of 3 and 4 rounds. We scored the fight for Povetkin by three rounds.

Generally Povetkin started the rounds strong with clean jabs and combinations, then in the 2nd half of the round Huck would scrap, fighting "dirty" and letting his hands go, which tended to fluster Povetkin.

Throughout the fight Povetkin would duck low and Huck would come over the top and hit Povetkin at or near the back of the head. Huck often continued to fight in the clinch, with both fighters' elbows and fists flying wildly and erratically. And many times in the later part of rounds, Huck's jabs found their mark first when both fighters made their move simultaneously.

Here is our round-by-round recap and scoring:

1. Huck does pretty well, doesn't look intimidated, and lands more shots overall. 10-9 Huck
2. Povetkin takes control with jabs and combos. 10-9 Povetkin; 19-19
3. More of the same, Povetkin landing solidly on Huck. 10-9 Povetkin, 29-28
4. Huck rocks Povektin a couple of times this round, surprising Povetkin. 10-9 Huck; 38-38
5. Hard fought round by both, Povetkin generally more effective. 10-9 Povetkin, 48-47
6. More combos from Povetkin, punching thru Huck's guard. Huck still scrapping though. 10-9 Povetkin, 58-56
7. Huck flusters Povetkin again with wild flurries, Povetkin very tired looking. 10-9 Huck; 67-66 Povetkin
8. Povetkin reasserts control in first half of round, though Huck has some moments later, more shots to back of head. 10-9 Povetkin, 77-75
9. Lots of jabs from both, more scrapping, but not as much contact. 10-10; 87-85 Povetkin
10. Povetkin starts strong with clean punches, Huck comes back with more scrapping. Back of head punch from Huck at bell. No clear winner; Povetkin should have been warned about ducking low and Huck about rabbit punching by now. 10-10; 97-95 Povetkin
11. Clean shots from Povetkin start the round, rocking Huck. Povetkin lands a few after the ref had separated them, Huck connects with another rabbit punch. Povetkin came on strong at the bell, Huck landed just after. 10-9 Povetkin; 107-104
12. Povetkin looked very strong at the start of the round, but Huck connected with a huge right in the middle. Povetkin battled back though. Both fighters were very tired at end of a great round. Hard round to score, very typical of the fight where Huck came on strong in the 2nd half of rounds after obviously losing the first half. Call that another 10-10, 117-114 Povetkin

The German judges scored it: 114-114; and 116-113, 116-112 Povetkin.

Huck fans complained, but considering the venue I don't think they have much ground to stand on. Povetkin clearly had more clean shots throughout the fight, and the fans oversold the amount of Huck's flailing that actually landed.

Still, it was a very game effort from Huck, taking on an undefeated fighter in his first heavyweight outing and not really being in danger of being taken out. Generally a very good, exciting fight; I wouldn't doubt if there were a rematch. Given this performance, Huck would be a potentially dangerous opponent for anyone else in the division, save perhaps the Klitschkos of course.

Klitscho-Chisora: First the Slap, now the Fight; Live Round by Round scoring

Vitali Klitschko, #2 in SportsRatings' Heavyweight Boxing rankings, and #87 Dereck Chisora fight on February 18 in Germany, a day after The Slap:

Will it hurt or help Chisora, who is of course a decided underdog after (officially) losing his last two bouts? The first was to #4 Tyson Fury when Chisora was terribly out of shape, and the subsequent bout to #5 Robert Helenius was a very controversial decision for Helenius.

"The Slap" is not likely to change the dynamic that much given the difference in talent and expectations, but in some ways shaking things up can't hurt Chisora. When the clear path ahead of you leads to defeat, anything you can do to disturb those conditions is better than simply being led down the path.

It's also questionable whether it was a strategic move by Chisora or just his hot head; remember, he actually bit Paul Butlin during their bout in 2009. If things go badly for Chisora in the early rounds, will he actually "pull out all the stops" including underhanded tactics? In that case it could make the fight interesting. It has certainly added interest, and the crowd in Munich is very anti-Chisora in addition to being pro-Klitschko as usual.

The was delayed for over 1/2 hour due to a "dispute" over Chisora's hand tape. Live round-by-round scoring will commence with the fight. There was some pushing and shoving in the ring before the national anthems (for which Chisora used America the Beautiful).

