SportsRatings: Boxing/MMA

Map: Birthplaces of the current top 100 p4p MMA fighters

Reddit user animbicile created a world map of the birthplaces of the top 100 MMA fighters, using our current (April) p4p top 100.

 

 

Pretty cool stuff! See the map, and the requisite shaming of our rankings in the original reddit post.

Khabib Nurmagomedov hits #1 P4P...5 months after retirement

When Francis Ngannou beat Stipe Miocic the other night, he took over the #1 spot on our Heavyweight rankings but only jumped to #3 on our pound-for-pound rankings. There, Miocic fell to #5 while jumping from #2 to #1 was...Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Mar 2021	Apr 2021	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	March 2021 results
2	1	Khabib Nurmagomedov	LW	91.59	15-0-0	UFC
3	2	Kamaru Usman	WW	89.02	13-0-0	UFC
10	3	Francis Ngannou	HW	85.73	10-2-0	UFC	Beat #1 Stipe Miocic
4	4	Jon Jones	LH	80.75	20-1-0	UFC	--last rated win -13 months.
1	5	Stipe Miocic	HW	69.01	15-4-0	UFC	Lost to #10 Francis Ngannou

Khabib (as we will reference him from here forth) is still our Lightweight champ despite retiring about 5 months ago following his win over Justin Gaethje. But we don't de-list fighters for retiring. Too many fighters "unretire" or make comebacks, so it's best to just let time degrade their ranking and after 5 years, go to zero.

Besides, we don't feel like keeping a history of every fighter's retirement pronouncements. Currently there are two retired fighters that hold SportsRatings MMA belts, Khabib at Lightweight and Henry Cejudo at Bantamweight. When a fighter hasn't fought in a full year he becomes "inactive" and doesn't hold the belt anymore, regardless of whether he's still at #1 in his division. Jon Jones is inactive at Light Heavyweight (where #2 Jan Blachowicz is interim champ) and Demetrious Johnson is inactive at Flyweight (Deiveson Figueiredo is interim Flyweight champ). 

Khabib won't relinquish the Lightweight belt until October 25 of this year, while Cejudo will be Bantamweight champ until May 10th. 

What this means is that Khabib can still be our P4P champion until November 1st. Someone could pass him, since he won't be earning any more points. #2 Kamaru Usman will probably get really close if he beats Jorge Masvidal on April 24th, but it won't quite be enough.

There haven't been many "chart-toppers" in the history of our P4P list. Going all the way back to the first UFC, there have only been 18 different people who have been #1 outright (while active):

Start   Fighter                 Rating     Reign
11/1993	Royce Gracie		20.46	13 months
12/1994	Ken Shamrock		36.21	17 months
05/1996	Dan Severn		40.73	 9 months
02/1997	Mark Coleman		38.71	 5 months
07/1997	Maurice Smith		31.86	 1 month
08/1997	Igor Vovchanchyn	32.56	 1 month
09/1997	Johil de Oliveira	32.77	 2 months
11/1997	Igor Vovchanchyn	37.41	 1 month 
12/1997	Masakatsu Funaki	38.03	 2 months
02/1998	Igor Vovchanchyn	39.21	24 months (26 months total)
02/2000	Dan Henderson		58.01	10 months
12/2000	Wanderlei Silva		49.29	 2 months
02/2001	Antonio Rod. Nogueira   55.53	25 months
03/2003 Fedor Emelianenko	68.30	41 months
10/2006	Fedor Emelianenko      102.20	21 months 
07/2008	Fedor Emelianenko      106.14	23 months (85 months total)
06/2010	Georges St. Pierre	87.18	28 months
10/2012	Anderson Silva		92.78	 1 month
11/2012	Georges St. Pierre	97.77	24 months (52 months total)
01/2015	Jon Jones	       104.70	12 months
04/2016	Jon Jones	       100.76	12 months (24 months total)
06/2018	Stipe Miocic		84.40	 1 month
07/2018	Daniel Cormier		92.00	13 months 
08/2019	Stipe Miocic		87.65	19 months (20 months total)
03/2021	Khabib Nurmagomedov	91.59	 1 month

In addition, 7 fighters held the "active p4p" title while the #1 fighter was inactive:

• Chuck Liddell (08/2006 for 2 months)
• Quinton Jackson (04/2008 for 3 months)
• Anderson Silva (04/2012 for 6 months)
• Jon Jones (11/2014 for 2 months)
• Fabricio Werdum (01/2016 for 3 months)
• Conor McGregor (04/2017 for 1 month)
• Stipe Miocic (05/2017 for 13 months)

Khabib will likely be #1 from end of March through end of September, corresponding to monthly ratings for April to  October, not a bad 7-month reign for a retired fighter. Usman is poised to take over after that, unless Ngannou and Jones fight this summer, which is not looking likely.

MMA: Who will be on top at the END of 2021? Analysis for all weight classes

We're just getting into 2021 and the top players in each weight class are pretty well known. But a number of changes are coming, both from top dogs switching weight classes or retiring, to the inevitable upsets and changing of the guard. Here we look ahead to January 1, 2022, and project who will be on top in each weight class in our rankings.

For each weight class we'll look at our current top five and their most likely upcoming fights, then project the three fighters most likely to occupy the top spot a year from now. We'll throw in a long-shot/wild-card candidate too: either someone who is good enough to be a title holder but probably won't get a chance to prove it, or a fighter who is getting a shot but the odds are against them. Or just someone who might shake things up.

Heavyweight - over 205 lbs.

Dec Rank	Jan Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	Probable Next Opponent
1	1	Stipe Miocic	HW	97.61	15-3-0	UFC	#2 Francis Ngannou
2	2	Francis Ngannou	HW	50.86	9-2-0	UFC	#1 Stipe Miocic
3	3	Daniel Cormier	HW	40.66	18-3-0	UFC	--retired
4	4	Curtis Blaydes	HW	38.44	10-2-0	UFC	•2/20 vs. #5 Derrick Lewis
5	5	Derrick Lewis	HW	27.88	13-5-0	UFC	•2/20 vs. #4 Curtis Blaydes

Current top rated HW: Stipe Miocic
Current HW champion: Stipe Miocic (active thru August 15, 2021)
Possible HW champs for Jan 2022: 1) Jon Jones  2) Francis Ngannou 3) Stipe Miocic

Analysis: With Daniel Cormier retired the heavyweight division is a 2-man show right now, and the Miocic/Ngannou rematch will determine who reigns in 2021. But with Jon Jones entering the picture everything is up in the air. Assuming the top two fight first, with Jones meeting the winner, Jones is in the best situation to claim the belt. In other words, Jones just has to beat Miocic or Ngannou; Miocic and Ngannou have to beat the other contender AND Jones to be on top in 2022. Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis fight each other for the #4 spot, which is where they'll end up.

Long-shot/wild-card candidate: Ciryl Gane. If Jones doesn't fight for the belt in 2021, Derrick Lewis could get the call, but he's already in the top 5 so we're going with Gane (currently #18) as our long-shot; he's matched next with #10 Jairzinho Rozenstruik on March 13.

