Bellator has unveiled its initial media rankings and two names stand above the rest: Patricio "Pitbull" Freire and Cris Cyborg.
17 media members submitted their individual rankings for nine Bellator weight classes, as well as male and female pound-for-pound lists. Asterisks next to names identify how many first-place votes that fighter received.
**Full disclosure: Fightful's MMA editor Shakiel Mahjouri is one of the 17 media members taking part in the rankings.
Men's pound-for-pound
1. Patricio Pitbull (31-4)
2. Vadim Nemkov (12-2)
3. Gegard Mousasi (47-7-2)
4. Ryan Bader (27-6)
5. Juan Archuleta (25-2)
6. Douglas Lima (32-8)
7. AJ McKee (17-0)
8. Phil Davis (22-5)
9. Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4)
10. Corey Anderson (14-5)
Women's pound-for-pound
1. Cris Cyborg (23-2)
2. Juliana Velasquez (11-0)
3. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1)
4. Julia Budd (14-3)
5. Arlene Blencowe (13-8)
6. Denise Kielholtz (6-2)
7. Liz Carmouche (14-7)
8. Cat Zingano (11-4)
9. Alejandra Lara (9-3)
10. Leslie Smith (12-8-1)
Men's heavyweight
C. Ryan Bader (27-6)
1. Timothy Johnson (15-6) – 13*
2. Cheick Kongo (30-11-2)
3. Valentin Moldavsky (10-1) – 3*
4. Fedor Emelianenko (39-6)
5. Linton Vassell (20-8)
6. Tyrell Fortune (9-1) – 1*
7. Steven Mowry (8-0)
8. Matt Mitrione (13-8)
9. Sergei Kharitonov (32-8)
10. Javy Ayala (11-8)
Men's light heavyweight
C. Vadim Nemkov (12-2)
1. Ryan Bader (27-6) – 11*
2. Phil Davis (22-5) – 2*
3. Corey Anderson (14-5) – 4*
4. Lyoto Machida (26-10)
5. Julius Anglickas (9-1)
6. Grant Neal (5-0)
7. Christian Edwards (4-0)
8. Tyree Fortune (5-0)
9. Melvin Manhoef (32-15-1)
10. Alex Polizzi (7-1)
Men's middleweight:
C. Gegard Mousasi (47-7-2)
1. John Salter (18-4) – 10*
2. Anatoly Tokov (29-2) – 5*
3. Austin Vanderford (10-0) – 1*
4. Fabian Edwards (9-1)
5. Costello van Steenis (13-2)
6. Johnny Eblen (7-0)
7. Charlie Ward (9-4)
8. Mike Shipman (14-3)
9. Romero Cotton (5-0)
10. Ed Ruth (8-3)
Men's welterweight:
C. Douglas Lima (32-8)
1. Michael Page (18-1) – 8*
2. Yaroslav Amosov (25-0) – 6*
3. Neiman Gracie (10-1) – 3*
4. Logan Storley (11-1)
5. Derek Anderson (17-3)
6. Jason Jackson (13-4)
7. Joey Davis (8-0)
8. Sabah Homasi (15-8)
9. Oliver Enkamp (10-2)
10. Jaleel Willis (14-2)
Men's lightweight
C. Patricio Pitbull (31-4)
1. Brent Primus (10-1) – 12*
2. Patricky Pitbull (23-9) – 3*
3. Goiti Yamauchi (25-4) – 1*
4. Benson Henderson (28-10) – 1*
5. Sidney Outlaw (15-4)
6. Myles Jury (19-5)
7. Adam Piccolotti (12-4)
8. Alfie Davis (14-3)
9. Aviv Gozali (5-0)
10. Georgi Karakhanyan (30-11-1)
Men's featherweight
C. Patricio Pitbull (31-4)
1. AJ McKee (17-0) – 13*
2. Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4) – 4*
3. Adam Borics (16-1)
4. Pedro Carvalho (11-4)
5. Daniel Weichel (40-12)
6. Aaron Pico (7-3)
7. Jay Jay Wilson (7-0)
8. Jeremy Kennedy (16-2)
9. Tywan Claxton (6-2)
10. Mads Burnell (14-3)
Men's bantamweight
C. Juan Archuleta (25-2)
1. Sergio Pettis (20-5) – 10*
2. Patchy Mix (13-1) – 4*
3. Raufeon Stots (15-1) – 1*
4. James Gallagher (11-1)
5. Magomed Magomedov (17-1) – 2*
6. Leandro Higo (20-5)
7. Josh Hill (20-3)
8. Cass Bell (5-1)
9. Frans Mlambo (9-5)
10. Jornel Lugo (5-0)
Women's featherweight
C. Cris Cyborg (23-2)
1. Julia Budd (14-3) – 16*
2. Arlene Blencowe (13-8)
3. Cat Zingano (11-4)
4. Leslie Smith (12-8-1) – 1*
5. Sinead Kavanagh (7-4)
6. Janay Harding (6-4)
7. Leah McCourt (4-1)
8. Amanda Bell (7-7)
9. Olga Rubin (6-2)
10. Jessy Miele (9-5)
Women's flyweight
C. Juliana Velasquez (11-0)
1. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) – 16*
2. Liz Carmouche (14-7)
3. Denise Kielholtz (6-2) – 1*
4. Alejandra Lara (9-3)
5. Kana Watanabe (9-0-1)
6. Kate Jackson (11-5-1)
7. Veta Arteaga (5-4)
8. Mandy Bohm (7-0)
9. Valerie Loureda (3-0)
10. Bruna Ellen (5-3)
Fightful has all of your MMA needs covered. Follow us on Twitter for updates, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, lists, news updates, and predictions.