• Round One: Klitschko pawing and Chisora ducking a lot; some wrestling from Chisora. It's very much a scrap as opposed to a "sweet science" bout so far. Klitscho timing Chisora's entries with jabs. Chisora very active, but late in the round was already covering up more than he did early, his work rate slowing. Klitscho 10-9.
• Round Two: Chisora comes out lunging again, swinging wildly at times, backing Vitali up. Vitali responding methodically, Chisora using a cross guard. More tying up, wrestling. Vitali pummels Chisora with some hard shots, tied up again. Now Chisora is backing up when Vitali winds up, but he's still active, swinging harder than almost anyone has tried lately against Vitali. Vitali's guard is low and he's hitting Chisora with hard shots. Chisora again, late in the round, standing inactive in front of Klitschko. Klitschko 10-9, 20-18.
• Round Three: Chisora still moving forward, but not lunging in or swinging as much. Vitali dancing, backing up and countering well. He doesn't look concerned. Chisora keeps moving into range, and Klitschko backs up a bit and hits him. Still with the guard very low, luring his opponent in. Chisora is starting to look like every Klitschko opponent, inactive and standing in front, in range. Big shot at the end by Chisora whiffs as Vitali saw it all the way. Klitschko 10-9; 30-27.
• Round Four: Chisora doing better early on, taking direction from his corner to at least throw an entry jab instead of nothing. Moving his head more, too, like he did in round one. Ducking Klitschko's overhand rights. Still, nothing substantial coming from him offensively as Vitali ties him up when he gets too close. Chisora nearly catches Vitali with a big punch and Vitali stumbles a bit; another haymaker just misses. Vitali looking a bit tired for the first time in the fight. Lots of tying up late in the round as both fighters slowing a bit. 10-10; Klitschko 40-37. Judges call it 40-36, 40-37, and 39-37 at this point. First 3 rounds unanimous, I'm sure, and last round called three different ways.
• Round Five: Chisora still swinging for that one big shot, but none are connecting; he doesn't have the speed to surprise Vitali. Still moving forward, Klitschko backpedalling, throwing short punches. He blocks a Chisora punch with his glove. He's looking like the opposite of Kevin Johnson against Vitali—not much defense but very active on offense. Klitschko 10-9; 50-46.
• Round Six: Body punches by Chisora in the first minute; he even gets a tap in on VItali's chin in the tie-up. Vitali looks more annoyed than hurt. A strong right from Chisora was his best punch of the fight. Now Vitali looks tired, but not in trouble. Not much action in the last minute as Chisora slows down. Chisora barely won that round, barely. Chisora 10-9; Klitschko 59-56.
• Round Seven: Chisora starts off very active, not connecting much but putting Vitali back on his heels. Decent right connects, but Vitali battles back. Looking like a real brawl now in the middle of the seventh. Chisora slowing down a lot in the 2nd half of the round, though, looking quite tired. Klitschko scoring a bit in the last minute to the crowd's delight. Each fighter won half the round. 10-10; Klitschko 69-66.
• Round Eight: Once again, Chisora coming in strong to start. Both are trading punches in center ring, moving around each other, both a high work rate in the first minute, but both tired. Looping overhand to the head connects for Chisora, Vitali responds with straight right. More looping rights to the head connect for Chisora. Hell of a first two minutes. Chisora still fighting hard, Klitschko notably tired—so is Chisora but he's pushing forward. Chisora 10-9; Klitschko 78-76. Scorecards say: 79-74; 79-73; 79-73 so the judges aren't giving Chisora as much credit, and Vitali isn't in much danger of losing on the cards.
• Round Nine: The brawl continues where it left off. Not many solid shots but lots of partially connecting punches, slipped punches, and wrestling. Chisora seems to have lost his fear and isn't freezing like he did a few rounds ago. He's probably about as tired as he can get, so he keeps pressing on. Vitali is moving slower, too. Good right from Klitschko. Another punch to the face gets the crowd going. Klitschko 10-9; 88-85.
• Round Ten: Vitali seems strengthened by the scorecard numbers, which weren't revealed until after the ninth by mistake. He looks looser and is fighting more his fight in the ninth. Meanwhile Chisora may be running out of gas. Will he have enough to make the last few rounds interesting? He finishes will a good punch, but Klitschko takes the round 10-9; 98-94.
• Round Eleven: Chisora needs a knockout, obviously, and has two rounds to do it. Vitali wants a KO, too. Chisora back to his tired style, walking in slowly and trying a haymaker instead of jabbing and pressing. Uppercut by Chisora connects but isn't effective. Three strong jabs from Vitali and Chisora lunges in, tied up. Vitali feeling it now, dancing, jabbing and landing, while still tired. Chisora not giving up by a long shot, still has the strength for big haymaker attempts but none has connected. Klitschko 10-9; 108-103.
• Round Twelve: Fighters touch gloves before the round. Chisora starts off carefully rather than bulldozing like he has before. Looking for that one punch to change the fight. Vitali tying up Chisora when he gets inside. Jabs to the face by Klitschko. Last minute, but Chisora doesn't look as active this round. Picks it up a bit late but has can't get the big punch he needs. Good shot near the end but it's too little too late. 10-10; Klitschko 118-113.

All in all a very good effort by Chisora. He never quit, and was never in danger of being knocked out. He lost to a better fighter, mainly because of size and reach advantage rather than boxing prowess, though Vitali was generally more skilled of the two. Chisora did his best to mix things up and keep Klitschko off balance, and it worked at times, but the judges in Germany didn't give him very much credit for it based on the 8th round scores.