Light Heavyweight - 205 lb. limit

Dec Rank	Jan Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	Probable Next Opponent
1	1	Jon Jones	LH	82.47	20-1-0	UFC	•remains champion until Feb. 9 •transitioning to HW
2	2	Vadim Nemkov	LH	46.34	7-2-0	Bell	#4 Ryan Bader/#5 Phil Davis
3	3	Jan Blachowicz	LH	38.13	21-6-0	UFC	•3/06 vs. #1 MW Israel Adesanya
4	4	Ryan Bader	LH	33.22	21-6-0	Bell	(?) #2 Vadim Nemkov
5	5	Phil Davis	LH	29.25	17-5-0	Bell	(?) #2 Vadim Nemkov

Current top rated LH: Jon Jones
Current LH champion: Jon Jones (active thru Feb. 8, 2021)
Possible LH champs for Jan 2022: 1) Israel Adesanya 2) Jan Blachowicz 3) Glover Teixeira

Analysis: This division is wide open. The only thing we know for sure is that on Febuary 9th, Jon Jones becomes "inactive" and cedes the LH belt; Vadim Nemkov will then become interim champion. Other than that, it's up in the air. Will Jon Jones move to heavyweight? Will #1 middleweight Israel Adesanya fight at Light Heavyweight? The latter looks pretty certain for March, and the Izzy vs. Jan Blachowicz winner would become our outright champ the moment Jones makes the leap to HW. We favor Izzy but can't count out another Blachowicz miracle. Since #6 Glover Teixeira is considered an unofficial backup for the fight, and/or could face the winner, we put him #3. Bellator's LH division is solid, especially with the addition of Rumble Johnson and Yoel Romero, but no one will have the points to be on top as long as Izzy enters the fray at LH some time this year.

Long-shot/wild-card candidate: Jiri Prochazka. Anyone from Bellator could be here, but as noted the numbers are against them with Izzy in the mix. Instead we go with Prochazka, the latest hyped-up youngster (remember Johnny Walker?). Currently #10, Prochazka will have to prove he's the real deal against Dominick Reyes; a win there might propel him to a title shot before 2021 is over.

Middleweight - 185 lb. limit

Dec Rank	Jan Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	Probable Next Opponent
1	1	Israel Adesanya	MW	70.74	8-0-0	UFC	• transitioning to LH •3/06 vs. #3 LH Jan Blachowicz
2	2	Robert Whittaker	MW	53.77	14-5-0	UFC	#8 Marvin Vittori/#9 Paulo Costa
4	3	Gegard Mousasi	MW	49.81	38-7-2	Bell	#11 John Salter
3	4	Georges St. Pierre	MW	49.48	24-2-0	UFC	--retired
5	5	Rafael Lovato Jr.	MW	40.16	7-0-0	Bell	--retired (medical)

Current top rated MW: Israel Adesanya
Current MW champ: Israel Adesanya (active thru Sept. 26, 2021)
Possible MW champs for Jan 2022: 1) Robert Whittaker 2) Gegard Mousasi 3) Israel Adesanya

Analysis: This division is even more screwed up than Light Heavyweight. Israel Adesanya is moving up and he's already defeated #2 Robert Whittaker and other top candidates like #7 Derek Brunson and #9 Paulo Costa. Gegard Mousasi is tops in Bellator but he's out of top-tier opponents having vanquished #6 Douglas Lima while #5 Rafael Lovato Jr. is retired due to a worrisome brain condition. And if #4 Georges St. Pierre ever comes back it won't be at Middleweight. So our reasoning is this: Whittaker is guaranteed to be our title holder after March 6; he will probably defend against one of the other UFC contenders; if he loses, Mousasi moves into the top spot; and Izzy might decide to come back and defend the title, win or lose against Blachowicz. We only rank fighters at one weight class so if he stays at LH he won't be in the mix, but the rest is too hard to figure out.

Long-shot/wild-card candidate: Khamzat Chimaev. His next fight is at Welterweight so he's more likely to park there but with this division wide open, why not?

Welterweight - 170 lb. limit

Dec Rank	Jan Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	Probable Next Opponent
1	1	Kamaru Usman	WW	83.00	12-0-0	UFC	•2/13 vs. #2 Gilbert Burns
2	2	Gilbert Burns	WW	45.00	12-3-0	UFC	•2/13 vs. #1 Kamaru Usman
3	3	Colby Covington	WW	42.10	10-2-0	UFC	#5 Jorge Masvidal
4	4	Leon Edwards	WW	36.03	12-2-0	UFC	•3/13 vs. #35 Khamzat Chimaev
5	5	Jorge Masvidal	WW	30.34	33-14-0	UFC	#3 Colby Covington

Current top rated WW: Kamaru Usman
Current WW champ: Kamaru Usman (active through July 11, 2021)
Possible WW champs for Jan 2022: 1) Kamaru Usman 2) Khamzat Chimaev 3) Gilbert Burns

Analysis: It's not that we're totally buying into the Khamzat Chimaev hype that we put him at #2—we just don't see any other challengers for Kamaru Usman on the horizon. He's defeated most of the rest of the top five; only Gilbert Burns still hasn't had his shot, so we put him at #3. But consider Leon Edwards' situation. Even beating Chimaev won't make him more likely to beat Usman in a rematch, and would either Colby Covington or Jorge Masvidal improve on their losing efforts? Chimaev is only #35 in our rankings but a win over Edwards would move him into UFC title contention in short order, and at least we haven't seen that one played out yet. Let's face it, Usman's style isn't pretty but he does what he has to do to win, and as long as he stays at Welterweight he looks like the champ, making him the first one we project to still be on top come 2022.

Long-shot/wild-card candidate: Sean Brady. Given that we have Khamzat up at #2 it's hard to pick a big enough long shot, so we'll go really long with Brady, undefeated but unproven at #25. He's well-rounded and gets mostly decision wins; maybe that's what's needed to beat Usman's methodical style? He'd need to be a replacement fighter a couple of times to even get the chance though.

Lightweight - 155 lb. limit

Dec Rank	Jan Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	Probable Next Opponent
1	1	Khabib Nurmagomedov	LW	91.53	15-0-0	UFC	• retired • remains champion until Oct. 25
2	2	Dustin Poirier	LW	49.62	21-6-0	UFC	•1/23 vs. #5 Conor McGregor
7	3	Charles Oliveira	LW	43.70	21-8-0	UFC	(?) #4 Justin Gaethje
4	4	Justin Gaethje	LW	39.19	16-3-0	UFC	(?) #3 Charles Oliveira
5	5	Conor McGregor	LW	38.28	14-2-0	UFC	•1/23 vs. #2 Dustin Poirier

Current top rated LW: Khabib Nurmagomedov
Current LW champ: Khabib Nurmagomedov (thru Oct. 24, 2021)
Possible (interim) LW champs for Jan 2022: 1) Conor McGregor 2) Charles Oliveira 3) Dustin Poirier

Analysis: Another case where the current champ won't be champ at the end of the year. Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired but still holds our LW title; he'll be our #1 ranked Lightweight for years and will be considered Champion until late October. At that point the 2nd-ranked fighter will be our interim champ, and that will most likely be current #5 Conor McGregor. We don't doubt #2 Dustin Poirier can beat him, but if he does, he'll defend his interim UFC title later in the year and might lose to #3 Charles Oliveira, who might have to get past #4 Justin Gaethje first anyway. So you see how McGregor's odds are the most favorable—it's easier to win one fight than two. If McGregor beats Poirier, we see him being awarded the outright UFC belt and sitting on it for the rest of the year while the UFC tries in vain to get Nurmagomedov back for a rematch. And McGregor will probably box one of the Paul brothers instead.

Long-shot/wild-card candidate: Georges St. Pierre. Now there's a wild card. If they can't get Khabib back, maybe they can get GSP to face Conor?