The final cards: 118-110, 118-110, 119-111 for Klitschko. Chisora still acting like an idiot after the fight, trying to start another one. Maybe angling for a fight with Wladimir? Or maybe he's just an idiot, like he proved again Paul Butlin. It's too bad, as he conducted himself well in the ring (well, while the fight was going on. He did spit water into Wladimir's face prior to the staredown, but Wladimir just smiled.)

After Junior Dos Santos' win, who are the top 10 MMA Heavyweights?

Junior Dos Santos' stunning 1-minute upset TKO of Cain Velasquez threw another curve into the MMA heavyweight rankings. Dos Santos takes over as UFC champion, denying Velasquez the chance to be SportsRatings' #1 ranked heavyweight. Instead, the two switch places for the most part, with Dos Santos rising to #2 and Velasquez falling to #6.

At #1 is Alistair Overeem, the former Strikeforce fighter now signed with the UFC. His transfer to the larger operation makes the top 10 even at 5 UFC fighters and 5 Strikeforce fighters, easily the weight class that is least dominated by the UFC (until you get into the very low weight classes where the Japanese have many more competitors). Fabricio Werdum might fight next for the UFC next, too, making it 6-4.

Overeem is #1 as a result of the Fall of Fedor, as Overeem beat Werdum who was the first to beat Emelianenko. Fedor's fall also pumped up the scores of Antonio Silva and eventually Daniel Cormier, and all four are in the top five currently. The mad shuffling going on in the heavyweight division will continue until a true #1 settles in. It looked like that would be Velasquez, but Dos Santos put an end to that for now. Instead, Overeem will have a chance to prove his #1 rating isn't just a fluke.

SportsRatings MMA Heavyweight rankings post-Dos Santos/Velasquez

Nov. 5 Rank	Nov. 12 Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	UFC on Fox results:
1	1	Alistair Overeem	HW	62.80	28-11-0
5	2	Junior dos Santos	HW	56.81	8-0-0	Def #2 Cain Velasquez
3	3	Fabricio Werdum	HW	54.77	13-5-1	last win -17 months.
4	4	Daniel Cormier	HW	42.98	6-0-0
6	5	Antonio Silva	HW	40.05	13-3-0
2	6	Cain Velasquez	HW	39.15	6-1-0	Lost to #5 Junior dos Santos
7	7	Brock Lesnar	HW	37.75	4-1-0	last win -16 months.
8	8	Josh Barnett	HW	35.74	30-5-0
9	9	Fedor Emelianenko	HW	33.55	24-4-0	last win -24 months.
10	10	Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira	HW	29.43	31-6-1

Here's a rundown of the top ten, how they got there, and where they're going:

1. Alistair Overeem (35-11-0) - The former Strikeforce champ pulled out of the tournament where he would have faced Antonio Silva and turned up in the UFC, where he'll face Brock Lesnar. That will be an interesting bout, and the toughest opponent Overeem has faced in years. With 11 losses, a suspicious all-muscle weight gain, and questionable opposition as a heavyweight, Overeem hasn't been considered among the division's elite even when he held the Strikeforce belt. His win over Werdum was unconvincing but it gave him a lot of Fedor's former rating points. Known as a striker, he'll likely have trouble against Lesnar, as even Werdum outboxed him at times. We doubt Overeem will last long at #1; even if he beats Lesnar, Dos Santos will finish him off.
   Next fight: December 30 vs. #7 Brock Lesnar.
   
   
2. Junior Dos Santos (14-1-0) - We admit, we were never quite impressed with Dos Santos despite his many UFC wins; it always seemed he was only just good enough to beat the guy in front of him. But as the guys put in front of him got better, so did Junior, culminating in his quick dispatch of Velasquez. A humble UFC champ, he's a welcome relief from Lesnar's bluster. One way or another it looks like he'll ascend to our #1 spot, as he should beat the winner of Lesnar-Overeem. He just beat the man most likely to defeat him, too, so until Velasquez gets a rematch we expect Dos Santos to keep winning. Next fight: 2012 vs. winner of #1 Overeem vs. #7 Lesnar.
   
   
3. Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) - No one got a bigger boost from beating Fedor than Werdum, who toppled the long-time heavyweight champ at his peak. But Werdum's win was somewhat of a fluke, and his subsequent non-performance against Overeem showed that the only way he's going to beat a top name is to get them in his guard. Avoid that, and you can't lose, especially if he goes down on every punch. 15 knockdowns per round is going to give the other guy an advantage. What he should do is work the standup fighting, which he showed to good effect against Overeem but didn't take seriously as a strategy. By becoming well-rounded Werdum could stay on near the top, but as it looks now he's likely to slide down the rankings.
   Next fight: unknown, possibly #17 Brendan Schaub
   
   
4. Daniel Cormier (9-0-0) - Cormier is now the top undefeated heavyweight fighter. He beat Antonio Silva convincingly, looking like a Fedor/Velasquez clone in doing so. He has the build of Emelianenko and trains with Velasquez, so that's not surprising. His relative inexperience may be an issue but it also keeps him from getting overconfident or taking chances—note how he fought Silva completely differently from Fedor, respecting Silva's size and staying away from his giant fists, then using speed to beat him. In the Strikeforce tournament final Cormier faces Josh Barnett next, a completely different challenge.
   Next fight: vs. #8 Josh Barnett, date unknown.
   