Featherweight - 145 lb. limit

Dec Rank	Jan Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	Probable Next Opponent
1	1	Alexander Volkanovski	FW	58.99	14-0-0	UFC	#8 Brian Ortega
2	2	Patricio Freire	FW	49.09	18-4-0	Bell	#11 Emmanuel Sanchez
3	3	Lance Palmer	FW	36.35	18-3-0	Prof	(?)
4	4	A.J. McKee	FW	31.07	11-0-0	Bell	#2 Patricio Freire/#11 Sanchez
5	5	Zabit Magomedsharipov	FW	29.28	9-0-0	UFC	(?) #36 Yair Rodriguez

Current top rated FW: Alexander Volkanovski
Current FW champ: Alexander Volkanovski (thru July 11, 2021)
Possible FW champs for Jan 2022: 1) Zabit Magomedsharipov 2) Alexander Volkanovski 3) Patricio Freire
Analysis: This one's complicated, too. Both UFC and Bellator big names are all in the mix. Let's eliminate #3 Lance Palmer, since he doesn't have much of anyone to fight in PFL when they finally reboot. In Bellator Patricio Freire will very likely be the opponent for AJ McKee in the FW Grand Prix finals, where McKee has a good chance of winning. But McKee won't have enough points to be ahead of every UFC fighter even with that win, so Freire gets our nod as most likely champ from Bellator regardless. The UFC probably holds on to the crown, either with Alexander Volkanovski or Zabit Magomedsharipov. We see Volk beating #8 Brian Ortega (has he really improved enough to beat the guy that beat Max Holloway twice?) and then Zabit coming back from inactivity to take the title. 

Long-shot/wild-card candidate: Emmanuel Sanchez. No one expects Sanchez to upset Freire to make the Bellator Grand Prix finals, but he avenged his loss to Daniel Weichel in the quarterfinals, and a win over McKee in the finals would put him...probably not at #1, lots of other upsets would have to happen in the UFC. That's why he's a long-shot.

Bantamweight - 135 lb. limit

Dec Rank	Jan Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	Probable Next Opponent
1	1	Henry Cejudo	BW	58.28	10-2-0	UFC	• retired • remains champion until May 10
2	2	Bibiano Fernandes	BW	47.76	21-2-0	One	#15 John Lineker
5	3	Kyoji Horiguchi	BW	40.38	27-3-0	Rizi	(?)
3	4	Aljamain Sterling	BW	39.73	13-3-0	UFC	•3/06 vs. #5 Petr Yan
6	5	Petr Yan	BW	28.15	9-0-0	UFC	•3/06 vs. #4 Aljamain Sterling

Current top rated BW: Henry Cejudo
Current BW champ: Henry Cejudo (thru May 9, 2021)
Possible BW interim/champs for Jan 2022: 1) Aljamain Sterling  2) Bibiano Fernandes  3) Henry Cejudo

Analysis: Petr Yan is UFC champ but only #5 in our rankings, one spot behind next opponent Aljamain Sterling. We expect Sterling to win that matchup, then beat the winner of Corey Sandhagen / Frankie Edgar and become the interim champ by the end of the year. If Sterling loses along the way, One Championship's Bibiano Fernandez might become interim champ; Fernandez has been at or near the top of our BW rankings for years. The wild card here is current (though retired) champ Henry Cejudo, who has been hinting at a comeback. He would probably fight at 135 and with his high rating any win would re-activate him as champ, and especially if it's a one-off fight Cejudo would remain champ until 2022.

Long-shot/wild-card candidate: TJ Dillashaw. Dillashaw is the dictionary definition of a wildcard. Currently ranked as a Flyweight (since he fought there last) Dillashaw is returning from two-year suspension for EPO use. What fights will he get, and how will he do? No one knows, but some think he'll get a high-ranked opponent immediately.

Flyweight - 125 lb. limit

Dec Rank	Jan Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	Probable Next Opponent
1	1	Demetrious Johnson	FL	39.27	21-3-1	One	[ inactive -14 months] •2/24 vs. #19 Adriano Moraes
2	2	Deiveson Figueiredo	FL	31.31	10-1-1	UFC	[interim FL champ] #4 Brandon Moreno
3	3	Manel Kape	FL	28.67	6-3-0	UFC	•2/06 vs. #35 Alexandre Pantoja
7	4	Brandon Moreno	FL	25.65	7-2-2	UFC	#2 Deiveson Figueiredo
4	5	T.J. Dillashaw	FL	25.53	11-3-0	UFC	(?) probably at BW

Current top rated FL: Demetrious Johnson
Current FL interim champ: Deiveson Figueiredo (thru Dec 12, 2021)
Possible FL interim/champs for Jan 2022: 1) Demetrious Johnson  2) Deiveson Figueiredo  3) Brandon Moreno

Analysis: Straight down the line, that's how we see the Flyweight division. Demetrious Johnson is inactive so he's not the champ, but we expect him to recover his title in February. If Mighty Mouse should falter then Deiveson Figueiredo can capture the outright crown for the first time by beating #4 Brandon Moreno in their rematch, which shouldn't be as close as the first fight. No one else, though, has as much of a chance to upset Figueiredo as Moreno, so we put him #3. Manel Kape is making his UFC debut and those rarely go well, and #5 TJ Dillashaw is not going to fight at Flyweight.

Long-shot/wild-card candidate: Adriano Moraes. Might as well make it someone who has a shot. Should Moraes upset Mighty Mouse he will probably have to defend at least once, if not give DJ a rematch, so even if he wins it's unlikely he'll hold the title come 2022. But there's a chance.

#5 Dillian Whyte vs. #6 Alexander Povetkin live round-by-round scoring

Note: We'll see how this goes, watching DAZN with very spotty internet today.

Dillian Whyte (27-1) risks his near-perpetual upcoming title shot by taking on the still-dangerous Alex Povetkin (35-2-1) in Brentwood, UK today.

This fight is a throwback to the 1970s when top 10 heavyweights clashed seemingly all the time.

Whyte is #5 and Povetkin #6 in our current top 100:

-3 Yr	-1 Yr	-6 mo	July Rank	Aug Rank	Fighter	Rating	Rated Record	July results; •August schedule
1	1	2	1	1	TYSON FURY	53.78	18-0-1
2	4	1	2	2	ANTHONY JOSHUA	45.94	16-1-0
5	3	3	3	3	DEONTAY WILDER	29.00	18-1-1
25	2	4	4	4	ANDY RUIZ JR	27.32	13-2-0	--last rated win -13 months.
18	5	5	5	5	DILLIAN WHYTE	24.92	13-1-0	•8/22 vs. #6 ALEX POVETKIN
3	6	6	6	6	ALEX POVETKIN	22.52	29-2-1	•8/22 vs. #5 DILLIAN WHYTE

A win by Whyte would move him past Andy Ruiz and even Deontay Wilder and into the #3 position behind the only man to beat him, #2 Anthony Joshua.

A win for Povetkin means he moves back into the top 5 where he's spent almost all of the last 10 years. He'd move up to #4.

The consequences for Whyte include falling to around #10 in our rankings, but more importantly it puts his long-awaited title shot in doubt. For Povetkin, he'd fall outside the top 10 to around #12, and it probably means his career as a serious contender would be over; he turns 41 next week.

The fight is about to start.