   
5. Antonio Silva (16-3-0) - Right after beating Fedor convincingly, Silva lost to Cormier just as convincingly. Silva has huge, heavy fists, giant size, and a good ground game, but he's slow on his feet and Cormier exploited that. Silva is the kind of guy who can beat anyone or lose to anyone. If you aren't careful, his size and ground skill can kill you, but if good strategy is used then the entire top ten—or lower—can handle him.
   Next fight: ? Unknown
   
   
6. Cain Velasquez (9-1-0) - Cain looked invincible beating Brock Lesnar, and it seemed he could be the new Fedor and rule for the rest of the decade. But the win came at a price, and his subsequent rotator cuff injury kept him out of the Octagon for over a year. When he came back against Dos Santos he was tentative and uncertain, and needed some time to acclimate to being in a real fight. Dos Santos didn't give him that time. He looked like he'd lost muscle and put on some fat in the past year, too, and certainly didn't show the explosiveness—or get a chance to show it—that he did when he won the UFC crown. If he can become totally healthy he'll again be a force to reckon with; his next fight will definitely be critical to his career.
   Next fight: 2012, perhaps vs. loser of #1 Overeem vs. #7 Lesnar.
   
   
7. Brock Lesnar (5-2-0) - Lesnar will get an opportunity to redeem himself against Alistair Overeem, and with his size and wrestling skill he has a good chance to do so. Lesnar's career is only 7 fights long but seems much more significant, and his bouts with illness have extended his time between contests. Lesnar is a puzzling combination of giant size, inexperience, quick learning, wrestling talent, and simultaneous weak and strong chin. Quick to get flustered when hit in the face, Lesnar showed he can survive a tremendous beating (against Carwin) but there are limits to how effectively he can fight back. Overeem is another big striker, though he looked a lot less dominant against Werdum for whatever reason. If healthy Lesnar should beat Overeem as long as he doesn't get caught against the fence getting punched in the face 100 times again.
   Next fight: December 30 vs. #1 Alistair Overeem.
   
   
8. Josh Barnett (31-5-0) - Barnett is the wild card in the heavyweight division. He's the guy least likely to make the jump to the UFC, as he's basically been banned by Dana White. But he might win the Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight tournament, and if so he has an argument to being the best in the world. Would he get a chance to prove it? With Overeem in the UFC, Fedor in a slump, and everyone else taking a loss in the tournament, there would be no one else in Strikeforce for Barnett to face. His (relatively) old-school strategy of taking the fight to the ground, smothering and choking his opponents his served him well lately, but he hasn't exactly faced the best opponents. Daniel Cormier is a top challenger, but if he wins people will just say Cormier is inexperienced. Barnett may remain in MMA limbo even if he wins the biggest heavyweight tournament in years.
   Next fight: vs. #4 Daniel Cormier, 2012
   
   
9. Fedor Emelianenko (31-4-0) - Fedor was last seen losing to light heavyweight Dan Henderson, his third straight loss after nearly a decade of invincibility. His past track record shows that he can beat anyone, while his recent performance suggests nearly anyone can beat him now. The difference is the strategy he uses. Always somewhat sloppy, Fedor mitigated this trait by being generally careful to avoid getting hit (see Arlovski fight, or Cro Crop for good examples), while showing uncanny ability (or luck) in getting out of bad ground positions (most of his fights). Lately he abandoned the "don't-get-hit" philosophy in favor of a head-hunting style that worked against Bret Rogers but failed against Werdum (fell into his trap), Silva (got hit a lot, then grounded and pounded), and Henderson (got hit even more, was careless on the ground, and finally got ko'd). Fedor will try to regroup in Russia, essentially taking him out of the mix of top fighters for the time being. If he regains his patience he could make a comeback, but he showed even less of that against Hendo than ever before. When a fighter keep mulling retirement after each fight—which Fedor did even before he started losing—it's pretty clear your heart's not in it.
   Next fight: vs. Jeff Monson on November 20.
   
   
10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1) - Another seasoned veteran in the top 10, Nogueira got a new lease on his MMA life with his hometown win over Brendan Schaub in UFC 134. How long that lease on life will last, however, is anybody's guess. The Brazilian fighters in that promotion did amazingly well, and "home Octagon advantage" was a big part of that (note a similar effect in the Olympics). Was that win Nogueira's last gasp? We'll find out when he takes on Frank Mir in a rematch. Last time against Mir, Nogueira was tentative like many older fighters seem to become, without the explosiveness that they had when younger. It's likely that Nog's comeback ends soon, but he's one of the all-time greats.
    Next fight: December 10 vs. #11 Frank Mir

Others: #11 Frank Mir; #12 Cheick Kongo; #13 Cole Konrad; #14 Peter Graham; #15 Shane Carwin

The top eight or ten is very strong, but after that there's a big drop-off once you get past Mir and Kongo. Konrad is undefeated but unproven, having fought only in Bellator. Graham has one big win, over Fedor's brother, and a 4-5 overall record. Carwin is underrated at #15 but he really didn't beat many fighters of note before losing two straight to Lesnar and Dos Santos.