• Round 1: Careful start from both fighters. Whyte's reach advantage is clear with his jab, and he looks a lot bigger. Body shots from Povetkin. 1-2 from Whyte and return from Povetkin but both cover up pretty well. Almost a head-clash and tie-up near the end. Body shot at end from Whyte. Not enough there to decide a fight on so as I often do I give round one a draw; I suspect judging might tip to Whyte though. 10-10
• Round 2: Good body counter from Whyte. Another one to the gut. Povetkin with a good hook on exchange. Fairly tactical so far while both stand in front of each other. Povetkin trying to establish jab but range isn't there. Povetkin whiffs on hook, and over the top, then connects and tries to get out before the counter. Another close round, I was ready to go with Whyte but couldn't convince myself that the announcers aren't being biased. Another punt. 20-20
• Round 3: Whyte return shot causes Povetkin to stumble. He comes back with combo. Good infighting. Whyte very cool, letting Povetkin come to him and countering well to the body. Whyte is in better range for jabs, and defends well when Povetkin comes inside. More body shots, maybe a bit low from Whyte but he takes the round. 10-9 Whyte 30-29.
• Round 4: Huge return shot from Whyte, Povetkin shrugs it off and continues but falls after another one, takes the 8 count. Povetkin looked tired but determined after 1 minute in. His body shot is a bit low mabye but no complaints from Whyte. Already a freebie round for Whyte but Povetkin soldiers on, maybe hoping for a later round 2nd wind that he has had throughout his career. A counter uppercut sends Povetkin to the floor for a 2nd time. Now it's a hard road for Povetkin. Whyte 10-7; 40-36.
• Round 5: Povetkin counter left uppercut KNOCKS DILLIAN WHYTE COMPLETELY OUT.

Holy shit. That was insane. Povetkin's eulogy was being written by all observers, and he comes back with this. Whyte is OUT.

I was just writing that Povetkin was still moving well and trying to stay busy despite the huge hole he was digging for himself, and that his problem was that he was leaving himself open. Well, that was true, he was leaving himself open, but that's how you find those perfect shots.

High risk, high reward.

Unbelievable KO win for Alexander Povetkin, and he will be back in our top 5 come September 1st. Dillian Whyte unfortunately won't get his title shot after waiting 3 years. He'll stay in the top ten but he'll need to claw his way back up in the pecking order.

 

Ryan Bader vs. Vadim Nemkov: For the Light Heavyweight title?

With Jon Jones dramatically abdicating his UFC Light Heavyweight belt, where does that leave the division? And how do Ryan Bader and Vadim Nemkov, fighting tonight in Bellator 244, figure into it?

Our take reflects the rules of our Rating System: Bader vs. Nemkov is potentially a title fight, or at least an interim title fight, but not at this moment.

Here's our current top 5 in the Light Heavyweight division:

July Rank	Aug Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	Org	July results; •August schedule
1	1	Jon Jones	LH	82.44	20-1-0	UFC
2	2	Ryan Bader	LH	50.09	21-5-0	Bell	•8/21 vs. #4 Vadim Nemkov
3	3	Jan Blachowicz	LH	36.25	20-6-0	UFC
4	4	Vadim Nemkov	LH	29.73	6-2-0	Bell	•8/21 vs. #2 Ryan Bader
5	5	Phil Davis	LH	27.07	16-5-0	Bell

Jones is #1 of course, but Bader is #2, and far ahead of #3 Jan Blachowicz, the highest-ranked contender in the UFC. Nemkov is at #4 followed by Phil Davis, also currently in Bellator. That gives Bellator 3 of the top 5, thought that's pretty much it for the promotion at 205. There's quality there, but not much depth.

With Jones gone the winner of tonight's bout will be the highest-ranked Light Heavyweight. The thing is, Jones isn't leaving our Light Heavyweight rankings any time soon.

We don't remove fighters when they "retire" or give up a belt. We'd only remove Jones when he fights in a different weight class. So Bader or Nemkov won't be our Light Heavyweight title holder until Bones makes his long-expected move to Heavyweight—and only when he actually fights. We don't move a champion until the actual bout occurs, unlike Bader, who we moved in the month prior to his return to Light Heavyweight.

So tonight's fight won't be for the title right away, but the winner might be the title holder at some point this year. If not, then the winner will receive the Interim belt in February if Jones doesn't fight by then. That would mean Jon Jones has been inactive for a year and no longer holds the belt despite being ranked #1; the #2 fighter would be the interim champ.

In other words, the winner between Bader and Nemkov will be either the champion or interim champion on February 8, 2021, unless Jon Jones fights again at Light Heavyweight before that time.

In the UFC, #3 Jan Blachowicz is pitted again Dominick Reyes for the UFC belt, but neither would have the points that tonight's winner will. Reyes is ranked only #17 in our list, and victory would move him up to #3, behind Jones and the Bader-Nemkov winner. Blachowicz holds his #3 position with a win.

Of course, if Jones decides to remain at Light Heavyweight and fight again, he would remain champ. Unless he loses, and in that case the guy who beat him would be the champion. Jones has way too many points for any Bellator fighter to surpass him, so only Jones' inactivity or his move to another weight class leaves an opening. 

Wlad Klitschko Drops Out of Top 100 After 23 Years, 5 Months

There isn't much of interest in this months Top 100 Heavyweight Boxing Rankings. Tyson Fury is still #1, since no one in the top 10 competed. #11 Efe Ajagba got a win, Frank Sanchez moved up to #14 and the big news was probably Robert Helenius' upset over #13 Adam Kownacki, which catapulted Helenius from #112 to #17.

And with every scheduled fight in April pushed back several months due to the Coronavirus, there's not much to look ahead to.

So the most significant things about this month's Top 100 is not what's in it; it's what is NOT in it.

Specifically, WHO is not in it:

Dropped out of SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Top 100 for April, 2020:

#92 WLAD KLITSCHKO    (42-5-0)   --last rated win -59 months. 
#98 ROBERT ALFONSO     (2-1-1)   L TKO 1 #162 CARLOS NEGRON    
#99 JOEY DAWEJKO       (3-5-2)   L UD  10 #17 FRANK SANCHEZ 

We're not talking about Robert Alfonso, who lost to Carlos Negron and dropped out. Nor Joey Dawejko, who fell from #99 after losing to Sanchez.

No, we're talking about Wladimir Klitschko, who is one month shy of 5 straight years without a win, and finally drops out of our Top 100 after spending more than two decades here.

Klitschko debuted at #64 in our December 1996 rankings after beating journeyman Exum Speight in a 2nd round KO. Speight was no world-beater; in fact, it was his second loss in the month of November. It was Wlad's 2nd pro fight after winning Olympic gold in 1996.

As everyone knows, Wlad had a rollercoaster early career and it's reflected in our rankings. He rose to #26 at 19-0 (5-0 in significant fights) before a stunning TKO upset to #106 Ross Purity dropped him to #83. 

From there, though, Wlad rattled off 16 straight wins, including some major ones: he beat Monte Barrett to enter our Top 10 for the first time in July of 2000, and in October of the same year he beat Chris Byrd and made the top 5. He beat Jameel McCline, then ranked #5, and peaked at #3 before he suffered another upset TKO loss, this time to #97 Corrie Sanders in March of 2003.

That loss only dropped Wlad to #4—he was 35-2 with 18 significant wins, and bounced back with two wins before disaster struck YET AGAIN. Wlad lost to Lamon Brewster, and Wlad was knocked out of the top 10. Few figured he would rebound after his third setback. Almost no one thought he'd become one of the most dominant heavyweight champions of all-time.