No Surprises: Cormier beats Silva, Barnett snuffs Kharitonov in Strikeforce Semi-finals

It was treated as a big upset but shouldn't have been. Daniel Cormier, subbing for the "injured" Alestair Overeem, knocked out Antonio Silva in the first round in the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament semifinals. As expected, Josh Barnett advanced after smothering Sergei Kharitonov in the other semi-final.

Cormier was only 8-0 but in all likelihood was the 2nd best heavyweight in the world coming into the bout. He trains with the probable #1, UFC champion Cain Velasquez. And just as Velasquez beat Brock Lesnar the way a prime Fedor Emelianenko would have, so did Cormier handle Silva. Of course, Fedor lost to Silva by fighting stupid—ignoring the man's fists and size.

Cormier, however, had respect for Silva's punching power and, when the fight went to the ground, he didn't try a lot from inside Silva's guard, instead deciding to let Silva up for more standup fighting. Cormier avoided Silva's rushes and punches early, unlike Fedor who basically tried to ignore them.

Now Cormier, an olympic caliber wrestler, is nearly as good at standup fighting. In other words he's a lot like Velasquez, another superb wrestler who has great standup skills. Both men have incredible speed, and that speed was the difference against Silva. Silva's punches are big but slow and telegraphed, while Cormier has the speed of the old Fedor. He's also built a lot like Fedor, with a big of extra padding around the waist, but that doesn't mean he's not explosive.

Barnett, after several positive steroid tests over his career, looks like he's finally kicked the habit judging by his new, less bulky physique. Either that or he's cycling down a lot sooner before the tests as he fights in America rather than Japan where they like their fighters juiced up. But he looks so much smaller I'd wager he's off the stuff for good.

He still has his skill, and he's one of the last true ground-and-pounders. This is mainly because of his skill at takedowns. As takedown defense becomes better and better, many of the ground-and-pounders fell to the wayside. But Barnett doesn't give up upon first resistance, as he showed with Kharitonov. After taking a few too many punches for comfort, he latched on to Kharitonov and held him there until he could execute a fantastic takedown directly into mount. It wasn't pretty, but it was very effective as he used his bodyweight alone to do the work.

Once in mount, Barnett also displayed on old-school ability to stay in mount and not let the opponent escape. Instead of unleashing punches, he takes only those that he can get without jeopardizing his stability, switching between a smothering stance and a post-up-for-punches stance. He only abandoned the mount at the end as he applied an arm-triangle choke and moved his body to the side for added torque.

It sets up a very interesting final. Barnett will have his hands full on the ground with Cormier, and Cormier is certainly the better standup fighter. Is Barnett going to be able to execute a takedown against a world class wrestler like Cormier? Beating Bret Rogers and Kharitonov is one thing, but Cormier will present a unique challenge. Barnett's main advantage will be experience, as Cormier still has fewer than 10 fights under his belt.

#2 Vitali Klitschko vs. #4 Tomasz Adamek Live Round-by-Round Scoring

Does Tomasz Adamek (44-1; 6-0 against heavyweights) have any hope against Vitali Klitschko (42-2)?

Adamek had trouble with some of the heavyweights he defeated since moving up from cruiserweight. Klitschko is taller than Michael Grant and hits harder than Chris Arreola and technically runs rings around anyone Adamek has faced.

Klitschko had a bit of trouble early against another Polish fighter, Albert Sosnowski, before finding his rhythm in the 7th round and dominating late and scoring a 10th round TKO. Will Adamek's movement, quickness, and heart make a difference? 

The odds are long against. Klitschko outweights Adamek by 25 pounds, is 6 inches taller and has a 5 inch reach advantage. He's barely lost a round in his career. The only things Adamek has going for him are the ever-repeated hope that Klitschko's age will suddenly catch up with him, and the home ring advantage of fighting in Wroclaw, Poland.

It would be a big upset if Adamek can wrest the WBC belt from Vitali, and in our eyes most likely the fight will resemble the Klitschko-Sosnowski bout, or last month's Helenius-Lyakhovich fight, depending on Adamek's workrate. But we shall see.