But that's what happened. Klitschko needed just one win to get back in the top 10. Then came what might have been the pivotal fight of his career when he faced #5 Sam Peter, survived three knockdowns and won clearly on points. Once again in the top 5, by April of 2006 he trailed only #1 Lennox Lewis (retired), #2 Chris Byrd, and #3 Nicolay Valuev. He faced interim champion Byrd on the 21st and beat him in a 7th round TKO, becoming interim SportsRatings Heavyweight champion.

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May 2006	Fighter	Rating	Rated Record	April 2006 results
1	1	1	1	1	LENNOX LEWIS	42.69	33-2-1	--last rated win -34 months.
4	4	4	4	2	WLAD KLITSCHKO	39.97	24-3-0	KO 7 #2 CHRIS BYRD  [interim HW Champion]
3	3	3	3	3	NICOLAY VALUEV	31.80	14-0-0
5	5	5	6	4	VITALI KLITSCHKO	27.94	17-2-0	--last rated win -16 months.
2	2	2	2	5	CHRIS BYRD	26.23	16-3-1	L KO 7 #4 WLAD KLITSCHKO

Just a few months later, Klitschko would take over at #1 from the retired Lewis, in our September 2006 rankings. He would not relinquish the title for over 9 years!

His first defense was against #8 Calvin Brock; his 3rd was a revenge match against Lamon Brewster. In his 7th, he beat Ruslan Chagaev, who was #2 at the time, and this put brother Vitali Klitschko—who had retired and then come back strong—at #2 behind him. Amazingly, the Klitschko brothers ranked #1 and #2 for over six straight years!

 

Mar	Apr	May	June	July 2009	Fighter	Rating	Rated Record	June 2009 results
1	1	1	1	1	WLAD KLITSCHKO	59.12	31-3-0	KO 9 #2 RUSLAN CHAGAEV
4	3	3	3	2	VITALI KLITSCHKO	32.19	19-2-0
3	4	4	4	3	NICOLAY VALUEV	29.43	21-1-0
5	5	5	5	4	ALEX POVETKIN	29.08	12-0-0
2	2	2	2	5	RUSLAN CHAGAEV	26.50	11-1-0	L KO 9 #1 WLAD KLITSCHKO

Eleven more defenses followed, and Wlad won them all, most of them with ease. Finally, in November of 2015 he lost to Tyson Fury and fell to #2, after an incredible 111 months at #1. He waited for a rematch that never came, and decided to take on up-and-coming undefeated #5 challenger Anthony Joshua. After a back-and-forth affair Klitschko was stopped in the 11th round.

That was three years ago. Since then, Klitschko has of course been inactive, and therefore losing points, dropping down our ratings slowly but surely, until exiting this month.

After several comeback rumors never came to fruition, it looks like Wlad has called it a day for sure. Could he still compete today? Who's to say. He keeps himself in great shape, and who would you bet on against him? Not many people—the two men who beat him at the end of his career are #1 and #2 in this month's rankings! 

Wladimir Klitschko was rarely an exciting fighter, but he was an all-time great as his long stint at #1 proves. Below is a summary of his significant fights, with opponent rank at the time included.

11/1996: Win  by TKO over  #140 EXUM SPEIGHT     
02/1997: Win  by DQ  over  # 93 CARLOS MONROE    
09/1997: Win  by TKO over  #161 JAMES PRITCHARD  
03/1998: Win  by UD  over  #252 EVERETT MARTIN   
05/1998: Win  by KO  over  # 94 CODY KOCH        
12/1998: LOSS by TKO  to   #106 ROSS PURITTY     
05/1999: Win  by TKO over  #128 TONY LAROSA      
09/1999: Win  by TKO over  # 94 AXEL SCHULZ      
11/1999: Win  by KO  over  #226 PHIL JACKSON     
12/1999: Win  by KO  over  # 71 LAJOS EROS       
03/2000: Win  by KO  over  # 50 PAEA WOLFGRAMM   
04/2000: Win  by TKO over  # 48 DAVID BOSTICE    
07/2000: Win  by TKO over  # 50 MONTE BARRETT    
10/2000: Win  by UD  over  #  8 CHRIS BYRD       
03/2001: Win  by TKO over  #128 DERRICK JEFFERSON  #3
08/2001: Win  by TKO over  # 67 CHARLES SHUFFORD 
03/2002: Win  by TKO over  # 98 FRANS BOTHA      
06/2002: Win  by TKO over  #103 RAY MERCER       
12/2002: Win  by RET over  #  5 JAMEEL MCCLINE   
03/2003: LOSS by TKO  to   # 97 CORRIE SANDERS   
08/2003: Win  by KO  over  # 45 FABIO MOLI       
12/2003: Win  by TKO over  #124 DANELL NICHOLSON 
04/2004: LOSS by TKO  to   # 89 LAMON BREWSTER   
10/2004: Win  by TD  over  # 16 DAVARL WILLIAMSON
04/2005: Win  by TKO over  # 47 ELISEO CASTILLO  
09/2005: Win  by UD  over  #  5 SAMUEL PETER     
04/2006: Win  by TKO over  #  2 CHRIS BYRD       
11/2006: Win  by TKO over  #  8 CALVIN BROCK     
03/2007: Win  by KO  over  # 29 RAY AUSTIN       
07/2007: Win  by RET over  # 17 LAMON BREWSTER   
02/2008: Win  by UD  over  # 10 SULTAN IBRAGIMOV 
07/2008: Win  by TKO over  #  6 TONY THOMPSON    
12/2008: Win  by TKO over  # 14 HASIM RAHMAN     
06/2009: Win  by RET over  #  2 RUSLAN CHAGAEV   
03/2010: Win  by KO  over  #  4 EDDIE CHAMBERS   
09/2010: Win  by KO  over  # 13 SAMUEL PETER     
07/2011: Win  by UD  over  #  4 DAVID HAYE       
03/2012: Win  by KO  over  # 12 JEAN MARC MORMECK
07/2012: Win  by KO  over  # 10 TONY THOMPSON    
11/2012: Win  by UD  over  # 43 MARIUSZ WACH     
05/2013: Win  by TKO over  # 14 FRANCESCO PIANETA
10/2013: Win  by UD  over  #  3 ALEX POVETKIN    
04/2014: Win  by TKO over  # 32 ALEX LEAPAI      
11/2014: Win  by KO  over  #  4 KUBRAT PULEV     
04/2015: Win  by UD  over  #  9 BRYANT JENNINGS  
11/2015: LOSS by UD   to   #  4 TYSON FURY       
04/2017: LOSS by TKO  to   #  5 ANTHONY JOSHUA  

The Rematch: Fury vs. Wilder 2 Round-by-Round Scoring

It's SportsRatings #2 Tyson Fury vs. SportsRatings #3 Deontay Wilder in a rematch, with the winner—assuming there is one this time—taking over the #1 spot from Anthony Joshua.

The first fight was as close as it could be, with Fury generally outboxing Wilder with his odd, slippery style, but Wilder scoring two knockdowns—one in the final round that took Fury to the 9-count to recover. He did, however, and survived the 12th round. To the judges, everything evened out to a draw. Both fighters lost their perfect records, but both remain undefeated.

At the time it ruined the unofficial 4-man "Heavyweight Playoff" in effect; with no winner, there was no one to go on to fight Joshua for undisputed status. Things got more complicated when Joshua lost to Andy Ruiz, Jr, but Joshua won that rematch and hopefully will be next on the agenda for tonight's winner.