Our round-by-round scoring:

• Round One: Adamek a bit tentative. Klitschko stalking him. Adamek gets a jab in that Vitali doesn't notice. Klitschko lands a right. The two clinch when Adamek gets inside. Vitali's jabs getting in. Right hand from Klitschko fazes Adamek. He can't find the range to counter; Vitali pushes Adamek's head down whenever he gets inside. Klitschko 10-9.
• Round Two: Adamek not fighting like Lyakhovich at all, nor is he giving Vitali any trouble like Sosnowski. He does get in a tepid combo that backs Vitali up. Vitali gets in a few uppercuts. Adamek lunging in trying to make something happen, and one time he does connect and the crowd roars; Vitali counters with jabs. A lot more scrapping this round. Big right by Klitschko with under a minute to go. Another right and a left by Klitschko, and another one bounces Adamek off the ropes but he stays up. Klitschko 10-9; 20-18.
• Round Three: Let's see if Vitali smells blood. Klitschko's straight arm wards off Adamek's entry attempts. Peppering Adamek with jabs and straight rights, and uppercuts when Adamek ducks. The reach advantage is killing Adamek as it does with nearly everyone the Klitschkos face. Adamek having almost no success this round. Klitschko 10-9; 30-27.
• Round Four: Current odds on Klitschko have gone up to 500-1. That's worth a $5 bet on Adamek right? More of the same midway through the first round. Adamek gets in a looping right hook, starting to harass Klitschko a bit. He gets inside for a bit and didn't stay there, but he's doing a lot better knowing how to time Klitschko's approaches. He gets in a wide right hook to the side of Klitschko's head near the end. Can't really give him the round though, but it could be a draw. 10-10; Klitschko 40-37. Note: Official scorecards have it 40-36 across the board.
• Round Five: Adamek is looking a lot better, and Klitschko is breathing a bit hard. But the dynamic hasn't reversed. Klitschko hits Adamek with good rights and lefts to re-establish his dominance, as Adamek stays in perfect range for Vitali. Good uppercuts from Vitali near the end. Klitschko 10-9; 50-46.
• Round Six: Klitschko is picking his spots with rights and jabs, and after a minute he knocks Adamek against the post for a knockdown, though he doesn't leave his feet. It's just a matter of time as Adamek stumbles around the ring. More punishment from Vitali, but Adamek stays on his feet. Klitschko 10-8; 60-54
• Round Seven: Vitali stalking him as Adamek is doing nothing but head movement and bobbing a bit. Now he tries a few entries but doesn't commit. Bodyshot by Adamek his first strike in a few rounds. Klitschko doing less this round, too, waiting for KO punch. Very little activity with :30 left. Maybe Vitali put money on the 8th round. Klitschko 10-9; 70-63.
• Round Eight: Decent shot by Ademek early in the round, but Vitali has a few before and after it. And as the round continues the same pattern repeats. Jabs when Adamek enters, and left-right combos when he stays at a distance. KLITSCHKO trips and goes down! Not a knockdown but as the round ends we'll see if he moves okay next round. Klitschko 10-9; 80-72; official scorecards all 80-71.
• Round Nine: A more active round by Klitschko, peppering Adamek with shots. Good return shot from Adamek gets the crowd cheering but it's 10 to 1 in terms of those. Klitschko 10-9; 90-81
• Round Ten: If Adamek holds on it's going to be a huge landslide in the scoring. Adamek still lunging in occasionally against all odds. Adamek getting hit at will and in very bad shape, not defending himself. Somehow he stays on his feet, but the referee stops the bout. There was a good minute where Klitschko had free reign to hit him; in the last minute he hit Ademek more than he was hit the entire fight.

Klitschko wins yet again; the dominance continues. Respect shown for his opponent afterwards, but it wasn't a big challenge against a much smaller man who had no chance from the starts.

Adamek was a very weak #4 in our rankings and will drop out of the top ten, as is probably correct given his questionable performances against other top heavies.

#3 Alexander Povetkin vs. #4 Ruslan Chagaev Round-by-round scoring

The two best heavyweights not named Klitschko fight in Efurt, Germany today for a cooked-up WBA world title. This fight is followed by Robert Helenius vs. Serhai Liakhovich.

Povetkin is undefeated (21-0-0) and ranked #3 by SportsRatings behind only Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Ruslan Chagaev is ranked #4 and has a record of 27-1-1.

Event starts at 5:00pm eastern time (or rather, coverage does. Fight probably at 5:30)

CORRECTION - The Epix feed isn't live after all. Still, round by round scoring follows:

• Round One - Lots of circling and feeling out. Chagaev had the best punch of the round but Povetkin did a bit more. Not committing to this one. 10-10
• Round Two - More of the same, lots of pawing. Chagaev isn't connecting often but is blocking the meat of Povetkin's occasional flurries. Chagaev 10-9; Chagaev 20-19.
• Round Three - The Epix feed sucks ass. Povetkin pushing Chagaev with energetic flurries. Chag blocks most everything again but he's getting pressured, and Povetkin connects on a few. A lot more action this round. Good exchange at the end. Povetkin 10-9; 29-29.
• Round Four - Nice action to start the round, both fighters connecting, counterpunches from both fighters. Nice straight left by Chagaev. Potetkin starting to get combinations going in the 2nd half of the round. Povetkin 10-9. Povetkin 39-38
• Round Five - Both fighters moving a bit slower after the action the last two rounds. Great counter by Chagaev after Povetkin's flurry. Good uppercut by Povetkin. Again Povetkin doing better in the 2nd half of the round after a good start by Chagaev. Povetkin 10-9; Povetkin 49-37.
• Round Six - Chagaev stalking, connects with a left, and two more has Povetkin stunned, but Alex is fighting his way back. Great action this round. Uppercut left by Chagaev. Stiff right by Chagaev. Povetkin gets an uppercut in, looks a bit tired but not in trouble. Best round by either fighter for Chagaev, 10-9. Povetkin 58-47.
• Round Seven - Left hand again by Chagaev. Povetkin's punches are softer. Chagaev senses he has figured out how to hurt Povetkin and looks like a pit bull. Both fighters taking it easy in the 2nd half of the round. Chagaev 10-9. 67-67.
• Round Eight - Chagaev attacks and Povetkin's response isn't strong. Povetkin ducks big left from Chag. This is not a good advertisement for EpixHD. I think I saw most of that round, and have to call it a draw. 10-10, 77-77. But Chagaev is controlling the pace and probably won that round.
• Round Nine: Between rounds Teddy Atlas is actually telling Povetkin he can bring his father back to life if Povetkin becomes champion. Some good uppercuts from Povetkin mid-round. Povetkin goes to body, Chagaev good counter. Povetkin's best round in a while 10-9. 87-86 Povetkin
• Round Ten: Basically Povetkin's uppercuts vs. Chagaev's lefts has been the story of the fight, and whoever gets more in the last 3 rounds wins. Povetkin is doing more of what he wants than Chagaev this round. Chagaev may be a bit out of gas just as Povetkin is waking up. Povetkin is the agressor at the end of the round. Povetkin 10-9, 97-95.
• Round Eleven: Fuck Epix, their streams suck. I missed a lot of this round but what I saw Chagaev did a bit better this round. Chagaev 10-9. Povetkin 106-105.
• Round Twelve: Teddy Atlas is telling Povetkin to avoid the knockout attempt he says is coming from Chagaev. Povetkin is running from Chag's lefts, which don't connect. Uppercut from Povetkin does, though. Povetkin flurries, then exits before Chagaev can counter. Chagaev gets a left through with a minute left. Too little too late. It's going to be an interesting decision. I have Povetkin 10-9, 116-114.

116-112, 117-113, and 117-113 all for Alexander Povetkin. Chagaev had the fight in the bag but let up and Povetkin get back into it. Chagaev probably got tired after some of his better rounds.

The main thing I take away from this bout is that EpixHD is terrible. I missed a good 30 seconds of each round on average, or rather, saw the same 5 seconds about 3-4 times per round.

Helenius vs. Liakhovich scoring

Liakhovich (L from now on, Helenius is H) looks out of shape. H isn't exactly ripped but isn't chubby like L. Helenius is undefeated.

• Round One: L is active and jumping inside and back out. Getting some jabs in. H just working on keeping the distance. L scored a bit early, after that not much happened. Liakhovich 10-9.
• Round Two: Another jab from L. H starts jab but isn't connecting. L gets the straight left through when H jabs, but his punches aren't hurting H. Body shot from H. I actually give that one to Liakhovich, too. 10-9; Liakhovich 20-18.
• Round Three: Let's see if Helenius gets a sense of urgency to do something, or when he really gets going. H is punching harder this round. H is kind of being outboxed so far. L has a nosebleed. More action that round, and pretty even. 10-10. 30-28 Liakhovich.
• Round Four: L continues to be agressive, may have some confidence. H is realizing he's going to be in for a scrap, even though it still doesn't appear L is huring H much at all. L is still very energetic, H is keeping his cool, counterpunching. But he's clearly not fighting his fight; L is controlling the pace and action. H wins that round, however, 10-9. Liakhovich 39-38.
• Round Five: L is taking H's advantages (size, reach) away. Good combo punching by H, lands some good crosses. There's no quit in Liakhovich however. Good counter by L. Pretty even round by the end, but I give it to H for the middle part where he nearly rocked L. Helenius 10-9; tie 48-48
• Round Six: Good combo by H but L comes roaring back, in energy if not effectiveness. He hasn't slowed down all bout, and has definitely been the busier fighter. Both fighters connecting but H isn't bleeding. tie 10-10, 58-58.
• Round Seven: H is having a tough time taking control of the fight; it looks like lack of experience. He's still not determining the fight's pace this round but is getting the better of the punches that do connect. H 10-9; Helenius 68-67.
• Round Eight: H is marking up L's face but L is hardly slowing. H goes off on L late in the round and he goes to a knee. Helenius 10-8; Helenius 78-75.
• Round Nine: How much longer can L last? He's expended so much energy. Helenius catches him with and uppercut and then some strong shots and the ref stops the fight. Helenius by TKO.