Fury is 29-0-1 with 20 KOs while Wilder is 42-0-1 with 41 KOs. Somebody's O has got to go. We can't have another draw...let's hope. In our system, Fury has 17 significant wins, Wilder 16, and they are in a near-tie for the #2 spot in our rankings.

In in the undercard's heavyweight feature, Charles Martin and Gerald Washington waltzed for 5 rounds before Martin scored a 1-punch TKO in the 6th.

The fight is ready to start at around 12:15 EST.

Live round-by-round scoring follows:

• Round 1: Quick jabs from Wilder, Fury trying to command the ring with his awkward style, swinging wide for Wilder. BIG punch from Wilder, Fury takes it well though. Fury with a big punch that misses but shows he's going to be on the attack. Another bum rush from Fury keeps Wilder on his back foot. Fury clearly trying to be different in this fight so Wilder can't use last fight's timing. BIG jab by Fury. Wilder had the best punch but Fury had more, and that last jab clinched it. Fury 10-9.
• Round 2: Wilder's style looks awkward due to Fury's posturing. Good hook from Fury, GOOD stiff right from Wilder. Jab from Fury. Lots of punches are connecting, none are hurting so far. Lots of distance between the fighters but both have a huge reach, so it evens out. Fury connects again. Wilder connects again! This is good action, much better than I expected actually. Fury with a great punch overhand against the ropes. Good round for both of them, Wilder ends the round with a solid punch, but Fury returns fire at the bell (maybe after!) 10-10; Fury 20-19.
• Round 3: Fury is dancing a bit, Wilder keeping distance. Fury gets good shots in and ties up Wilder awkwardly. Big punch again from Fury. Good start for the Gypsy King. Gets Wilder in another headlock, punches in that clinch too. Looks like Wilder is in Fury's range, but not the other way around. Wilder unsure of what to do. Fury punching a lot when the ref says to stop, has to pull them apart. Knockdown of Wilder by Fury! With 30 seconds left. Wilder  in trouble. Wilder tries to clinch and falls down again-- he is unsteady on his feet as the round ends. Fury 10-8; 30-27.
• Round 4: Fury punches again in the clinch when told not to; ref warns him. The two whiff on huge punches and Wilder slips to the ground again. Wilder is going for the big punch, he seems desperate. Fury's jabs keep getting in. More clinching, with Fury putting his weight on Wilder. Fury is bullying Wilder, but mostly clinching and wrestling this round. 10-9 Fury; 40-36.
• Round 5: Big one-two from Fury at the start has Wilder in trouble, sloppy fighting ensues. Fury landing big punches from the clinch. Fury really leaning on Wilder; body shot puts Wilder down! He's in real trouble, looking very tired. Fury should be stopped from doing the headlock. Wilder ready to drop, Fury wrestling and bullying him more. Is the headlock legal now? Fury gets a point deducted, and it's fair. With the deduction and knockdown, 9-8 round; Fury 49-44.
• Round 6: Fury bullrushes in again, has Wilder in trouble again. Fury is trying to bury him against the ropes. Fury unloading again, Wilder firing back occasionally. Both are swinging, Fury getting the best of the infighting. Good action, Wilder holding up impressively against the onslaught really. Wilder steps aside from the ropes, but gets hit again. Fury actually licked blood off Wilder's shoulder... Fury 10-9; 59-53.
• Round 7: Big punch from Fury again. Wilder still holding on for now. Slower action for the first minute with Fury walking Wilder down. Wilder's big shot misses as Fury ducks it. Two more miss. Holy shit, the ref waved it off after a few punches from Fury. Wilder looked dazed but that was a really unusual stoppage!
  
  Ok, Wilder's corner threw in the towel. That makes a lot more sense than the ref stoppage. They must have decided before the round that if he got cornered against the ropes to throw the towel.

Fury defeats Wilder by a round 7 TKO. Tyson Fury is our new heavyweight champion after dominating this fight.

 

 

 

 

Rankings preview: Joshua regains SportsRatings heavyweight belt

Anthony Joshua's successful rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr. was enough to propel him to the top of our rankings, back to where he was before he lost to Ruiz the first time. As such, he takes the SportsRatings heavyweight crown from Tyson Fury, who held it for the last six months. He also jumps over Deontay Wilder, who had just reached his highest ranking at #2. Ruiz Jr falls from #3 to #4.

Preview: SportsRatings Heavyweight Top 15

-3 Yr	-1 Yr	-6 mo	Dec 1	Dec 9	Fighter	Rating	Rated Record	December 7 results •12/09-12/31 Schedule
5	1	4	4	1	ANTHONY JOSHUA	46.09	16-1-0	UD 12 #3 ANDY RUIZ JR New SportsRatings Heavyweight Champion
1	2	1	1	2	TYSON FURY	45.38	17-0-1
4	3	3	2	3	DEONTAY WILDER	41.08	18-0-1
26	38	2	3	4	ANDY RUIZ JR	27.98	13-2-0	L UD 12 #4 ANTHONY JOSHUA
21	5	6	5	5	DILLIAN WHYTE	24.97	13-1-0	UD 10 #201 MARIUSZ WACH
3	4	5	6	6	ALEX POVETKIN	22.66	29-2-1	Draw 12 #13 MICHAEL HUNTER
17	7	7	7	7	JARRELL MILLER	19.46	9-0-0	--last rated win -13 months.
10	8	8	8	8	KUBRAT PULEV	18.67	20-1-0
16	33	32	13	9	MICHAEL HUNTER	17.91	6-1-1	Draw 12 #6 ALEX POVETKIN
--	17	15	9	10	EFE AJAGBA	16.95	6-0-0	•12/21 vs. #141 IAGO KILADZE
67	13	13	10	11	ADAM KOWNACKI	16.31	9-0-0
--	11	12	12	12	FILIP HRGOVIC	16.20	5-0-0	KO 3 #123 ERIC MOLINA
--	29	29	11	13	DANIEL DUBOIS	15.65	6-0-0	•12/21 vs. #14 KYOTARO FUJIMOTO
11	9	11	14	14	KYOTARO FUJIMOTO	14.12	10-1-0	--last rated win -35 months; •12/21 vs. #13 DANIEL DUBOIS
--	--	--	15	15	SHAWNDELL WINTERS	13.62	2-0-0

Note how close the top three fighters are; any one of them would take the title with a win over any of the others. Meaning that if Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder fight in 2020, the winner will be the new belt-holder. And no one outside the top three can win the belt with a single win—even beating the champ, like Ruiz Jr did last June—will just elevate the #2 fighter to the top again. This happens when there is no clear-cut champion. In cases like these, it's not "the man who beat the man" because you don't really know exactly who "the man" is! 

Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin hold at #5 and #6, but the distance between them grows. Whyte decisioned Mariusz Wach while Povetkin fought to a draw with Michael Hunter and loses points. Hunter was the big winner from Saturday in our rankings (other than Joshua of course) as he leaps into the top 10 from #13, pushing Efe Ajagba and Adam Kownacki down a spot each. Ajagba fights later this month but it won't improve his placement.

Filip Hrgovic easily beat Eric Molina but it wasn't enough to move him up, thanks to Hunter's performance. He does temporarily pass Daniel Dubois, who is now at #13 ahead of his clash with #14 Kyotaro Fujimoto on the 21st. The winner there will leap into the top 10, passing Hunter for the #9 spot.