Fury Beats Chisora, Jumps Into Top 10: How Far Can He Go?

Tyson Fury outlasted Dereck Chisora last night in London, winning a clear decision that was unanimous on the judges scorecards. Fury, who ranked #44 in the SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Top 100 will move into the top ten in the August rankings. Chisora, who held the #7 position, will fall out of the top 25.

Preview: SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Top 100 August Rankings

July Rank	August Rank	Fighter	Rating	Rated Record	July results
1	1	WLAD KLITSCHKO	67.17	34-3-0	UD 12 #4 DAVID HAYE
2	2	VITALI KLITSCHKO	43.67	24-2-0
3	3	ALEX POVETKIN	31.48	16-0-0
5	4	RUSLAN CHAGAEV	26.66	13-1-0
6	5	TOMASZ ADAMEK	22.16	5-0-0
8	6	EDDIE CHAMBERS	20.07	14-2-0
9	7	ONDREJ PALA	19.73	8-0-0
10	8	ROBERT HELENIUS	19.61	7-0-0
4	9	DAVID HAYE	19.41	5-1-0	L UD 12 #1 WLAD KLITSCHKO
44	10	TYSON FURY	19.04	5-0-0	UD 12 #7 DEREK CHISORA

Fury's ranking, no doubt, is the result of a string of inflation that started when Sam Sexton beat Martin Rogan twice. That made Sexton an overrated fighter in the top ten, and when Chisora beat him, "Del Boy" was ranked higher than he deserved. Now Fury replaces Chisora in the top ten and is similarly several spots too high. Should he really be considered ahead of the likes of Tony Thompson, Chris Arreola, and David Tua? Would he have a chance to beat any of them at this point?

Interestingly, the move will put Fury just behind David Haye, who falls to #9 after losing to Wladimir Klitschko, and making him the #2 fighter in all of the U.K. Fury has already said he will not be taking the challenge to fight a Klitschko for the title, as he quite wisely has said he isn't ready for that yet at age 23. But what should his next move be? Is he perhaps ready to take on David Haye to prove he's the top fighter in the U.K.?

Though Fury won the British and Commonwealth titles, most would say he probably isn't ready for a challenge like Haye. For his part, Haye may or may not even fight again, particularly if he keeps his promise to retire on his 31st birthday in October. In any case, a battle with Haye is unlikely and probably not in Fury's best interests.

A more realistic matchup, and one that would generate nearly as much interest, would be Fury against David Price. Price is the 4th ranked UK fighter in the top 100, following Haye, Fury, and Chisora, and the fight would be a true battle of UK giants as both men stand over two meters tall. Many would favor Price in the contest, as he looked impressive against yet another giant, Tom Dallas, in a 2-round KO win. He also has much more experience than Fury.

But such a fight need not be made hastily. Fury will probably take several lower-profile fights to defend his titles before stepping back up again, and that would be a wise decision for the young boxer. There is no need to rush things. Though he has clearly improved since his early days years ago—when he famously punched himself in the face during a bout—he still has a lot to practice. Getting in the ring right away with Price, or Haye—or certainly, Klitschko—wouldn't be a prudent course of action.

Eventually, however, he'll be challenging names bigger than his own. How far will he go? Does he realistically have hope of one day being the heavyweight champion of the world?

Based on his current talent level, we're tempted to say no. Though he won convincingly (117-112 on two cards, and 118-111 on the other) he didn't really dominate Chisora, and was hurt several times, particularly in the 2nd round. Add to that the fact that Chisora weighed 261 pounds for the fight, and isn't a world-beater himself, and this fight was really only mildly impressive for a man that had an 8-inch height advantage.

But if we take a longer-term view, everything can change. Fury's improvement just over the last few years suggests that when he peaks—which could be 7-10 years from now—he'll be quite good indeed. And be that time the Klitschkos will probably both be retired, which opens up the picture quite a bit. There are few prospects of Fury's age and accomplishment around; only Germany's Edmund Gerber comes to mind, and he's nearly a half-foot shorter. Fury could become champion one day if he continues to improve and waits out Wladimir.

As for Chisora, it's hard to say what he might do. British heavyweights tend to hang on a long time if Audley Harrison, Matt Skelton, and Michael Sprott are any indication. Only 27, Chisora already looked washed up against Fury, and the fact that he came in out of shape for the biggest fight of his life—one that would have guaranteed him a title shot—doesn't bode well for his future. Chisora has the physique (6'1", 250+) and the mental instability (he bit Paul Butlin during one match) that suggests steroids use. He appears much older than his age and given that many fighters don't handle their first loss well, there's no guarantee Chisora will mount another run at the top ten. His title shot with Wladimir Klitschko, already cancelled twice, won't be offered up any time soon.

Saturday's fight was definitely a fork in the road for both fighters. Fury's career got a big boost, one that if managed correctly could lead to greatness one day; while Chisora's stock plummeted, and he has his work cut out for him if he wants to revitalize his career.