So ultimately Ajagba will be bumped out of the top 10 even if he wins, and Hrgovic will drop a spot despite his dominant KO. This is the kind of thing that happens when the top heavyweights stay active! It's hard to get used to, since we haven't seen it in quite a while.

Anthony Joshua - Andy Ruiz Jr II live round-by-round scoring

Anthony Joshua seeks to avenge his only loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia in a fight roughly scheduled to start at 4pm eastern time in the U.S. 

Joshua (22-1) was beaten soundly by Ruiz (33-1) in June in a 7th round TKO. Joshua had floored Ruiz Jr in the 3rd round but wore himself out going for the kill, and Ruiz battled back, took the advantage, and got the stoppage.

Ruiz Jr is ranked #3 in our Heavyweight Boxing Top 100, with only a very close majority decision loss to Joseph Parker staining his record. Joshua is ranked #4 after having held our #1 spot for many months prior to the loss.

The winner of this bout will claim—or reclaim—the SportsRatings belt, currently held by Tyson Fury. Along with Deontay Wilder, there are 4 fighters within striking distance of the top, and it comes down to who fights who and who beats who before a definitive champion can be crowned. This fight is one more step toward that goal.

Ruiz Jr caused a stir by weighing in 15 pounds heavier than in the first bout, this despite looking like he was losing a lot of weight at times in recent months. He wore a sombrero and sweats to the weigh-in, so it's hard to really know how much of the 283 pounds was him, but it's clear he added weight while Joshua came in 10 pounds lighter than in June at 237.

Both fighters entered the ring through a foggy laser-light show in Diriyah.

The fight is ready to start.

• Round 1: Joshua being cautious, Ruiz a bit tentative too early. Ruiz not quite pressing forward as much as he did last fight. Joshua being very cautious, keeping his distance. Body shot from Ruiz. 1-2 by Joshua. Jab from Joshua. They mix it up a bit near the end of the round, cut over Ruiz's eye. Not much happened to the end but Joshua won the 2nd half of the round for sure. Joshua 10-9.
• Round 2: Ruiz looks more determined at the start, Joshua looks more confident. Ruiz tags Joshua with a still jab. Joshua targetting the eye with the right. Another jab from Joshua. Great left from Joshua. Joshua keeping Ruiz away so far as Ruiz stalks. Flurry from Joshua out of the clinch. Joshua's left eye is also cut above. Good round for Joshua 10-9; 20-18.
• Round 3: Ruiz moving in fast, targeting the body. Body shots again from Ruiz. Jab keeping him away mostly. Ruiz misses several hooks as Joshua moves away. Not much contact in first half of round. Joshua defending well but no offense in first 2 minutes. Finally a good jab and body shot from Joshua, but not enough to earn the round. 10-10; 30-28 Joshua.
• Round 4: Joshua pawing at Ruiz's hands, keeping him from getting set. Jab from Joshua. Ruiz ducks big hook from Joshua, misses on return shots though. Joshua blocks Ruiz punches, gets in a jab and good straight right. Good action late between both, Ruiz lands a few big punches at the end. Makes the round a draw again. 10-10; 40-38 Joshua. 
• Round 5: Joshua none the worse for wear early in the 5th so far. Joshua jabs, tries to clinch and Ruiz fights through it. Ruiz continues to stalk. Good jabs from Joshua serving him well, keeping Ruiz at bay. Ruiz telegraphs a punch, good counter from Joshua. Joshua 10-9; 50-47.
• Round 6: Whiff from Ruiz, counter from Joshua connects. Ruiz lunging in but missing. Jabs from Joshua, to the head and the body. Ruiz being held at bay as Joshua dances around the perimeter of the ring. Good stiff right from Joshua. 10-9; 60-56.
• Round 7: Ruiz still stalking but Joshua has nullified him in the last few rounds, now letting his hands go a bit. Ruiz is swinging in the clinch and referee warns about hitting the back of the head. Joshua whiffs and almost leaves himself open, but recovers. Some in-fighting and Joshua scoring more. But that's what Ruiz needs. Joshua jumps into clinch. Ruiz swings wildly trying to change the rhythm of the fight. Ruiz connects with a good left, but Joshua wins the round. 10-9; 70-65.
• Round 8: First minute of round 8 is more of the same, then Ruiz finally gets in decent shot. Ref cautions both fighters about clinch work and Ruiz hitting back of head. Big shots from Ruiz, a clinch, and ref tries to get in the middle of it, separating them. Joshua jabs and clinches, and Ruiz fights through it and scores with more big shots. Ruiz's best round so far. Ruiz 10-9; Joshua 79-75.
• Round 9: Ruiz stalking again, Joshua connects with jab and immediately clinches in the corner. Left arm out, he fends off Ruiz's stalking. Whenever Joshua clinches now, Ruiz flails his arms hoping to catch Joshua with a kill shot. Jabs exchanged, Joshua whiffs with a wild shot. Ruiz moves in with jabs, flurry from Joshua, but Ruiz responds in kind. 10-10; Joshua 89-85.
• Round 10: Ruiz good shot early, but Joshua keeps him at bay for next minute. Very few shots from Ruiz getting inside, Joshua content to use jab, avoid mixing it up. Ruiz still looking for big shot or opportunity in clinch, Joshua not giving it to him. Joshua doing all the (very little) scoring here. Joshua 10-9; 99-94.
• Round 11: Joshua moves in, jabbing at will early on. Ruiz keeps coming. Needs something big with 2 rounds left. Joshua still moving around the ring well, which might be the idea of his 10 pound weight cut. Ruiz can't get in close enough to unfurl his power punches, except in brief moments in the clinch. More jabs from Joshua, who is doing all the scoring. 10-9 Joshua; 109-103. 
• Round 12: Ruiz more concerned now in the last round but Joshua fending him off, again with jabs, and tying him up effectively. Ruiz frustrated by inability to let his hands go. Ruiz demands Joshua fight him toe to toe but Joshua doesn't fall for it. A clear decision win for Anthony Joshua. 10-9; 119-112.

The judges agree: 118-110, 119-109, 118-110. Anthony Joshua regains his titles, as well as the SportsRatings Heavyweight belt.

Not the most exciting fight to be sure, especially in the anticlimactic  later rounds, but that's how Joshua needed it. An exciting fight would have seen the same result as last June. Joshua did what he should have done the first time around—produce a boring fight. It was expected to be boring last time, and it was nothing but boring. This time, people wanted fireworks and got a fire extinguisher. That's how Joshua fought—like he was fending Ruiz off with a fire extinguisher.

Joshua-Ruiz undercard: Alexander Povetkin vs. Michael Hunter scoring; Dillian Whyte vs. Wach, Hrgovic vs. Molina, Majidov vs. Little

As we've noted, the Joshua-Ruiz undercard rounds out one of the best heavyweight cards of the last 20 years. Here is a live recap of the heavyweight fights on the card and round-by-round scoring of the Alex Povetkin-Michael Hunter bout. The top 3 bouts on the card are available in the U.S. on DAZN; the earlier bouts are available on YouTube on Sky Sports (but not in the United States).

Mahammadrasul Majidov TKO 2 #174 Tom Little

Two-time amateur world champ Majidov beat Tom Little (10-8) in only his 2nd official pro bout. Little was #174 in our rankings and just 5-7 in rated bouts, so it wasn't any surprise. Majidov will enter our top 100 in January, and we grade his potential an A- meaning he should be a top 5 prospect. Majidov won the amateur world championship in 2011 and 2013, beating Anthony Joshua to win gold the first time. But at 33 he's starting his pro career pretty late, and he could be past his peak. We see a career trajectory like Kubrat Pulev's: a quick dash to the top 10, perhaps pushing into the top 5, but failing to beat the top 3 fighters.

#12 Filip Hrgovic KO 3 #123 Eric Molina

Rising prospect Hrgovic, 27, dominated journeyman Eric Molina, who was counted out in the third round despite complaining about punches to the back of the head. Hrgovic avoided Molina's attempts to hit him with a game-changing haymaker and overwhelmed him with his own power punches. Hrgovic is just outside our top 10 and with all the other action today it's unlikely this win will put him there just yet. But it was a strong performance and shows he is a danger to anyone.

Upcoming: #5 Dillian Whyte vs. #201 Mariusz Wach

Whyte (26-1) continues his quest for another title shot, taking on former contender Wach (35-5) in a scheduled 10-rounder.

First round had a lot of action, both fighters looking (too) big and hitting hard. Great shot from Whyte near the end. 10-9. Round two more of the same, but Whyte outlanding Wach 2-1 or 3-1, but Wach got a few really big shots in. Whyte returned fire, great action. No one was rocked despite the bombs. 20-18. Both fighters slowed down in the 3rd round. But still throwing heavy hands, both chins holding up very well. Closer round but still Whyte. 30-27. Round 4 Wach moving forward with effective jabs. Blocking most of Whyte's big shots, but Whyte gets a few in later in the round. 39-37. Round 5 Whyte came out with more urgency, disrupting Wach's jabs with strong shots, using Philly Shell defense. Wach is holding up but he's being hit regularly. Great action at end as both fighters let it go. 49-46. Round 6: Whyte throwing combos to Wach's single punches. Wach is looking tired but is unhurt and still throwing hard. Whyte throwing hard too, and looks stronger. Wach flurry at end shows he's still in it, but falling behind. 59-55. Seventh round, more of the same: hard shots from both fighters, very clean, scoring shots all around, and no sign of either fighter being rocked. Good body shot variations from Whyte, then he goes to the head. Wach generally headhunting. Both chins are holding up! 69-65. 8th Round, Wach eager to come out, but Whyte peppering him with body and head shots, still looking strong. Wach's work rate is well down, jabs looking weaker. Whyte takes round but Wach finishes round strong. 79-74. Round 9: Wach and Whyte trading toe to toe in the 9th! Both letting their hands go, both having their moments. Whyte getting hit hard but then coming back with his own. Wach ends with flurry. Incredible round. 88-84. Round ten: Wach needs a knockout and he knows it. Whyte not taking any chances though. Wach will just not drop! Or even be rocked by Whyte's punches. Whyte on the defense on the ropes, fighting back. Whyte's punching variety is amazing, body shots, uppercut, windmills. Last half minute Whyte rocks Wach with big combo. Wach dodges 3 huge windmills and will survive. Our final score: Whyte 98-93. Judges say: 98-93, 97-93, 97-93 for Whyte.

Upcoming: #6 Alex Povetkin vs. #14 Michael Hunter - round by round scoring

Povetkin looks for one last drive toward a title as Hunter seeks to break into the top ten.

• Round 1: Hunter's unorthodox moving is wreacking havoc for Povetkin early on, hitting Povetkin will angles all over, esp. right hands. Povetkin gets his composure but generally unable to figure Hunter out in this round. Hunter's work early wins this one. Hunter 10-9.
• Round 2: Hunter's speed still bothering Povetkin, who is missing with lots of punches. Hunter almost wobbles him with a right. Good counter by Povetkin late, otherwise round was pretty even. 10-10; Hunter 20-19.
• Round 3: Povetkin finally adjusting to the speed of the fight, some good work early. Hunter clinching when Povetkin gets close. Fight speed slowing down a bit late in the 3rd. Another close hard-to-score round. 10-10; 30-29 Hunter.
• Round 4: Mixing it up again, both mostly whiffing and dodging each others hooks. Some good power from Povetkin but didn't land flush. Ducking low at times to avoid Hunter's swinging; Hunter clinching in close. Hunter misses twice late, pace is showing for both of them. Povetkin's best round 10-9; 39-39. This is going to be a close one, every round counts.
• Round 5: Good 1-2 from Hunter; rest of round is very close again until mid-round Povetkin rocks Hunter with near-knockdown against the ropes. Hunter looks recovered but Povetkin catches him again and has to clinch. Good jabs from Hunter but Povetkin has the clear power advantage. A few late (past-bell) punches from Hunter but Povetkin wins that one. 10-9; Povetkin 49-48. 
• Round 6: Hunter still looking fast as he jumps in with jabs; if he can win rounds and avoid big punches he can still win this fight. Jab lands again. Povetkin looking a bit tired, lower work rate this round. Hunter clips him with hook and Povetkin clinches. Hunter's round 10-9; 58-58.
• Round 7: Who has more left i this close fight? Ring is looking foggy from humidity. Povetkin swinging but not connecting cleanly, neither fighter gaining advantage in first half of round. Hunter lands well and Povetkin clinches again, unhurt but stunned a bit. Pretty even round but slight edge to Hunter 10-9; 68-67
• Round 8: More very even sparring; Povetkin has a moment mid-round. Not much there but Povetkin had the only real moment; very close yet again, this one to Povetkin 10-9; 77-77
• Round 9:  Hunter full of energy at start but nothing much comes of it. Lots more missing in the first minute. One clean punch from Povetkin; return from Hunter seconds later. Both getting tired late, lots of clinches, initiated by both men. 10-10; 87-87.
• Round 10: Are we headed for a draw? Either that or a very, very close decision it seems. Inside work from both men. More clinching too. Hooks from Hunter miss in the clinch. Povetkin looking weary, he clinches, and Hunter doesn't argue. Mostly clinching, another draw round. 10-10; 97-97.
• Round 11: Head-snapping jabs connect for both fighters. Now they're diving in at the same time, meeting in clinch. Big shots from Hunter and Povetkin looks wobbly. He's staying up and fighting back; he rushes in and heads clashed. Hunter connects with 2 more big shots, clearly winning this round in a very tight fight. Povetkin weary and gets hit again. Clear round for Hunter 10-9; Hunter 107-106. 
• Round 12: Povetkin needs this round or Hunter probably wins, though any decision will probably be split/majority. Povetkin still looks a bit dazed, looking for big punches to turn the tide. Povetkin rushes in, fighters collide and they sprawl to the ground. Fight resumes, more clinching from Povetkin, but Hunter isn't connecting like he did last round. One minute to go, round is even so far. Good left from Hunter. Povetkin needs something but still clinches. Another tight round 10-10; Hunter 117-116.

Looks like a split decision coming, in favor of either fighter. We favor Hunter, and splitting the five 10-10 rounds could make it 117-111 Hunter or 116-112 Povetkin. We think a very close result goes to Hunter, but the cards overall ought to be very tight.

The verdict: 115-113 Povetkin; 115-113 Hunter; and 114-114 split draw. 

You know what? That's actually fair, as disappointing as it is. All the verdicts were very close, so no judge was far off from another. It will be interesting to see the round-by-round cards, and check against the five rounds we gave a 10-10.

The draw might put Hunter in our top 10 after all, while Povetkin will lose points but remain at #6.